Deadlines and intakes
The academic year starts in mid-September.
Work backwards from the visa: admission by April or May, money in the blocked account or guarantee in place by June, visa lodged by early July.
Language you need
English-taught provision is concentrated at master's level. English-taught bachelor's degrees at public universities are limited, especially in Flanders.
The language of daily life depends on where you study. Leuven, Ghent and Antwerp are Dutch-speaking; Liège, Louvain-la-Neuve, Namur and Mons are French-speaking; Brussels is officially bilingual with English widely used. You do not need Dutch or French for the visa, but part-time jobs, landlords outside the student market and graduate employers outside international firms often expect one of them. If your programme is Dutch-taught and you need Ghent's preparatory year of Dutch, you must apply a year earlier.