EnglishEN
Free help applying

Photo: Mira Kireeva on Unsplash

Cost of a year

What will a year really cost?

From the country guide: tuition, living costs and the visa fee, plus the money you must show. The part you lose if the visa is refused is marked.

In short: a first year in Belgium costs about EUR 17,100 to 29,100: tuition, twelve months of living costs and the visa fee. The visa also asks you to show EUR 12,700 before it is decided.

Last checked: 24 September 2026, against the official sources linked below.

A year in Belgium

In EUR as publishedIn EUR
Tuition, one year EUR 2,297 to 7,079 EUR 2,300 to 7,080
Public university, international student
Living costs, twelve months EUR 14,400 to 21,600 EUR 14,400 to 21,600
Visa or permit feeNot refunded if the visa is refused EUR 431 EUR 431
First year, all inEUR 17,130 to 29,110
Money you must show for the visa EUR 12,744 EUR 12,740
Held in your account before you apply; most of it then pays your living costs
Work while you study
20 hours a week in term
Stay after you graduate
12 months, Search year
Worth knowing. The proof of funds rose to EUR 1,062 a month for 2026-2027 and is re-indexed every February, so older EUR 835 figures will be refused.

The full Belgium guide, with every source →

Partners

Things you will need anyway

We may earn a commission if you use these links, at no extra cost to you. Nobody pays to be listed here, and nothing here affects what the official register says about any school. Disclosures

Airalo

Phone and data

A data plan that works the moment you land, without hunting for a SIM.

Visit Airalo
Affiliate link

Booking.com

Your first nights

A hotel or short let for your first nights, while you look for a room or wait for your hall.

Visit Booking.com
Affiliate link

Welcome Pickups

Your first nights

A driver who meets you at the airport with your name on a sign, booked before you fly, so your first trip to your new address is sorted.

Visit Welcome Pickups
Affiliate link

Belgium: what a year costs next to

Tuition, living costs and the visa fee side by side, in your currency.

Leaves out flights, deposits and insurance unless the guide includes them. Currency: Rates by Exchange Rate API, 13 November 2026.

Questions

How much does it cost to study in Belgium for a year?

a first year in Belgium costs about EUR 17,100 to 29,100: tuition, twelve months of living costs and the visa fee. The visa also asks you to show EUR 12,700 before it is decided.

How much money do I need to show for a student visa in Belgium?

EUR 12,744 a year (about EUR 12,700), from the official source in the Belgium guide.