Belgium is a member of the Schengen Area, which means its visa policy is governed by the common Schengen visa rules established by the European Union. Whether or not you need a visa to visit Belgium depends entirely on your nationality.

The Schengen Area allows nationals of certain countries to enter without a visa for short stays of up to 90 days within any 180-day period. Nationals of other countries must apply for a Schengen visa before travelling. This guide covers requirements for all nationalities.

Belgium is also an EU member state. As such, citizens of EU/EEA countries and Switzerland enjoy full freedom of movement and have the right to live and work in Belgium without a visa.

EU, EEA and Swiss Citizens — No Visa Required

If you are a citizen of any of the following countries, you do not need a visa to enter Belgium. You are entitled to enter, reside, and work in Belgium under EU freedom of movement rules:

European Union Member States

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.

EEA Countries (Non-EU)

Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway — these EFTA member states are also part of the Schengen Area and have freedom of movement with EU member states.

Switzerland

Switzerland is not in the EU or EEA, but has bilateral agreements providing freedom of movement with the EU. Swiss nationals may enter Belgium without a visa.

Note: While EU/EEA/Swiss nationals do not need a visa, their right to freedom of movement can be restricted in a limited number of situations as prescribed by EU treaties.

Visa-Free Short Stays — Annex II Nationalities

Nationals of countries listed in EU Regulation 2018/1806 Annex II may enter Belgium (and the wider Schengen Area) without a visa for short stays of up to 90 days within any 180-day period. This applies to holders of ordinary (tourist) passports.

Key Rules for Visa-Free Visitors

• Maximum stay: 90 days within any 180-day period across the entire Schengen Area (not just Belgium).
• A Schengen visa or residence permit from another Schengen state also allows travel to Belgium for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
• Holders of a long-stay visa or residence permit from a Schengen state may also travel to other Schengen states without an additional visa.
• Family members of EU single market nationals holding a valid residence card are exempt from visa requirements when accompanying or joining their EU family member.
• A United Nations laissez-passer allows entry without a visa for up to 90 days, regardless of nationality.

Countries Whose Nationals Do NOT Need a Visa for Belgium

The following nationalities can visit Belgium for short stays without a visa:

Group 1	Group 2	Group 3	Group 4	Group 5
Albania	Andorra	Antigua and Barbuda	Argentina	Australia
Bahamas	Barbados	Bosnia and Herzegovina	Brazil	Brunei
Canada	Chile	Colombia	Costa Rica	Dominica
El Salvador	Georgia	Grenada	Guatemala	Honduras
Hong Kong (SAR)	Israel	Japan	Kiribati	Kosovo
Macau (SAR)	Malaysia	Marshall Islands	Mauritius	Mexico
Micronesia	Moldova	Monaco	Montenegro	New Zealand
Nicaragua*	North Macedonia	Palau	Panama	Paraguay
Peru	Saint Kitts and Nevis	Saint Lucia	Saint Vincent & Grenadines	Samoa
San Marino	Serbia	Seychelles	Singapore	Solomon Islands
South Korea	Taiwan	Timor-Leste	Tonga	Trinidad and Tobago
Tuvalu	Ukraine	United Arab Emirates	United Kingdom	United States
Uruguay	Vatican City	Venezuela

* Nicaragua reimposed visa requirements for nationals of Croatia, Estonia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia in February 2026.

Special Notes for Certain Visa-Free Nationalities

United Kingdom

British nationals (including British citizens, British subjects with right of abode in the UK, and British Overseas Territories citizens) may enter Belgium visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. This applies post-Brexit. However, the UK is no longer part of the EU, so British nationals no longer have freedom of movement rights in Belgium.

United States

US citizens may enter Belgium without a visa for up to 90 days. However, the United States still requires visas from nationals of Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Romania — a reciprocity issue that remains unresolved under EU-US relations.

Ukraine

Ukrainian nationals holding biometric passports may enter Belgium visa-free for up to 90 days. This exemption applies only to biometric passport holders.

Hong Kong and Macau

Holders of a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) passport or a Macau SAR passport may enter visa-free. This exemption does not apply to holders of mainland Chinese passports.

Taiwan

Nationals of Taiwan holding passports that contain an identity card number may enter Belgium visa-free.

Kosovo

Kosovo nationals holding ordinary passports may enter Belgium without a visa. Note: holders of passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate for Kosovo and Metohija are not covered by this exemption.

Visa Required — Countries Not on the Visa-Free List

Nationals of countries NOT listed in Annex II are required to obtain a Schengen visa before travelling to Belgium. This requirement covers a large number of countries, primarily in Africa, Asia, and parts of the Americas and Middle East.

Major Countries Whose Nationals Require a Visa

The following is a non-exhaustive list of major countries whose nationals must apply for a Schengen visa to enter Belgium:

Africa

Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tunisia, and most other African nations.

Asia

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China (mainland), India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, and most other Asian nations not listed in the visa-free list above.

Americas

Bolivia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Jamaica, and most other Caribbean and South American nations not listed in the visa-free list.

Middle East

Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, and Yemen. Note: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia have a proposed EU Council visa exemption pending.

Other Regions

Russia — the EU fully suspended its visa facilitation agreement with Russia in 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine. Russian nationals require a standard Schengen visa. Belarus nationals also require a visa.

Airport Transit Visa Requirements

In general, passengers who transit through a Belgian airport while remaining in the international transit area (airside) do not require a visa — this is known as transit privilege.

However, nationals of the following 12 countries are required to hold an Airport Transit Visa (ATV) when passing through any Schengen airport including those in Belgium, even if they remain airside:

Column 1	Column 2	Column 3	Column 4
Afghanistan	Bangladesh	DR Congo	Eritrea
Ethiopia	Ghana	Iran	Iraq
Nigeria	Pakistan	Somalia	Sri Lanka

Additionally, individual Schengen countries (including Belgium) can impose ATV requirements for other nationalities in urgent cases — for example, Syrian nationals require an ATV in many Schengen countries.

Exemptions from Airport Transit Visa

Nationals of the above ATV-required countries are EXEMPT from the ATV requirement if they hold any of the following:

• A valid visa or residence permit for an EU single market country
• A valid visa or residence permit for Canada, Japan, or the United States
• A valid visa or residence permit for the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
• A residence permit for Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, or the United Kingdom
• A valid diplomatic passport
• Are a family member of an EU single market national
• Are a flight crew member

How to Apply for a Schengen Visa for Belgium

Where to Apply

Schengen visas can be issued by any Schengen member state. If Belgium is your main destination, you must apply at the Belgian embassy or consulate in your country.

If you are visiting multiple Schengen countries and Belgium is the main destination (where you’ll spend the most time), apply to the Belgian embassy. If the main destination cannot be determined, apply at the embassy of the first Schengen country you enter.

Application Timeline

• Applications may be submitted no more than 6 months before your intended entry date.
• A decision must be given within 15 calendar days of submitting an admissible application.
• First-time applicants must apply in person and are subject to an interview.

Biometric Requirements

All countries’ embassies may require applicants to provide biometric identifiers — ten fingerprints and a digital photograph — for storage on the EU Visa Information System (VIS). Biometrics are not collected from children under 12. If biometric identifiers have been provided within the past 59 months, they may not be required again.

Visa Fees

Applicant Category	Standard Fee
Adults (standard)	EUR 90
Children aged 6–12	EUR 45
Children under 6	Free
Students and researchers	Free
Applicants under 25 in non-profit organisations	Free
If country is non-cooperative on readmission of irregular migrants	Up to EUR 180
External service provider fee (if applicable)	Up to EUR 120

Types of Schengen Visas

Short-Stay Visa (Type C)

The standard Schengen visa allows stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. It can be issued for one entry, two entries, or multiple entries with validity up to five years.

Multiple-Entry Visa Progression

Under standard rules, applicants follow a progression to qualify for longer multiple-entry visas:

• New applicants: visa valid for intended trip duration only.
• After using 3 visas in previous 2 years: multiple-entry visa valid for 1 year.
• After 1-year multiple-entry: eligible for 2-year multiple-entry.
• After 2-year multiple-entry: eligible for 5-year multiple-entry.
• Applicants who can demonstrate a need for frequent travel may be granted a longer multiple-entry visa sooner.

Long-Stay Visa (Type D)

If you intend to stay in Belgium for more than 90 days (for work, study, family reunification, etc.), you need a long-stay national visa rather than a Schengen visa. Long-stay visa procedures are set by each individual country — Belgium sets its own conditions.

Limited Territorial Validity (LTV) Visas

In exceptional circumstances, Belgium may issue a Schengen visa with limited territorial validity — valid only for Belgium (or certain named states), not the full Schengen Area. These may be issued for humanitarian reasons, national interest, or international obligations.

Visa on Arrival (Border Visas)

In exceptional cases only, single-entry visas valid for up to 15 days may be issued on arrival at the border for individuals who can prove they were unable to apply in advance due to unforeseeable and urgent circumstances, and who meet all standard criteria. This is rare and not something travellers should rely upon.

Upcoming Changes to Belgian/Schengen Entry Requirements

ETIAS — European Travel Information and Authorisation System

From the fourth quarter of 2026 (expected), visa-exempt nationals will need to obtain prior authorisation through ETIAS before travelling to Belgium and the Schengen Area. This is similar to the US ESTA or UK ETA.

• A fee of EUR 20 applies to applicants aged 18 to 70.
• Applications will be completed online, and most will receive an immediate automated response.
• In limited cases, processing may take up to 30 days.
• Citizens of EU microstates (Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City) are exempt from ETIAS.
• A 6-month grace period is planned to allow travellers and staff to adapt to the new system.

Entry/Exit System (EES)

Implementation of the Entry/Exit System began on 12 October 2025 and is expected to be completed by 10 April 2026. This system electronically records the entry and exit of non-EU nationals at Schengen borders, replacing manual passport stamping and helping to identify overstayers.

EU Visa Application Platform (EU VAP)

The EU plans to introduce a unified online visa application platform to replace separate national platforms. It is scheduled to be introduced by early 2026, with wide adoption by 2028 and a transition period up to 2031 for all member states to migrate.

Potential Visa Exemptions Under Discussion

The EU is actively discussing visa-free access for nationals of the following countries. These are not yet in effect as of March 2026:

• Gulf Cooperation Council states (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia) — EU Council proposal from 2022.
• Ecuador — EU Parliament proposal from 2022.
• Thailand — French President Macron expressed support in 2024.
• Indonesia — discussions ongoing since 2020.
• Armenia — EU Action Plan on visa liberalisation presented in November 2025.
• Belize, Fiji, Guyana, Maldives — informal discussions ongoing.

Special Situations

Family Members of EU Citizens

Non-EU nationals who are family members of EU citizens (including Belgian citizens) and hold a valid residence card confirming their status are exempt from visa requirements when accompanying or joining their EU family member in Belgium. This applies regardless of the family member’s own nationality.

Residents and Long-Term Visa Holders

Holders of a valid long-stay visa or residence permit from any Schengen state may travel to Belgium for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without an additional visa. Short-stay Schengen visas are valid for all Schengen states unless marked otherwise.

Long-Term Residents in Belgium

Non-EU nationals who are long-term residents of Belgium (holding an EU Long-Term Resident permit) have the right to move to and settle in other EU/Schengen states without losing their legal status and social benefits.

School Pupils

School pupils who are residents of the EU or of Annex II countries travelling as part of an organised school trip may be subject to simplified entry rules.

Quick Reference Summary

Your Nationality	Visa Required?	Max Stay	Notes
EU / EEA / Swiss citizen	No — Freedom of Movement	Unlimited	Full right to live and work
Annex II visa-free country	No — Visa-Free	90 days / 180-day period	Ordinary passport required
All other nationalities	Yes — Schengen Visa Required	Up to 90 days (short stay)	Apply at Belgian embassy
ATV-required nationality (transit only)	Yes — Airport Transit Visa	Airside transit only	12 core nationalities
From 2026: Visa-free + ETIAS	ETIAS authorisation needed	90 days / 180-day period	EUR 20 fee, online application

Disclaimer: This article is based on information from the Schengen Area Visa Policy (EU Regulation 2018/1806) as of March 2026. Visa requirements can change. Always verify current requirements with the official Belgian consulate or embassy in your country before travelling.