Belgium

Belgium Visa Guide: Every Visa and Permit Type

21 visa types
checked 25 October 2026

How visas for Belgium work

Belgium is part of the Schengen area, so trips of up to 90 days in any 180-day period are made on a common Schengen C visa, while longer stays need a national type D visa followed by a residence card from the municipality. The federal Immigration Office (Office des Étrangers / Dienst Vreemdelingenzaken) sets the conditions for entry and residence and takes most long-stay decisions.

Every Belgian visa application, short or long stay, starts with the online form on Visa on Web. You then lodge it in your country of residence at the competent Belgian embassy or consulate, or at the external service provider it has appointed; the provider receives files, takes biometrics and returns passports but has no role in the decision.

Work is shared between levels of government: the regions (Flanders, Brussels-Capital, Wallonia and the German-speaking Community) decide on work authorisations and professional cards and set salary thresholds, and the Immigration Office decides on residence. For stays over 90 days Belgium also charges a contribution fee set each January (EUR 152 for single permits, EUR 251 for students, EUR 218 for family reunification in 2026), on top of the visa handling fee.

Which visa do I need?

Holiday, family visit, business meeting, conference or medical treatment of up to 90 days: Schengen C visa with the matching purpose.

Degree studies at a recognised institution: student D visa. Research under a hosting agreement: researcher single permit. Traineeship or au pair placement: regional work permit plus D visa.

Employment over 90 days: single permit, or the EU Blue Card for highly paid graduates; intra-company transfers and seasonal jobs have their own permits. Self-employment: professional card.

Joining a spouse, partner or parent in Belgium: family reunification D visa. Living on a pension or own income: Article 9 annuitant visa. After five years of residence: EU long-term resident status.

Visa types for Belgium

Visits and short stays

Tourist visa Schengen short-stay visa (type C) – tourism
If your nationality needs a visa, a tourist stay in Belgium of up to 90 days in any 180-day period requires a Schengen type C visa.
Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the Schengen area
Family and friends visit visa Schengen short-stay visa (type C) – visiting family or friends
Visiting relatives or friends in Belgium requires the same Schengen C visa as tourism, with documents about your host.
Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the Schengen area
Transit visa Schengen visa for transit (type C) and airport transit visa (type A)
If you change planes in Belgium and must leave the international zone, change terminal, recheck luggage or pass through a second Schengen airport, you need a Schengen C visa for transit.
Maximum stay: Transit only: the days needed to cross the Schengen area to the next destination
Medical treatment visa Schengen short-stay visa (type C) – medical treatment
Treatment in a Belgian hospital lasting up to 90 days is done on a Schengen C visa issued for medical purposes.
Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the Schengen area
Culture, sports and events visa Schengen short-stay visa (type C) – cultural, sports and other events
Artists, athletes, speakers and delegates attending a conference, festival, competition or seminar in Belgium apply for a Schengen C visa with the organiser's invitation.
Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the Schengen area

Business and self-employment

Business visa Schengen short-stay visa (type C) – business
Meetings, negotiations, trade fairs and visits to business partners in Belgium require a Schengen C visa with an invitation from the Belgian company and proof of your own company's activity.
Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the Schengen area
Self-employed and freelancer visa Professional card for foreign self-employed persons (carte professionnelle / beroepskaart)
Non-EU nationals who want to work in Belgium as self-employed persons, freelancers or company directors need a professional card issued by the region, together with a type D visa.
Maximum stay: Linked to the professional card and residence right

Study and training

Student visa Long-stay visa (type D) for higher studies (Article 58/60 of the Aliens Act)
Non-EU students enrolled full-time at a recognised Belgian higher education institution, or in its preparatory year, apply for a type D student visa.
Maximum stay: Residence for the length of studies, renewed yearly
Researcher visa Single permit for researchers with a hosting agreement
Non-EU researchers coming for more than 90 days to a research institution recognised by the Belgian Science Policy Office (BELSPO) need a single permit based on a hosting agreement, followed by a type D visa.
Maximum stay: For the duration of the research project
Internship and trainee visa Work authorisation and visa D for trainees (interns)
Foreign students and recent graduates can do a paid or unpaid traineeship in Belgium only if the host organisation obtains a work authorisation in one of the trainee categories.
Maximum stay: Up to six months, renewable once, in the Flemish "trainee in or after training" category
Au pair visa Au pair work permit and visa D
An au pair aged 18 to 25 can live with a Belgian host family for up to one year, helping with light household tasks in exchange for room, board and at least EUR 450 a month in pocket money.
Maximum stay: One year at most, including a single possible renewal

Work

Work visa Single permit (combined work and residence permit, more than 90 days)
Non-EU employees who will work in Belgium for more than 90 days need a single permit, which combines the regional work authorisation and federal residence permission.
Maximum stay: Tied to the employment contract; Flanders can grant up to three years at once for highly skilled workers
EU Blue Card EU Blue Card (H card) for highly qualified workers
The EU Blue Card is a special single permit for highly qualified employees with a higher salary.
Maximum stay: For the contract period; after 24 months of Blue Card employment a three-year card is issued
Intra-company transfer visa Single permit for intra-corporate transferees (ICT)
Managers, specialists and trainee employees of a company outside the EU can be transferred to a Belgian branch of the same group under the ICT single permit.
Maximum stay: For the duration of the transfer authorised by the region
Seasonal work visa Seasonal worker permit (up to 150 days in 365)
Seasonal workers who keep their main residence outside the EU can work in Belgium for up to 150 days in any 365-day period.
Maximum stay: 150 days within any 365-day period
Job seeker visa Search year after higher studies (A card "job seeker")
Belgium has no job seeker visa for people abroad, but non-EU graduates of Belgian higher education can extend their stay by up to 12 months to find work or set up a business.
Maximum stay: Up to 12 months

Family

Family reunification visa Family reunification visa D (Articles 10, 10bis and 40ter of the Aliens Act)
Spouses, registered partners, minor children and in some cases parents of people living legally in Belgium can apply for a family reunification D visa at the Belgian post in their country of residence.
Maximum stay: Residence linked to the sponsor's right of stay
Spouse and partner visa Visa D for spouses and legal partners, and visa for marriage or legal cohabitation in Belgium
A married spouse or a legal cohabitation partner of a Belgian or of a foreign resident applies for a family reunification D visa; both partners must normally be over 21.
Maximum stay: Residence linked to the sponsor

Residence

Retirement visa Long-stay visa D for retirees and people of independent means (annuitant, Article 9)
Belgium has no dedicated retirement visa programme, but retirees and others living on their own income can request a long-stay D visa under Article 9 of the Aliens Act, which the Immigration Office grants at its discretion.
Maximum stay: Residence for the period granted, renewable if conditions remain met
Permanent residence EU long-term resident status (L card) and settlement
After five years of legal and uninterrupted residence, non-EU nationals can apply at their municipality for EU long-term resident status, recorded on an L card.
Maximum stay: Unlimited residence

Asylum and international protection

Asylum and international protection International protection (refugee status and subsidiary protection)
Applications for international protection are made in person in Belgium, at the border or at the Immigration Office's registration centre in Brussels; they cannot be filed from abroad.
Maximum stay: Right to stay during the procedure; recognised refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection receive residence permits

Frequently asked questions

Where do I apply for a Belgian visa?

In your country of residence, after filling in the form on Visa on Web: at the Belgian embassy or consulate responsible for that country, or at the external service provider it uses. The Belgian authorities decide; the provider only receives files.

How much is a Belgian Schengen visa?

EUR 90 for applicants aged 12 and over and EUR 45 for children aged 6 to 11; children under 6 are exempt. An external service provider may add its own service charge.

How much money do I need to show for a short trip?

Belgium uses EUR 95 per day if you pay for a hotel and EUR 45 per day if you stay with a private host, who can alternatively sign an Annex 3bis formal obligation.

Does Belgium have a golden visa or digital nomad visa?

No. The Immigration Office lists no residence-by-investment or digital nomad category; self-employed people and remote entrepreneurs use the professional card route, and owning property does not give a right to reside.

Are Turkish nationals exempt from any Belgian fees?

Yes, under the EEC–Turkey Association Agreement: the Immigration Office exempts its beneficiaries from several contribution fee categories, including family reunification and Article 9 visas, and Turkish nationals applying for limited residence under Article 9 do not pay the consular visa fee.

What must I do after arriving on a D visa?

Register at the municipality of your place of residence within eight days. After a residence check you receive your Belgian residence card.