Important Travel Document Information – Please Read
A Belgium Visa (also known as a Schengen Visa) lets you travel for up to 90 days and is versatile for many reasons, such as tourism, visiting family or friends in Belgium, business trips, short educational stays, or medical visits. This visa also allows you to travel and stay in all Schengen member countries.
You need to apply for this visa at least 15 days before you plan to leave. But be aware, the visa process can take longer, especially during busy times. So if you’ve already sorted out all the details of your trip, it’s a good idea to submit your application at least 30 to 60 days in advance.
Due to the shared visa regulations of the Schengen zone, the following individuals must apply for a visa before traveling to Belgium:
If you want to visit Belgium for a short time, you must apply for a Schengen Visa in Belgium.
A short-stay Schengen or C visa permits you to remain in the Schengen region for up to 90 days out of 180 days, you may not work. If you hold a Schengen visa from another state and have not surpassed the 90-day limit, you may also remain in Belgium.
Once you submit an application, it will go through an 8 point check to ensure there will be no issues with your application. Sometimes it can take up to 72 hours for the review to be completed. You may choose Express Processing for your review to be completed within 24 hours.
You will receive all updates to the email address you present on your application including your appointment details. Once your documentation has been processed, you must attend an appointment to submit your supporting documents and receive your visa. The official at the Belgian border will examine your papers and may ask you a few questions regarding your journey, such as:
After reviewing your documentation, the Belgian border officer will determine whether you are authorized to enter the country. You will be permitted to enter Belgium and the Schengen Area if everything seems to be in order.
Please ensure that the Belgian border agent stamps your passport with an entrance stamp when you enter the Schengen region.
The following papers must be given to the Belgium embassy/consulate when applying for a short-term Belgium visa, according to Belgium visa requirements:
A Schengen Visa is an official travel document that lets you travel to any country in the Schengen Area for up to 90 days, whether for tourism or business. The Schengen Area includes 27 European countries and operates mostly as a single jurisdiction for international travel, sharing a common visa policy.
If you’re from a country that hasn’t reached a travel liberalization agreement with the Schengen Area, you’ll need to get this visa before arriving in Europe.
However, if you’re a citizen of the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand, you don’t need a visa for short stays of less than 90 days. If you’re not sure about your specific requirements, feel free to email us before applying online.
If you want to stay in Belgium for more than 90 days, apply for a residency permit or a national D-Visa instead of a Belgian Schengen Visa.
Make sure your long-stay visa is valid for three months to one year, no matter how long you plan to stay. To extend your stay past your visa’s expiration date, you’ll need to apply for a residence permit at a local prefecture.
During its validity, your long-stay visa works much like a Schengen visa. It lets you travel and stay in the Schengen Area outside Belgium for up to 90 days within any 180-day period.
If you come from a country that doesn’t require a visa to enter the Schengen Area, you can travel without a visa and apply for your long-term national visa or residence permit once you’re in the country where you plan to stay.
If you are a third-country national, you will need a visa to enter Belgium. In fact, you will need a visa to enter any other Schengen country. Short-stay Schengen C-visas permit stays of up to 90 days. While a national D-visa/residence permit is for more extended stays in the country.
Don’t forget to schedule your Schengen Visa appointment well in advance as waiting times can be months long. Here are some quick tips to make the process easier for you:
Remember, an approved visa doesn’t guarantee entry into Belgium or the Schengen Area. However, a smooth appointment can get you one step closer to your Belgian adventure.
This depends on a number of things such as whether or not you have had a Schengen visa in the past or how many countries you intend to visit. Generally your first Schengen visa will be issued for the duration of your stay. Future applications may be granted for multiple entry for a number of years.
There are 27 Schengen members states in Europe. You can see the full list of countries in the Schengen zone on our website.
You can expect an update on your Visa Applications within 3 days of submission. You can choose express processing at checkout for a response within 24 hours.
Once you attend your appointment, your visa can take up to 15 working days to be processed by the Embassy.
Most refusals are caused by the lack of supporting documents during the submission. In most cases, you can simply re-apply with the missing documents from your original submission.
Once you have attended your appointment with the Embassy it can take up to 15 working days for a result to be received. Some Embassies offer tracking tools to monitor the status of your application but in most cases you will receive updates via email.
Appointments can be booked for months in advance and the processing time is up to 15 working days from the day of your appointment. It would be near impossible to receive a Schengen visa within a week.
You may travel into Belgium with a Schengen visa for business purposes such as attending meetings, conferences, exhibitions, public speaking providing you will not be paid for your attendance (outside of your standard salary).
