EuropeSelect the passports you hold to see short-stay access and per-route eligibility for Belgium.
Short stays: tourism, transit, business trips, medical, pilgrimage.
Tourist Visa
Electronic travel authorisation for visa-exempt nationals (e.g. US, UK, Canada, Japan). Valid 3 years for short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. We apply on your behalf end-to-end. Fees illustrative.
Tourist Visa
Short-stay visa for tourism: up to 90 days within any 180-day period. We prepare your forms and documents; you attend the consulate/VFS appointment to submit biometrics. Government fee EUR 90 (illustrative).
Tourist Visa
Short-stay Schengen visa for non-EU nationals visiting Belgium for tourism, visiting family or friends, or short business trips, for a maximum of 90 days within any 180-day period. The application must be lodged with the Belgian consular post competent for the applicant's place of residence, and Belgium must be the main destination of the trip. The standard handling fee is EUR 90 for adults (EUR 45 for children aged 6-12; free under 6), payable even on a diplomatic passport. Applicants must show the purpose of travel, proof of accommodation, sufficient means of subsistence, travel medical insurance with at least EUR 30,000 cover, and intent to return. The visa does not authorise work and does not convert to a residence permit; it is granted for single or multiple entry at the consulate's discretion. Nationals of visa-exempt countries do not need a Visa C and will instead require an ETIAS authorisation once that system is operational.
Transit Visa
Required by some nationalities to pass through the international transit area of a Schengen airport without entering. Whether you need one depends on your nationality. Government fee EUR 90 (illustrative).
Business Visitor Visa
Short-stay visa for business trips (meetings, conferences, negotiations): up to 90 days within any 180-day period. We prepare forms and documents; you submit at the consulate/VFS. Government fee EUR 90 (illustrative).
Business Visitor Visa
The same Schengen C visa used for short professional visits: attending meetings, negotiations, conferences, trade fairs or training of up to 90 days within any 180-day period. The applicant must show an invitation from a Belgian company or organiser detailing the purpose and duration of the visit, proof that costs are covered (by the inviting company or the traveller), and evidence of ties and intent to return. No work permit is required for genuine business activity that does not amount to taking up the local labour market; salaried or productive work in Belgium is not allowed under this visa. The handling fee is EUR 90. Multiple-entry visas of longer validity may be issued to frequent, established business travellers with a good visa history.
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Universities, language courses, internships and exchanges.
Student Visa
For stays over 90 days to study. Issued under national rules -- apply at the consulate of your destination country. We guide you; submission is in person. Fees and processing times vary by country.
Student Visa
Long-stay (type D) authorisation for non-EU nationals enrolling full time in higher education in Belgium or a preparatory year. Applicants with a certificate of enrolment are authorised to reside for at least one year; those with only proof of admission or an entrance-exam registration, or who cannot yet show health insurance, are authorised for four months and must regularise afterwards. Applicants must demonstrate sufficient means of subsistence: the indexed monthly reference rises to EUR 1,062 net/month (about EUR 12,744 per academic year) for D-study applications lodged from 15 August 2026 (previously about EUR 835). The Immigration Office must decide within 90 days of the consular receipt. After arrival the student registers with the municipality and receives an A card marked 'student' with limited labour-market access (part-time work allowed, with full-time work permitted during holidays). The contribution fee is EUR 251 for public higher-education institutions. Students may later switch to a work permit, and study time counts partly toward long-term residence.
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Digital nomad, freelance, skilled employment and company transfers.
Freelancer Visa
Non-EU nationals who want to work self-employed/freelance in Belgium need a regional professional card (Brussels, Flanders or Wallonia) showing economic benefit; granted for up to 5 years (first card usually 2), fee EUR 140 plus EUR 90 per year of validity.
Self-Employment Visa
Non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals who want to carry on a self-employed activity in Belgium - as a sole trader, company director or partner - generally need a professional card. Competence lies with the Region of the activity (Flanders, Wallonia or Brussels-Capital), each assessing the economic, cultural, social or sporting value of the project, its viability and the entrepreneur's resources. There is no single fixed investment minimum; the Region weighs a business plan, projected jobs and financial means. The card is granted for a defined period (commonly up to 5 years) and its validity is always tied to a valid residence right; applicants abroad apply through the Belgian consulate together with a type D visa request. A regional fee (around EUR 140 in Brussels) applies for issuance, plus the federal contribution fee of EUR 242. Self-employed time counts toward EU long-term resident status after 5 years.
Startup / Entrepreneur Visa
No dedicated startup visa; non-EU founders apply for a regional Professional Card (Flanders, Brussels or Wallonia) proving the project's economic value or innovation plus financial means (roughly EUR 12,000-18,000), combined with a long-stay D visa, typically renewable up to 5 years.
Skilled Work Visa
For stays over 90 days to work. Requires employer sponsorship / a work permit before you can apply, so eligibility is conditional. Issued under national rules -- apply at the consulate of your destination country. Fees and processing times vary by country.
Skilled Work Visa
Since 3 January 2019, any non-EEA/non-Swiss national who wants to live and work in Belgium for more than 90 days must hold a single permit combining the right to work and the right to reside. The employer files the application via the regional one-stop counter; the competent Region (Flanders, Wallonia or Brussels-Capital) assesses the work authorisation while the federal Immigration Office assesses residence. The Region confirms completeness within 15 days, and a joint decision is due within 4 months; if no unfavourable decision is taken in time, authorisation is deemed granted. Permits are usually issued for the duration of the contract up to a renewable maximum. A worker abroad then collects a type D visa and, after arrival, registers with the municipality within 8 working days to receive an A card (national indication B34). The contribution fee is EUR 152. Time on a single permit counts toward EU long-term resident status after 5 years.
Skilled Work Visa
Belgium's implementation of the EU Blue Card (Directive 2021/1883) for highly qualified non-EU professionals, issued via the single-permit procedure and marked B29 on the residence card. Eligibility requires higher professional qualifications (a degree from a programme of at least 3 years, or, for certain ICT roles, equivalent experience) and a job offer or contract of at least 6 months meeting the regional Blue Card salary floor: for 2026, Brussels-Capital EUR 4,748 gross/month, Wallonia EUR 68,815/year, and Flanders EUR 63,586/year (2025 figure pending update). Blue Card holders benefit from facilitated EU intra-mobility, are exempt from labour-market testing, may bring family with immediate work access, and qualify for permanent residence after 5 years (with periods in other EU states partly counting). The contribution fee is EUR 152.
Skilled Work Visa
A category of the single permit for qualified employees earning above a regional salary threshold, exempt from a labour-market test. The minimum gross salary is set annually by each Region: for 2026, Brussels-Capital requires EUR 3,703.44 gross/month (about EUR 44,441/year); Wallonia EUR 53,220/year (EUR 42,576 for juniors under 30, EUR 88,790 for executives); Flanders continues to apply its 2025 figure of EUR 48,912/year pending its 2026 update. The employer applies through the regional single-permit counter; a joint regional/federal decision is due within 4 months. The worker collects a type D visa, then registers with the municipality to receive an A card. Permits are typically issued for the contract duration and renewable, and time held counts toward EU long-term resident status after 5 years. The contribution fee is EUR 152.
Skilled Work Visa
Post-study authorisation for non-EU graduates who have completed their higher studies in Belgium (or who completed part of an EU mobility programme in Belgium), allowing them to remain for a maximum of 12 months to look for work or set up a company with a view to obtaining an employment-purpose residence permit. During the search year the holder has unrestricted access to the Belgian labour market and may work without a separate work permit while seeking a permanent position. Applicants must show health insurance and adequate means of subsistence. The Immigration Office decides within 90 days; if a decision is pending when the student A card expires, a provisional certificate valid 45 days (renewable twice) is issued. The search year does not itself lead to permanent residence but bridges study to a work or self-employment permit.
Seasonal Work Visa
Permit for non-EU nationals doing seasonal work tied to a specific time of year, in agriculture (any region), horticulture (Flanders and Wallonia only) or the catering/hospitality sector (Flanders, Wallonia and the German-speaking Community). For stays over 90 days a seasonal worker single permit is required, allowing a long stay of up to 150 days in a 365-day period; work of 90 days or less inside the Schengen short-stay limit uses a Visa C with a regional seasonal work authorisation. The employer applies through the regional digital platform; the Region assesses work authorisation and the Immigration Office residence, with a joint decision. A contract stating the place, duration, type of work and pay is required, plus accommodation. The permit is seasonal and does not lead to a residence permit. The contribution fee is EUR 152.
Intra-Company Transfer Visa
For managers, specialists and trainee employees of a multinational group temporarily transferred from an entity outside the EU to a Belgian group entity, under the EU ICT Directive transposed by the Act of 31 July 2020 (in force December 2021). Managers and specialists must hold higher qualifications; trainees must hold a university degree and undertake a development assignment. The maximum total transfer duration is 3 years for managers/specialists and 1 year for trainees, after which a cooling-off period applies before a new ICT. Prior employment within the group is required before the transfer. The permit is issued through the single-permit procedure (regional work component plus federal residence component) and supports intra-EU mobility to group entities in other member states. The contribution fee is EUR 152.
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Golden visas, real estate, citizenship by investment, passive income.
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Retirement visas and working holiday schemes.
Working Holiday Visa
A youth-mobility scheme letting young nationals of partner countries spend up to 12 months in Belgium with the main purpose of holiday, while allowing incidental work to supplement their funds. Belgium has working-holiday agreements with Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea and Taiwan; applicants must be aged 18-30. The authorisation to stay is valid for 12 months and cannot be renewed, and the agreements limit how long the holder may work, train or study so that these remain secondary to the holiday. Applicants must show sufficient funds and/or a return ticket, health insurance covering the stay, and a clean record. The visa does not lead to a residence permit. The contribution fee is EUR 242.
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Reunification, spouse routes and ancestry-based repatriation.
Family Reunification Visa
For family members of a Belgian national or of a non-EU national legally residing in Belgium who wish to join their sponsor. The application is a type D long-stay visa lodged at the Belgian consular post abroad. Eligible members are mainly the spouse or registered/legal-cohabitation partner, minor children and, in defined cases, dependent ascendants. The sponsor must show stable, regular and sufficient means of subsistence: the reference applied by consular posts is at least EUR 2,323.08 net/month for a spouse or first dependent, plus 10% for each additional family member, although the Immigration Office must assess the sponsor's overall situation rather than refuse automatically below the figure. Decision timeframes depend on the sponsor's nationality (commonly up to 6-9 months). On arrival the member registers with the municipality and receives an F card; after legal residence the family member can apply for permanent residence. The contribution fee is EUR 218.
Spouse / Partner Visa
Non-EU spouses, registered partners, children and dependent relatives of EU citizens exercising free movement in Belgium (and of Belgian citizens) apply for a residence card for a family member of a Union citizen, under EU free-movement rules (Directive 2004/38/EC). The family member registers with the municipality, which examines the relationship and the EU/Belgian sponsor's situation; the Immigration Office must normally decide within 6 months. A favourable decision grants an F card, generally valid up to 5 years and giving full access to work, after which permanent residence (F+ card) is acquired following 5 years of continuous residence. Family members of Belgians are assessed under the conditions applicable to reunification with a Belgian national. The card gives near-equal treatment with nationals in employment and study.
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Talent, religious, humanitarian, media, official and permanent residence.
Talent / Highly Skilled Visa
For non-EU researchers carrying out a research project with a research organisation recognised in Belgium, under Directive (EU) 2016/801. Since 1 March 2023 the former 'scientific visa' is integrated into the single-permit procedure, so a researcher applies for a combined work-and-residence authorisation based on a hosting agreement with the recognised organisation. The applicant must show sufficient resources to cover subsistence and return costs without recourse to social assistance, plus health insurance. The application is examined jointly by the Region (work component) and the Immigration Office (residence component), with a 4-month decision target. Researchers benefit from intra-EU mobility for parts of their project in other member states and may bring family. The contribution fee is EUR 152. Time as a researcher counts toward EU long-term resident status after 5 years.
Humanitarian / Asylum Route
A discretionary authorisation under Article 9bis of the Law of 15 December 1980 allowing a foreign national present in Belgium to request a residence permit from inside the country in exceptional circumstances, instead of applying for a long-stay visa from abroad. The application is filed with the municipality of residence and forwarded to the Immigration Office, which assesses whether the exceptional circumstances and the individual's situation justify a residence right; there is no automatic entitlement and the outcome is fully discretionary. Applicants must establish identity and set out the humanitarian or exceptional grounds. A separate Article 9ter route exists for medical regularisation where return would endanger the applicant's health. The contribution fee for a 9bis application is EUR 242 (with exemptions, e.g. minors). This route is distinct from asylum/international protection.
Long-Term Residence Permit
Non-EU nationals who can demonstrate legal and uninterrupted residence in Belgium during the 5 years immediately preceding the application may acquire EU long-term resident status. Conditions are stable, regular and sufficient means of subsistence for the applicant and dependants, medical insurance covering risks in Belgium, and not representing a danger to public order or national security. The application is made to the municipality; if the decision is positive - or the Immigration Office has not decided within 5 months of the acknowledgement of receipt - the applicant receives a long-term resident-EU residence permit (L card), generally valid 5 years and renewable. The status gives near-equal treatment with nationals and facilitates onward mobility to other EU member states. It is lost only by absence from the EU exceeding defined periods. Belgium also issues a national unlimited-stay permit (settlement) on comparable conditions.
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Data verified against official sources — see how.
Completed application form
Complete the official visa or residence application form for your destination. Most consulates now use an online portal where you fill in the form, upload documents and book an appointment; print and sign the confirmation page.
| Issued by | Destination consulate / immigration portal |
|---|---|
| Typical cost | Usually free (the visa fee is separate) |
| Typical time | 30–60 minutes to complete |
Verified 11 Jun 2026
Passport
Apply for or renew your passport at your country's passport authority (often the foreign-affairs or interior ministry, a passport office or designated post office). Most visa portals want a clear colour scan of the bio-data page; keep the passport valid at least 6 months beyond your trip with two blank pages.
| Issued by | National passport authority |
|---|---|
| Typical cost | $20–$150 |
| Typical time | 1–6 weeks (expedited often available) |
Verified 11 Jun 2026
Passport photo
Have a recent passport photo taken at a pharmacy, photo booth or photographer, or use a compliant online photo tool. The common size is 35×45 mm with a plain light background, neutral expression and no glasses; the US and a few others require 2×2 in (51×51 mm). Get 2–4 prints plus a digital copy.
| Issued by | Any photographer or photo booth (ICAO 9303 standard) |
|---|---|
| Typical cost | $5–$15 |
| Typical time | Same day |
Verified 11 Jun 2026
Travel medical insurance
Buy a travel-medical insurance policy covering your whole trip and every destination country, then print the certificate. For the Schengen Area the EU Visa Code requires at least €30,000 of cover for medical emergencies and repatriation, valid across all member states.
| Issued by | Any approved insurer |
|---|---|
| Typical cost | $10–$60 per trip |
| Typical time | Immediate |
Verified 11 Jun 2026
Proof of accommodation
Show where you will stay: a hotel booking, a signed tenancy/lease, a host's invitation with their address, or an address-registration document. For longer stays a registered rental contract is usually expected.
| Issued by | Landlord / host / municipality |
|---|---|
| Typical cost | free–$50 |
| Typical time | Same day–1 week |
Verified 11 Jun 2026
Return / onward ticket
Provide a flight reservation or an onward/return ticket itinerary. Many travellers use a held reservation (not a paid ticket) from an airline, travel agent or flight-itinerary service so they are not committed before the visa is granted.
| Issued by | Airline / travel agent |
|---|---|
| Typical cost | free–$30 for a reservation |
| Typical time | Same day |
Verified 11 Jun 2026
Proof of sufficient funds
Show you can support your stay using bank statements, a salary or pension certificate, a sponsorship/affidavit of support, or evidence of savings or income that meets the published minimum for the visa. Combine several documents if one is not enough.
| Issued by | Your bank / employer / sponsor |
|---|---|
| Typical cost | free–$20 |
| Typical time | Same day–1 week |
Verified 11 Jun 2026
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