Travel to Belgium

The current Covid-19 pandemic has impacted almost every facet of our lives. Individuals, businesses and administrations alike are forced to adjust to the restrictions brought upon us all by this virus.Although the Embassy is open for business (on appointment only) and the Consular Section is serving the public, one should understand that, with limited numbers of staff present on-site and important volumes of incoming applications, delays should be expected. We are doing the best we can to serve everyone as soon as possible, while also caring for the health and safety of our team members.

The sponsorship form needs to be completed in the language of the city where the student will register:

• Dutch form (PDF, 109.11 KB)
• French form (PDF, 110.8 KB)

Sponsors legally residing in the United Kingdom can only submit the financial guarantee form by post. The following supporting documents should be submitted as proof of identity and solvency. Failing to do so will result in a refusal to approve the financial guarantee form.

1. The sponsor must be a natural person who is at least is eighteen years old or has been emancipated. A legal entity, corporation, juridical person, company,... cannot sponsor. 
    
2. The sponsor must have Belgian nationality or be a citizen of the European Union with a right of residence of more than 3 months in Belgium or in another Member State of the European Union, or be a national from a third country authorized to an unlimited stay in Belgium or in another Member State of the European Union, or be a family member up to the third degree of the student.
    
3. A family member who acts as sponsor must prove his kinship to the 1st, 2nd or 3rd degree with the foreign national who is being sponsored on the basis of official documentary evidence which must be appropriately legalized/apostilled (birth certificates, official family composition certificates, marriage certificates, ...) Statutory declarations, solemn declarations, letter of recommendation, etc. ... will NOT be accepted.
   The sponsor must submit the literal copy (i.e., the reproduction of the act as it was drawn up in the register of civil status, or as it has been rectified) of the various birth and marriage certificates establishing the relationship to the 1st, 2nd or 3rd degree. These documents must be legalized or apostilled since less than 6 months, if they are subject to this obligation.
    
4. What is legalisation? Read more info HERE (PDF, 144.03 KB).
   
   We strongly advice that you check the website from the Embassy of Belgium in the country of origin of the documents in order to verify what procedure has to be followed to legalize those documents. 
    
5. What is kinship to the first/second/third degree?

   - First degree: father, mother and children of the sponsor
   - Second degree: grandparents, grandchildren, brothers and sisters of the sponsor
   - Third degree: great-grandparents and great-grandchildren, aunts and uncles, children of brothers or sisters of the sponsor.
   - The degree of kinship through alliance is established in the same way, eg the brother-in-law has the same degree as the brother; the son-in-law by marriage the same degree as the own child,

   There seems to be a lot of misunderstandings about this last category - third degree. I'll give more specific explanation based on the Degrees of kinship in Belgian Civil Law (Belgian law applies to the sponsorship applications)

   a) If the student is the child of one of the sponsor's brothers or sisters then this is considered THIRD degree kinship. 
   b) If the student is the child of the brother or sister of the sponsor's father or mother (uncles/aunts) then this is considered FOURTH degree kinship. 

6. Dated and signed original financial guarantee form (!! only French or Dutch form !!)
    
7. Do not have your signature on the financial guarantee form legalised by a solicitor, notary public or honorary consul. Only the Embassy is allowed to legalise your signature.
    
8. Proof of identity of the sponsor: copy of valid passport witnessed by a UK registered solicitor or notary public and a copy of valid visa/residence permit.
    
9. Signed and dated letter containing the following information: 
   - sponsor's address, telephone number and e-mail address
   - number and names of person(s) already financially dependent upon the sponsor (partner, children, ...)
   - any other information useful for processing the application
    
10. Proof of financial resources. 
    
    The sponsor must prove regular and sufficient income for himself, for every dependent person and for every third-country national who is a dependent. This income must be at least equal to 2,049 euros net/month. To this amount is added the minimum amount that every dependent third-country national must have, namely 803 euros net/month  (amount fixed for the academic year 2024/2025). Income obtained from supplementary social assistance systems (living income and guaranteed family benefits), financial social services, family benefits, unemployment benefits, integration benefits, bridging benefits, etc. ... are not taken into account.
    
    Examples : A sponsor supporting one student must prove a steady income of at least 2,049 euros net/month + 803 euros net/month = 2,852 euros net/month
    
    The conversion from EURO to GBP is to be done at the current consular exchange rate which you can find HERE

11. If you are employed: most recent P60 form + pay slips covering the last 3 months + letter of employer stating type and length of contract (issued in the last 6 months)

12. If you are self-employed: latest self-assessment tax return + official evidence of your earnings (‘SA302’) for the last year + copy of company registration at Company House + letter from your accountant stating your monthly net income
     
13. Bank statements in the sponsor's name covering the last 3 months
     
14. Proof of identity of the student: copy of valid passport + copy of valid residence card if already in Belgium.
     
15. Include a pre-paid special delivery envelope so we can return the legalised financial guarantee form to you.
     
16. Include proof of transfer of the signature LEGALISATION FEE (PDF, 179.77 KB) (be sure to transfer the correct amount for legalisation only) to the Embassy bank account, transfer details see below: 

    Embassy of Belgium
    BNP Paribas
    Account No: 10794033
    Sort Code: 406384
     

    IMPORTANT :

    1) When making the payment to the Embassy account, you must quote as reference  the applicant’s NAME, first name, date of birth and motivation for transfer (A32) in the following format: NAMEfirstnameDDMMYYA32
    Example: SMITHJOHN280281A32
    Failing to use this format can delay your application. 
    2) Your account number and sort code should be visible so the Embassy can refund you in case your sponsorship is refused. 

SEND BY POST ONLY to:

Visa Department
Belgian Embassy
17 Grosvenor Crescent
London SW1X 7EE

IMPORTANT: 

1. We do not return the documents submitted and we do not make copies. Please make sure that you only send copies.
2. We reserve the right to ask additional documents if deemed necessary.
3. For missing or non-conforming documents it is settled case-law that it is up to the claimant who wishes to convey information pursuant to a claim that may have an influence on the assessment of his administrative situation, to fully inform the administration which, for its part, cannot be required to carry out numerous inquiries, on pain of making it impossible to respond within a reasonable timeframe to the numerous requests it receives.