Flanders vs Wallonia: Different Application Rules for Canadian Students in Belgium

One country, 2 separate education systems

Belgium's federal structure gives Flanders and Wallonia-Brussels their own education authorities, and each region regulates university admissions, tuition, and language of instruction independently. As a Canadian applicant, this means your experience applying to a university in Ghent looks nothing like applying to a university in Liege, even though both are Belgian.

Language of instruction

Flanders teaches primarily in Dutch, though its universities, including KU Leuven and Ghent University, run a growing number of English-taught bachelor's and master's programs aimed at international students. Wallonia-Brussels universities, including UCLouvain, teach primarily in French, and English-taught options are less common at the bachelor's level.

Confirm the language of instruction for your specific program before you apply, since a program listed as available to international students does not automatically mean it runs in English. Check the language requirement on the individual university's own admissions page.

Tuition structure

Flanders uses a variable non-EU tuition model. EU and EEA students pay a flat 1,157 euros a year for a full-time 60-credit program in the 2026-27 academic year, while non-EU students pay an institutional rate that ranges from 2,300 to 9,500 euros depending on the program, according to Study in Flanders . Some Flemish enrolment types also carry a separate credit or exam contract fee on top of tuition.

Wallonia-Brussels uses a flat non-EU rate instead of a variable range. From the 2025-26 academic year, EU students and Wallonia-Brussels Federation nationals pay up to 1,194 euros a year, while non-EU students pay a standard 5,369 euros, made up of 835 euros base tuition plus a 4,175 euro additional contribution. Students who qualify for an exemption from that additional contribution pay only the 835 euro base rate, according to Wallonie-Bruxelles Campus .

In practice, Flanders can end up cheaper or more expensive than Wallonia-Brussels depending on the specific program, since Flemish institutional fees swing across a wide range while the Wallonia-Brussels rate stays fixed. Compare the exact figure for your intended program in each region rather than assuming one region is uniformly cheaper.

Application bodies and admissions rules

Each region channels applications through its own coordinating body. Study in Flanders is the reference point for admissions and tuition information on the Flemish side, while Wallonie-Bruxelles Campus plays the equivalent role for French-speaking institutions. Individual universities still run their own admissions processes and set their own deadlines within each region's framework, so treat the regional body's information as a starting guide and confirm program-specific rules with the university directly.

Which factors should drive your choice

Language ability is usually the deciding factor for Canadian applicants choosing between the 2 regions. If you have strong French and want a francophone university experience, Wallonia-Brussels institutions give you a flat, predictable non-EU fee. If you want English-taught options or are building Dutch language skills, Flanders offers more English-medium programs but a wider tuition range that needs checking program by program.

Non-EU application deadlines in both regions commonly fall in February or March for a September intake, ahead of EU applicant deadlines, so start gathering documents early regardless of which region you choose. Confirm the specific deadline and required documents on your chosen university's admissions page, since these can vary by program even within the same region. Family circumstances add another layer to compare across countries, since the UK only lets PhD-level Canadian students bring dependants.