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Belgium

Belgium visa

Europe · Western Europe

In Belgium, visas fall to the federal public service Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation; the Office des étrangers (immigration office) sets the conditions of stay and collects the levy. The application is completed online then filed in person, at the earliest six months before travel.

Updated on 13 October 2026 · Official sources consulted on 18 September 2026

At a glance

Authority
SPF Affaires étrangères, Commerce extérieur et Coopération au Développement (federal public service for foreign affairs, Belgium); the Office des étrangers publishes the conditions of stay and collects the levy
Submission channel
Form completed online on the Belgian State's Visa-On-Web service, appointment, then appearance in person at the competent embassy or consulate for the photograph and fingerprints; an external service provider may handle the application
Representation
For the short stay, another Schengen State may represent Belgium; an official document of September 2, 2026 sets the competence of the posts and the representation arrangements
Electronic visa
Not stated on the portal consulted: the form is completed online, but appearance in person at the post remains required
Length of the short stay
90 days at most; beyond that, it is a long-stay visa
Consular fees for the long stay
€180 until June 30, 2026 and €250 from July 1, 2026, according to the page of the embassy of Belgium in France; a separate levy is owed to the Office des étrangers
Language of the documents
French, Dutch or German; failing that, translation, legalization or apostille, and documents less than six months old

Do you need a visa?

China passport: visa required for a short tourist stay.

For a short tourist stay with an ordinary passport. To work, study or stay longer, the rules are different: check your situation.

Good to know

Visa required (Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, consolidated version of 30.12.2025).

Official source: EUR-Lex — Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, Annexes I and II (consolidated version of 30.12.2025)EUR-Lex — Règlement (UE) 2018/1806, annexes I et II (version consolidée du 30.12.2025) (new tab) Verified on 24 September 2026

All destinations for this nationality

VisaGuideline helps you prepare your application. The decision belongs to the country’s authority: check the official page before paying or applying.

Belgium visa: who needs one?

Based on the verified entry rules, for a short tourist stay with an ordinary passport.

Visa exemption 60

List of nationalities

Visa required 104

List of nationalities

Information not available 7

List of nationalities

A nationality missing from this list does not establish a visa exemption. Consult the official authority.

Documented visa types

Short-stay visa (Schengen)
For a stay of 90 days at most, according to the official page. Another Schengen State may represent Belgium for this type of application, including for transit. Official page (new tab)
Long-stay visa (visa D) — work
Published purposes: employee under a single permit, self-employed worker under a professional card, internship and in-company training, volunteering, job-seeking after studies, post-doctoral researcher or researcher, au pair, seasonal work. Official page (new tab)
Long-stay visa (visa D) — study
Published purposes: public higher education, private higher education, secondary education, and an internship carried out as part of the studies. Official page (new tab)
Long-stay visa (visa D) — family reunification
Published purposes: family reunification with a Belgian, with a foreign national of the European Union or of the European Economic Area, or with a foreign national from outside the European Union, as well as with refugees or beneficiaries of subsidiary protection. Official page (new tab)
Long-stay visa (visa D) — marriage or legal cohabitation
A purpose published among the long-stay categories. The page notes that these applications, like family reunification with non-European persons, are always forwarded to the competent authorities in Brussels. Official page (new tab)

Where and how to apply

The official page states that the applicant must appear in person at the embassy or consulate of Belgium competent for the country where they reside, and that, in some cases, the handling of the application may be entrusted to an external service provider. For the short stay, another Schengen State may represent Belgium.

The page of the embassy of Belgium in France describes the procedure in three stages for the long stay: complete the form online on the Belgian State's Visa-On-Web service, book an appointment, then file the application in person for the photograph and the taking of fingerprints. It makes filing at that embassy conditional on long-term permanent residence in its jurisdiction, a condition specific to that post.

The federal public service publishes a document dated September 2, 2026 devoted to the competence of the posts, to representation by another Schengen State and to the use of external service providers. Its table by country is not reproduced here: it depends on the country of residence and is a matter for review.

The consular counters of Foreign Affairs in Brussels no longer accept any cash payment: the accepted methods are Bancontact, Maestro, Visa, Mastercard or the postal transfer receipt.

Steps in the procedure

  1. Determine the length of the intended stay: short stay of 90 days at most or long stay of more than 90 days.
  2. For a long stay, determine the purpose among those published: work, study, family reunification, marriage or legal cohabitation.
  3. Identify the embassy or consulate of Belgium competent for the country of residence, or the Schengen State that represents Belgium; handling may, in some cases, be entrusted to an external service provider.
  4. Complete the application form online on the Belgian State's Visa-On-Web service.
  5. Book an appointment with the competent post.
  6. Gather the documents: they must be less than six months old and drawn up in French, Dutch or German, failing which translated, legalized or apostilled.
  7. Appear in person at the post for the filing, the photograph and the taking of fingerprints.
  8. Pay the levy owed to the Office des étrangers, payable in euros by bank transfer, as well as the consular fees of the post.

Documents mentioned by the authority

The exact list depends on the visa type, on the purpose and on the post where the application is entered; only the official page is authoritative.

Stated fees and processing times

According to the portal consulted on 18 September 2026: the page of the embassy of Belgium in France distinguishes two types of costs for a long-stay visa — a levy covering administrative costs, payable in euros by bank transfer to the Office des étrangers, and consular fees of €180 until June 30, 2026, raised to €250 from July 1, 2026.

According to the portal consulted on 18 September 2026: the application must be lodged sufficiently in advance, and at most six months before the intended date of travel. Processing times vary according to the applicant's profile and the time of year.

According to the portal consulted on 18 September 2026: the consular counters of Foreign Affairs in Brussels no longer accept any cash payment; the accepted methods are Bancontact, Maestro, Visa, Mastercard or the postal transfer receipt.

After the decision

For an extension applied for in Belgium, the official page states that an appointment must be booked through the link given to the applicant, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:20 a.m. to 12 noon, at the SPF Affaires étrangères, rue des Petits Carmes 15, 1000 Brussels.

Long-stay applications for family reunification with non-European persons, as well as for marriage or legal cohabitation, are always forwarded to the competent authorities in Brussels, according to the page of the embassy in France.

The decision rests with the competent Belgian authority.

Prepare your application

Frequently asked questions

Where is the application filed?

The form is completed online on the Belgian State's Visa-On-Web service, then the application is filed in person at the embassy or consulate of Belgium competent for the country of residence, by appointment. In some cases, an external service provider handles the application; for the short stay, another Schengen State may represent Belgium.

Which long-stay purposes exist?

The official pages publish work (employee under a single permit, self-employed under a professional card, internship, volunteering, job-seeking after studies, researcher, au pair, seasonal worker), study (public or private higher education, secondary, internship linked to the studies) and family reunification, marriage or legal cohabitation.

How does one apply for an extension in Belgium?

The official page states that an appointment is booked through the link given to the applicant, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:20 a.m. to 12 noon, at the SPF Affaires étrangères, rue des Petits Carmes 15, 1000 Brussels.

Points to check with the authority

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