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Travora Student · 2027 intake

Study in Belgium from Senegal

In French-speaking Belgium, a student residing in Senegal carries out two procedures in parallel: for a bachelier (bachelor's), the équivalence (recognition) of the bac with the CESS (Belgian secondary school leaving certificate) (between November 15, 2026 and July 15, 2027, €150 at the reduced rate, ORIGINAL school documents required for Senegal); and admission with each institution (around March 31 at universities). Then they pay the Office des étrangers (Immigration Office) fee (€251 in 2026, indexed every January 1), fill in the Visa On Web form and file the D visa application at TLScontact in Dakar (165,000 FCFA for the long-stay visa + 15,705 FCFA service fee), with a medical certificate from an approved doctor and a criminal record extract. Senegalese documents are apostilled (Belgium did not object). Funds: €1,062 net per month in 2026-2027 (696,626 FCFA, 8,359,516 FCFA per year), 2027-2028 amount not yet published. Advantage of this corridor: at universities, Senegalese nationals are exempt from the additional contribution of €4,175 and pay €1,194 per year. The Office des étrangers decides within 90 days at most and advises filing before July 1.

Updated October 15, 2026 · Reliability: medium · 32 sources

Known cost before departure
345,350 – 575,135 FCFApartial
excluding funds and tuition
Required funds
696,626 FCFA / month
€1,062 / month
Processing time
Up to 90 days of processing by the Office des étrangers (Immigration Office), then about 15 days for issuance; no official processing time specific…
Interview
Not specified
Before the visa

Admission route

No central platform: admission application to each university, haute école (university college) or école supérieure des arts (art school) (non-EU deadline around March 31 at universities; ULiège: February 18 → March 31, €200 deposit). Bachelier (bachelor's): équivalence (recognition) of the Senegalese bac with the CESS by the Service des équivalences of the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, sending the original school documents. Master's: the institution assesses the Licence (bachelor's) degree itself.[2][3][4][5][6]

Admission procedure fees

  • Équivalence (recognition) of the secondary school diploma (reduced rate, diploma obtained in Senegal)[1][2]€150

    98,394 FCFA at the fixed rate; non-refundable; bachelier only.

  • Non-EU admission application fee (ULiège example)[3]€200

    131,191 FCFA; deducted from fees if admitted; amounts for other institutions not recorded.

The visa application

Where to apply

Where to file
Dakar
Authority
Belgian Embassy in Dakar (decision by the Office des étrangers (Immigration Office) in Brussels)
Application center
TLScontact · Dakar
Address
Immeuble Doudou Sene, Zone 10, lot 22, Ngor Almadies, Dakar
Appointment
Visa On Web form (visaonweb.diplomatie.be), then appointment on the TLScontact website only, in-person attendance; applications Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Tip
Never buy an appointment, information or a form from an intermediary. File before July 1, 2027 (advice from the Office des étrangers).
Processing time
Up to 90 days of processing by the Office des étrangers (Immigration Office), then about 15 days for issuance; no official processing time specific to Dakar found (a blog mentions up to 3 months).[11][27]
Center website (TLScontact)

Sources for filing[7][8][9][10][11]

In order

The steps

  1. 1

    Choose the program and check the fees[4][12][13][14]

    When: fall 2026

    Universities, hautes écoles, écoles supérieures des arts of the FWB (classes in French, no general French test). Universities: Senegal is in annex 1 (least developed countries) of ARES circular 2026-001, hence exemption from the additional contribution: €1,194 per year at the full rate. Hautes écoles: exemption for least developed countries (Benin, Senegal, Togo) in the HEH example, to be checked school by school.

  2. 2

    Bachelier: apply for the équivalence of the bac[2][5][6][15]

    When: November 15, 2026 → July 15, 2027Duration: 4 to 12 weeks minimum

    File: birth certificate extract, ORIGINAL diploma and transcript (rule for Senegal), proof of access to higher education in Senegal, cover letter, proof of payment (€150, preferably online). Sent by registered mail to the Service des équivalences (rue Adolphe Lavallée 1, 1080 Bruxelles) or submitted by appointment. Indicative processing time of 4 to 12 weeks minimum; originals returned.

    • Équivalence (reduced rate)[1][2]€150
  3. 3

    Apply for admission[3][4]

    When: February → March 31, 2027

    Online form of each institution; universities: around March 31, 2027 (ULiège: February 18 → March 31, €200 deposit, reply by June 30 at the latest). The admission certificate (final or provisional) is the core document for the visa.

    • Admission deposit (ULiège)[3]€200
  4. 4

    Prepare the Senegalese documents[10][11][17][18][19]

    When: April → June 2027

    Criminal record extract less than 6 months old (over 18); medical certificate on the legal template, issued within 6 months by an approved doctor from the list published for Senegal; documents in French accepted without translation. Senegalese documents are apostilled at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Belgium did not object to Senegal's accession).

    • Medical certificate (approved doctor)[10]amount not found

      Fee not published.

    • Apostilles for Senegalese documents[16][17]amount not found

      Confirm the current fee and number of documents with the Senegalese Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the criminal record fee is listed separately.

    • Criminal record extract (issued by the court registry)[32]200 FCFA

      Court registry issuance fee: XOF 200 according to the Senegalese Ministry of Justice, checked on 15 October 2026. Excludes apostille and translation; this does not confirm any online portal fees.

  5. 5

    Prove your means of subsistence[4][20][21][22]

    When: before filing

    €1,062 net per month in 2026-2027 (696,626 FCFA; 8,359,516 FCFA per year); indexed 2027-2028 amount not yet published. Forms: scholarship, engagement de prise en charge (annexe 32, sponsorship undertaking) from a sponsor who proves €3,235.88 net per month, sum blocked in an account managed by the institution (UNamur 2026-2027: €12,894), savings.

  6. 6

    Pay the Office des étrangers fee[4][23]

    When: before filing

    €251 (public or subsidized institution) or €242 (private) since January 1, 2026, indexed on January 1: check the 2027 amount before paying. Without payment, the application is inadmissible. Exempt: scholarship holders and those under 18.

    • Fee (public institution)[23]€251
  7. 7

    Visa On Web and application at TLScontact Dakar[7][8][10]

    When: May → June 2027 (before July 1)

    Visa On Web form, TLScontact appointment, in-person application. Fees collected only in FCFA: long-stay visa 165,000 FCFA (€250) and service fee 15,705 FCFA, non-refundable if refused.

    • Long-stay visa fee[8][30]165,000 FCFA
    • TLScontact service fee[8]15,705 FCFA
  8. 8

    Processing by the Office des étrangers[11][24]

    When: July → September 2027Duration: up to 90 days

    90 days at most from the acknowledgment of receipt (non-binding time limit); 30 days to complete an incomplete application. About 15 days afterwards for issuance by the consular post. Action for annulment before the Conseil du contentieux des étrangers (Council for Alien Law Litigation) within 30 days.

  9. 9

    Steps on arrival[4][25][26]

    When: September 2027

    Report to the commune (municipality) within 8 days; residence check then A card (expires October 31, renewable); registration with a mutualité (health insurance fund); final enrollment by September 30 at the latest. Work limited to 20 hours per week outside vacations.

    • A card (federal portion, excluding municipal tax)[25]€20.7 / year
The application

Required documents

  • Passport valid for at least 12 months[4]

    required

  • Signed Visa On Web form (D visa)[4][10]

    required

  • Proof of payment of the fee (€251)[8][23]

    required

    Plus visa and service fees paid at TLScontact.

  • Admission certificate (final or provisional)[4]

    required

  • Équivalence of the bac with the CESS (or proof of application)[5][6]

    requiredbachelor's, short program

    Bachelier (bachelor's) only.

    Local specifics: ORIGINAL school documents required for Senegal; whether the Dakar post accepts mere proof of application not verified.

  • Means of subsistence: €1,062 net per month[4][20]

    required

    Scholarship, annexe 32, institution's blocked account, savings.

    Local specifics: 696,626 FCFA per month at the fixed rate.

  • Medical certificate (legal template)[10][11]

    required

    Doctor approved by the embassy, within the 6 months before the application.

    Local specifics: List of approved doctors in Senegal published via TLScontact.

  • Criminal record extract less than 6 months old[11][16][17]

    required

    Over 18.

    Local specifics: Senegalese apostille (Ministry of Foreign Affairs); online application on e-senegal.sn in some pilot jurisdictions.

  • ID photos

    required

    Number and format set by the consular post: not recorded for Dakar (12/10/2026).

Depending on your profile

  • Engagement de prise en charge (annexe 32, sponsorship undertaking)[21][24]

    Sponsor: €3,235.88 net per month in 2026-2027; legalized at the commune or at the embassy of the sponsor's place of residence.

  • Health insurance[11][18]

    Not mandatory at the application; without it, a provisional permit of 4 months at most on arrival.

Before departure

Detailed fees

  • Équivalence of the bac with the CESS (Senegal reduced rate)[1][2](depending on profile)98,394 FCFA€150

    €150 at the fixed rate; bachelier only; non-refundable.

  • Admission application fee (ULiège example)[3](depending on profile)131,191 FCFA€200

    €200 at the fixed rate, deducted from fees if admitted; other institutions: their own amounts.

  • Office des étrangers fee (public institution)[23]164,645 FCFA€251

    €251 at the fixed rate, 2026 amount; €242 for a private institution; indexed on January 1, 2027; scholarship holders exempt.

  • Long-stay visa fee (TLScontact Dakar)[8][30][31]165,000 FCFA

    €250, payable only in FCFA; the TLScontact price list does not label the line 'studies', but the consular fee table of the SPF Affaires étrangères (Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs) sets the D study visa at €250 since July 1, 2026 (€180 before): the amount therefore applies to studies. Free for Belgian cooperation scholarship holders (departures/sn.json).

  • TLScontact service fee[8]15,705 FCFA

    €23.94; mandatory, non-refundable if refused.

  • Medical certificate (approved doctor)[10]amount not found

    Fee not published.

  • Apostilles for Senegalese documents[16][17]amount not found

    Confirm the current fee and number of documents with the Senegalese Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the criminal record fee is listed separately.

  • Registered mail of originals to the Service des équivalences (recognition office)[5](depending on profile)amount not found

    Postal cost not recorded.

  • Criminal record extract (issued by the court registry)[32]200 FCFA

    Court registry issuance fee: XOF 200 according to the Senegalese Ministry of Justice, checked on 15 October 2026. Excludes apostille and translation; this does not confirm any online portal fees.

Known subtotal345,350 – 575,135 FCFA

Excluding blocked funds: administrative contribution EUR 251 + visa XOF 165,000 + service XOF 15,705 (master without application fees); plus recognition EUR 150 and a ULiège-style application deposit of EUR 200 for a bachelor (EUR converted at the fixed rate). Excludes tuition (EUR 1,194) and municipal fees after arrival. Add XOF 200 at the court registry for a criminal record if required based on age; included only in the upper bound. Apostille costs remain unconfirmed.

Items with no published official amount (not counted)

  • medical certificate (approved doctor)
  • apostilles for Senegalese documents
  • registered mail of originals (bachelier)
  • admission fees of institutions other than ULiège
For the visa

Funds to prove

696,626 FCFA / monthi.e. €1,062 / month

Fixed rate 1 EUR = 655.957 XOF; €12,744 for 12 months.

2026-2027 amount (published in the Moniteur belge on February 16, 2026); it is indexed every year and the 2027-2028 amount has not been published as of 10/12/2026. Guarantor: €3,235.88 net per month. UMons considers this floor 'barely' sufficient.[4][20][21][22]

Accepted proof

  • scholarship or loan certificate
  • sponsorship undertaking (annexe 32)
  • money blocked in an account managed by the institution
  • savings
  • income from a legal side job
2027 intake

Timeline

  1. November 15, 2026

    équivalence applications open[2]

  2. March 31, 2027to be confirmed

    non-EU admission application deadline (universities, ULiège/UNamur benchmark)[3][4]

    same period every year (March 31, 2026 for 2026-2027)

  3. July 1, 2027to be confirmed

    visa application recommended before[11]

    advice from the Office des étrangers (Immigration Office), every year

  4. July 15, 2027

    équivalence deadline (postmark)[2]

  5. September 30, 2027to be confirmed

    final enrollment by[26]

    September 30 every year

Specifics Senegal → Belgium

Differences and pitfalls

What differs from the general rule

  • Senegal is in annex 1 (least developed countries) of ARES circular 2026-001: exemption from the €4,175 additional contribution at universities, and also at hautes écoles that exempt least developed countries (example: HEH).
  • Équivalence (recognition): ORIGINAL school documents mandatory for Senegal; reduced fee of €150 (countries on the OECD DAC list).
  • Application at TLScontact Dakar with fees in FCFA: 165,000 FCFA long-stay visa fee (€250, rate in force everywhere since July 1, 2026; the embassy page in Yaoundé still shows the old €180 rate) + 15,705 FCFA service fee, in addition to the €251 fee.
  • Senegalese apostille valid in Belgium (no Belgian objection); documents in French need no translation.
  • No delegated interview body identified in Senegal (Cameroon has VIABEL).
  • Senegal is eligible for ARES international training scholarships (professionals with 2 years of experience) and VLIR-UOS (Master's programs in Flanders).

Pitfalls to avoid

Send copies to the Service des équivalences (recognition office)[5][6]

For Senegal, original school documents are required; send by registered mail before July 15, 2027.

Two separate calendars[2][4][11]

Admission closes around March 31, équivalence (recognition) until July 15, visa recommended before July 1.

Budgeting on €835 per month[20][28]

The threshold is €1,062 net per month in 2026-2027 and will be indexed for 2027-2028.

Non-refundable fees[4][5][8]

Équivalence (€150), admission deposit, fee (€251), visa (165,000 FCFA) and service (15,705 FCFA) are lost if refused.

Intermediaries[9]

TLScontact and the embassy ask applicants not to buy appointments, information or forms from an intermediary.

Academic progress[29]

Since June 1, 2026: 60 credits after two years of bachelier, then 40 per year, otherwise renewal of the A card is refused.

Figures

Statistics

D study visas applied for by Senegalese nationals / refused (2025)
No official figure found: Not found by country for Senegal (published figures cite Cameroon and Morocco).

Travora does not issue visas.

Travora is not affiliated with any embassy, consulate or service provider (Campus France, TLScontact, VFS Global, BLS…). Rules and amounts change: check the official website before any payment or filing. Page updated October 15, 2026.

Checked on

Sources

  1. [1]Liste des pays dont les frais administratifs s'élèvent à 150 € — Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Service des équivalences, accessed October 12, 2026
  2. [2]Sénégal, Rwanda, Guinée Conakry ou Chine — Équivalences secondaires — Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Service des équivalences, accessed October 12, 2026
  3. [3]Outside EU student — Université de Liège (ULiège), accessed October 12, 2026
  4. [4]Venir étudier en Belgique (MAJ 2026) — Infor Jeunes (jeminforme.be), accessed October 12, 2026
  5. [5]Équivalence de diplôme — Bruxelles-J, accessed October 12, 2026
  6. [6]Fiche tous pays 2026 — Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Service des équivalences, accessed October 12, 2026
  7. [7]Address and Opening Hours — TLScontact (Belgique, Dakar), accessed October 12, 2026
  8. [8]Visa Application Fees — TLScontact (Belgique, Dakar), accessed October 12, 2026
  9. [9]Scam alert — TLScontact (Belgique, Dakar), accessed October 12, 2026
  10. [10]Useful content (formulaires, médecins agréés, redevance) — TLScontact (Belgique, Dakar), accessed October 12, 2026
  11. [11]Procédure visa — Haute École Albert Jacquard (HEAJ), accessed October 12, 2026
  12. [12]Circulaire n° 2026-001 du 12/02/2026 — contribution supplémentaire dans les universités — ARES (Académie de recherche et d'enseignement supérieur), accessed October 12, 2026
  13. [13]Circulaire n° 9751 du 22/06/2026 : Minerval 2026-2027 — Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Administration générale de l'Enseignement (copie hébergée par le CRLg), accessed October 12, 2026
  14. [14]Registration / Amounts — Haute École en Hainaut (HEH), accessed October 12, 2026
  15. [15]Poursuivre des études en Belgique : équivalences de diplômes — Infor Jeunes (jeminforme.be), accessed October 12, 2026
  16. [16]Sénégal : les démarches administratives désormais accessibles en ligne — Au Sénégal, accessed October 12, 2026
  17. [17]Légalisation de documents du Sénégal — Gouvernement des Pays-Bas (NetherlandsWorldwide), accessed October 12, 2026
  18. [18]Le séjour des étudiants étrangers (formation du 28/11/2024) — ADDE (Association pour le droit des étrangers), accessed October 12, 2026
  19. [19]Convention abolishing the requirement of legalisation for foreign public documents (base des traités, Senegal) — Ministère néerlandais des Affaires étrangères (dépositaire de la Convention Apostille), accessed October 12, 2026
  20. [20]Budget annuel 2026-27 — Université de Mons (UMONS), accessed October 12, 2026
  21. [21]Pledge of financial support of the student: Bijlage 32/Annexe 32 — Ambassade de Belgique en Jordanie (SPF Affaires étrangères), accessed October 12, 2026
  22. [22]Démarches administratives et mutuelles (22/07/2026) — Université de Namur (UNamur), accessed October 12, 2026
  23. [23]Séjour d'un étranger en Belgique : une redevance à payer (MAJ 2026) — Infor Jeunes (jeminforme.be), accessed October 12, 2026
  24. [24]Le séjour étudiant (présentation, 2025) — ADDE (Association pour le droit des étrangers), accessed October 12, 2026
  25. [25]Tarifs 2026 des documents d'identité — SPF Intérieur, Registre national (IBZ), accessed October 12, 2026
  26. [26]Rentrée : outils pour démarrer — Faculté des Sciences, ULiège, accessed October 12, 2026
  27. [27]Étudier en Belgique : obtenir son visa étudiant quand on est Sénégalais — Studely (blog, non officiel), accessed October 12, 2026
  28. [28]La ministre Van Bossuyt augmente le seuil financier pour les étudiants non européens — RTBF, accessed October 12, 2026
  29. [29]La Belgique durcit ses conditions pour les étudiants non-européens qui veulent étudier dans le pays — Paris Match Belgique, accessed October 12, 2026
  30. [30]Fees for consular services (tableau des tarifs consulaires, fichier mis en ligne en juin 2026) — SPF Affaires étrangères (diplomatie.belgium.be), accessed October 12, 2026
  31. [31]Visa fees — Ambassade de Belgique aux Émirats arabes unis (SPF Affaires étrangères), accessed October 12, 2026
  32. [32]Casier judiciaire — frais de délivrance — Ministère de la Justice du Sénégal, accessed October 15, 2026
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