The Belgium visa requirements depend on the type of visa you are applying for. The standard documents everyone has to submit, no matter the visa type, are passport, pictures, travel insurance, and application form.
The list of documents required for a Belgium visa is:
Everyone who is applying for a visa should fill the visa application form first. Even people who are traveling as a group must fill in and sign the form individually.
The application requires information such as your name and surname, gender, date of birth, place of birth, nationality, passport number, contact details, etc.
Alongside the application form, you should add two identical pictures of yourself taken recently. The photographs must follow Schengen visa photo guidelines:
A valid passport is always necessary. When you submit the visa application, your passport must be valid at least three months after returning from Belgium. Your passport should also have two blank pages to affix the visa. If your passport does not meet these requirements, then the possibility of visa rejection is high.
Sometimes, you may be asked to present copies of any valid passport that you previously had.
It is mandatory to bring a copy of your visa if you had one previously. The photocopies of the visas should be in color. Also, if you had visas in your former passport, you need to present them in the interview.
A cover letter helps you persuade the Consular staff that you are an adequate applicant for receiving a Belgium visa. You have to explain why you want to travel to Belgium, how long you will be staying, and more. A Schengen visa cover letter should include:
Every time you apply for a visa to visit a Schengen country, the Embassy or the Consulate will ask you to provide proof of a Booked Flight or Flight Reservation. Your flight itinerary should contain the exact dates and flight numbers of entry and exit from Belgium.
Since you do not know whether you will receive your visa, you do not have to present a purchased ticket, simply a flight reservation.
Schengen travel insurance is mandatory when you apply for a Belgium visa. The minimum coverage for travel insurance should be at least €30,000. The reasons why you must have to purchase a travel insurance policy that provides coverage for Schengen, are emergencies that include:
When you travel to Belgium, you need a place to stay. It can be a hotel, a place of a family member, or a friend that has invited you. In this case, you will be required to document where you will be staying in Belgium:
You will also be requested to deliver civil status certificates, as applicable:
The means of subsistence document will indicate that you as an applicant have the needed financial ability to travel to Belgium or other Schengen countries. There are several ways to prove your financial sufficiency:
Depending on your employment status, you will need to bring these additional documents:
| If you are employed: | Employment contract.Bank statements (usually from the past three months). Leave permission from your employer (No-objection letter*).Income Tax Return (ITR). |
| If you are self-employed or a business owner: | A copy of your business license.Business bank statement from the last six months. Income Tax Return (ITR). |
| If you are a student: | Proof of enrollment. No-objection letter* from school or university. |
| If you are retired: | Pension statements from the last six months. |
| Other categories: | Any other proof of regular income, such as through property. |
*A no-objection letter is a letter from your employer or your school/university which proves that you have agreed to a contract in your homeland which you intend to get back to
Minors who wish to visit Belgium should hold these documents:
*Note: Parents or guardians should accompany their underage children when applying at the Belgian embassy/consulate.
The documents should be either in English, French, German, or Dutch. The Belgium Embassy allows you to choose the application form in one of those languages. So, if you live in a country where your national language is different, you have to translate the documents by a certified translator.
You should translate the documents if you live in a country where your national language is English, French, German, or Dutch. A certified translator should translate your documents to one of the mentioned languages.
You will need an Apostille Stamp so your documents can be recognized outside your country. Documents that need apostilles are: