Visa and residence documents to reside in Belgium
If you are not a Belgian national and you want to come and live in Belgium for a long period of time, you may need a visa. A visa is a sticker put in your passport at the consulate, authorizing you to reside in Belgium for a given period of time or to travel through the country.
There are different types of visa. When you apply for a visa at an embassy or a consulate, you will be told which type of visa you need.
Conditions
You want to reside in Belgium for a long period of time or permanently.
Procedure
You must lodge your application for a visa in person at the Belgian embassy or consulate(opens in new window) of your country of residence.
If there is no Belgian embassy or consulate in your country of residence, you should apply at the Belgian embassy or consulate responsible for your country. It is usually located in a neighbouring country.
You will then have to take part in an interview during which you will be asked about the reason you want to travel to Belgium.
The procedure you must follow depends on:
- your nationality
- the period of your stay
- the goal of your stay in Belgium
Citizens of EEA countries (European Economic Area) can benefit from a simplified procedure. They usually only need an identity card or a passport.
At diplomatie.belgium.be, you can find more information about visas(opens in new window). You may also request more information at your local Belgian embassy or consulate.
If you want to reside in Belgium permanently, you will need other documents after your visa expires. To apply for these documents, you may contact the Immigration Office of the Federal public service Home Affairs.
You can find more information about the residence documents you need to permanently move to Belgium(opens in new window) on Belgium.be.