Guide · Belgium
How to write a motivation letter for a Belgian university
In Belgium, a motivation letter is a standard part of Master's applications. At KU Leuven, you cannot submit a Master's application without one. At UCLouvain, candidates with a foreign degree are often admitted “sur dossier” — on their file — and the committee weighs the motivation in a personal letter.
Belgium has three language communities. Universities in Flanders teach in Dutch, those in Wallonia in French, Brussels has both — and many Master's are taught in English: KU Leuven alone offers 75. Your letter goes in the language your programme is taught in, and it is usually short: KU Leuven recommends one A4 page.
Checked against official sources: October 2026
- 1 page
- A4, recommended length at KU Leuven
- 12/20
- minimum average for a foreign degree, UCLouvain economics
- 10/20
- to pass a course at KU Leuven
Your first letter is free — no credit card needed.
At a glance
- Length
One A4 page
KU Leuven recommends one A4 page for the motivation letter. If your programme sets its own limit, that limit counts.
- Language
Language of instruction
Write in the language of the programme: English for English-taught Master's, French for French-taught programmes (most of UCLouvain and ULB), Dutch for Dutch-taught programmes.
- What else they ask for
CV, transcripts, language test
At KU Leuven, the letter goes together with your CV, diplomas and transcripts, a passport copy and an English test. Some programmes also ask for recommendation letters on KU Leuven's template — check your programme's requirements.
- Grades
Out of 20
Belgian universities grade out of 20; at KU Leuven, you pass a course with at least 10/20. Give your own grade on its original scale — the university assesses it itself.
- Admission “sur dossier”
The letter counts
For UCLouvain's Master in Economics, a foreign Bachelor's needs at least 60% or 12/20 on average, the prerequisite courses and English at B2. The decision also weighs your CV and “the motivation expressed in a personal and original letter”.
- Languages in the letter
Mention your level
Some programmes taught in two languages want your level in both. For its specialised Master's in European law, ULB asked candidates to describe their B2 level in French and English explicitly in the letter.
How to structure it
Opening: the programme and your reason
Name the programme and the university, and give your main reason in one or two sentences, linked to a concrete experience.
Your academic background
Your degree, your grade on its original scale and the courses or thesis that prepared you. Belgian committees check closely whether your Bachelor's fits — show the link.
Why this programme
What you want to learn here and how it builds on what you already know. Name specifics from the programme page, not general praise.
Your goal
What you want to do after the degree, in one or two realistic sentences.
Closing
A short formal closing. In English: “Yours sincerely,”; in French: “Je vous prie d'agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l'expression de mes salutations distinguées.”
Example: Master's application to KU Leuven
Excerpt from a sample letter for a fictional applicant. The full letter fits on one A4 page, as KU Leuven recommends. The numbers in the margin match the steps above.
Dear Members of the Admissions Committee,
I am applying for the Master of Statistics and Data Science at KU Leuven. During my internship as a data analyst at a logistics company, I built Python dashboards that cut the weekly reporting time from six hours to one. The dashboards showed where deliveries were late, but not whether the patterns were real or just noise — and I realised that my statistics had not kept pace with my programming.
My Bachelor's in Computer Science, completed with a GPA of 3.6 out of 4.0, gave me a solid base in algorithms, databases and introductory statistics. In my thesis, I predicted delivery delays from 50,000 shipment records with gradient boosting. The model worked, but I could not say how confident its predictions were. That is the gap I want to close with a Master's that treats statistics and data science as one subject.
[…]
Yours sincerely, Alex Weber
Common mistakes
Writing more than a page
Two pages retelling your whole studies
One page: your reason, your preparation, your goal
KU Leuven recommends one A4 page. A two-page letter suggests you can't choose what matters.
The wrong language
An English letter for a Master taught in French
A French letter — the language of the programme
A letter in English for a French-taught programme at UCLouvain shows that you haven't checked the language of instruction.
One letter for every university
“I am applying to your prestigious university…”
“I am applying for the Master of Statistics and Data Science at KU Leuven because …”
KU Leuven, Ghent and UCLouvain don't teach the same programme. A letter that fits all of them says nothing about any of them.
Converting your grades yourself
“My GPA of 3.6 corresponds to 16/20.”
“I completed my Bachelor's with a GPA of 3.6 out of 4.0.”
Give your grade on its original scale. The university assesses it itself, and your own conversion may contradict your transcripts.
A vague language level
“My French is quite good.”
“I hold a DELF B2 in French and an IELTS score of 7.0.”
In Belgium, committees want to know if you can follow the courses. Name your level and how you proved it.
Your CV in sentences
“From 2021 to 2022 I worked as a tutor, in 2022 I did an internship…”
“My thesis model worked — but I couldn't say how confident it was.”
Your CV is already in the application. Pick the experiences that matter for this programme and explain what they taught you.
Questions
How long should a motivation letter for Belgium be?
About one A4 page — that is KU Leuven's recommended length. If your programme sets its own limit, follow it.
Should I write in English, French or Dutch?
In the language your programme is taught in — check it on the programme page. An English-taught Master's needs an English letter, a French-taught one at UCLouvain or ULB a French letter, a Dutch-taught one a Dutch letter.
Do I need recommendation letters?
Only if your programme asks for them. At KU Leuven, they are an additional document that some programmes require, on the university's own template. Check the list of documents on your programme page.
Is it OK to use AI for a motivation letter?
Rules differ between universities. Use an AI draft as a starting point: check every fact, change anything that doesn't sound like you, and follow your university's rules.
Sources
Documents checklist
Documents you need to study in Belgium