FIAL incoming exchange students

In order to participate in an exchange programme with the Faculty of Philosophy, Arts and Letters (FIAL) in Louvain-la-Neuve, an existing bilateral exchange agreement with your faculty/school must be in place in one of the following fields:

We accept applications only from students who have been nominated by their home university.

Partner universities are invited to nominate their students via our Mobility Online platform, using the link sent by email a few months before the nomination deadlines.

Steps to be followed

As soon as you have been nominated by your home university’s exchange coordinator, you will receive a personal identification code. You will then be asked to upload the following documents into the Mobility Online platform:

1. A copy of both sides of your passport (or identity card if you are a national of an EU or associated country). Your nationality must be clearly stated on your document.

2. A copy of transcripts of all your previous years of higher education.

3. After signing your application form, you will be asked to upload your Learning Agreement, completed and signed by you and your home university’s faculty coordinator.

In some exceptional circumstances, these deadlines may be extended upon request.

As soon as your application has been processed by the Enrolment Office, you will receive an email at your personal address indicating the procedure to follow to activate your account. This will give you access to your virtual dashboard and other functionalities offered to enrolled students.

Once your virtual dashboard has been activated, you will have to upload an id photo for the creation of your access and student cards. You will be given these cards on the first day of the term.

Non-European Union nationals (except those of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway and Switzerland) who do not have Belgian student status, i.e. who need a visa, will be able to use the enrolment authorisation received in in their virtual dashboard to obtain their student visa (Schengen D). Otherwise, students who come to UCLouvain in the academic year’s first four months (September to January) will receive a letter from the Enrolment Office confirming their authorisation to enrol, which will enable them to obtain their visa.

There are several ways to find accommodation in Louvain-la-Neuve

University accommodation

As an exchange student, you have the possibility of applying for university accommodation in a “kot communautaire” (shared flat) or, more rarely, “kot-à-projet” (theme-based shared flat).

You must submit your application as soon as possible via the online accommodation application form and no later than 31 May for a first-term exchange or 14 December for a second-term exchange.

Private accommodation

Several other rental channels offer accommodation on the Louvain-la-Neuve campus.

Do not hesitate to consult the information available on the website!

Information and contacts

Information concerning accommodation is on the webpages of the UCLouvain Logistics and Student Accommodation Service.

“Kot communautaire” (shared flat)

The diversity of possibilities and richness of contacts between students make community life an enriching and unforgettable experience. Around the “commu” (common space), which includes a fully equipped kitchen, usually a living room and bathroom facilities, there are 3 to 10 furnished rooms. Each room includes a bed, bed base, mattress, shelf, wardrobe, desk, chair and, in most cases, sink.

“Kot-à-projet” (theme-based shared flat)

The kot-à-projet is a shared flat managed by the UCLouvain Logistics and Student Accommodation Service. Students unite around a project and share a particularly intense common life. Participating in a kot-à-projet requires an investment of time to carry out activities around themes such as:

• awareness-raising concerning:

  • issues related to childhood, developing countries, health, environment, etc.;

• community via:

  • theatre, games, music, sports;

• various student and community services;

• culture and art in all their forms, help for disabled students, and more.

There are no less than 110 kots-à-projet at UCLouvain. KAPs, as they are called, generally have evocative names: Astrokot, KAP Contes, Photokot, Kot Oxfam, Kot Emploi, Improkot, Kot Manga, Kot-é-Chine, etc.

The application for a room in a kot-à-projet is made directly to the KAP coordinator.

French is the main language of instruction at UCLouvain. A B2 level (oral and written) is therefore recommended in order to be able to pursue university courses effectively.

Pre-term intensive class

If you want to practise French before the term, you can register for the intensive French class at the CLL Language Centres in Louvain-la-Neuve and Brussels. There is a fee for the course, but a discount is available for students admitted to a UCLouvain programme (international or exchange programme).

For more information, consult the CLL Language Centres website.

Exchange programme class

Language classes are given at the UCLouvain Language Institute (French: Institut des langues vivantes, ILV).

Erasmus or exchange students may include in their programme up to two French classes per term (10/30 or 16/60 ECTS). Admission to additional classes must be requested directly from the ILV and by paying the appropriate fees.

French language classes:

• must be included in the Learning Agreement;
• must be at the same level (if taken in the same four-month period);
• if only one class is chosen, it cannot be a three-ECTS credit course.

More information on French language classes

It is highly recommended to attend the ILV information sessions at the beginning of each term.

What course can I take?

The entire range of courses offered by UCLouvain is accessible via this search engine (search for a “course unit”). This will give you access to all course descriptions (content, timetable and other practical information). If you are looking for a specific course, you can also visit the page: programmes offered by the Faculty of Philosophy, Arts and Letters.

English- and French-friendly courses

Depending on the programme, you will have access to courses taught in French, but also in other languages, such as English, Dutch, Italian, Spanish or German. The language of instruction is specified for each course in the online programme and in the course description.

Some language classes also offer facilities in English or French: these are the English-friendly and French-friendly courses.

Find out more about these classes.

Louvain-la-Neuve is located in Brabant wallon Province, near Brussels. Directions for getting to its campus can be found on the UCLouvain mobility webpages.