Why apply for the Belgium Tourist Visa?

By signing the Schengen Agreement in 1995, the government of Belgium joined the European border free area. Entering Belgium on a short-stay visa, you can also travel to the other Schengen member states as well. A total of 26 countries make up the Schengen Area.

There are three categories of Schengen visa

Short stay visa: This visa allows for single or multiple entries and you can stay in the Schengen territory up to 90 days in the validity period of six months.

Long stay visa: This is issued for a period exceeding 90 days and are issued by the countries. The national legislation rules apply here.

Airport transit visa: This is required for people belonging to certain countries.

1. Your passport must have a minimum of 2 blank pages.
2. Your passport must have a validity of a minimum of 3 months from the date that the applicant intends leaving the Schengen Area. OR If there are multiple entries, the date that the applicant intends leaving the Schengen Area for the last time.
3. You can only apply within 3 months of the date of arrival in Belgium.

Apart from this you should submit:

• Completed visa application form
• Photographs (as specified)
• Passport
• Copies of any previous visa, if applicable
• Schengen Travel Insurance with a minimum coverage of €30,000
• A cover letter explaining your purpose of visit and details of the trip
• Your flight itinerary specifying the dates of entry and exit from Belgium
• Proof of accommodation like hotel bookings or any other document that shows your place of stay in Belgium
• No objection letter-This letter is required to confirm your current status and inform the embassy that you have permission to travel. Usually, a letter of no objection is issued by the employer or school authorities.

A short-stay visa (Type C) costs €60 or INR 5,000 approximately.

The official processing time is about 30 to 40 days. Do keep in mind that it can take much longer than this in certain cases.

Where it is lodged varies by the Embassy/High Commission. It is suggested that 6-8 weeks are required. The South African High Commission, for instance, takes 4 weeks in the US; it takes 1 month in the UK; and it takes 3 weeks in Australia.

All those applying for Schengen visa will have to appear in person with the exception of children below 12 years of age. The bio-metrics are stored in the database for 5 years.

Providing biometrics helps safeguard the identities of actual candidates. Proving their identity and their travel status is easier for people with biometrics.

A multiple entry tourist visa to Belgium is available for one, three, or five years, and can be used for up to 90 days in a 180-day period.

Plan ahead

It’s vital to apply for a tourist visa in Belgium as soon as possible. Visa applications should not be filed to the Schengen area’s equivalent consulate 15 days prior to the member country’s projected arrival date.

Request an appointment at your nearest Belgian embassy.

You must almost always make an appointment via the internet or by phone.

Fill out and send in your application.

 Find out which Belgian embassy is the most convenient for you to visit because you must hand in the necessary paperwork in person. You will be interviewed at the consulate to confirm your visit’s objective and must produce other supporting papers.

Apply for a Visa

The appropriate consulate will notify you of the visa, which you must pick up.

Yes, Indian citizens require a valid Schengen Type C visa to visit Belgium. Belgium is a member of the Schengen Area, which has abolished internal border controls among its member countries. The Schengen visa allows Indian travellers to stay in Belgium and other Schengen countries for a maximum of 90 days within a 180-day period. Indian passport holders must apply for this visa through VFS Global, which is the official visa application partner of the Belgian Embassy in India.

Indian citizens visiting Belgium for tourism, leisure, or short visits must apply for a Schengen Type C Short-Stay Visa. This visa permits a stay of up to 90 days within any 180-day period and is valid across all 29 Schengen member countries. For stays exceeding 90 days, a Type D Long-Stay National Visa is required, which is issued for specific purposes such as work, study, or family reunification.

With a Belgium Schengen Type C tourist visa, Indian citizens are permitted to stay in Belgium and the wider Schengen Area for a maximum of 90 days within any 180-day period. It is important to track the number of days spent across all Schengen countries, as the 90-day limit applies collectively to the entire Schengen Zone and not just to Belgium alone.

The standard documents required for a Belgium tourist visa include a duly completed and signed visa application form, a valid passport with a minimum validity of 3 months beyond the departure date, two recent passport-size photographs, proof of travel insurance with a minimum coverage of €30,000, confirmed round-trip flight reservation, proof of accommodation, proof of sufficient financial means such as recent bank statements, and photocopies of any previous visas.

The current Belgium Schengen visa fee is €90 for adults and €45 for children between the ages of 6 and 12 years. Children under the age of 6 are exempt from the visa fee. The fee is payable in Indian Rupees as per the exchange rate communicated by the Embassy of Belgium in New Delhi on the day of payment. The visa fee is non-refundable regardless of the outcome of the application.

Indian citizens must apply for a Belgium tourist visa through VFS Global, which is the official visa application partner of the Belgian Embassy in India. The application form must be completed online, after which the applicant must schedule an in-person appointment at the nearest VFS Global centre. On the day of the appointment, applicants must submit all required documents and provide biometric data, including fingerprints and a photograph.

Belgium visa applications in India are processed through VFS Global centres located in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Jalandhar, Kochi, Pune, Goa, and Puducherry. Applicants must visit the VFS Global centre that serves the jurisdiction in which they reside. Appointments must be booked in advance through the VFS Global website.

The standard processing time for a Belgium tourist visa is approximately 15 days from the date of application submission, provided all required documents are in order. In cases where additional verification or examination is required, processing may extend to 45 days. It is strongly recommended to apply at least 3 to 4 weeks before the intended date of travel to account for any delays.

Applications for a Belgium Schengen tourist visa can be submitted no earlier than 6 months before the intended date of travel and no later than 15 days before departure. It is advisable to apply at least 3 to 4 weeks in advance to allow sufficient time for processing and to avoid delays that could affect travel plans.

Yes, a Belgium Schengen Type C visa allows the holder to travel freely across all 29 Schengen member countries within the visa's validity period. The total duration of stay across all Schengen countries must not exceed 90 days within any 180-day period. However, the primary destination of travel must be Belgium when applying for this visa.

Indian applicants must demonstrate proof of sufficient financial means to cover their stay in Belgium. The required amount is €95 per day of stay if the applicant is staying in a hotel, and €45 per day if staying with a host or in lower-cost accommodation. Recent bank statements covering the last 3 to 6 months are typically required as proof of financial means.

Yes, travel insurance is a mandatory requirement for a Belgium Schengen tourist visa. The insurance policy must cover the entire duration of the stay across all Schengen countries, with a minimum coverage of €30,000. The policy must include coverage for medical emergencies, hospitalisation, and repatriation. The insurance must be valid for the complete duration of the trip.

Yes, all Belgium Schengen visa applicants are required to submit biometric data, including ten fingerprints and a facial photograph, at the VFS Global visa application centre. If an applicant has provided biometrics for any Schengen visa within the last 59 months, they may be exempt from providing fingerprints again. Children below the age of 12 are exempt from fingerprint submission but must still provide a photograph.

Yes, a multiple-entry Belgium Schengen visa can be issued, allowing the holder to enter and exit the Schengen Zone multiple times within the visa's validity period. The total number of days spent in the Schengen Area must not exceed 90 days within any 180-day period, regardless of the number of entries. The decision to issue a single or multiple-entry visa rests with the Belgian Embassy.

In the case of a visa rejection, applicants have the right to appeal the decision. The appeal must be submitted within 30 days of receiving the rejection letter. The rejection notice will include the reasons for refusal, and applicants may address those reasons when reapplying or submitting an appeal. The visa fee paid at the time of application is non-refundable, and a new fee must be paid upon reapplication.

No, a Belgium Schengen Type C tourist visa does not permit any form of employment, including remote work or freelance activities. The tourist visa is strictly issued for leisure, tourism, and short visits. Indian nationals who wish to work in Belgium must apply for the appropriate work permit and national visa through the relevant Belgian authorities before entering the country.

Extensions to a Belgium Schengen tourist visa are granted only in exceptional circumstances, such as a medical emergency or force majeure situations. Extensions are not guaranteed and must be applied for before the current visa expires. It is therefore advisable to apply for the correct visa duration at the time of the initial application to avoid complications during the trip.

Applicants can track the status of their Belgium visa application through the VFS Global website by entering their application reference number, last name, and the required captcha. Alternatively, the application status can also be checked through the official website by selecting the relevant Belgian Embassy and entering the visa application number provided at the time of submission.

Yes, the Belgium tourist visa is a Schengen Type C visa, which is a common short-stay visa issued by all Schengen member countries. Belgium, as a member of the Schengen Area, issues this shared visa, which allows the holder to travel across all 29 Schengen countries. The visa is not exclusive to Belgium and permits free movement within the entire Schengen Zone for up to 90 days in a 180-day period.

If the passport on which the Belgium Schengen visa was issued has expired, the visa remains valid and can still be used for travel, provided it has not expired itself. However, the holder must carry both the expired passport containing the visa and the new valid passport when travelling. It is advisable to ensure that the passport used for the visa application has sufficient validity to cover the entire duration of the trip.