During your stay

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Registration at town hall Welcome guide Orientation Days Language courses Buddy Program Transportation Mobile Phones Student jobs Renewal of residence permit Illness Contact information

Registration at town hall

Registration at town hall

When staying in Belgium, it is mandatory to register at the town hall.

Please make an appointment at town hall. Please mention that you’re an international student of UHasselt.

You are staying in Hasselt

  • go to the website of the city of Hasselt
  • choose 'inschrijving vreemdelingenregister'
  • If you don't have a Belgian telephone number to add, you can use +32 11 26 81 11, the general UHasselt telephone number. Please ask to receive a BIS-number (cf. national insurance number).

You are staying in Diepenbeek

You are staying in Genk

Take following documents to your appointment

  • Your passport
  • Your rental contract, including your e-mail address
  • Your enrollment certificate which clearly mentions your study/internship. You can find this in your student file - if you have trouble finding it, or it doesn't mention your study or internship yet, please contact studentenadministratie@uhasselt.be
  • If applicable, proof of your scholarship
  • 19 euro for Stad Hasselt, 22 euro for Stad Genk, 15 euro for Gemeente Diepenbeek
  • 2 passport pictures for Stad Hasselt, 2 for Stad Genk, 3 for Gemeente Diepenbeek

After your initial appointment, a local police officer will formally determine your address. Afterwards, town hall will contact you about a second appointment for receiving your A-card residence permit.

Welcome guide

This welcome guide (pdf, 24.7 MB) helps you find your way at Hasselt University and in Belgium in general. It includes practical information and provides answers to questions about accommodation, public transport, how to study and administrative steps. We hope that you will soon feel completely at home.

Get to know Hasselt by watching this video made by our colleagues of Student Hotspot (scroll all the way down)

Orientation Days

At the start of each semester, Hasselt University's International Office welcomes international students (master students and exchange students) during the 'Orientation days'.

We show our students around Hasselt University and provide them with the necessary information about administrative procedures, the electronic learning environment, insurance, Belgian culture, student societies, bicycle renting,.. .

  • First semester: September 11th till September 15th
  • Second semester: 7, 8 and 9th of February 2024

More information:

Language courses

Academic English for International Students

During this 4-part workshop, we will be taking a look at different facets of Academic English. The workshop will take place in four sessions. In order to maximize interaction and participation, the maximum number of attendants per course is 10 students. Please note that by registering for the course, you are committing to being present for all four classes. If you know beforehand that you will not be able to attend one of the classes, please do not register, so as to keep as many slots free as possible for students who can attend all four classes.

Class #1: Academic Writing - general overview, structure and referencing
In this class, we will be zooming in on an academic article and the general structural conventions used in this type of writing. We will also be discussing the importance of correct referencing, the difference between quoting and paraphrasing and the different referencing styles (APA, MLA, Vancouver).

Class #2: Academic Writing - linguistic conventions and features
This class will focus on the conventions of Academic English, more specifically on the language register and linguistic characteristics of academic writing, including reader-friendly and non-sexist writing, and information distribution.

Class #3: Academic Writing - grammar revision
In this class, we will focus on the most common grammatical issues that crop up in Academic Writing. We will be looking at the use of correct discourse markers, relative clauses, verb tenses, modality, articles and quantifiers, and adverbs.

Class #4: Oral skills
This class will focus on spoken Academic English. We will examine the structure and basic components of a good, clear presentation of information and data, and on how to give constructive peer feedback.

Target group?
International students

When?
There are 2 possible start dates for this workshop, in October or in November. The workshop takes place on Friday between 17h - 19h.

Session 1 - October:

  • Friday 6/10
  • Friday 13/10
  • Friday 20/10
  • Friday 27/10

Session 2 - November:

  • Friday 10/11
  • Friday 17/11
  • Friday 24/11
  • Friday 1/12

Where? 
UHasselt campus Diepenbeek (Agoralaan, Building D, room A104)

Registration
This course is free of charge, but you need to register.

More information
Laurien Stuvers

Dutch

Together with the 'provincial center for adult education Hasselt (PCVO)' Hasselt University organizes a Dutch course for international students, PhD students and guests.

This beginners course aims at giving you the basics for everyday conversation. During this cours you will, together with other international (PhD)students, learn the basics of the Dutch language, focusing on reading, writing, listening and speaking.

This course consists of two-weekly lessons (one online, one on campus).

In order to maximize interaction and participation, the maximum number of attendants per course is 12 students.

Target group?
International students, PhD-students, guests who want to learn Dutch. No prior knowledge of the Dutch language is required.

When?

  • Start: Monday, September 18
  • End: Wednesday, December 13 2023
  • On Monday (on campus) and Wednesday (online) from 18h30 - 21h30.

Where? 

UHasselt campus Hasselt (Old prison building, Martelarenlaan 42), room FR 1.01

Registration
It is no longer possible to register.

Note: After registration, you will be contacted by a staff member to complete your registration.

Price
60 euros (course material included)

More information
Laurien Stuvers or Leen Lambrechts

other languages

UHasselt students and PhD-students can also attend Dutch or other langues courses at external language centres (Center for adult education, centrum voor Volwassenonderwijs (CVO)) in the neighbourhood:

If you are interested in taking a Dutch course at one of the centers above, please contact the Agentschap Integratie en inburgering of Flemish government or consult the website (=departement of the government focussing on integration).

Buddy Program

Every year, Hasselt University welcomes hundreds of students from all over the world. The purpose of the Buddy Programme is to help international students integrate into Flemish student life. In return, the Buddy gets the opportunity to practise a foreign language and learn about new cultures.

Your Buddy is a UHasselt student. The International Office will do its best to find a good match for each Buddy and international student. At the start of each semester, a Buddy event will be held to which all Buddies and international students are invited, so that they can get to know one another personally. Various activities will also be organised during the semester, but it is up to the two of you to determine how much interaction support is needed.

Do you want to request a Buddy?
The Buddy Programme is designed to make it easier for you to settle in at Hasselt University and in Belgium. You will be matched with a UHasselt student who has volunteered to help you find your way around during the early days of your stay and introduce you to Belgian customs and student life here.

Interested in requesting a Buddy? Registration here!

Transportation

How to get around in Belgium? More information can be found on the pages about transportation.

Mobile Phones

If you wish to use a mobile phone in Belgium you should be aware that there are a few major competing networks:

• Proximus: www.proximus.be
 • Base: www.base.be
 • Mobile vikings: www.mobilevikings.com
 • Orange: www.orange.be
 • Telenet: www.telenet.be
 • Lycamobile: www.lycamobile.be/en/

In the arrival hall of Brussels Airport (Zaventem), you have the option to purchase a local SIM card.
For this, you can go to the shop "Sim Local". We recommend doing this to reduce your costs.

Top up your phone balance in many shops or through their website.

If you have a Belgian phone number and a Belgian bank account, you can download your specific bank application on your phone. With this application you can transfer your invoices, pay digitally…

Student jobs

Are you looking for a student job in Belgium? Our student support services are happy to help.

Renewal of residence permit

Every non-EEA student must have a student residence permit. Your right of residence as a non-EEA student is always limited to the duration of your studies.

On 27 May 2018, some adjustments were made to the conditions for granting non-EEA students residence permits.

The changes relate to:

  • the deadline for applying for the renewal of the temporary residence document (A card);
  • the procedure that applies when missing documents are not provided in time: from now on, the municipality will declare the renewal application inadmissible with an Annex 29 form;
  • the possibility of terminating the student’s residence due to insufficient study progress.

The conditions for obtaining the initial authorisation to stay as a non-EEA student have not changed.

Application for renewal of temporary residence document must be made at least two weeks in advance

Non-EEA students must make an appointment for a renewal of their temporary residence document at least 15 days before the current residence document expires; previously, this had to be done at least a month in advance. However, we recommend that you apply for your residence permit as soon as you have all your exam results.

Clarification of the term ‘insufficient study progress’

The Immigration Service (DVZ/OE) already had the power to terminate your stay if you prolonged your studies excessively. This has now been made concrete in the new regulations.

Whether you make sufficient progress in your studies to maintain your residence depends on the credits you have gained in your study programme.  How many credits you have to gain depends on your programme:

Bachelor’s programme:

  • at least 54 credits obtained after 2 enrolments in the programme;
  • at least 90 credits obtained after 3 enrolments in the programme;
  • at least 135 credits obtained after 4 enrolments in the programme;
  • after 5 enrolments in your 180-credit bachelor’s programme you must have obtained the degree.

Master’s programme:

  • whether or not combined with a bridging or preparation programme, at least 60 credits obtained after 2 enrolments in the programme;
  • whether or not combined with a bridging or preparation programme, at least 120 credits obtained after 3 enrolments in the programme;
  • in addition, you must have obtained a 60-credit master’s degree after 2 enrolments and a 120-credit master’s degree after 3 enrolments in the programme. If this master’s programme is combined with a bridging programme or preparation programme of 30 or more credits, the period within which the student’s residence can be terminated is extended by one extra academic year.

For the calculation of the number of credits obtained, the new regulations only take account of:

1° credits obtained in the current study programme;

2° credits obtained from previous study programmes for which an exemption was granted in the current study programme;

Note! These new rules apply in addition to Hasselt University’s existing study progress measures. To be able to re-enrol, you must therefore comply with both the University’s study progress measures and the conditions set by the Immigration Service. However, the Immigration Service will take account of any study progress monitoring measures that have been imposed if a student or the educational institution is able to provide valid proof of them.

Changing programme

A non-EEA student can still change programme, but must do well in his or her second enrolment. Credits obtained in the student’s first enrolment in another programme are only included in the calculation to the extent that they entitle the student to an exemption in the new programme.

List of documents to be submitted for renewal of student residence permit

The Royal Decree lists the documents that the non-EEA student must submit with the application for the renewal of the residence permit, failing which the application will be deemed inadmissible:

  • Valid passport or equivalent travel document
  • Proof of health insurance
  • Proof participation exams (see student file: exam results)
  • Proof of sufficient means of subsistence in accordance with Article 60 of the Residence Law
  • 2 Mandatory standard documents to be completed by Hasselt University indicating:
    - for how many credits the student has already passed programme units during the previous academic year and how many credits the student has already acquired in total in the study programme
    - proof of registration for the programme and number of credits for the new academic year
    You can request this 2 standard documents via this Google form; you will need it in order to obtain your residence permit for the academic year 2023-2024 (We can only deliver this after you registered for the new academic year AND your study programme for the upcoming academic year has been approved.) 

If you have your residence in HASSELT: You can email these documents before your appointment to vreemdelingendienst@hasselt.be, mentioning your National identification number.

Illness

Health Care

Doctors:
• Dr. B. Van den Berg, Patersplein 3, Diepenbeek, 011 23 50 01
• Dr. G. Lambrichts, Wijkstraat 11, Diepenbeek, 011 35 20 99
• Dr. P. Decoutere, Willekensmolenstraat 135, Hasselt, 011 22 51 52
• Dr. A. De Graaf, Thonissenlaan 35, Hasselt, 011 22 33 12
Or check the website: www.mediwacht.be

Dentists:
• Dentist Luc Cosemans, Ganzebroekstraat 10, Diepenbeek, 011 32 18 01
• Dentist Chris Kruijen, Marktplein 38, Diepenbeek, 011 32 13 83
• Dentist-centre CMT, Luikersteenweg 232 b2, Hasselt, 011 28 45 45
• Dentist-centre Molaar, Maastrichtersteenweg 198/1, Hasselt, 011 76 28 68

Eye doctor:
• Dr. K. Noben, Stationsstraat 88, Diepenbeek, 011 33 11 22

Hospitals:
• Virga Jesse Campus, Stadsomvaart 11, Hasselt, 011 33 55 11
• Salvator Campus, Salvatorstraat 20, Hasselt, 011 28 91 11

Urgent medical assistance:
• 112 (= international emergency number)

Medical assistance at night and during the weekend:
• Doctor: one central number: 011 33 65 33

Detox centre: (for all kinds of intoxication) +32 70 245 245

Contact information

Who can help me when I have urgent questions or when I don’t know what to do?

The European Student Network (ESN) is an international student organization, represented at Hasselt University. If you have questions you rather want to ask to a colleague-student, you can always get in touch with them

    • Via messenger: www.facebook.com/esnhasselt
    • Via their facebook-group: ESN has a closed facebook group for international students of 2022-2023 (newcomers and 2-year master students are welcome).
    • Via Whatsapp: the link to the whatsapp chat can be found on the facebook group.

Information for

Programmes

Hasselt University

Tools