The APS procedure for students from China wanting to study in Belgium
Students from China who have begun higher education studies in the P.R. of China and who wish to pursue higher education studies in an establishment in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation must follow the APS procedure before a visa is granted by the competent Belgian authorities in China.
Please note
The APS procedure does not apply to people who wish to start studying in French-speaking Belgium on the basis of a gaokao 高考 (Chinese secondary education diploma). However, you must apply for équivalence of the gaokao in order to gain access to higher education (enrolment in the bachelor's degree).
What is the APS procedure for students from China?
The APS procedure is a prerequisite for obtaining a student visa. It is not a selection or academic admission procedure. In French-speaking Belgium, it is the higher education institutions that decide whether or not to admit students.
The Academic Examination Office at the German Embassy in Beijing (APS-Beijing centre) checks the higher education diplomas or certificates presented by the applicant.
There are two stages to obtaining an APS certificate:
- The authenticity examination: The experts at the APS-Beijing centre analyse the documents to check their authenticity.
- The plausibility interview: Targeted questions are used to check whether the candidate has actually followed the course of study indicated on the diploma, certificate or transcript of records that he or she submits to the APS.
At the end of the two phases, if the result is positive, the APS-Beijing centre issues an APS certificate which must be presented when applying for a visa, in addition to the other documents normally required.
What are the conditions for exemption from the APS procedure?
Candidates may be partially or completely exempted from the APS procedure if they are studying in French-speaking Belgium as part of an organised or funded mobility scheme.
However, even in this case, the higher education establishment in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation may require the APS procedure to be followed, for example if the documents provided do not appear authentic or plausible.
The conditions for partial or full exemption are going to be described in a brochure on the APS procedure available soon.
Do you have any questions?
If you have any questions, you can contact the Directorate-General for Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Scientific Research by e-mail: aps@cfwb.be