Embassy and Consulates of Belgium in South Africa
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Visa for Belgium

Information on the GDPR

General Data Protection Regulation. Information to be provided to applicants concerning the processing of personal data in the Visa Information System (VIS) provided upon short stay visa applications

Privacy statement. Processing of personal data in the context of a visa application

 

Information about short stay visas for Belgium / Schengen

As from December 15, 2016, visa applicants for Belgium can apply for their visa using the services of TLS in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

More TLS visa facilitation centers may become available in the future.

Before you can contact TLS you need to complete your online visa application form on VisaOnWeb. Remember to write down your VOW reference number as you need this to make an appointment with TLS.

For all information regarding your visa application, appointments to lodge your application and biometrics, lists of required documents, visa- and servicefees, etc... please consult the dedicated TLS website.

TLS contact centre: +27 (0)12 472 3801

 

Information about long stay visas for Belgium

As from May 1st, 2018, long stay visa applicants for Belgium within the Johannesburg jurisdiction are also invited to apply for their visa using the services of TLS in Johannesburg.

 

As from September 27th 2021, long stay visa applicants for Belgium within the Cape Town jurisdiction (Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape or Namibia) are invited to apply for their visa using the services of TLS in Cape Town.

 

The following visa's are considered long stay visas (so this information only applies to these visa types, for all other visa types, please see above):

  • All D - visas (i.e. Family reunion, work visa, student visa (+90 days), and return visa
  • The C - visa in view of marriage or legal cohabitation in Belgium
  • In short: all visa types that would allow you to stay in Belgium for a period longer than 90 days.

 

Where to apply for a long stay visa for Belgium?

  • If you reside in Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape or Namibia:
  • If you reside in Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North-West, Free State, Kwazulu Natal or Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Zimbabwe or Mozambique:
    • TLS Contact Johannesburg
    • Mandatory appointments for lodging your application need to be done through TLS according to the procedure described on top of this page.

 

When to apply for a long stay visa for Belgium?

  • As soon as possible 
  • Please note that processing a long stay visa application may (depending on the type of file) take up to several months, and we can in no way expedite delivery of your visa. 

 

Required payments for a long stay visa for Belgium

The contribution fees can be consulted on Fee | IBZ.

  • Administration contribution​​​
    • Since the 2nd of March 2015, a contribution is required for the processing of certain long stay (D) visa applications.
    • This contribution can be paid by either the applicant or a third person (family members, acquaintance, sponsor, guarantor, etc.). This contribution should be paid into the account of the Immigration Office in Belgium.
    • The proof of payment of this contribution needs to be presented at the time of the introduction of the visa application. Should the applicant be unable to provide a proof of payment, the visa application will be deemed inadmissible.
    • This contribution is to be paid on top of the handling fee of the long stay visa (handling fee = the equivalent of €180 in local currency). The handling fee will still need to be paid at the time of the application in addition to any fees for TLS. An exemption for the handling fee, does not necessarily imply that one is also exempt for the contribution or service fee.
    • We therefore recommend you to carefully consult the website of the Immigration Office with regards to the amount of the contribution and the manner in which this is to be paid.
    • Attention
      • Any bank charges or charges related to the transfer will need to be borne by the applicant or whomever performs the transfer.
      • In the event that you have not paid the full amount, you will have an additional 30 days to transfer the additional amount. If you do not provide the proof that the full amount was paid within this period, the amount already paid will not be reimbursed and the application will be inadmissible.
      • The contribution will not be reimbursed in the event of a refusal of the visa.
  • Visa application fee
    • Click here to consult the current visa application fees and EFT instructions.
    • Please DO NOT pay for your visa on the accounts of the Consulate general of Belgium in Cape Town or Pretoria unless explicitely instructed to. If you apply for your visa through TLS, all administration including payment will go through TLS!
    • Please make sure you pay into the correct account, i.e. the account of the consulate-general where you will be applying when instructed to. Payments into the wrong account cannot be transferred from one Consulate general to another: you will have to make a new payment, and apply for a refund for the erronous payment. Refunds can take up to 6 weeks before being executed.
    • Please make sure you pay the correct amount as displayed in ZAR only. If you make a payment from overseas the amount received on our account (after exchange rate, banking costs, etc...) must be the exact amount in ZAR.
    • All consular fees, inclduing visa fees, are subject to change due to currency exchange rate flunctuations. Please verify the amount due before making your payment.
    • Please make sure you have a printed proof of payment when you come to apply for your visa.

 

Required documents for long stay visa

  • Note that printed proof of payment of the administration contribution fee is always required.
  • We recommend you to carefully consult the website of the Immigration Office for documentation information in Dutch or French. For information in English, please consult the dedicated TLS website. Should you have any questions thereafter, feel free to send an email to the visa section who will be processing the application. 

 

Visa applications for diplomats and official passport holders: 

  • Since 01 August 2014, Holders of South African diplomatic and official passport do NOT need a visa to travel to BENELUX countries (Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxemburg) anymore. (Applicable both for short and long stay)
  • Holders of diplomatic and official passports of other nationalities who do need a visa to travel to Belgium are welcome to hand in their visa applications every working day between 08.00 and 08.30 directly at the Consulate general. This time slot is exclusively for holders of diplomatic and official passports, to enable the Visa section of the Consulate general to finalize the visa procedure in a smooth and rapid way. Holders of diplomatic and official passports are kindly asked to respect the given time slot.

Visa applications at the Consulate general:

  • As from 02/02/2020 and in accordance with art. 17.5 of the New Visa Code, only family members of EU citizens reserve the right to submit their visa application directly at the Consulate general. In order to do so, the applicant is required to schedule an appointment by email with the mission concerned:

                 * pretoria.visa@diplobel.fed.be

                 * capetown@diplobel.fed.be

  • Please note that appointments will be very limited, so there might not be an appointment available in time for your travel plans. We certainly recommend using the facilities provided by TLS at all times.
  • Official passport holders (who do need a visa to travel to Belgium) are still welcome to apply directly at the consulate-general as per the guidelines mentioned above.