Travel to Belgium

Below are the following topics: 

• General information;
• What type of visa?
• Procedure;
• Where can I hand in my visa application?
  • For residents of Australia or New Zealand;
  • For residents of Fiji;
  • For residents of Vanuatu;
  • For residents of Papua New Guinea; and other Pacific Island Countries;
• Refusal and possibility of appeal;
• Information;
  • Professional Card;
  • Work Permit - Working Visa;
  • Where should your employer apply; for your work permit;
  • Working Holiday Visas Australians;
  • Working Holiday Visa New Zealanders;
  • Medical Practitioners;
  • Criminal History Check Australia;
  • Criminal History Check New Zealand;
  • Consular fees;
• Documents.

All information about visa applications for Belgium can be found on the website of the Belgian immigration Office, which is the competent Belgian authority for the entry into the territory, residence, settlement and removal of foreigners in Belgium.

Visa free travel

Nationals of the following countries can travel visa-free to the Schengen zone for a short period (max. 90 days):

• Australia
• New Zealand
• Kiribati
• Tonga
• Tuvalu
• Samoa
• Solomon Islands

* Per European Regulation 2023/222 of December 1, 2022, the visa requirement for citizens of Vanuatu has been reintroduced as from February 4, 2023 till August 3, 2024.

 
VISA

For general information on Visas for Belgium, please refer to the website of our outsourcing partner VFS Global (Australia or New Zealand).

 
What type of visa?

Short stay visa (visa type C – Schengen visa)

This visa authorises you to stay on Schengen territory for a term not longer than 3 months during a period of 6 months starting from your first entry on the territory.

Australian and New Zealand Citizens do not need a visa when they travel to Belgium for business or for personal travel. The stay in the Schengen area should not exceed 90 days in a 6 month period. Please note that Australian and New Zealander visitors will need to present a valid Australian or New Zealander passport (validity at least 3 months on the day they leave Belgium), proof of sufficient funds and a return airline ticket.

A Schengen visa is valid for the following 29 European countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

• If you intend to visit several Schengen countries, apply for a visa at the Embassy or Consulate of the country which is your main destination. It is generally defined in terms of length and purpose of the stay (e.g. conference).
• If an equal amount of time is spent in two or more Schengen countries, apply for a visa at the Embassy or Consulate of the country which is your first point of entry. 

Long stay visa (visa type D – Belgian visa)

This visa authorises you to stay in Belgium for a period longer than 90 days. Visa D may be obtained for a number of purposes, including university studies, research, work (for holders of a single permit or a professional  card), working holiday visa, family reunion, retirement. All nationalities are subject to the visa obligation for this kind of stay in Belgium.

 
Procedure

Visit the website of our outsourcing agency VFS Global Australia or New Zealand. You may also go to the VisaOnWeb platform for the visa application form (VisaOnWeb platform). You will need to register online first. After submitting the application form online in VisaOnWeb, please print and sign the application form.

Consult the website of VFS Global (Australia or New Zealand) for a checklist of supporting documents required, depending on the purpose of your trip to Belgium.  According to your visa category, prepare adequate numbers of copies of your application form, photos and supporting documents.

Make an appointment on the VFS Global website to hand in your application and supporting documents at one of the Visa Applications Centers. When at the Visa Application Center, your biometrics (live photo and fingerprints) will be taken.

 
Where can I hand in my visa application?

For residents of Australia or New Zealand

The Visa applications have to be handed in at one of the offices of our visa outsourcing partner VFS Global.

VFS Global can be contacted by email on info.jvac-au@vfshelpline.com or by phone on +61282784527.

There are currently 6 Visa Application Centers (VAC) across Australia & New Zealand:

1. Canberra
Level 4, 10 Hobart Place
Canberra, ACT 2601

2. Sydney
Suite 9.03, Level 9, 139 Macquarie Street,
Sydney, New South Wales 2000

3. Melbourne
Suite 3, Level 13, 55 Swanston Street,
Melbourne, Victoria  3000

4. Perth
Suite 3.02, Level 3, 182 St. Georges Terrace,
Perth, Western Australia 6000

5. Wellington
Level 6, 50, Manners Street
Wellington 6011

6. Auckland
Level 7, 87-89 Albert Street,
Auckland 1010

Note

For all short-stay visa applications, you must submit your application in person at one of the above Visa Application Centers, even if this means traveling to one of the above cities.

The following only applies to applications for a long-stay visa: if you live in any of the locations listed below (or at more than 2 hours traveling distance from one of the above centres), and are unable to submit your application at one of the Visa Application Centers listed above, please contact the Embassy via email (canberra@diplobel.fed.be) stating your full name, passport number and visa category. We will then contact you with further instructions on how to submit your visa application.

• Queensland
• Tasmania
• Northern Territory
• South Australia
• New Zealand's South Island

Holders of official passports (service or diplomatic passports) and family members of EU citizens can introduce their Visa application directly at the Embassy in Canberra. Appointments must be made in advance through canberra@diplobel.fed.be

For residents of Fiji

France represents Belgium in Suva for short stay (Schengen) visa. Please follow the procedure as listed below.

1. Make an appointment through the external service provider of the French Embassy (VFS Global) and follow the prompts to complete your application online.
2. Make sure you select Belgium as your main travel destination.
3. Present yourself at VFS Global in Suva to submit your application documents and have your biometrics taken
4. Your applications and passport will be sent to the French Embassy for treatment and decision.
5. You will received your passport back from VFS Global Suva.

Note, this is only possible for short stay Schengen visa (up to 90 days). If you want to apply for a long term visa from Fiji, please contact the embassy through canberra@diplobel.fed.be

For residents of Vanuatu

France represents Belgium in Port Vila for short stay (Schengen) visa. Lodge your application through the French Embassy in Port Vila. Follow the prompts on their website and complete your application details in the online platform France Visas. Then submit your documents at the Embassy (on appointment only).

Note, this is only possible for short stay Schengen visa (up to 90 days). If you want to apply for a long term visa from Vanuatu, please contact the embassy through canberra@diplobel.fed.be

For residents of Papua New Guinea and other Pacific Island Countries

Please contact the Embassy through canberra@diplobel.fed.be to arrange a suitable way to submit your application.

 
Refusal and possibility of appeal

In certain cases, after consultation, the Immigration Service rejects the visa application. In certain cases it is sufficient to reintroduce a new file with additional information and/ or the missing documents.

The decision to reject a visa application may be contested before the Conseil du Contentieux des étrangers/Raad voor Vreemdelingenbetwistingen (art. 39/2 §2 and art. 39/82 of the law of 15 December 1980 on the entry, residence, settlement and expulsion of foreign nationals) by lodging (registered post) an appeal to have the decision suspended and/or annulled.

The action must be brought within 30 days of the contested decision being announced.

The request has to be sent to:  
Conseil du Contentieux des étrangers/Raad voor Vreemdelingenbetwistingen
Rue Gaucheret 92-94 
B-1030 Brussels 
Belgium

Information

• Professional Card
• Work Permit - Working Visa
• Where should your employer apply for your work permit
• Working Holiday Visas Australians
• Working Holiday Visa New Zealanders
• Medical Practitioners
• Criminal History Check Australia
• Criminal History Check New Zealand
• Consular fees