BelgiumBusiness and self-employment

Belgium Business Visa (Schengen C): Requirements

Schengen short-stay visa (type C) – business

In short

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. Paid work for a Belgian employer is not allowed on this visa unless a regional exemption applies.

Apply on Visa on Web (Belgian online visa application) checked 25 October 2026

Key facts

Maximum stay
Up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the Schengen area
Validity
Single, double or multiple entries. Frequent travellers who used earlier visas lawfully can receive multiple-entry visas valid for 1 year, then 2 years, then up to 5 years, never beyond the passport.
Fee
€90Standard Schengen visa fee for applicants aged 12 and over; EUR 45 for children aged 6 to 11, free under 6. An external service provider, where the mission uses one, adds its own service charge. Not refunded after a refusal.
Funds required
€95 per dayBelgian reference amount when you pay for a hotel; EUR 45 per day if you stay with a private host. A host can instead sign a formal obligation (Annex 3bis) legalised by their Belgian municipality.
Processing time
The consulate normally decides within 15 calendar days of a complete application; in individual cases this can be extended up to 45 days.
Work
No paid work. Short business activities such as meetings, negotiations and trade fairs are allowed.
Path to permanent residence
No. A short-stay visa does not lead to residence; long stays require a separate type D visa.
Where to apply
Online form on Visa on Web, then an in-person appointment at the Belgian embassy or consulate responsible for your country of residence, or the external service provider it uses.

Activities covered

Typical business purposes are visiting partners, developing contacts, negotiating and signing contracts, exhibiting at trade fairs and attending board meetings. The Brussels region explicitly treats these as business trips that need no professional card if they do not exceed 90 days per year. Flanders exempts participants in meetings in a restricted circle for up to 60 days per calendar year, with no more than 20 consecutive days per meeting.

Business documents

Add an invitation from the Belgian company stating the purpose and length of the visit, a letter from your own company giving the purpose and length of the stay, information on who pays the costs, company bank statements for the last three months and, for trade fairs, the entry card or registration.

Required documents

Identity

  • Visa on Web application form, printed and signed (signed by both parents for a minor)

Travel

  • Passport issued within the last 10 years, valid at least 3 months after the planned departure from the Schengen area, with two blank pages
  • Flight reservation or other proof of the travel route

Money

  • Bank statements showing the last three months of movements, plus salary slips for the last three months or a pension booklet
  • Company bank statement for the last three months

Work

  • Proof of your occupation: employees an employer letter addressed to the Belgian mission (position, start date, leave dates); business owners company documents; students a certificate of enrolment
  • Invitation from the Belgian company with purpose, dates and who covers costs
  • Letter from your company stating your position, purpose and length of the trip

Insurance

  • Travel medical insurance valid in all Schengen states for the whole stay, covering at least EUR 30,000 including repatriation

Other

  • Proof of accommodation: hotel booking, or Annex 3bis formal obligation from a host in Belgium

Supporting documents (where they apply)

Family

  • Minors travelling alone or with one parent: notarised consent of the other parent or notarised proof of sole custody

Other

  • Trade fair entry card or registration

Application route

File through Visa on Web and lodge the application at the competent Belgian mission or its service provider, as for other C visas. Frequent business travellers with a good visa history can obtain multiple-entry visas of one, two and later five years.

  1. Check that Belgium is your main destination (longest stay or main purpose); otherwise apply to the other Schengen state.
  2. Create an account on Visa on Web, fill in the short-stay (C) form and select business as the purpose.
  3. Book an appointment with the Belgian embassy or consulate responsible for your country of residence, or with its external service provider, as the Belgian mission instructs.
  4. Attend in person with the original documents and copies; give fingerprints and photo and pay the visa fee and any service charge.
  5. Follow the progress of the file, for example through your account with the service provider; the Belgian authorities take the decision.
  6. Collect the passport at the centre or by paid courier, and check the visa sticker (dates, entries, days) before travelling.

After you arrive in Belgium

If you do not stay in a hotel or other lodging that registers guests, you must report your address to the municipality within three working days of arrival and receive a declaration of arrival (Annex 3). Since 10 April 2026 this can also be done online through the Immigration Office's "My Address in Belgium" service. Entering Belgium by air or sea outside an official border crossing point can lead to a EUR 200 administrative fine.

Refusal and remedies

A refusal is notified on the standard EU form with the reasons ticked. Against Belgian short-stay visa decisions you can lodge an appeal with the Council for Alien Law Litigation, generally within 30 days of notification; the decision letter states the remedy. You may also file a new application with stronger documents, paying the fee again.

What you may not do

Working for a Belgian employer, or providing services that require a work authorisation, is not covered. Employers must check with the competent region (Flanders, Brussels, Wallonia or the German-speaking Community) whether an exemption applies; otherwise a work permit or single permit is needed.

Frequently asked questions

Can I install machinery sold by my company on a business visa?

Only if the competent Belgian region exempts that work from a permit. Check the regional exemption rules before travelling; otherwise the Belgian client must apply for authorisation.

Who signs the invitation?

A representative of the Belgian company, giving their position and contact details, the purpose and dates of the visit and who bears the costs.

Do I pay the full fee as a business traveller?

Yes, EUR 90 plus any service charge, unless you fall under an EU exemption such as being 25 or younger and attending an event organised by a non-profit organisation.

My trip covers Belgium and the Netherlands. Where do I apply?

Apply to the country where you spend most days or where the main business purpose lies; if equal, to the country of first entry.

Official sources

Summarised from the official sources above. Rules, fees and processing times change: confirm with the embassy or the official portal before you apply.

Other visa types for Belgium

Visits and short stays

  • Tourist visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the Schengen area
  • Family and friends visit visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the Schengen area
  • Transit visa Maximum stay: Transit only: the days needed to cross the Schengen area to the next destination
  • Medical treatment visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the Schengen area
  • Culture, sports and events visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the Schengen area

Business and self-employment

Study and training

  • Student visa Maximum stay: Residence for the length of studies, renewed yearly
  • Researcher visa Maximum stay: For the duration of the research project
  • Internship and trainee visa Maximum stay: Up to six months, renewable once, in the Flemish "trainee in or after training" category
  • Au pair visa Maximum stay: One year at most, including a single possible renewal

Work

  • Work visa Maximum stay: Tied to the employment contract; Flanders can grant up to three years at once for highly skilled workers
  • EU Blue Card Maximum stay: For the contract period; after 24 months of Blue Card employment a three-year card is issued
  • Intra-company transfer visa Maximum stay: For the duration of the transfer authorised by the region
  • Seasonal work visa Maximum stay: 150 days within any 365-day period
  • Job seeker visa Maximum stay: Up to 12 months

Family

Residence

Protection

  • Asylum and international protection Maximum stay: Right to stay during the procedure; recognised refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection receive residence permits

Belgium visa guide