Information on nomination and application procedures, language requirements and practical info for exchange students can be found here.

Apply for exchange study at Howest

Incoming exchange students need to be nominated by their home institution via an online form.
After having received the nomination by the home institution, Howest will send the nominee all information necessary for their application.

Exchange students from outside the EEA

Exchange students from outside the EEA (European Economic Area) must request a valid student visa for Belgium.  Students who come to Belgium without a valid Belgian visa will do so at their own risk, and cannot be enrolled officially at Howest. Count on at least 8 weeks to get a student visa! If your sending institution is already situated in the EEA, the visa or residence permit you already have for your study there is NOT as such a valid visa for (exchange) study in Belgium, BUT you will be entitled to a shorter procedure via our International Office, of which you will be informed upon acceptance.

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Application deadlines

The Howest application form has to be submitted by:

1 June for study in the autumn semester

  • 1 May for nationals from outside the European Economic Area AND for traineeship in Nursing or Psychology. May 1st is the only yearly deadline for traineeships in Nursing/Psychology, also for Spring of the academic year to follow.

30 November for study in the spring semester

  • 31 October for nationals from outside the European Economic Area

Tuition fee

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Exchange students

For exchange students sent by our Erasmus and intercontinental partner institutions the exchange semester or year is tuition free.  Course or other study materials, or the cost for cultural visits or study excursions (transportation, museum entrance …) will have to be paid on location.

Howest language expectations

The minimum proficiency level expected from incoming students is B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Foreign Languages (CEFR), in reading, speaking and comprehension skills.

Howest courses are taught in either English or Dutch 

We expect applying students* to provide proof of their proficiency in the language of instruction in the chosen programme in one of the following ways:

  • The results of a (free) online language test which can be related to the CEFR B2 level,such as Dialang and Testpodium. The online test should have been taken under the supervision of the sending institution. The result sheet needs to be stamped and signed by a staff member of the sending institution.  (only valid for exchange students)
  • An official certificate or score report referring to the European Framework or from one of the recognized language tests, e.g. a Duolingo Language Certificate with a minimum score of 105 or higher, TOEFL: paper based 550/internet based 79/computer based 213 or IETLS: 5.5, no partial results below 5.

Howest reserves the right to contact the sending university to verify the information on language proficiency, or to contact the applicant to have a telephone or Skype conversation in English.

*The following applicants are not required to document their language skills for study in English or Dutch respectively at Howest:

  • applicants from Erasmus programme countries for study/traineeship at Howest coming under the Erasmus programme.
  • applicants from countries having the chosen modules´ teaching language as their national language.
  • applicants attending a full-time degree programme at their home institution taught in the same language as the Howest modules they are applying for.