Registering for a stay of more than 3 months - for study purposes (EU/EEA)
Belgian law requires all foreigners to register their long-term stay (i.e. of more than 90 days) at the town hall or city office of the municipality where they reside, and to carry a valid residence permit valid during their stay. The information herebelow outlines the administrative steps required for registration at the Leuven Stadskantoor (City Office) for EU/EEA students.
Upon registration, a national registration number (rijksregisternummer) is created. It is a unique registration number based on your date of birth, which you can use to identify yoursel with Belgian authorities, such as the tax office, and is useful in daily life, for instance to register with your employer, Belgian health insurance schemes and Belgian banks.
Action steps
- Carefully read the updated procedure on the website of the city of Leuven (available in English).
- Due to the corona safety measures, at the moment you may only submit your application by email.
Attention points
- You must physically reside at your permanent address in Leuven before you can start the registration process.
- EU/EEA nationals who do not reside in Leuven must register at the town hall or city office of their municipality, and contact the latter for information regarding registration.
- Some documents which have been issued abroad (e.g. civil status records, documents issued by a local authority, …) require a legalisation, as well as a Dutch translation by a sworn translator.
- Though the official language at the Stadskantoor (city office of Leuven) is Dutch and all documents provided by the city authorities are issued in Dutch, you may address the staff in a so-called contact language, usually English or French.
- If you submit some of the required documents within a three-month period after registration, you will only receive your “Annex 8” once your registration file is complete.
- If you require your residence card urgently, once your registration procedure is completed and approved, you have the option of paying a higher fee upon application, so that you will receive it after a maximum three working days.
Supplier, channels and tools
- Stadskantoor (City Office)
- appointment by phone: 016 27 28 29 (also in English)
- opening hours A-counter: Mon & Thu 9h00 -20h00, Wed 9h00-16h30, Tue & Fri 9h00-12h30
- address: Professor Roger Van Overstraetenplein 1, 3000 Leuven (next to the train station)
- Federal Immigration Office (Dutch and French only)
- Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs
- Flemish Integration Agency (Dutch only)
Audience
- All EU/EEA nationals who intend to stay in Leuven for more than 90 days for the purpose of study, and who will reside at private lodgings during their stay (i.e. not in hotels and B&Bs).
- This procedure also applies to Swiss nationals.