Belgium Visa – Applying for a Schengen Visa to Belgium

You will have to apply for a visa when travelling to Belgium if you are:

You are exempt from applying for a visa to enter Belgium if you fall into any of the following categories:

For those exempt from a visa, check out the required documents for entry into Belgium. It’s always good to be prepared!

• Transit Visa. If you switch flights in a Belgian airport, you have to apply for an airport transit visa
• Tourist Visa. You must apply for this visa type, if you will visit Belgium for sightseeing or other leisure activities.
• Visiting family or friends. You need this if you are traveling to Belgium to visit family members or friends; you must have a letter of invitation from them.
• Business Visa. If you are planning to visit Belgium for a business trip, this is the visa type you have to select; as part of the requirement, you will need a business invitation letter from the company/organization you are visiting.
• Cultural activities. You apply for this visa type if you are going to Belgium for a cultural event, such as a festival, filming, or even for religious activities.
• Official Visa. If you are going to Belgium on official duty on behalf of your country’s government, select this as the reason for your travel.
• Medical treatment. You must select this as the reason for visa application if you will undergo medical treatment in a Belgian medical facility.
• Short-term study. You will need this if you have been accepted to a short-term study program in Belgium.
• Others.

• Belgium student visa. This visa category enables you to pursue studies in Belgium for the duration of your academic program.
• Belgium work visa. This visa permits you to work in Belgium and is obtained after receiving an invitation from a Belgian employer.
• Belgium dependent visa. This visa is a family reunion visa that allows you to stay with a family member or a partner living in Belgium.

Please note that unlike for a Schengen visa, no one except EU/EEA/Swiss nationals is exempted from a long stay visa. Every non-EU/EEA or Swiss citizen who wants to live in Belgium must obtain a long-stay visa beforehand.

• Apply through TLScontact if you live in: Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Thailand, Tunisia, Uganda, or the United Kingdom.
• Apply through VFS Global if you live in: Angola, Australia, Bhutan, the People’s Republic of China, Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), India, Indonesia, Iran, Kuwait, New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Turkiye, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam.
• Apply through VisaMetric if you live in Kyrgyzstan or Tajikistan.
• Apply through CAPAGO if you live in Burkina Faso.
• Apply through the nearest Belgian embassy or consulate, or the embassy or consulate of another Schengen country to whom Belgium has outsourced visa processing, if you live in any other country.

Regardless of where you lodge your application, it is always the Immigration Office in Brussels which makes the decision regarding your visa. The visa centers, embassies or consulates simply forward your application to the Immigration Office.

If Belgium is your only destination within the Schengen Area, the process is simple: submit your application at the Belgian embassy/consulate or the designated Visa Application Center (VAC) in your country of residence.

However, if your travel plans involve Belgium along with at least one other Schengen state, apply at the Belgian embassy/consulate/VAC in your country of residence if:

• You plan to spend more time in Belgium than in the other Schengen countries.
• You intend to spend an equal amount of time in each country, but your entry into the Schengen Area starts through Belgium.

Here’s the step-by-step guide to completing the online application form for a Belgium visa. Remember that once you complete the form, you must print it out and submit a physical copy along with other supporting documents to the nearest visa application center or Belgian embassy/consulate.

To begin, register as a new user on the Visa on Web (VOW) website by providing your first and last name along with your email address.

You will then receive an activation email with instructions about activating your account and creating a password. Follow the link to set a password and activate your account.

Remember that this link is only valid for 24 hours, after which you will need to create an account from the beginning.

When you open the account, you need to click the blue link that will send you to the application.

You must first choose the type of visa you want to apply for. In your case, it is a short-stay visa.

You will be redirected to the application form, which you can begin by filling in with your personal information and information about your trip.

After you provide all the required information, you must click ‘Submit application’ in the right corner of the screen.

Upon submitting your application electronically, you will receive a confirmation email containing the application form in PDF format as an attachment. You must print, date, and sign this form. Then, attach it to the supporting documents for your application.

If you’ve selected an embassy or consulate as your application submission location, the next screen will appear after clicking the Make an Appointment button. Here, you will be asked to enter your personal information, including your name, email address, and phone number.

Once you enter all relevant information click on ‘Finish’, and you can check your appointment data on the right-hand side of the screen. The address where you need to submit your application will be stated there.

Once you finish the application, you will be notified that your appointment has been confirmed, and you will also receive a confirmation email.

If your submission location is a VFS center, once you click Make an Appointment at the end of the online application form, you will be redirected to the VFS Global website. Here, a new screen will appear, offering you the option to click on the Book an appointment button to schedule your visa appointment.

Please be aware that setting up an account is necessary to proceed. Once your account is established, inputting your details will be a simple process.

Note that you must book a visa appointment through VFS Global only if you reside in Angola, Australia, Bhutan, the People’s Republic of China, Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), India, Indonesia, Iran, Kuwait, New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Turkiye, United Arab Emirates, or Vietnam.

The Belgian authorities recommend scheduling your visa application appointment as early as possible, ideally between one to three months in advance. You can apply as early as six months before your planned travel date.

If you have booked a visa appointment through the electronic portal and need to cancel it, use the link provided in the confirmation email.

To reschedule, visit the Visa on Web webpage and click on the My Applications button. From there, select the application for which you wish to book an appointment if you have submitted multiple applications.

If you scheduled your visa appointment through a Visa Application Center (VAC), you can cancel your appointment using the “cancellation appointment services” provided on the respective websites of each visa application center.

Scheduling an appointment for a Belgian visa application is free of charge. However, there are other fees associated with the application process, which we have outlined below in this article.

Travel Medical Insurance is compulsory for Schengen visas under Regulation (EU) 2009/810 of the European Parliament.

On the day of your appointment, you’ll be required to pay an €90 visa application fee. In the event that you apply through a visa application center, there may be an additional service or courier charge. Fees must normally be paid in the currency of the country where the application is being submitted.

At the visa appointment, you might be asked a series of questions about the reason for your trip to Belgium, whether you know someone there, as well as personal information about yourself, such as where you work, what you study, etc. See some of the most common questions during visa interviews.

At the appointment, one of the main things you are required to do is submit your biometric information, which includes your visa photo and fingerprint scans.

In case you applied for a Schengen visa in the last five years, you may be exempted from submitting fingerprints.

Yes, someone else can apply for a Schengen visa on your behalf, but only if you’ve granted them authorization to do so and you’re not required to submit your biometric data.

While your Belgium visa is being processed, you can track your application through the website of the application center to which you applied. On VFS Global, you can click on the Track application button on the main page and enter your visa reference number and last name. If you applied through TLScontact, you can log in by using your email address and password to view the status of your application.

If you apply through a Belgian embassy or consulate, the consular officer gives you a receipt with a unique 5-digit number. This number also allows you to check the status of your file online on the Immigration Service’s website.

If your application for a Belgium visa is granted, then you are free to travel to Belgium within the validity period of your visa. The Belgian visa officers who processed your application decide how long you can stay; visas can be issued for a maximum of 90 days (for single, double, or multiple entries), but in many cases, they are issued for a shorter period.

If your application for a Belgium visa is rejected, the reasons for the rejection will be stated on the visa decision letter. Following this, you have two options:

• Apply for the visa again. If you acknowledge the reasons stated on your application were valid, then you can simply apply for the Belgium visa another time, making sure to correct the mistakes that led to the visa refusal. In some cases, you can apply immediately after and may be granted the visa.
• You can appeal the decision. If you believe that the reasons were not valid, then you can request an appeal of the decision. Because visa decisions are made by the Immigration Office in Brussels (the embassy/consulate/VAC simply forwards your application to them), then you have to lodge your appeal there. You have to send the appeal letter through post within 30 days of receiving the decision to the Conseil du Contentieux des étrangers/Raad voor Vreemdelingenbetwistingen.

The visa fee is non-refundable because it covers the costs and time involved in processing your application. Even if your application is denied, please be aware that you won’t receive a refund.

You may apply for an extension of your short-stay visa if you have compelling personal reasons, force majeure, or humanitarian reasons preventing you from leaving Belgium before the end of your authorized duration of stay.

You must apply for a Belgium visa extension at the municipal administration of your place of residence by submitting the documents listed below:

• Copy of your passport (including identifying features, visa, entry, and exit stamps)
• Copy of the declaration of arrival (if applicable)
• Letter explaining the reasons for requesting the extension
• Documentation supporting your reasons for extension
• Proof of Schengen medical travel insurance with a minimum coverage of 30,000 euros for the entire duration of your stay.

The Belgian Immigration office makes a decision on your extension application; if the application is positive, there are two options:

• The municipal administration will extend your declaration of arrival.
• You will receive an invitation to visit the Federal Public Service for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, located at 27 Rue des Petits Carmes, 1000 Brussels. Appointments for this visit must be made via e-Appointment.

The extension in cases of force majeure or humanitarian reasons. However, if your extension is justified by compelling personal reasons, you’ll need to pay a fee of EUR 30.

If you exceed your visa’s allowed stay in Belgium, you could face serious repercussions such as fines, deportation, entry bans, or even arrest. It’s important to follow your visa’s rules to avoid these consequences.

No, you cannot take up employment with a Schengen visa in Belgium. This visa can be used for short visits, business, tourism, or other non-work-related activities.

Yes, you can visit other countries within the Schengen Area with a Belgium visa (unless you have a Limited Territorial Validity Visa). Belgium must be your main destination; any days you spend outside of Schengen will be deducted from your allowed 90 days.