Travelling to Belgium for tourism, business or to visit family members may require a type C visa (Schengen visa for short stays). As a general rule, it allows stays of up to 90 days within any 180-day period, although this will depend on your nationality. However, if you are travelling to accompany or join a family member who is a European Union citizen, your application may benefit from specific rules. Not every family visit falls within these rules, as the family relationship, the EU citizenās situation and the circumstances of the journey must be examined.
In this guide, we explain who needs a visa C for Belgium, which documents you should prepare, where to submit your application, how much it costs and what options are available if it is refused. We also explain what you should plan for if you intend to settle in Belgium with your family after entering the country.
What is a visa C for Belgium and what is it used for?
The visa C for Belgium is the standard Schengen visa for short stays, meaning it can be used for tourism, business trips or family visits. As a general rule, this visa allows you to stay in the Schengen Area for a maximum of 90 days within any 180-day period. It is essential to bear in mind that time spent in other Schengen countries (such as France, Spain or Portugal) also counts towards this 90-day limit. You can use the personal information.
The visa sticker indicates its validity period, the number of days authorised and the number of entries. For example, if a visa allows a 30-day stay within a three-month period, the traveller is not entitled to three months of residence. Under the ordinary rules, previous Schengen stays that still fall within the reference period must be taken into account. For plans requiring a long-term stay (such as living or working in Belgium on an ongoing basis), a visa C is not sufficient. In these cases, you generally need to apply for a visa D, which is subject to Belgian national authorisation and rules (with some exceptions).
š”Not everyone intending to join a European family member needs to apply for a long-stay visa (D) to enter Belgium. Family reunification is an exception to the visa system for European (EU) citizens, meaning that they can submit an application under the free movement rules (article 5 of Directive 2004/38/EC and article 40bis of the Belgian aliens act (Law of 15 December 1980)
Who needs a visa to travel to Belgium?
The requirement to obtain a visa to enter Belgium, as well as the conditions for its approval, depends primarily on each travellerās nationality and immigration status. For example, there are specific circumstances in which certain foreign nationals, such as family members of European Union citizens, benefit from arrangements exempting them from consular fees or the submission of additional documents.
Likewise, the requirements are considerably more flexible if the person already resides legally in another Schengen Member State, such as Luxembourg. In these cases, although the residence permit must be provided, this document alone is very often sufficient to authorise entry into Belgium. The traveller can therefore move lawfully without needing to apply for a separate visa C.
š”* Practical tip: Before visiting a family member in Belgium, it is advisable to check your personal and residence documents to avoid unnecessary applications.*
| Situation | What should you check? |
|---|---|
| You are travelling for tourism or a private visit | Whether your nationality is subject to a visa requirement and which ordinary requirements apply. |
| You hold a valid residence permit from another Schengen State | Whether you can travel with that permit and your passport, subject to the applicable conditions. |
| You are accompanying or joining a European citizen | Whether the relationship and the journey qualify under the free movement rules. |
| You wish to settle in Belgium | Which residence procedure you should prepare for, in addition to entry. |
Requirements and documents for an ordinary visa C in Belgium
Personal information and purpose of travel
Applications for a standard short-stay visa include an application form, a passport and, in some cases, biometric data and payment of fees. Supporting documents must also be submitted to substantiate the information provided and demonstrate that the trip meets the short-stay requirements. Specifically, this covers accommodation, the reasons for travelling and guarantees of return. In general, visa C applications are processed in the country of origin, at the consulate of the destination country.
š” For example, if we are in Mexico and wish to come to Belgium, the application will be processed through the Belgian Consulate in Mexico.
To justify a private visit to family or friends, a simple informal statement is not enough; an official invitation from the Belgian resident must be submitted. On the other hand, if the trip is for professional reasons, the supporting evidence must come from the business concerned, meaning that the invitation letter must be formally issued by the client company, supplier or organisation hosting the event you will be attending. The Belgian Immigration Office sets out the general requirements for applying for a visa C.
Proof of financial means and accommodation
To travel to Belgium, the rules require applicants to demonstrate that they have sufficient financial resources for their stay. The reference amounts for subsistence are 45 euros if staying in a private home and 95 euros if staying in a hotel. Therefore, for a 10-day trip (for example), you must demonstrate that you have at least 450 or 950 euros, respectively. This amount covers basic living expenses, meaning that the traveller must demonstrate additional funds to cover transport tickets and other travel expenses. As mentioned above, if a resident in Belgium covers the expenses and accommodation, the host must sign a formal obligation (annex 3bis) before their local authority (municipality). The Belgian authorities will require documents such as payslips, recent bank statements and, in some cases, their tenancy agreement or title deed.
š” Practical tip: Avoid submitting only a bank balance certificate. The authorities require bank statements showing your transaction history over the last three to six months: salary payments, regular transfers and accumulated savings.
As regards travel medical insurance, you must have insurance covering any expenses for emergency medical treatment, hospitalisation and repatriation (for medical reasons or in the event of death). The policy must provide minimum coverage of 30,000 euros and be valid throughout the Schengen Area for the duration of the intended stay.
š” Practical tip: Providing a return flight reservation (or a detailed travel itinerary) is important to demonstrate that you intend to leave the Schengen Area before your visa expires, dispelling doubts about a possible immigration risk.
Visa C for family members of EU citizens in Belgium
When does free movement apply?
If you wish to travel to Belgium to accompany or join a family member who is a European Union citizen, your application may benefit from the arrangements provided for in Directive 2004/38/EC. To establish this, both the family relationship and the EU citizenās situation, as well as the circumstances of the journey, must be examined.
š” A common example is the non-EU spouse of a Spanish citizen living in Belgium. It may also involve a couple travelling together to the country; the EU citizen does not necessarily have to be settled there before their family member travels.
However, if the person you wish to join is Belgian and lives in Belgium, the applicable national rules must be checked, along with whether they have previously exercised their right to free movement in another Member State, where relevant. Therefore, your family memberās EU nationality alone is not enough to determine which rules apply. Ā Where the application requires Spanish certificates or procedures before the consular Civil Registry, you can consult our assistance service for procedures at the Spanish Consulate in Brussels and our Spanish lawyers in Brussels advise you to identify the applicable procedure, review your documents and prepare your visa C application for Belgium.
Which family members qualify?
The Directive covers spouses, certain registered partners, direct descendants who are under 21 or dependent, and dependent direct ascendants, including those of the spouse or registered partner in the circumstances provided for. It also requires entry to be facilitated for other family members and partners with whom there is a duly attested durable relationship, subject to specific conditions. However, the conditions and evidence vary depending on the family relationship. Proving a marriage does not involve the same requirements as demonstrating a stable relationship or dependent family member status.
š”Practical tip: before gathering documents, identify the family category that applies to your situation. This allows you to focus the evidence on the relevant requirements.
If your family plans also involve the Netherlands or Luxembourg, you can consult our guide to visas for family members of EU citizens in the Benelux, where we explain the particular features of each destination.
What changes compared with a tourist visa C application?
The difference lies in what the applicant must prove. Under the free movement rules, the application focuses on establishing the family relationship and demonstrating that the applicant is accompanying or joining the EU citizen under the conditions laid down by law. Therefore, the financial requirements, undertaking to cover living expenses and travel medical insurance required for an ordinary tourist visa should not be applied to this application. A separate issue is whether a particular family category requires proof of financial dependence, or whether the conditions for residing in Belgium for more than three months must subsequently be demonstrated.
ā ļø The application form itself reflects this difference by stating that family members of EU, EEA or Swiss citizens should not complete certain fields marked with an asterisk, relating, among other matters, to their occupation and the funding of the trip.
What documents are needed to join an EU family member?
It is advisable to organise the documents according to the family relationship and the journey.
Proving the family relationship
A birth or marriage certificate will serve to confirm your family relationship. Bear in mind that consulates generally require these documents to be recent (issued within the last 3 to 6 months). When preparing the application, check names and ages carefully to ensure that everything matches.
š”Practical tip: Pay attention to possible variations in the spelling of names across different languages. It is also essential to confirm whether your documents require a sworn translation and the corresponding international legalisation (usually through the Hague Apostille).
Proving financial dependence is not a requirement for all visitor visas; it only applies if you are applying as a ādependent family memberā of an EU citizen or resident. If you need to demonstrate this, we recommend collecting and organising money transfer receipts chronologically.
Reunification plans
If your family member already lives in Belgium, provide proof of their address and legal status in the country. If, on the other hand, you are travelling together from the country of origin, you will need to provide travel documents, among other evidence. We recommend including a brief explanatory letter summarising your family relationship and the purpose of the journey.
The itinerary if you enter through another country
The first point of entry into the Schengen Area and the intended main destination are not always the same; therefore, you should not choose the consulate solely on the basis of your arrival airport. For example, if you are entering the Schengen Area by flying to Germany, but your main destination is Belgium, you must explain your onward travel within Europe. You should therefore provide evidence of how you plan to travel from your point of entry into the Schengen Area to your final destination (for example: train ticket reservations, internal flights, bus tickets or car hire bookings).
š”Practical tip: Before submitting the application, review the application form, the explanatory letter and any reservations or other evidence provided.
Where and how to apply for a visa C for Belgium?
As a general rule, you should submit your application to the Belgian consulate in your country of origin, provided that Belgium is your main (final) destination. Only where a main destination cannot be determined (because you will spend the same number of days in several countries) will the country through which you first enter Europe be taken into account.
When should you apply? It is advisable to start the process well in advance. You can submit your application up to 6 months before your intended travel date and no later than 15 calendar days beforehand. Bear in mind that appointments can fill up quickly during peak periods.
In certain countries, there is no Belgian consulate, so the visa application must be handled through an authorised external agency (such as VFS Global or TLScontact), where your biometric data will also be collected. Another European embassy represented in your country of origin may also handle the visa application, or you may need to travel to a neighbouring country where there is a Belgian consulate.
š” A useful tip: make a copy of everything you submit and keep the acknowledgement of receipt safe. If you are later asked for additional information or any difficulties arise, these records will be your best defence in proving which documents you submitted.
š” Appointments: In most cases, you will need to book an appointment online to submit your documents and register your biometric data. Do not go to the consulate or agency without one, as you will not be seen.
Before booking an appointment, check the submission procedure on the website of the relevant diplomatic or consular post, which you can find in the official directory of Belgian embassies and consulates.
How much does a visa C for Belgium cost and how long does it take?
The standard fee for a visa C for Belgium is 90 euros for applicants aged 12 or over, with a reduced fee of 45 euros for children under 12 (children under 6 are exempt). For family applications, the procedure is free for relatives covered by Article 40bis of the Belgian aliens act (Law of 15 December 1980). However, the administrative rules distinguish between different categories of family members.
š” Further explanation: If you belong to the immediate family covered by Article 40bis (such as spouses, children or dependent parents), Belgium provides for your visa to be issued free of charge. By contrast, if you fall within the category that the administration identifies as āother family membersā under Article 47/2 (extended family such as siblings, nephews or nieces, or unregistered partners), this general exemption will not apply and you must pay the corresponding consular fee.
As for waiting times, the standard decision period is 15 days, but it may be extended to 45 days. With this in mind, a useful approach is to divide the application process into three clear stages: gathering the documents, securing an appointment and waiting for the decision. The fees and exempt categories can be consulted on the official page on consular visa fees in Belgium.
š” Tip: Wherever possible, use bookings (flights, hotels, etc.) that allow changes.
Can I enter with a visa C and apply for residence in Belgium?
Yes, in certain circumstances, particularly if you are a family member of an EU citizen benefiting from the free movement rules. However, entering with a visa C does not in itself grant a right to long-term residence.
What the BNL 11 marking means
The Belgian administration states that a visa C granted to a family member of an EU citizen under these rules bears the marking BNL 11. However, this marking is not equivalent to a residence card and does not mean that subsequent family reunification has been approved. The holder must complete the relevant procedures if they wish to remain in Belgium for more than three months.
How to apply for residence after arrival
A family member wishing to settle in Belgium must contact the municipal administration of their place of residenceāthe commune or gemeenteāto submit the relevant application. The authorities will examine the family relationship and the residence conditions applicable to their situation and that of the EU citizen they are accompanying or joining. Among other factors, it may be relevant whether the EU citizen is employed, self-employed, studying or residing with sufficient resources.
š” Tip: if you intend to live in Belgium, prepare for both stages before travelling. Obtaining certain certificates, translations or supporting documents in your country of origin can prevent delays when you submit your application to the municipality. Start the procedures in advance.
What if I entered with an ordinary tourist visa?
A tourist visa does not automatically become a residence permit. If you wish to remain in Belgium after entering, you will need to identify a legal route through which you can apply for residence and check whether the application can be made from within Belgium. Therefore, you should not use a tourist stay to settle in the country or assume that holding a visa C is enough to obtain residence.
Schengen visa statistics and Belgian figures
Official Schengen visa figures help put the procedure into perspective. Overall, the European Commission reports that consulates of EU countries and countries associated with the Schengen Area received more than 12 million short-stay applications in 2025. As for Belgium, the statistics show an upward trend in the number of short-stay visas issued in recent years. A total of 122,300 visas were approved in 2022, rising to 171,222 in 2023 and reaching 194,673 in 2024. Since these statistics combine many different situations and purposes of travel, they do not provide an average success rate.
| Indicator | Period | Figure |
|---|---|---|
| Short-stay applications across the Schengen Area | 2025 | More than 12 million |
| Overall Schengen refusal rate | 2025 | 14.6% |
| Uniform short-stay visas issued by Belgium | 2022 | 122,300 |
| Uniform short-stay visas issued by Belgium | 2023 | 171,222 |
| Uniform short-stay visas issued by Belgium | 2024 | 194,673 |
Sources: European Commission: Schengen visa statistics for 2025 and 2024 EMN statistical factsheet for Belgium, page 17. The overall Schengen figures and the Belgian series relate to different periods and indicators.
š” The advice behind the numbers: These statistics show the substantial volume of applications handled by consulates; it is therefore important to submit a well-prepared, well-organised application from the outset, with support from a law firm specialising in visa applications.
Practical examples of the firmās successful cases
The following examples illustrate our approach to preparation and how we successfully handle cases.
A non-EU spouse joining an EU citizen
The situation: The non-EU applicant wished to travel to Belgium as their main destination to join their spouse, a citizen of another EU Member State. Although the stated purpose was entry as a family member under Directive 2004/38/EC, the application risked being refused if it relied solely on the statement in the form without adequate supporting evidence.
How we resolved it: We focused on correctly classifying the application in legal terms and providing supporting documents. We established the marital relationship and the EU citizenās legal status, ensuring that the documents supported the application beyond reliance on the Directive.
A ten-day visit to a family member living in Belgium
The situation: The client planned a ten-day stay in Belgium to visit his non-EU brother, who resided in the country. Initially, the client thought that their sibling relationship allowed him to benefit from the EU rules for family members of EU citizens.
How we resolved it: However, we explained the general rules, as the case did not involve an immediate family member of an EU citizen. We refocused the application on evidence of accommodation, funding, the length of stay and guarantees of return, preparing a solid application demonstrating who was issuing the invitation, where the traveller would stay and how he would fund the trip.
Arrival through Spain and onward travel to Belgium
The situation: A family member subject to a visa requirement booked a flight arriving in Madrid before continuing to Belgium to join their EU spouse. The client was unsure which consulate was competent because they would enter through a country other than their main destination.
How we resolved it: We confirmed the Belgian consulateās competence by demonstrating that the stopover in Spain did not change the final destination of the journey. We prepared an explanatory note setting out the itinerary and transport bookings.
A self-employed professional or business owner applying for a tourist visa
The situation: A self-employed person who owned a local business needed to apply for a visa C to travel to Belgium for tourism. Without an employment contract or payslips, as he was not an employee, he faced difficulties demonstrating his financial means and guarantees of return to his country.
How we resolved it: We focused the strategy on demonstrating the continuity of his business activity in his country of origin. We organised an application containing his SMEās documentation, tax returns and company bank statements, establishing that the business would continue operating during his absence and that there were significant economic reasons for him to return.
Attending business meetings or corporate events in Brussels
The situation: A professional consultant was invited to Belgium by a local company to attend business meetings over a few days. The documentation consisted only of a hotel reservation and a generic invitation, which were insufficient to justify the purpose of the trip to the consulate.
How we resolved it: We directly linked the consultantās professional background to the business meeting in Brussels. We included a corporate invitation letter, the work programme and the justification for the trip, demonstrating its professional purpose to the consulate and explaining the itinerary.
What should you do if your visa C for Belgium is refused?
If you receive a refusal, the first step is to analyse the reasons for the decision and check which legal rules have been applied. For an ordinary application, the objections may concern the purpose of the trip, financial means or the intention to leave the Schengen Area. However, when applying for entry as a family member of an EU citizen, it is necessary to examine whether the family relationship has been established and whether the journey involves joining that citizen. It is also necessary to check whether the administration relies on other legally admissible grounds for refusal and how it justifies them.
Choosing between submitting a new application and lodging an appeal requires an assessment of the individual case. Missing documents may make it advisable to provide further evidence and submit a new application, but this does not rule out grounds for an appeal. Likewise, if the authority has overlooked relevant documents or applied requirements that were not applicable, it is worth considering a challenge to the decision. If the decision mentions an alert in the Schengen Information System, this will need to be reviewed before deciding how to proceed.
At Arthur & Marin, we compare the decision with the documents submitted to identify the problem and determine the strategy. Repeating the application without addressing the previous objections may lead to another refusal. Therefore, any new submission must address the reasons for refusal and explain which evidence or circumstances justify reconsidering the case. Where the dispute concerns the free movement rights of the EU citizen and their family, the assessment also requires the involvement of our team of lawyers specialising in European Union Law.
š”Practical tip: Keep the decision, the notification receipt or email showing its date, and a copy of the application file. Review the appeal options and deadlines stated in the letter, as time starts running from the date of notification. Remember that emailing the consulate does not constitute an appeal or suspend the deadlines for challenging the decision.
We secure your visa C for Belgium and appeal refusals
A visa refusal or a poorly structured application can leave an unfavourable record in the Schengen Area. At Arthur & Marin, we analyse your case in detail to meet all the requirements imposed by the Belgian authorities.
If you plan to submit a new application or join your family in Belgium, we determine which legal rules apply, review your documents and prepare a sound legal basis for your application. Likewise, if your ultimate goal is to establish residence in Belgium, we coordinate the preparation of the short-stay visa with the subsequent residence procedure. If a refusal has already been issued, we urgently examine the reasons for the decision, taking the notification date into account, to identify the decisive points and determine the strategy, whether through an appeal or the preparation of a new application.
To assess your situation and take the right step without jeopardising the deadlines, we invite you to contact us at info@arthurmarin.com or by telephone on +32 465 345 345.
š” Do not leave your travel plans to chance. Contact us today and take the first step towards your visa with the peace of mind of having experts by your side.
