Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

If you want to learn more about the courses at UCLL, please visit our course offerings webpages.  

Here you will find detailed information about each course of the current academic year. After 15 July, course information for the next academic year (starting in September) will be displayed.  Very often, there  are minor or no changes unless the study programme is revised substantially.

We also invite you to have a look at the programme webpages.

Do you want to transfer to UCLL from another university where you have already earned credits ?

Take a look at our course offerings to have an idea of the courses that we offer and whether your previous courses  are similar to ours in order to apply for a transfer of credits.

You must complete your student registration before you can apply for transfer of credits.  Decisions about transfer of credits will be made by the programme's senior staff at the start of the academic year or semester.

Take a look at our academic calendar and never miss a class!

UCLL is a university of applied sciences and a member of the KU Leuven Association. This means that KU Leuven is our umbrella (overarching) university. 

UCLL is a university of applied sciences offering professional (advanced) bachelor’s degrees and postgraduate certificate programmes. KU Leuven is an academic university offering academic bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate programmes.

Yes, some of the KU Leuven student services are also open for UCLL students!

• sports offer
• cultural offer
• housing service
• student restaurants
• student libraries

Discover more student services!

UCLL stands for University Colleges Leuven-Limburg, because we have campuses spread over Leuven and Limburg. We are one moving University of Applied Sciences. 

Learn about our Moving Minds DNA and our mission statement.

UCLL falls under article 58 as it is a higher education institution that is organized, recognized or subsidized by the public authorities (law of 15.12.1980).

Please visit our tuition fees webpage for the current tuition fee rates.

If next year’s rates are not published yet, it means that they are not available yet. 

EEA students pay their tuition fee upon registration.

Non-EEA students travelling to or living in Belgium based on a study visa will pay their tuition fee before the admission letter is issued. 

Deadline : 15 May

Important:

• Payments received after the deadline will not be accepted and will be reimbursed. A 100 euro refund fee will be charged.
• In the case you are no longer able to join us (visa, personal reason), we will reimburse the tuition fee (minus 100 euro fee) on the condition that you inform us before the start of the semester.

After your application is approved, you will be notified by email with additional instructions.

We do not provide scholarships nor financial aid.  However, tuition fee rates at our university are relatively low compared to competitors at home or abroad. 

Visit  Application & Admissions for admission requirements and how to start and complete an application.

Go to Application Degree Programmes and follow the steps in order to complete your application.

... To qualify for our bachelor's programmes?

You will need a degree, certificate, ... that provides access to higher education in the country where it was obtained.

... To qualify for our continuing education programmes?

You must have earned a bachelor’s or undergraduate degree at an accredited higher education institution.

When you are in your final year and will graduate after the application deadline, you must upload your transcripts of the past years (in original language + sworn translation if not in FR, EN, DE, ES, IT) and ask the principal or registrar to confirm that you are on track to obtain the diploma (mention specific diploma) from an official and verifiable school/institution email address.

Visit Application Requirements and click on the box that applies to you where you will find the information below.

Step 1: submit the online application.

Step 2: send certified copies to:

UC Leuven-Limburg
Admissions Office
Geldenaaksebaan 335
B-3001 Heverlee
BELGIUM

or

Have your university or school confirm your degree and grades by email to admissions@ucll.be.

or

​Deliver the original diploma/certificate to the reception desk at the above address (if you or a relative live in the neighbourhood). In this case, we will assess the document and let you know when to pick it up again.

Never send any originals by post or courier, we don't either!

• Bachelor in Applied Computer Science (BCS)
• Advanced Bachelor in International Management (IM)
• Advanced Bachelor in Design Thinking & Innovation (DTI)
• Advanced Bachelor in Global Citizenship and Development (GCD)

You will be invited to the intake (interview) by Admissions and/or the study programme. Please do not contact the study programme about the intake if your online application has not been approved yet.

1. Complete the  Personal Data section on the homepage before  adding an application.  Make sure that all sections are marked  'Complete' (right side) .
2. Click the '+' button in the Applications component on the homepage to add an application.
3. Choose your Study programme  (Choice of study)
4. Select the academic year, type of programme, programme that you want to apply for
5. Complete the Additional remarks
6. If you want to change or complete your application(s). Click on the Edit icon on the right side in the “Applications” section. 

TIPS:

• Should you experience any technical issues , try a different web browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari)
• The file name of your photo that you must upload may only contain letters (no spaces, numbers, other characters)
• The submit button will only be activated after accepting the disclaimer.
• If you submit your application but one or more required documents are missing, you will receive an error message and you must upload the missing document(s) in order to be able to submit your application.​
• Still stuck at a page? Please email a screenshot of the page where you get stuck to admissions@ucll.be and we will try to help you out!

• After having completed your Study programme (Choice of study), you must upload the required (and other relevant) documents.

  Upload each required  and/or relevant document by clicking on (right side)  and upload the file in  a non-secured PDF or JPG format only. Photo can only be uploaded in JPG format.
   

•  In case you have a non-Belgian passport and a Belgian residence permit, please upload colour scans of both. 
   
• You should be able to use the attachment type 'Diploma(s) and transcripts' multiple times. If not, use the document type 'Other' to upload additional documents. 
  We require diploma(s) and transcripts + sworn translation, if documents are not issued in English, Dutch, French, German, Spanish, Italian by the school or university.
   
• Language proficiency certificate: upload your test result (not older than 2 years) or if the language test requirement is waived, please upload your diploma or degree certificate as proof of language proficiency. For details, see our Application Requirements page.
   
• Proof of payment of application fee is a required document.  For instructions and exceptions see below under 'Pay Application Fee'
   
• When all documents have been uploaded, click 'Save' in the bottom right corner and return to the Application page by clicking on the arrow in the top left corner.
  You should see 'Complete' on the right side of the Documents section.

The application fee does not apply to people with a proven Belgian refugee status, temporary protection status, and subsidiary protection status (called "recognised political refugee" in application).  Upload a pdf file titled  ‘application fee does not apply’ instead.

All other applicants are required to pay a 50 euro non-refundable application fee. Your local bank may charge a transaction fee. Any transfer costs must be covered by the applicant.

As of 4 March 2024, there are 2 options to pay the application fee:

1. Preferred: pay online by bank card or credit card.

2. by bank transfer

• UC Leuven-Limburg, Geldenaaksebaan 335, B-3001 Leuven,
• Belfius Bank, Pachecolaan 44, B-1000 Brussels
• IBAN code: BE33 7865 4858 0046
• BIC code: GKCCBEBB
• Add reference “Application fee" and “student first name + last name”.
• Upload proof of payment (screenshot of your payment stub) in the 'Documents' section of the  Application. Please note that your application file will only be processed if you have uploaded the proof of payment.  

A motivation letter is optional for our bachelor programmes yet required for our continuing education programmes.  Maximum length is 400 words and would ideally include:

• your aspirations;
• your ambitions;
• your past achievements;
• and how it links to your choice of study.

A resume may be uploaded as well (optional).

If you want to take Dutch-languages courses, you must have achieved the required level of Dutch language proficiency before you can be admitted. 

• Our associate degree programmes require a B1+ level of Dutch
• Our bachelor programmes require a B2 level of Dutch.

For detailed information and in particular a list of accepted Dutch tests,  go to Toelatingsvoorwaarden (in Dutch)

During your application, you can communicate with our Admissions Office in the application chat box.

You can find the 'Contact'  button in the top right corner of the homepage of your application(s).

The application procedure as an exchange student counts 4 steps:

1. Nomination
   First, your home institution must nominate you.
    
2. Application
   Secondly, you need to fill in an application in order to be accepted.
    
3. Acceptance
   For each exchange programme an International Officer will assess your files and accept or reject your application.
    
4. Student registration
   If you are accepted, you will receive instructions to complete your student registration online a few weeks before the start of the semester.

Start here!

UC Leuven-Limburg (UCLL) is the result of a partnership between two university colleges: UC Leuven and UC Limburg.  Despite being part of the same organisation, there are still some differences between the institutions.

It is important that you select the correct university college (UC Leuven or UC Limburg) as each institution has its own programmes and campuses.

Please contact the international coordinator at your home institution if you are not sure whether you are going to study at:

• UC Leuven - Erasmus code B LEUVEN18  
  or
• UC  Limburg - Erasmus code B HASSELT20

UCLL works with an online nomination & application portal: Mobility-Online. All partner institutions will receive a link to nominate students at UCLL on a regular basis.

In case your home institution would not have received our nomination link(s), please let us know via international@ucll.be.

After being nominated by your home institution, you will receive an email with an link to register and apply in Mobility-Online.  You are required to upload the following documents in Mobility-Online:

• a motivational letter: why do you want to come and study at UC Leuven-Limburg?
• your curriculum
• a picture
• your most recent transcript of records at your home institution

Then, an International Officer of UCLL will accept or reject your application.

After acceptance, you will be asked to complete your Learning Agreement (LA) for Traineeships in Mobility-Online and have it signed by your home and host institution coordinator.

You must upload the LA in Mobility-Online before you embark to Belgium.

For study exchanges you will select your exchange courses in the Learning Agreement module. This Learning Agreement is signed digitally.

Semester

Nomination
(by home institution)

Application (by student)

Autumn semester or Academic Year

1 May

1 June

Spring

1 October

1 November

If you want to take courses at UCLL, independent of any agreement with the home institution, she/he/they can register as a free mover.  

Please consult our transdisciplinary programmes and our faculty exchange programmes to learn more about the courses we offer.

In order to create your LA, go to Mobility-Online, where you can select the courses in an online form.

An admission letter or acceptance letter is a letter that grants admission to start studying at UCLL.
Students applying for a study visa with the Belgian embassy use this letter to apply for a study visa.

The procedures is different for exchange students and degree students.

• Degree students
  
  EEA students will receive their admission letter by email.
  Non-EEA students requiring a study visa for Belgium will receive a formal admission letter after having been admitted AND after having paid the higher tuition fee.  The latter only applies to study programmes charging a tuition fee which is higher than the standard tuition fee. 
   
• Exchange students
  You can download your acceptance letter in Mobility-Online as soon as you are accepted by a UCLL International Officer.

There might be several reasons why you can’t find your admission letter:

Degree students:

• Go to your online application and click the pencil icon. You can find your admission letter either under 'documents' or by clicking on the 'download admission letter' button.
• Check the 'Downloads' folder on your computer.
• Try another browser and click 'Download admission letter' again.

Exchange students:

• Go to Mobility-Online and click 'download acceptance letter'
• If the button isn't available, then you are probably not yet accepted. Have patience, an International Officer will accept you soon.
• Check the 'Downloads' folder on your computer.
• Try another browser and click 'Download admission letter' again.

You must apply for a visa 'type D': long-term student visa (12 months). Check our student visa for Belgium page for all information.

As soon as you are admitted, you can start your visa application. Don’t wait too long gathering all required documents, as the visa procedure might take several months.

Go to the dedicated webpage.

Go to the Belgian Foreign Affairs website to find out where and how to apply for a student visa.

UCLL falls under article 58 as it is a higher education institution that is organized, recognized or subsidized by the public authorities (law of 15.12.1980).

When you apply for a student visa, you will have to prove your financial capability to take care of your living expenses for each study year in Belgium.

At UCLL you can set up a Blocked Account.  It means that you transfer a certain amount of money (for amounts see Student visa for Belgium ) into the  UCLL bank account to cover your minimal living costs.  After the transfer, we issue a letter of financial guarantee which you can use for your visa application, along with your admission letter.  After your arrival in Belgium, you set up a bank account, provide the bank account number and during 12 months you'll receive a monthly instalment until all your money has been reimbursed.

Go to our student visa for Belgium webpage > 'step 2 Blocked account' for more information.

No, it is not required at all. However, it is a safe and secure way to proof your financial means and will speed up your visa procedure.

See our Blocked Account proposals.

UCLL must have received the entire blocked account payment BEFORE

• 15 May if you are enrolling in a degree or exchange programme starting in Fall
• 15 October if you are enrolling in a degree or exchange programme starting in Spring or current UCLL students for Fall

We recommend you issue the payment at least two weeks before the deadline, because international transfers entail longer lead times.

Payments received after 31 May (Fall) or 31 October (Spring) will not be accepted and will be refunded. A 100 euro admin fee will be charged.

Preferably, you open a Belgian bank account, as it is the cheapest option. Alternatively, you can open an online European bank account with an European IBAN and SWIFT code.

Before you head to the bank of your choice, you must have a document called 'Annexe 15' which is issued by the City Office. 

Before you can register with the city you must have a permanent address (student room) to be proven by a rental agreement.  You will receive additional practical information upon arrival.

More details in our Blocked Account Flyer (bottom of the page).

The instalments are paid at the end of the month, e.g. the November instalment will be paid at the end of October and so on. 

For exact dates check UCLL's intranet (available after student registration). 

If you have no Flemish or Dutch degree, you can only register as a student after you have been admitted at UCLL. You will receive an email about student registration a few weeks before the start of the semester.

The last step in the application process is student registration.

This is an entirely online procedure that we will guide you through.

You can deregister at any time. However, please be aware of the consequences regarding reimbursement of your tuition fee.

Send an email to:

• Leuven campuses:  inschrijvingen.leuven@ucll.be
• Limburg campuses: Barbara Simons

Potential loss of study vouchers and tuition fee. Learn all about early deregistration.

After student registration at UCLL, and when you have found a permanent residence (student room) you must register at the city office.

Check UCLL's intranet (available after student registration) for all details.

Finding a student room is your own responsibility. Nevertheless, the Association KU Leuven's Housing Service is always happy to help you sort things out.

Find all details and links to the housing database on our housing  webpage.

UCLL does not have its own residence halls. However, a certain amount of rooms in KU Leuven* residence halls are reserved for UCLL students.

You can find all information on the KU Leuven website.

* KU Leuven is our umbrella university

Apply for a room as soon as you are admitted at UCLL. The earlier you secure housing, the better, because it has increasingly become challenging to find student housing in most Belgian student towns.

Yes, all residents of Belgium, Belgian nationals or otherwise, are required by law to be covered by a health insurance policy.

If you are an international student, first check if your local health insurance covers medical costs in Belgium. If not, you must sign up for a Belgian health insurance of your choice, as it is not taken care of by UCLL. 

You sign up for a health insurance with adequate coverage in Belgium. We’ve listed some health insurance companies for you on a our health insurance webpage.

No, it’s not expensive at all. Take a look at the different company websites for a detailed price overview on our health insurance webpage.

On average, 75% of the official rates of (Belgian) medical expenses are reimbursed. Without insurance coverage, however, the costs of medical care can quickly spiral out of control.