Today, twenty-two EU countries (Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden), plus Norway, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Iceland and Switzerland fully apply the provisions of the Schengen acquis and may move freely. They may stay in Belgium on the strength of a national passport or identity card, and proof that they are members of a health scheme and that they have sufficient means of support (for example an employment contract).
Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Romania are not yet fully-fledged members of the Schengen area, since the border controls between them and the Schengen area are maintained until the EU Council decides that the conditions for abolishing internal border controls have been met. However, since the date of accession they do apply parts of the Schengen acquis, in particular in the area of police and judicial cooperation and of external border control.
The United Kingdom and Ireland have chosen to maintain border controls with other EU countries and are therefore outside the Schengen area (although they have been authorised to apply some of the provisions on police and judicial co-operation in criminal matters).Other aliens, i.e. nationals of any countries other than those referred to above, wishing to stay in Belgium for longer than three months require a long-term visa.
Applications for this type of visa may be made only to the Belgian diplomatic or consular authorities competent for the applicant’s place of residence.
Specific procedures are laid down for a certain number of situations, i.e. studies, employment purposes, self-employment, family reunification, cohabitation, adoption and a visa for marriage in Belgium.
All other individual cases will be examined by the Aliens’ Office on a case-by-case basis.
The application must, moreover, be submitted in due time to allow the Aliens’ Office to conduct an investigation if required.
Upon their arrival in Belgium, aliens must report to the municipal authorities of their place of residence.
Important notes:
1. Official documents drawn up in a language other than French, Dutch, English or German must be translated by a sworn translator;2. Foreign official documents (originals and translations) shall be presented, after their legalisation by the local authorities, to the competent Belgian diplomatic authorities. The latter will make the legalisations and true copies for administrative purposes. The originals will be returned to the applicants.
Find more information directly at:
Belgium Embassy
Source & Copyright: The source of the above visa and immigration information and copyright owner/s is the:
Country : Belgium
– FPS Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation – URL: www.diplomatie.be
