Belgium visa and entry requirements

Belgium is part of the Schengen Area: EU citizens travel freely, and Swiss and EEA nationals enter with a valid identity card or passport; nationals of the countries and territories on the EU's visa-exempt list (Annex II of Regulation (EU) 2018/1806) can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period (ETIAS is not yet in operation), and nationals on the EU's visa-required list (Annex I) need a Schengen short-stay visa (€90 under the Visa Code, €35 for Armenian, Azerbaijani and Belarusian nationals under EU visa facilitation agreements, and 75% of the standard fee for Cabo Verdean nationals). Belgium's embassy pages say the application is submitted at the Belgian embassy when Belgium is the first entry into the Schengen zone and/or the main purpose of the trip lies in Belgium.

Every fact on this page verified on or after: Jun 15, 2026· How this site works

Check requirements for your passport

Requirements differ by nationality. Select your passport above, or scan the full table below.

How long you can stay

90 days in any rolling 180-day period

90 days in any rolling 180-day period, counted across the whole Schengen Area rather than per country. The day you arrive counts as the first day and the day you leave counts as the last. Leaving and coming back does not reset the allowance: on any given day, days already spent anywhere in the area during the preceding 180 still count against the 90.

Work out your own dates in the stay calculator · Compare every country

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: eur-lex.europa.eu (opens in a new tab) · Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, Article 4(1) · archived copy Jul 18, 2026 (opens in a new tab)

Visas & entry authorisations

Schengen short-stay visa — European Union and Azerbaijan visa facilitation agreement

Fee
35 EUR
Processing
up to 30 days
Stay per entry
90 days

Set by the EU–Azerbaijan visa facilitation agreement (Article 6); waived for pensioners and children under 12, among other listed categories.

Schengen short-stay visa — European Union and Belarus visa facilitation agreement

Fee
35 EUR
Processing
up to 30 days
Stay per entry
90 days

Set by the EU–Belarus visa facilitation agreement (Article 6); €70 when the applicant asks for a decision within two days and the consulate accepts; waived for children under 12, among other listed categories. Council Decision (EU) 2021/1940 suspends some of the agreement's provisions.

Schengen short-stay visa — European Union and Cabo Verde short-stay visa agreement

Fee
67.5 EUR
Processing
up to 45 days
Stay per entry
90 days

Set by the EU–Cabo Verde visa facilitation agreement as amended (Article 5) at 75% of the fee charged under the applicable legislation; children aged 12 to under 18 are charged 50% of that fee, and children under 12 are exempt, among other listed categories.

Schengen short-stay visa for Russian nationals

Fee
90 EUR
Processing
up to 45 days
Stay per entry
90 days

Standard fee under the Visa Code (Article 16): children aged six to under 12 pay €45 and children under six pay nothing. The EU–Russia visa facilitation agreement is suspended in whole for Russian citizens (Council Decision (EU) 2022/1500). The European Commission says Russian nationals will no longer be able to receive multiple-entry visas.

Entry requirements

Passport validity

Under the Schengen Borders Code, a third-country national's travel document must be valid for at least three months after the intended date of departure from the Schengen Area and must have been issued within the previous 10 years.

At least 2 blank pages required. Compare every country

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: eur-lex.europa.eu (opens in a new tab) · Regulation (EU) 2016/399 (Schengen Borders Code), Article 6(1)(a)Compare every country: How long your passport must be valid, country by country

Vaccinations

Not officially stated

No official source we read lists a vaccination certificate required for entry.

Travel insurance

Required

Schengen visa applicants must prove they hold adequate and valid travel medical insurance, valid throughout the Schengen Area for the whole intended stay, with minimum coverage of €30,000.

Onward or return ticket

Not officially stated

Under the Schengen Borders Code, the non-exhaustive list of supporting documents a border guard may request (Annex I) includes, as regards return, a return or round-trip ticket. The UK government says British visitors may also need to show a return or onward ticket at Belgian border control.

Verified Oct 6, 2026 · Source: eur-lex.europa.eu (opens in a new tab) · Regulation (EU) 2016/399 (Schengen Borders Code), Article 6(1)(c) · archived copy Aug 1, 2026 (opens in a new tab)

Proof of funds

Required

The European Commission's table of reference amounts required for the crossing of the external border, fixed by national authorities, gives Belgium's minimum amount per day and per person as EUR 45 for aliens staying with a private individual and EUR 95 for aliens staying at a hotel.

Arrival cards & declarations

Required
  • EES — Entry/Exit System (biometric registration) — On a first crossing since the EU Entry/Exit System started, passport control officers take a photo of your face and/or scan your fingerprints. The UK government's travel advice says there is no cost for EES registration. (at the border on first entry) travel-europe.europa.eu (opens in a new tab)
  • ETIAS — European Travel Information and Authorization System — Belgium is among the 30 European countries that will require visa-exempt travellers to have an ETIAS travel authorisation. ETIAS is currently not in operation and no applications are being collected; the EU will announce the start date several months before launch. (before travel, once etias starts) travel-europe.europa.eu (opens in a new tab)

Staying past your permitted stay

A foreigner who entered Belgium lawfully may not stay more than ninety days, unless the visa sets another period. A foreigner staying illegally is punishable by eight days to three months' imprisonment and a fine of twenty-six to two hundred euros, or either. Imprisonment is possible only if an earlier detention measure ended without removal and the person still stays illegally without a justified reason for not returning. A repeat offence within three years carries one to twelve months' imprisonment and a fine of one hundred to one thousand euros, or either. A third-country national not authorised under article 6 to stay more than three months is given a period of seven to thirty days. A removal decision carries an entry ban of up to three years when no period for voluntary departure is given or an earlier removal decision was not carried out.

Registering your presence after arrival

Required

Done by the traveller.

A third-country national coming to Belgium for a stay of up to ninety days who does not lodge in an establishment subject to the travellers-control legislation must communicate their residence address within three working days of entry, either electronically to the Immigration Office or in person at the municipality; the King may exempt categories. Holders of another member state's residence permit or long-stay visa must do it in person at the municipality.

Customs & currency

Cash of €10,000 or more (or its equivalent in other currencies) must be declared to customs when entering or leaving the EU.

  • Arriving from outside the EU, the EU's Your Europe portal gives a duty-free allowance of 4 litres of still wine and 16 litres of beer, plus 1 litre of spirits over 22% vol. (or 2 litres of fortified or sparkling wine); 200 cigarettes (or 250 g of tobacco) where the higher tobacco limit applies, since a higher or lower limit may apply depending on the EU country; and other goods worth up to €300, or €430 for travellers by air and sea. Under-17s are not entitled to a duty-free allowance for tobacco or alcohol.
  • Between EU countries, Your Europe says no further payments are due in another EU country on products bought for your own use and not for resale, and that each EU country can set its own guideline values for the quantities of tobacco and alcohol you can bring in.

Country in a nutshell

Currency
Euro (EUR, €)
Safety — Exercise caution
The Government of Canada says pickpocketing and purse snatching occur, particularly in major cities and at popular tourist sites such as the Grand-Place in Brussels, and that petty crime is frequent on trains along the Paris–Brussels–Amsterdam and Brussels–London routes and at Brussels train stations including Bruxelles-Nord. It says demonstrations take place frequently, especially in Brussels in the city centre and the European Quarter.Verified Oct 6, 2026 · Source: travel.gc.ca (opens in a new tab)
Power plugs
C, E · 230V 50Hz
Emergency numbers
General emergencies: 112 · Police: 101
Languages
Dutch, French, German
Time zone
UTC+1 (UTC+2 in summer)
International Driving Permit

Belgium is a party to the 1949 Geneva and the 1968 Vienna Conventions on Road Traffic (UN Treaty Collection). Belgium's road traffic law (Law of 16 March 1968, Article 21) says no one may drive a motor vehicle on a public road without holding and carrying a driving licence regularly issued in Belgium, or a foreign driving licence, either national or international, under the conditions set by the provisions applicable to international road traffic. Canada's travel advice says you must be at least 18 years of age to drive a car in Belgium and that Canadians should carry an international driving permit. No Belgian official source we could read states for how long a visitor may drive on a foreign licence.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: treaties.un.org (opens in a new tab) · Convention on Road Traffic · archived copy Aug 25, 2026 (opens in a new tab) Compare every country

Tips & warnings

Canada's travel advice says pickpockets target passengers on the metro, at airports and at train stations, and that petty crime is frequent at Brussels-Nord, Brussels-Central and Brussels-Midi stations and on Paris–Brussels–Amsterdam and Brussels–London trains.

The UK government tells British visitors that, if they travel to other Schengen countries as well, the whole visit must be within the 90-day visa-free limit, and that visits to Schengen countries in the 180 days before travel count towards the 90 days.

The EU's country page lists Belgium's official EU languages as Dutch, French and German.

Visa requirements by nationality

Visa requirements by nationality. Stay lengths are for ordinary tourist visits. Click a nationality for its full guide.
PassportsVisas & entry authorisationsMax stay
AfghanistanEmbassy visa—
AlbaniaVisa-free90 days
AlgeriaEmbassy visa—
AndorraVisa-free90 days
AngolaEmbassy visa—
Antigua and BarbudaVisa-free90 days
ArgentinaVisa-free90 days
ArmeniaEmbassy visa—
AustraliaVisa-free90 days
AustriaFree movement—
AzerbaijanEmbassy visa—
BahamasVisa-free90 days
BahrainEmbassy visa—
BangladeshEmbassy visa—
BarbadosVisa-free90 days
BelarusEmbassy visa—
BelgiumFree movement—
BelizeEmbassy visa—
BeninEmbassy visa—
BhutanEmbassy visa—
BoliviaEmbassy visa—
Bosnia and HerzegovinaVisa-free90 days
BotswanaEmbassy visa—
BrazilVisa-free90 days
BruneiVisa-free90 days
BulgariaFree movement—
Burkina FasoEmbassy visa—
BurundiEmbassy visa—
Cabo VerdeEmbassy visa—
CambodiaEmbassy visa—
CameroonEmbassy visa—
CanadaVisa-free90 days
Central African RepublicEmbassy visa—
ChadEmbassy visa—
ChileVisa-free90 days
ChinaEmbassy visa—
ColombiaVisa-free90 days
ComorosEmbassy visa—
Costa RicaVisa-free90 days
Côte d'IvoireEmbassy visa—
CroatiaFree movement—
CubaEmbassy visa—
CyprusFree movement—
CzechiaFree movement—
Democratic Republic of the CongoEmbassy visa—
DenmarkFree movement—
DjiboutiEmbassy visa—
DominicaVisa-free90 days
Dominican RepublicEmbassy visa—
EcuadorEmbassy visa—
EgyptEmbassy visa—
El SalvadorVisa-free90 days
Equatorial GuineaEmbassy visa—
EritreaEmbassy visa—
EstoniaFree movement—
EswatiniEmbassy visa—
EthiopiaEmbassy visa—
FijiEmbassy visa—
FinlandFree movement—
FranceFree movement—
GabonEmbassy visa—
GambiaEmbassy visa—
GeorgiaVisa-free90 days
GermanyFree movement—
GhanaEmbassy visa—
GreeceFree movement—
GrenadaVisa-free90 days
GuatemalaVisa-free90 days
GuineaEmbassy visa—
Guinea-BissauEmbassy visa—
GuyanaEmbassy visa—
HaitiEmbassy visa—
HondurasVisa-free90 days
Hong KongVisa-free90 days
HungaryFree movement—
IcelandFree movement—
IndiaEmbassy visa—
IndonesiaEmbassy visa—
IranEmbassy visa—
IraqEmbassy visa—
IrelandFree movement—
IsraelVisa-free90 days
ItalyFree movement—
JamaicaEmbassy visa—
JapanVisa-free90 days
JordanEmbassy visa—
KazakhstanEmbassy visa—
KenyaEmbassy visa—
KiribatiVisa-free90 days
KosovoVisa-free90 days
KuwaitEmbassy visa—
KyrgyzstanEmbassy visa—
LaosEmbassy visa—
LatviaFree movement—
LebanonEmbassy visa—
LesothoEmbassy visa—
LiberiaEmbassy visa—
LibyaEmbassy visa—
LiechtensteinFree movement—
LithuaniaFree movement—
LuxembourgFree movement—
MacauVisa-free90 days
MadagascarEmbassy visa—
MalawiEmbassy visa—
MalaysiaVisa-free90 days
MaldivesEmbassy visa—
MaliEmbassy visa—
MaltaFree movement—
Marshall IslandsVisa-free90 days
MauritaniaEmbassy visa—
MauritiusVisa-free90 days
MexicoVisa-free90 days
MicronesiaVisa-free90 days
MoldovaVisa-free90 days
MonacoVisa-free90 days
MongoliaEmbassy visa—
MontenegroVisa-free90 days
MoroccoEmbassy visa—
MozambiqueEmbassy visa—
MyanmarEmbassy visa—
NamibiaEmbassy visa—
NauruEmbassy visa—
NepalEmbassy visa—
NetherlandsFree movement—
New ZealandVisa-free90 days
NicaraguaVisa-free90 days
NigerEmbassy visa—
NigeriaEmbassy visa—
North KoreaEmbassy visa—
North MacedoniaVisa-free90 days
NorwayFree movement—
OmanEmbassy visa—
PakistanEmbassy visa—
PalauVisa-free90 days
PalestineEmbassy visa—
PanamaVisa-free90 days
Papua New GuineaEmbassy visa—
ParaguayVisa-free90 days
PeruVisa-free90 days
PhilippinesEmbassy visa—
PolandFree movement—
PortugalFree movement—
QatarEmbassy visa—
Republic of the CongoEmbassy visa—
RomaniaFree movement—
RussiaEmbassy visa—
RwandaEmbassy visa—
Saint Kitts and NevisVisa-free90 days
Saint LuciaVisa-free90 days
Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesVisa-free90 days
SamoaVisa-free90 days
San MarinoVisa-free90 days
São Tomé and PríncipeEmbassy visa—
Saudi ArabiaEmbassy visa—
SenegalEmbassy visa—
SerbiaVisa-free90 days
SeychellesVisa-free90 days
Sierra LeoneEmbassy visa—
SingaporeVisa-free90 days
SlovakiaFree movement—
SloveniaFree movement—
Solomon IslandsVisa-free90 days
SomaliaEmbassy visa—
South AfricaEmbassy visa—
South KoreaVisa-free90 days
South SudanEmbassy visa—
SpainFree movement—
Sri LankaEmbassy visa—
SudanEmbassy visa—
SurinameEmbassy visa—
SwedenFree movement—
SwitzerlandFree movement—
SyriaEmbassy visa—
TaiwanVisa-free90 days
TajikistanEmbassy visa—
TanzaniaEmbassy visa—
ThailandEmbassy visa—
Timor-LesteVisa-free90 days
TogoEmbassy visa—
TongaVisa-free90 days
Trinidad and TobagoVisa-free90 days
TunisiaEmbassy visa—
TurkeyEmbassy visa—
TurkmenistanEmbassy visa—
TuvaluVisa-free90 days
UgandaEmbassy visa—
UkraineVisa-free90 days
United Arab EmiratesVisa-free90 days
United KingdomVisa-free90 days
United StatesVisa-free90 days
UruguayVisa-free90 days
UzbekistanEmbassy visa—
VanuatuEmbassy visa—
Vatican CityVisa-free90 days
VenezuelaVisa-free90 days
VietnamEmbassy visa—
YemenEmbassy visa—
ZambiaEmbassy visa—
ZimbabweEmbassy visa—

Stay lengths are for ordinary tourist visits. Click a nationality for its full guide.

France94 of 199 passports visa-freeNetherlands94 of 199 passports visa-freeGermany94 of 199 passports visa-freeLuxembourg94 of 199 passports visa-free

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa for Belgium?

EU citizens travel freely with a valid passport or ID card, and Swiss and EEA nationals enter with a valid identity card or passport. Citizens of the countries and territories on the EU's visa-exempt list (Annex II of Regulation (EU) 2018/1806) can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. Nationals on the EU's visa-required list (Annex I) need a Schengen short-stay visa (€90 under the Visa Code, €35 for Armenian, Azerbaijani and Belarusian nationals under EU visa facilitation agreements, and 75% of the standard fee for Cabo Verdean nationals), submitted at the Belgian embassy when Belgium is the first entry into the Schengen zone and/or the main purpose of the trip.

How much does a Belgium Schengen visa cost?

€90 for adults, €45 for children aged six to under 12, and waived for children under six, under the EU Visa Code. Under EU visa facilitation agreements Armenian, Azerbaijani and Belarusian nationals pay €35, and Cabo Verdean nationals 75% of the standard fee.

Is ETIAS required to enter Belgium?

ETIAS is the new EU travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers to enter 30 European countries. It is currently not in operation and no applications are being collected; the EU will announce the start date several months before launch. The official ETIAS website lists a EUR 20 application fee.

How do I stay in Belgium longer than 90 days?

Belgium's embassy pages say a national long-stay (type D) visa is for a stay in Belgium of more than 90 days, for academic purposes (student and student exchange), economic purposes (single permit, au pair, professional card), family reunification, marriage or legal cohabitation with intention of permanent stay, and retirement.

Can EU citizens enter Belgium with just an ID card?

Yes for EU citizens: Your Europe says they can travel freely carrying either a valid passport or a national identity card, and EU law says no entry visa may be imposed on them. The EU–Swiss free movement agreement lets Swiss nationals enter simply upon production of a valid identity card or passport, and the EEA Agreement incorporates the EU free movement directive for EEA nationals.

Sources & verification

Every fact on this page is compiled from and periodically re-checked against these official sources:

Something wrong or out of date? Tell us, with the official source