Studying in BelgiumRenewing your student A card in Belgium: the right timing and the proofs to provide
Apply at the commune no later than 15 days before expiry, prove 1,062 euros a month for 2026-2027, certificate of academic progress, new credit thresholds since 2026-2027, annex 15 if the card expires, job search year after graduation.
Founder · Compatri, the social network for diasporas
Information checked on 25 October 2026.
The student A card is valid for one year: every year, you must apply to renew it at the commune (local town hall) where you live, no later than 15 days before it expires. A late application can be declared inadmissible. The file contains five items: valid passport, enrolment certificate for the following year, certificate of academic progress, proof of means of subsistence (1,062 euros net a month for 2026-2027) and health insurance. Since the 2026-2027 academic year, the Immigration Office also applies new credit thresholds to spot “excessively long” studies.
This guide is part of our series on arriving in Belgium: the central page details the steps on arrival in Belgium according to your D visa.
When to apply
The rule comes from article 61/1/2 of the law of 15 December 1980: a non-European student who wants to keep living in Belgium for their studies applies for renewal at the commune administration where they live, no later than 15 days before the A card expires.
Three practical tips:
- Check the expiry date as soon as you receive the card and set a reminder in your calendar one month ahead.
- Book an appointment early. Many communes only receive by appointment, and the weeks around the start of the academic year are busy. The 15 days are a limit, not a target.
- Do not confuse it with the general rule. For most other residence permits, renewal is requested between the 60th and the 30th day before expiry. For the student A card, the 15-day limit applies.
If you miss the deadline, the commune can declare the application inadmissible (annex 29). You are then left without a valid permit when the card expires.
The documents to provide
Article 103 of the royal decree of 8 October 1981 and the B40 mention on your D visa list the documents:
A student job counts: the Immigration Office takes into account income from legal work done outside the time devoted to studies. But mind the limit: working more than your card allows (“Labour market: limited”) is a ground for refusing renewal.
Incomplete file
If the application is filed on time but a document is missing, the commune asks you to provide it within 15 days. Once the file is complete, you receive an acknowledgement of receipt (annex 33ter). Without the missing documents within those 15 days, the application can be declared inadmissible.
The fee and the price of the card
The Immigration Office fee list (amounts in force since 1 January 2026) sets 251 euros for a student's first residence application at a public institution. It sets no amount for renewing the student A card. The commune does charge you for the new electronic card, at a price it sets itself: ask your commune.
The new credit thresholds since 2026-2027
The Immigration Office can refuse renewal if you are “extending your studies excessively”. The royal decree of 7 May 2026 changed these rules from the 2026-2027 academic year. The thresholds are now as follows.
| Programme | Credit threshold | Programme passed at the latest by |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor, graduat, brevet, postgraduate, certificate | 60 credits at the end of the 2nd year, then 40 more credits each following year | End of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th year for a 60, 90, 120, 180 or 240-credit programme |
| Master, advanced master | 60 credits at the end of the 2nd year, 120 at the end of the 3rd | End of the 2nd, 3rd or 4th year for a 60, 120 or 180-credit programme |
| Doctorate | - | End of the 6th year |
Four special cases:
- Switching to a lower level without having passed the higher-level programme: refusal is possible below 100 credits at the end of the 2nd year or 140 credits at the end of the 3rd. If renewal is granted, the maximum period is cut by one year.
- Preparatory year not passed: the maximum period is cut by one year.
- Master combined with a bridging, preparatory or additional programme of at least 30 credits: the period is extended by one year.
- Third field of study: the Immigration Office can refuse if you want to start a third field during your first three years of stay without having passed the previous two.
Only credits from your current programme count, plus those from previous programmes for which you were granted an exemption. The Immigration Office can ask you or your institution for documents, to be provided within 15 days. If you are close to a threshold, talk to your institution's international student office early.
Who decides, and how fast
The commune can renew the card immediately if the file is admissible and you meet all the conditions, with no excessive extension of studies. Otherwise it sends the file to the Immigration Office, which must decide within 90 days of the acknowledgement of receipt.
If your card expires before the decision
If the Immigration Office has not decided before your A card expires, the commune gives you a certificate that temporarily covers your stay: annex 15, valid for 45 days and renewable twice for the same period. It lets you stay in Belgium, not travel: avoid planning a trip home during that time.
If renewal is refused, you receive an annex 33bis, which is an order to leave the territory. An appeal is possible; the deadline is stated on the decision and it is short. If the refusal is due to your institution (bankruptcy, sanction, breach of its obligations), you have 30 days to present an enrolment certificate from another institution and complete an equivalent programme.
After graduation: the job search year
Once you graduate in Belgium, you can ask to stay for up to 12 months to look for a job or set up a business. You apply at the commune no later than 15 days before your student A card expires, with:
- your valid passport;
- proof that you obtained the degree;
- proof of health insurance;
- proof of sufficient means of subsistence.
The Immigration Office decides within 90 days. If approved, you receive an A card marked “job search”, valid for 12 months and not renewable. During that year you have unrestricted access to the labour market, but you must actively look for a job or prepare your self-employed activity. If an employer wants to keep you, they should quickly apply for a single permit from the competent Region.
Summary calendar
| Step | Deadline | Where / how | What to bring (or risk if late) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Note the expiry date | As soon as you get the A card | Your calendar | Nothing; this is the starting point for everything else |
| Gather enrolment, progress certificate, transcript | From the end of the academic year | Institution's registration office | Immigration Office standard models |
| Prove the means for the year | Before filing | Blocked account, transfer certificate, grant or annex 32 | 1,062 euros net a month in 2026-2027 |
| File the application | No later than 15 days before expiry | Commune where you live | Late = inadmissible application |
| Complete the file | Within 15 days of the request | Commune | Acknowledgement (annex 33ter), otherwise inadmissible |
| Wait for the decision | 90 days after the acknowledgement | Commune or Immigration Office | Annex 15 of 45 days if the card expires |
| Apply for the job search year | No later than 15 days before expiry | Commune | Degree, insurance, means; 12-month A card |
Further reading
- The first month in Belgium (commune, A card, health insurance, bank): foreign student in Belgium, the steps of the first month.
- The procedure before departure (equivalence, admission, visa): studying in Belgium from Africa.
- The equivalent in France: renewing your residence permit in France.
- All countries compared: the steps on arrival in Europe with a long-stay visa.
Finding your compatriots
A second-year student who has already renewed their card in your commune will save you time. On Compatri, find Cameroonians in Belgium, Congolese in Belgium, Moroccans in Belgium, and every community in Brussels, Liège and the other cities of Belgium.
Compatri is not a Belgian government service and files no application on your behalf. Your commune and the Immigration Office remain the only authorities.
Official sources
- Immigration Office: renewal of the student A card (deadline, documents, annex 15)
- Immigration Office: excessive extension of studies (royal decree of 7 May 2026)
- Immigration Office: end of a student's stay
- Immigration Office: sufficient means of subsistence (1,062 euros a month in 2026-2027)
- Immigration Office: national mentions on the D visa (B40, B39)
- Immigration Office: job search year after studies
- Immigration Office: fee (amounts since 1 January 2026)
- Immigration Office: extending a visa or a residence card (general rule)
- Immigration Office: model certificate of academic progress
- Droits Quotidiens: renewing your card as a non-European student (annex 15 and travel)
Frequently asked questions
When must you apply to renew the student A card?
No later than 15 days before the card expires, at the commune administration where you live (article 61/1/2 of the law of 15 December 1980). A late application can be declared inadmissible. Since many communes work by appointment, book several weeks in advance.
Which documents do you need to renew the student A card?
A copy of your valid passport, the enrolment certificate for the following year, the certificate of academic progress (Immigration Office standard models) with the previous year's transcript, proof of means of subsistence and proof of health insurance, in practice your health insurance fund certificate. If a document is missing, the commune gives you 15 days to provide it.
How much money must you prove for renewal in 2026-2027?
The Immigration Office sets the minimum at 1,062 euros net a month for the 2026-2027 academic year, or 12,744 euros in a blocked account. An irrevocable transfer certificate from Studely or Ready Study Go International, a grant or a sponsorship undertaking (annex 32) are also accepted. The amount is indexed each year.
How many credits must you pass to keep your student residence?
Since the 2026-2027 academic year (royal decree of 7 May 2026), a bachelor student must have at least 60 credits at the end of their 2nd year, then 40 more credits each year. In a master's, you need 60 credits at the end of the 2nd year and 120 at the end of the 3rd. Below that, the Immigration Office can refuse renewal.
What happens if my A card expires before the decision?
If you filed on time and the Immigration Office has not yet decided, the commune gives you an annex 15, valid for 45 days and renewable twice for the same period. It covers your stay in Belgium but does not allow travel. The Immigration Office must decide within 90 days of the acknowledgement of receipt.
Can you stay in Belgium after graduation to look for a job?
Yes. A graduate of Belgian higher education can ask to stay for up to 12 months to look for a job or set up a business. You apply at the commune no later than 15 days before the student A card expires, with the degree, health insurance and proof of means. The “job search” A card gives unrestricted access to the labour market and cannot be renewed.