BelgiumVisits and short stays

Belgium Transit Visa: Rules for Changing Planes in Brussels

Schengen visa for transit (type C) and airport transit visa (type A)

In short

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. Staying airside in a single airport on the way to a non-Schengen country falls under the airport transit (A) visa rules, which apply only to the nationalities on the EU and Belgian lists.

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

Key facts

Maximum stay
Transit only: the days needed to cross the Schengen area to the next destination
Validity
Issued for the transit dates, with single or double entry as needed
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.
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.

Which visa applies

An airport transit visa only lets you stay in the international transit zone of one airport, with an onward flight outside the Schengen area. It does not allow entry into Belgium. The list of nationalities that need an airport transit visa is published by the European Commission; Belgian missions refer travellers to that list.

As soon as you must leave the transit zone, for example to change terminal or collect and recheck luggage, or when you transit through more than one Schengen airport, a regular Schengen C visa is required.

Documents for a transit visa

Besides the usual documents, show the onward ticket and, where needed, the visa or residence permit for your final destination. Funds and insurance are assessed for the transit period only.

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
  • Confirmed onward ticket to the final destination

Money

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

Insurance

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

Supporting documents (where they apply)

Travel

  • Visa or residence permit for the destination country, if required

Fee and processing

The fee for a C visa for transit is the standard EUR 90 (EUR 45 for children aged 6 to 11). Decisions follow the usual 15-day timeline, extendable to 45 days. Airport transit visas are also applied for through Visa on Web.

Where to apply

Apply to Belgium if Brussels is the first or only Schengen airport of your journey. Fill in the form on Visa on Web, then lodge the application in your country of residence at the competent Belgian embassy or consulate or its external service provider.

  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 transit 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.

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.

Frequently asked questions

I have two flights via Brussels and stay airside. Do I need a visa?

You need a visa only if your nationality is on the airport transit visa list. If you leave the transit zone or connect through another Schengen airport, you need a C visa.

Can I visit Brussels during a long layover?

Only with a Schengen C visa; an airport transit visa never allows you to leave the airport.

Do holders of US visas need an airport transit visa for Belgium?

Belgian missions list holders of a valid US visa travelling to or from the USA among those exempt from the airport transit visa.

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

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