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nl（https://www.howest.be/nl/node/470）
en（https://www.howest.be/en/prepare-for-your-stay-in-belgium）
Prepare for your stay in Belgium
Welcome Guides & Academic Calendar
Below, you can open the Welcome Guide for new international students:
Welcome Guide for Campus Kortrijk（https://www.howest.be/fs/documents/Howest_Welcome_Guide_Kortrijk_2026-2027.pdf）
Welcome Guide for Campus Bruges（https://www.howest.be/nl/media/6788）
Welcome Guide for Digital Arts & Entertainment (DAE)（https://www.digitalartsandentertainment.be/dae/files/File/Welcome%20Guide.pdf）
When does the academic year start? When are the exams? What are the holidays in Belgium? Check out Howest's full academic calendar（https://www.howest.be/en/academic-calendar）.
Welcome days for English-taught degree programmes
During the welcome days, you will receive information about your schedule, the academic and exam regulations, student services, your Howest email account, etc.
You will also meet your new classmates, explore the Howest campus and learn about all that Stuvo (student services) has to offer.
You will have the opportunity to purchase your books and we will make a number of practical arrangements to get the year off to a good start.
Orientation Week for exchange semesters
6 reasons not to miss Orientation Week
Cost for Orientation Week
Dates of the Orientation Week
6 reasons not to miss Orientation Week
We organise a full Orientation Week before the start of actual lessons. During Orientation Week, there are often kick-off activities per study programme. We strongly recommend attending the complete Orientation & Kick-off Week so you can:
meet other incoming and local students through various fun activities
get to know the Howest campus(es) where you will spend your semester/year
explore Bruges and Kortrijk together with our local students
discover Belgian cultural treasures through student-friendly sightseeing trips to beautiful cities like Ghent, Antwerp, and Brussels
receive loads of practical tips from students and staff that will help you prepare for your time at Howest and life in your student room
get set up on the Howest IT systems before classes begin
Cost for Orientation Week
Howest does not charge a participation fee for Orientation Week. However, students in Kortrijk who join a city trip (optional activity) must pay their own expenses, such as their train ticket, entrance fees, and their own food & drinks.
The price for Orientation Week in 2026-2027 (for those under 26 y/o) was about €20 for a return train ticket from Kortrijk to Bruges or Kortrijk to Ghent.
Other costs depend on which activities you do during the trip (boat tour, museum visits, food and drinks).
Dates for Orientation Week
Autumn Semester: 14 – 18 September 2026
Spring Semester: 1 – 6 February 2027
Visa and permit for residence requirements
Students from countries outside the European Economic Area must request a valid visa to study in Belgium .
Please note that non-EU students studying at a European (EU/EEA) institution must also obtain a valid Belgian student visa for their exchange at Howest. Depending on their situation, they may qualify for a shortened “Belgian Stay Request” procedure. Please consult the Incoming Students brochure for full details.
Students who come to Belgium without a valid Belgian student visa, cannot enrol at Howest.
Keep in mind that it takes at least 6-8 weeks to get a student visa.
Degree-seeking students will have to provide proof that they have a valid visa in order to finalise their enrolment. A stamped visa will also be required for their city hall application in order to obtain a Belgian residence permit.
Read more about visa requirements for degree-seeking students（https://www.howest.be/visa info）
Read more about visa requirements for exchange students（https://www.howest.be/fs/documents/VISA%20REQUIREMENTS_2026-2027.pdf）
Please note that Howest is a public institution.
European students staying in Belgium for more than 3 months must apply to the municipality of residence to obtain an EU-residence card . Please upload the EU-residence card in "your documents" during enrollment, or deliver it in within 3 months to the student administration office.
If you are an international student who is going to study and live in Kortrijk , you can do the first part of the registration procedure for the Kortrijk City Hall on the Howest campus.
This on-campus pre-registration makes the registration procedure easier because it is completely in English and is assisted by a Howest employee.
This pre-registration can only be done in September. Before or after that period you must do the registration directly at the Kortrijk city hall.
If you have been (provisionally) accepted by the Admissions Office, you will receive further information about this pre-registration by mid-August.
If you are going to live in a city other than Kortrijk (e.g.