1. Where to apply for your visa to Belgium?
2. Jurisdiction
3. Handling fees and way of payment
4. Photograph specification
5. Status of your application
6. Application forms and info sheets
7. List of appointed doctors

1. Where to apply for your visa to Belgium?

For your convenience visa applications are to be forwarded to the visa section via VFS. For the correct address in Mumbai and Bangalore, please log on to www.vfs-be-in.com. Applications can only be lodged on appointment at the visa section of the Consulate General.

Holders of an official passport have to apply for the visa directly at the visa section of the Consulate General.

2. Jurisdiction

Belgium has three Visa Application Centres (VAC’s) in India:

-         One in Mumbai, falling under jurisdiction of the Belgian Consulate General in Mumbai

-         One in Bangalore, also falling under jurisdiction of the Belgian Consulate General in Mumbai

-         One in New Delhi, under the jurisdiction of the Belgian Embassy in New Delhi

For their convenience applicants coming from the States of Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat & Maharashtra and the Territories of Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli should apply in Mumbai.

Applicants coming from the States of Kerala, Karnataka & Tamil Nadu and the Territories of Pondicherry should apply in Bangalore.

All other applicants coming from States outside the ones listed above have to apply for their visa in New Delhi.

In order to decide where to apply, place of employment and permanent residence will be considered first, rather than State of origin and place of birth.

Non-Indian citizens wishing to apply for a visa to Belgium will have to provide proof of their official residence in India. Same rules as above will then be applied as to where they should submit their application.

3. Handling fees and way of payment

The amounts shown below represent the cost of processing your visa application. In other words, what you are paying is not the cost of the visa itself but rather a handling fee for processing the application. If you cancel your application or if the visa application is rejected, the handling fee will not be refunded.

The handling fee makes a difference between a short stay visa (stay not exceeding 90 days) and a long stay visa (stay exceeding 90 days)

1.        Short stay Schengen visa type A, B and C

The uniform handling fee for all visa types A, B and C is 60 €

Three categories of applicants are exempted of handling fees:

-         Children under 6

-         Pupils, students and their accompanying teachers travelling for study or training purposes

-         Researchers travelling for professional reasons and for specific research projects listed in the European Council’s decision

2.        Long stay national visa type D

The handling fee for the national visa type D is 90 €

The exemptions applicable for short stay Schengen visa don’t apply for national visa.

OVERVIEW OF DIFFERENT FEES TO BE PAID IN INDIAN RUPEES

Any fees, be it visas or legalisation fees, are only payable by BANKDRAFT (in Indian Rupees) and should be issued as follows:

-       Payable to "Consulate General of Belgium"

             Account 1080273 at ABN AMRO Bank

-       Payable in Mumbai

-       Dated not later than the presentation of the visa application or legalisation

-       One bank draft per application/person

Cash payments will not be accepted. The Consulate general of Belgium reserves the right to refuse bank drafts of certain financial institutions. 

4. Photograph specification

Each applicant requires two recent photographs (not more than 6 months old). The photographs should be in colour and:

1. Taken against a light background (white or light) so that features are distinguishable and contrast against the background
2. Clear share quality and with the face in focus
3. Printed on normal photographic paper (camera print)
4. 2" x 2" or 50mm x 50mm in size
5. Full face, non-smiling (without sunglasses, a hat/cap or other head covering, unless the applicant wears such items because of their religious belief or ethnic background)
6. Please stick the Photograph on the Visa Application Form
7. For more information, please log on to www.vfs-be-in.com

Note: Please follow these instructions carefully. If photographs presented do not meet these requirements, your application will be considered as incomplete.

5. Status of your application

The processing time takes at least 24 hours. IT IS IN YOUR OWN INTEREST TO APPLY WELL IN ADVANCE. More time is required in case your application requires additional documents and/or a personal interview.

Should you wish to track the status of your application please log on to www.vfs-be-in.com, or send us an e-mail at mumbai@diplobel.be

In some cases however, the consulate must submit visa the application to the Immigration Service at the Federal Public Service Home Affairs in Brussels for its decision. This is the only authorised body to decide on matters concerning the entry of foreign nationals into Belgium, their temporary or permanent residence and their removal from the country.

In case your application is submitted to the Immigration Service, you will be informed of the application number. You can find out about the status of your application by contacting the Immigration Service and quoting this application number (Chaussée d'Anvers 59B Antwerpsesteenweg, B-1000 Brussels, Tel.: +32 2 206 1599, Fax: +32 2 206 1463, helpdesk.dvzoe@dofi.fgov.be) You can also use this number to check the status of your application via the Immigration Service website.

In any case, the consulate will inform you in writing, by telephone or in person of the decision that has been taken regarding your visa application.

6. Application forms and info sheets

Visa Application Forms can be downloaded from this website. Go to Services - Forms and Visa Info Sheets

Visa info sheets –these are the lists of required documents for a visa- can be found at the same location. These info sheets have been specifically adjusted for the Indian traveller. Their content may therefore slightly differ from info sheets listed on websites of other Belgian diplomatic and consular missions.

The same can be found on the Belgian VFS Visa Application Centre’s website www.vfs-be-in.com

7. List of appointed doctors

For certain types of visa applications –see info sheets- the applicant is required to provide a recent medical certificate. Below is the list of the appointed doctors in our jurisdiction. It is imperative that the applicant uses one of them.

MUMBAI

Dr. M. M. Meraney

Breach Candy Hospital and Research Centre

60 Bhulabhai Desai Road

Mumbai 400 026

Tel: (+91 22) 2367 1888 / 2367 2888

BANGALORE

Dr. Prem Paes / Dr. Girija Singh / Dr. Chandramouli / Dr. Cecil Ross / Dr. George D’Souza / Dr. S.D. Tarey / Dr.  S. D. Subba Rao / Dr. Rekha Pradeep

Dr. Subba Rao / Dr. Swarna Rekha / Dr. Sanjiv Lewin (for applicants aged 12 years or less)

The above-listed panel of doctors can be contacted at

St. John’s Medical College Hospital

St. John's National Academy of Health Sciences

John Nagar

Bangalore 560 034

Tel: (+91 80) 260 5000

Fax (+91 80) 553 0070

Email sjmch@vsnl.com

CHENNAI

Dr. B. Krishna Rau / Dr. Sharon Krishna

Devaki Hospital

5 Chandrabagh Avenue

Mylapore

Chennai 600 004

Tel: (+91 44) 2852 7776 / 2859 4804