Belgium Government Scholarship (ARES), 2026-2027

Applications are now open for the Belgium Government Scholarship for masters and training courses. The program offers candidates a chance to pursue a one-year advanced bachelor’s or master’s degree program or a 2-to-6-month continuing education program within a higher education institution of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation in Belgium.

The program is open to nationals of developing countries with professional experience looking to further develop their skills in a development-related topic. Application for the program is totally free and ARES (L’Académie de Recherche et d’Enseignement supérieur) does not charge fees at any stage of the application or selection process.

Belgium is one of the best destinations for studies in the world. The country has three official languages (Dutch, French, and German) and its capital Brussels is home to both the European Parliament and NATO. This allows students to have many working opportunities within these organizations or other affiliated organizations. Tuition fees are believed to be low compared to other EU countries.

Belgium Government Scholarship Details

• Host Institutions: Higher Education Institution of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, Belgium.
• Specialized Master’s Programs: Please see the list below.
• Number of awards: Not specified.
• Duration: one-year specialized bachelors or master’s degree program or a 2-to-6-month advanced training course.
• Target group: Open to citizens of the following countries: Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Haiti, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Palestinian Territory, Peru, Philippines, Republic of Guinea (Conakry), Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.

Belgium Government Scholarship Benefits

The Belgium Government Scholarship covers the following costs for selected candidates:

Bachelor’s or Master’s scholarship:

1. International travel costs: Economy-class travel on an IATA-approved airline, with a maximum of one round-trip ticket per academic year.
2. Living allowance: Lump sum for the duration of 12 months (+13th month reduced).
3. Fees from travel inter-establishment : Up to €250, based on actual costs, which must be justified.
4. Insurance fees: Directly paid by ARES.
5. Exceptional costs related to visa applications : When the amount is greater than 200 €, on actual costs to be notifed.

For Continuing Education Scholarship

1. International travel costs: Economy-class travel on an IATA-approved airline, one round-trip ticket.
2. Living allowance: Lump sum for the course duration.
3. Additional fees related to international travel : Fixed price of €200.
4. Insurance fees: Directly paid by ARES.

The Belgium Government Scholarship Eligible Programs

Within the framework of the ARES 2022-2027 cooperation program, three types of training are offered through international training scholarships. Advanced bachelor’s and master’s degrees are inter-institutional training programs organized in one academic year and at the end of which an academic degree is awarded. Continuing education programs are more practical and of shorter duration (2 to 6 months). They deliver a certificate.

Advanced Bachelor’s Programs for 2026-2027

The following are the advanced Bachelor’s programs courses financed by ARES for the 2026-2027 application call. : Bachelier de spécialisation en Business Data Analysis.

Advanced Master’s programs for 2026-2027

Below is the list of Master’s programs courses financed by ARES for the 2026-2027 application call.

1. Master de spécialisation en droits humains
2. Master de spécialisation en gestion des risques et des catastrophes à l'ère de l'anthropocène
3. Master de spécialisation en gestion intégrée des risques sanitaires
4. Specialized Master in International and Development Economics
5. Advanced Master in Microfinance
6. Specialized Master in Public Health Methodology
7. Master de spécialisation en sciences de la santé publique – analyse et évaluation des politiques programmes et systèmes de santé internationale
8. Master de spécialisation en transport et logistique
9. Master de spécialisation – Design d'innovation sociale
10. Master de spécialisation en Nexus Eau-Énergie-Alimentation

Continuing education programs for 2026-2027

Below is a list of Continuing Education Program courses financed by ARES for the 2026-2027 application call.

• Certificat d’Université en Science des Données pour la Santé Mondiale
• Formation internationale en pédagogie universitaire numérique
• Certificat interuniversitaire et interdisciplinaire en justices transitionnelles
• Formation continue – Comprendre et gérer les dimensions humaines des projets de changement en développement durable
• Formations continues en assurance qualité et contrôle en qualité des médicaments et produits de santé
• Formation continue en système d'information géographique libre

Belgium Government Scholarship Eligibility

To qualify for this government scholarship, applicants must:

1. Be a national, reside and work in one of the eligible countries. Please see the full list above. Exception: Palestinian nationals are eligible even if they do not reside in one of these 31 countries;
2. Hold a diploma comparable to a
   • Graduate level degree (300 credits ECTS) from Belgian university studies for advanced masters and continuing education courses (equivalent to Bac+5).
   • an undergraduate level degree (180 credits ECTS) for advanced bachelor’s (equivalent to Bac+3).
   • The candidate must have held the relevant academic degree for a maximum of 20 years at the time of the start of the course. This maximum period is increased by one year for childbirth and/or adoption.
3. Possess relevant professional experience in an ARES partner country of at least two years after graduate studies for advanced bachelors, after postgraduate studies for advanced masters and continuing education courses.
4. Complete the application in the language in which the training is given and can attest to a good written and spoken knowledge of it. Moreover, knowing a minimum of French allows for good integration into daily life in Belgium.
5. Apply for only one training course.

Application files will not be considered if they:

• are not completed in their entirety and are not accompanied by the required documents (certified copy of the diploma, etc.). A certified copy is a copy of the document on which it is stated that it is “a true copy of the original” with the stamp and signature of the competent authority (notary, town hall, municipal administration, etc.) ;
• do not clearly mention compliance with the admissibility criteria specified above (certified copy of diploma, professional experience, etc.).

How to Apply for the Belgium Government Scholarship

To apply for this Europe scholarship to study in Belgium, applicants must click on the apply button below to create an account on the GIRAF platform and follow the instructions to submit their applications. The newly created account will be validated (within a few hours to a few days, don’t create more than one account) by ARES and you will receive a confirmation mail to create a password. If you created a validated account last year, you can reuse that account and if necessary, reset your password.

• Once logged into your GIRAF account, you can access the application form via the Competitive calls tab of your GIRAF profile. Please note that you must only click once on the “Apply for international training 2026-2027” button. You will then find your form in the table “My Tasks” of the same “Competitive Calls” tab.
• You can complete your form several times as long as you use the “Save as draft” option. You will find your form each time in the My Tasks table of the Competitive calls tab in GIRAF.
• As soon as you click on “Submit my application”, your application is sent to ARES and you can no longer modify it. You can still consult it in the My submitted files (Mes dossiers soumis) table.

Required Documents

1. 2 letters of recommendation (academic and/or professional);
2. Certified copies of the original diplomas;
3. Certified copies of the original transcripts for all years;
4. Proof of occupation for the last 5 years;
5. Certificate of nationality or copy of passport;
6. Pre-project (for certain courses – see the admission conditions specific to the courses).

Applications must be submitted via GIRAF by September 19, 2025 at 12pm (Belgian time, UTC+1). For more details on the Belgium Government Scholarship, please visit the official page. To be the first to see latest opportunities, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.