Barriers to registration as international student staying in Brussels
Introduction
Thanks to factors such as the increased availability of study programmes in English, there is a rising number of international students at Dutch-speaking universities and colleges in Brussels. The reception and registration of these students does not always run smoothly. This is due to reasons such as the complex registration procedures in place at the nineteen municipalities in Brussels. Our study shows that this procedure is often paired with long waiting times, confusing differences between the procedures at different municipalities in Brussels, and a language barrier.
These findings are not just a source of frustration for the students, but also have consequences for their well-being. In particular, students who originate from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) find themselves facing extra challenges when they are unable to acquire a Belgian residence card in a timely manner. This card is essential for, among other needs, opening a bank account and working a student job.
Brik maps out these problems, working in collaboration with the services for internationalisation at our partner institutions, VUB, EhB, Odisee, LUCA and the KU Leuven Brussels campuses.
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In this report, we analyse the findings of our study, propose solutions and make recommendations for actions to improve the enrolment procedures for international students in Brussels and optimise their experiences.
I wish it was more reasonable and international-studentfriendly, because from this long unnecessary process I already feel like I am not welcomed in this country.
Student at KU Leuven Brussels campuses, coming from Mongolia, with registration in Brussels City.
Context
At present, the number of students in Brussels is more than 110,000. Of them, 20% are international students. This group is constantly growing and has become an important target group for the colleges and universities in Brussels. Furthermore, international students can play an important economic role in the host city, as some join the labour market after their studies. If students are received well, it may help recent graduates from other countries decide to stay in Brussels to work and build a life after their studies.
In 2019 and 2020, on assignment from Brik, BRIO researched the growing group of international students and their needs. The report, ‘International students in Brussels’, shone a light on the new challenges that this growth brings with it. The report also points to the lack of information on the needs and experiences of international students in Brussels.
As Brik is close to the international student community in Brussels, we occasionally hear complaints about the difficult registration procedure at the municipalities in Brussels. These complaints, in combination with the findings of the BRIO report, have encouraged us to perform deeper research into the experiences of students during the registration process in the different municipalities in Brussels.
1. The EEA includes all member states of the European Union, plus Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland. In this report, there is differentiation between students from countries outside the EEA, and students originating from countries within the EEA and Switzerland. When we talk about EEA students, we are referring to students who come from the EEA or Switzerland.
The study
Who are the respondents?
In this study, we focused on international students pursuing bachelor’s and master’s degrees who had stayed in Belgium for more than ninety days. Exchange students who remained here for a shorter period represent just a small share in this study (6%). 401 valid surveys were collected. 76% of the respondents came from a country outside the EEA, with China (8%) and Turkey (also 8%) the most frequently reported of these countries. 24% of respondents came from countries in the EEA, with Italy (15%) and Spain (11%) the most commonly reported.
The international students from the survey most frequently lived in Brussels City (42.4%), Elsene (16.1%), Etterbeek (8%) and Schaarbeek (6.7%). A lot of the campuses of the Dutch-speaking institutions (VUB, EhB, Odisee, LUCA and KU Leuven Brussels campuses) are based in these municipalities.
1. VUB - VUB Main Campus
2. EhB - Campus Bloemenhof
3. Ehb - Campus Kanal
4. Odisee - Campus Brussels
5. KU Leuven - Brussels Campus
6. EhB- Campus Kaai
7. VUB - VUB Health Campus
8. EhB - Campus Jette
9. LUCA - Campus Sint-Lukas
10. Odisee - Campus Brussels - Terranova
11. EhB - RITCS - Campus Dansaert
12. LUCA - Campus Narafi
13. KU Leuven - Sint-Lucas Brussels Campus
14. EhB - Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel
15. Odisee - Campus Dilbeek
16. Odisee - Campus Schaarbeek
17. EhB - RITCS - Campus Bottelarij
The procedure and waiting times
How does the registration procedure run?
For international students who wish to register in one of the nineteen municipalities in Brussels, the procedure requires three visits to the municipal office*.
1. The student makes a first appointment with the municipality to be enrolled in the register of foreign nationals. For this, the student needs to submit a number of documents. For some municipalities, these documents can be digitally submitted in advance.
Non-EEA students:
If the student has made a request for enrolment or has the right to residency for more than three months, the student has the right to a residency permit. If the municipality cannot directly provide the residency permit, the student is given an ‘Appendix 15’ for the intermediary period. The municipality can issue the ‘Appendix 15’ after a residency check or during the wait for a residency check to be performed.
EEA students:
The student does not receive an ‘Appendix 15’, but an ‘Appendix 19’. (More information about ‘Appendix 15’ and ‘Appendix 19’ is to be found on page 6.)
After the first appointment, the police perform the residency check to check that the student does indeed live at the address they have submitted.
2. The student is then invited to order an identity card through the municipality. For this, the student needs to make their second visit to the municipal office.
3. Finally, the student needs to go to the municipal office for the third time to collect their identity card.
*Based on the steps for “de opvang van internationale studenten in het Brussels Gewest (te) vergemakkelijken” (which translates as ‘simplifying the reception of international students in the Brussels region’) on perspective.brussels and on information from the Flemish government at vreemdelingenrecht.be.
Which documents are needed?
Almost 90% of the respondents who resided in the Brussels-Capital Region had either commenced or completed the registration procedure. They needed to submit a great many documents to the municipality:
Proof of enrolment at the university or tertiary institution (95.2%)
A valid passport (79.9%)
A rental contract (73.7%)
Proof of health insurance (63.8%)
Proof of sufficient means of subsistence (56.9%)
Proof of payment of the administrative cost (29.9%)
A valid European identity card (27.2%)
A study plan (18.9%)
A medical certificate (15.3%)
An extract from the judicial records (12.3%)
Other: summary of study points; birth certificate; passport photos; etc. (5.7%)
Difficult to know exactly what was needed for the visit. Did not know an appointment had to be made so there were additional delays. Might help to standardise the process between the municipalities.
Student at KU Leuven Brussels campus, coming from Australia, with registration in SintAgatha-Berchem
First visit to the municipal office
Of all respondents, 40% digitally submitted the documents in advance, while the rest submitted them during their first appointment at the municipal office.
Of those who submitted digitally, almost 1 in 3 (32%) waited longer than a month for the first appointment. More than half got an appointment within the month (54%). The remaining respondents were still waiting for their appointment at the time of this survey (14%).
Second and third visits to the municipal office
After submitting the original documents, it took a long time for many respondents to receive their residency documents. Almost 40% of the respondents waited longer than 60 days, while almost 20% of them waited more than 90 days.
How long did it take to receive your (updated) residency permit after you submitted the original documents?
Less than 14 days (9,8%)
Between 14 and 30 days (17,2%)
Submitting the documents online and getting an appointment was very easy on the commune website. The ID card also arrived quickly.
Student at VUB, coming for Syria, with registration in Etterbeek
For the respondents who did not submit their documents online, 44% waited longer than a month for the first appointment, while the rest had this appointment well within a month.
Between 30 and 45 days (11,9%)
Between 45 and 60 days (10,2%)
Between 60 and 75 days (11,5%)
Between 75 and 90 days (8,2%)
More than 90 days (18,9%)
I have still not received the (updated) residency permit (12,3%)
Many bureaucratic procedures and a lot of time needed. I couldn’t travel abroad without a residence permit and it took the city hall more than three months to issue the permit, even though I had submitted all the required documents weeks before the deadline.
Student at KU Leuven Brussels campuses, coming from Albania, with registration in Sint-Joost-ten-Node
Appendix 15 and Appendix 19
We asked the students whether they received an ‘Appendix 15’ or ‘Appendix 19’ during their first appointment at the municipal office. What are these documents?
Description from the Flemish government2: Appendix 15: (“Request for enrolment or waiting on the issue of the residency document” / “Request for the renewal of the residency document”) covers the provisional stay of people from third-country nationals3. It is issued upon submission of a request for enrolment in the register of foreign nationals. The document includes a national registration number, is valid for 45 days and can be extended a maximum of two times.
Appendix 19: (“Request for a statement of enrolment (Union citizen4))” is issued to citizens of the Union who stay in Belgium for more than three months, as students for example, and can submit a statement of enrolment. The documents does not state the national registration number, nor any period of validity and it cannot be extended.
‘Appendix 15’ is important for students who came from outside the EEA. It shows that they are legally present in the country and is often requested (e.g. for opening a bank account).
‘Appendix 19’, is for citizens of countries that belong to the EEA, but is more of a formality. It is a confirmation of the request for enrolment.
Almost 70% of respondents who came from non-EEA countries received an ‘Appendix 15’ at the first appointment; almost 30% did not receive it. Of the 70% who did receive an ‘Appendix 15’, more than one in five (23%) reported that it did not include a national register number.
50% of respondents originating from EEA countries received an ‘Appendix 19’. 12.5% did not receive it and almost 40% of respondents were not aware of the document or didn’t know whether they had received it.
2 https://www.vreemdelingenrecht.be/verblijfsdocumenten/papieren-verblijfsdocumenten-en
3 People who are not nationals of one of the European Union member states, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland.
4 Citizens who are nationals of a European Union member state.
I started my application in October. It has been six months and I still haven’t received my card. I have to renew the annex frequently which is a big inconvenience, and it is difficult to open bank accounts and travel back to my home country without an ID card.
Student at Odisee, coming from Albania, with registration in Elsene
I have anxiety of being undocumented. The commune also never offered any sort of annex.
Student at KU Leuven Brussels campuses, coming from the United States, with registration in Elsene
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Language barrier
In which languages was assistance provided for international students? 40% of the respondents were helped in English, and approximately the same number were helped in French. 15% acknowledged being helped in a mix of two or more languages. Dutch was rarely used (4%).
If we look at the languages used in the five municipalities where the majority of the respondents lived, we note that English was used more frequently to receive students in Elsene, Etterbeek and Oudergem, while French was more dominant in Brussels City and Schaarbeek.
Many respondents acknowledged finding the entire registration procedure very difficult. What we have noted is that the students who were helped in English had a more positive experience than those who were helped in French. The majority of students came from language areas where people do not speak French.
The registration process is easy. The only difficulty is that no one at the commune speaks English.
Student at KU Leuven Brussels campuses, coming from Pakistan, with registration in Brussels City
Conclusion
Students who have undergone or are undergoing the registration process in different municipalities have testified throughout this report. Some have had positive experiences, but the majority acknowledged finding the procedure (very) difficult. The following example once more reflects the possible consequences of this complex registration process.
I hope someone really reads this because it will be a huge help to other students in the future. Firstly, the earliest available appointment was two months after my arrival. This is very inconvenient for a non-EEA citizen because without a Belgian ID I was not able to get a student job, a student transportation card and an official rental contract because owners do not let to people without documents. Keep in mind that the expenses of temporary accommodation are too high. Without rental contract on the appointment date, my application was denied, so I had to ask for another appointment. The first available appointment was after three months. By this time my visa would have expired. A request for an urgent appointment was denied, so I had to find an owner who agreed to have an unofficial rental contract and refer to another municipality with earlier appointments available (lots of stress and pressure for someone who just arrived to a whole new world). Also, I had to pay the administration fee twice in two municipalities. Although I speak French, the staff at the municipality 1000 Brussels were impolite and not helping. However, municipality of Boitsfort was amazing and the procedure was done in only a few minutes. The staff were very professional and helpful.
Student at VUB, coming from Iran, registration in Brussels City and Watermaal-Bosvoorde
This study into the registration procedure for international students in Brussels has led to important insights into the administrative challenges for these students and the improvements that are needed.
First of all, from the findings, it appears that the current registration procedure for international students is often complex and time consuming. The differences between the procedures of the different municipalities of Brussels and the language barrier contribute to the stress and frustration of students during the registration process.
There is a clear need for a standardised approach that is aimed at international students. A uniform procedure in all municipalities, where English is the language used for all students who do not speak Dutch or French, would considerably improve the accessibility and efficiency of the process.
Furthermore, there is an urgent need for digitalisation to speed up the registration procedure. The waiting times and administrative burdens may be reduced if students are able to submit and request documents online.
Brik and the higher-education institutions are requesting to work together with the nineteen municipal authorities to make these improvements and ensure that international students feel welcome and supported during their stay in Brussels. By simplifying and standardising the procedure, we will lower the thresholds and make Brussels more attractive as a destination for international students.
Recommandation to policymakers
• Make sure that the complete registration procedure at each of the nineteen Brussels municipalities can take place in Dutch, French and English.
• Make use of digital resources to digitise the registration process in part or in full.
• Bring uniformity to the registration procedures of each of the Brussels municipalities.
• Provide student-friendly and multilingual links to the relevant procedures for international students on the municipal website.
• Give students the right documents when they come to the municipal office. Students must receive an ‘Appendix 15’ (non-EEA) or ‘Appendix 19’ (EEA). ‘Appendix 15’ must provide them with a national register number.
• Respect the legal periods. ‘Appendix 15’ is valid for 45 days and can be extended a maximum of two times. After this, the student must have received a valid residency card.
This report is a collaboration between Brik and the International services at VUB, EhB, Odisee, LUCA and the KU Leuven Brussels campuses.
For more information about this survey or other information about studying in Brussels, please consult Brik via www.brik.be.
The engagement of higher education institutions
• Informing students about the necessary documents in a timely manner, making appointments and submitting documents in advance.
• The use of the handy flowcharts available on perspective.brussels. They offer a clear step-by-step plan for the registration procedure for students.
Brik
Brik is the point of contact for students in Brussels. We help them with student housing, give out information about living in Brussels and organise tailored events. We do this in conjunction with VUB, EhB, Odisee, LUCA and KU Leuven Brussels campuses.
Colophon Content: © Brik – Student in Brussel vzw, 2024 Design and illustrations: Elke Broothaers Thanks to the students who have helped us take this survey.
