Tourist visa for Belgium: documents, fees and steps

Documents requested

Completed visa application form signed by handConditions and details
As a general rule, the form is completed online on the Visa-On-Web service published by the FPS Foreign Affairs. The submission of a completed form bearing a handwritten signature is an admissibility condition: an application that does not meet it is not examined.
Valid travel document (passport)Conditions and details
The travel document must have been issued less than 10 years ago, be valid for at least 3 months after the last intended date of exit from the Schengen area, contain at least two blank pages (visa sticker and border control stamp) and be recognised by the Schengen States. Its submission is an admissibility condition.
PhotographThe submission of a photograph is an admissibility condition. The photo is taken or scanned with each new application and integrated into the Visa Information System (VIS).
Proof of payment of the visa feesConditions and details
As a general rule, the visa fees are paid at the time of the submission of the application, in euros or in the national currency of the country where the application is submitted; the procedures are set out on the website of the competent embassy or consulate or of the service provider. Payment is an admissibility condition and the fees are generally not refundable.
Documents relating to the purpose of the trip (tourism)Conditions and details
The file must confirm the purpose of the trip stated on the form. For tourism, if the stay is organised, the foreigner should provide proof of the booking and payment of the trip; if it is not organised, he should provide credible information on his itinerary and on his accommodation. A trip with several purposes must be justified for each of them.
Documents relating to accommodationThe standard file contains documents relating to accommodation, for example a hotel booking or an accommodation certificate.
Evidence of means of subsistenceConditions and details
A foreigner who bears the costs of his trip himself must generally prove that he has at least 95 euros per day in the case of a stay in a hotel and at least 45 euros per day in the case of accommodation with a private individual. Generally accepted evidence: recent bank statements showing movements over the 3 months preceding the application, credit card with the corresponding statement, traveller's cheques, employment contract or certificate of employment with the pay slips for at least the last 3 months. The list is not exhaustive and may be adapted locally. In the case of a recent deposit of a large sum into the account, it is recommended to justify its origin.
Medical travel insurance (minimum cover of 30 000 EUR)Conditions and details
The insurance must cover the costs of repatriation for medical reasons, emergency medical and hospital care and death expenses, be valid throughout the entire territory of the Schengen States for the entire duration of the stay, and be taken out in the country where the person resides. The minimum cover is 30 000 EUR. For a multiple-entry visa, it must cover the duration of the first intended stay. Valid insurance remains necessary for subsequent stays. Certain professional categories already covered by virtue of their activity may be considered as satisfying this obligation.
Guarantees of return to the country of residence at the end of the stayConditions and details
The applicant must provide guarantees of return showing his intention to leave the Schengen area before the visa expires. It is recommended to provide as much information and as many documents as possible on his ties in the country of residence: close family who are not travelling, stable professional situation, regular income (pension, rents), real estate, social ties, previous visas complied with.

Depending on your situation

Fingerprints taken at the time of submissionConditions and details
Biometric identifiers are collected at the time of submission of the file and kept for 59 months in the VIS. The fingerprints are not taken again with a new application during these 59 months, unless the post has a doubt about the identity or the applicant is no longer exempt from this recording; exempted in particular are persons for whom it is physically impossible to take the fingerprints.
Commitment to provide support in accordance with Annex 3bis (guarantor)Conditions and details
A foreigner who does not have sufficient personal means of subsistence, or who cannot present valid evidence thereof, may call upon a guarantor. A commitment to provide support in accordance with Annex 3bis of the Royal Decree of 8 October 1981, accepted by the Belgian authorities, may then serve as proof of means of subsistence.

Official fees

Short-stay visa fees — applicant aged 12 and over (general rate) 90 €

Steps

Verify that Belgium is the sole or main destination of the trip (State of the longest stay or of the main purpose); failing that, the application is not admissible.
Identify the competent post: embassy or consulate of Belgium for the country of residence or, in certain countries, the Schengen State representing Belgium for the short stay.
Submit the application at least 15 days before the start of the trip and at the earliest 6 months before.
Complete the online application form on Visa-On-Web and sign it by hand.
Make an appointment to submit the application, as a general rule with the external service provider (VFS Global or TLS Contact) that receives applications for the Belgian post.
Prepare a complete application using the local harmonised checklist: documents supplied after submission are generally not taken into account.
Follow the attendance instructions of the post or service provider. On a first application, appear in person for biometrics; fingerprints already taken may be reused under conditions for 59 months.
Pay the visa fees at the time of submitting the application, as well as, where applicable, the service provider's service fees.
Track the application with the Immigration Office's "Track a visa application" application, using the Visa-On-Web number or that of the Visa Application Center.
Wait for the decision: generally 15 days when the post itself grants the visa, up to 45 days when the application is forwarded to the Immigration Office.
On issuance, check on the visa sticker the period of validity, the permitted duration of stay, the number of entries and the territorial validity.

Where to apply

Visa-On-Web — online visa application form of the FPS Foreign Affairs (user account required)
Embassy or consulate of Belgium competent for the country of residence
External service provider (Visa Application Center of VFS Global or TLS Contact) working for the Belgian post
Embassy or consulate of another Schengen State representing Belgium for the short stay, in the countries concerned
Immigration Office's "Track a visa application" application

Good to know

Employment contract or certificate of employment and pay slips for the last 3 monthsConditions and details
For an employee, the employment contract or the certificate of employment and the pay slips relating to at least the last 3 months are among the generally accepted evidence of means of subsistence; the certificate of employment and proof of regular payment of the salary are also cited as elements of a stable professional situation among the guarantees of return.
Consult the local list of supporting documentsConditions and details
In most countries, the posts of the Schengen States publish a harmonised list of supporting documents adapted to the purpose of the trip, the profile of the applicant and local circumstances, on the website of the embassy or consulate of Belgium and on that of the provider; these websites also specify the form (originals or copies), the translation and the legalisation of the documents.
Submit a complete fileConditions and details
The decision is taken on the basis of the documents and information provided. An incomplete file without explanations may be understood as a lack of seriousness, and the information given after the submission of the application or after the decision is as a general rule not taken into consideration.
Anticipate periods of high activityConditions and details
The appointment waiting time and the processing time are longer during school holidays, the summer and the end-of-year holidays: it is recommended to submit the application as early as possible.
Non-refundable visa feesThe visa fees are generally not refundable, whatever the final decision.
Do not contact the Infodesk before the end of the examination periodConditions and details
The Immigration Office asks not to contact its Infodesk before the examination period has elapsed; if the tracking shows "Additional documents", it is the post that contacts the applicant when documents are expected from him.
A visa does not guarantee entryA visa does not give an absolute right to enter the Schengen area: border guards check the entry conditions and may refuse entry.
Count the days spent in the Schengen areaConditions and details
For a frequent traveller, it is recommended to count the days already spent in the Schengen area during the 180-day rolling period preceding each day of a new stay; the Immigration Office refers to an electronic calculator.
Enter through an authorised crossing pointConditions and details
If Belgium is your point of entry into the Schengen area, use one of the authorised border crossing points: the airports of Brussels-National (Zaventem), Ostend, Deurne, Bierset and Gosselies, Wevelgem airfield, the ports of Antwerp, Ostend, Zeebrugge, Nieuwpoort, Ghent and Blankenberge, or Brussels-Midi station for Eurostar. The Immigration Office may impose an administrative fine of 200 EUR on foreign nationals who do not comply.
Declaration of arrival when staying outside accommodation subject to traveller registration rulesConditions and details
A foreign national who does not stay in an accommodation establishment subject to the legislation on traveller registration must register with the municipal administration of the place where he stays within 3 working days following his entry into Belgium, unless exempt; since 10 April 2026, the address can be provided with "My Address in Belgium".
Exceptional extension of a short stayConditions and details
In case of force majeure or humanitarian reasons preventing departure from the Schengen area in time, or serious personal reasons justifying an extension of the stay, the extension application is submitted to the municipal administration of the place of residence with a copy of the passport, a copy of the declaration of arrival where applicable, a letter explaining the reasons for the application, the documents demonstrating them and proof of Schengen travel medical insurance valid for the entire stay (minimum coverage of 30 000 euros); if a new visa is issued, it is free for force majeure or humanitarian reasons and costs 30 euros for serious personal reasons.
The Immigration Office fee does not apply to the C visaThe fee collected by the Immigration Office covers the processing of a D visa application or a residence application; for a short-stay visa, the visa fees are due.
In case of refusalConditions and details
The refusal decision and its grounds are communicated to the applicant, who may lodge an appeal or submit a new application taking into account the grounds for refusal; a previous refusal does not automatically lead to the refusal of a new application.

Nationalities covered

This procedure applies to 103 nationalities.

Afghanistan
Algeria
Angola
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belize
Benin
Bhutan
Bolivia
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
China
Comoros
Congo
Côte d'Ivoire
Cuba
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Djibouti
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Fiji
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Jamaica
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Madagascar
Malawi
Maldives
Mali
Mauritania
Mongolia
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nepal
Niger
Nigeria
North Korea
Oman
Pakistan
Palestine
Papua New Guinea
Philippines
Qatar
Russia
Rwanda
São Tomé and Príncipe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Syria
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tunisia
Türkiye
Turkmenistan
Uganda
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

Official links

Demander un visa d’entrée dans l’espace Schengen (visa C) | IBZ (new tab) dofi.ibz.be
Suivre une demande de visa | IBZ (new tab) dofi.ibz.be
Court séjour | IBZ (new tab) dofi.ibz.be
Redevance | IBZ (new tab) dofi.ibz.be
SPF Affaires étrangères, Commerce extérieur et Coopération au Développement (Belgique) (new tab) diplomatie.belgium.be
Connexion (new tab) visaonweb.diplomatie.be
Principes généraux | IBZ (new tab) dofi.ibz.be

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