Consulate General of Belgium Sydney, Australia

From the first of September 2004, the issuance 1 year and 2 years’ passports has been stopped. Only 5 years' passports will be provided.

The extension of the validity of passports is no longer needed and has been abolished.

Applicants will invariably be issued with a 5 years’ passport whether they are under age or not. Adults will pay the usual fee and production costs, whereas the under 18 will only pay the production costs.

On the first of January 2005 new passports with a microchip have been introduced.

Your name and first name, date of birth and place of birth signature and photo will be stored on the microchip.

Your present passport will remain valid until its expiry date. If it is machine readable you may use it to travel to the USA without a visa till the 1st of October 2005. If it is not you will need a visa for any trip to or transit through the United States of America (airport transit included).

Your application will always be handled by the Consulate in Sydney but you may submit it to your local Honorary Consul. Belgian Consulates SE Pacific

Opening hours of the Belgian Consulate in Sydney are from 8.00 am till 12 noon, and by appointment also from 1.00 to 3 p.m. If these hours are not at all convenient to you, please mail or call to make other arrangements.

When you have sent in all documents the Consulate in Sydney will pass on your application to the production centre in Brussels. Three to four weeks later your passport will be ready for collection at your local Consulate or in your mail box if you have chosen to get it that way.

Only if you are registered can you lodge your application by mail. If you want to get your passport by mail please let us have a self addressed stamped envelope (Registered or Next day delivery) or alternatively pay for postage.

The above link will show you the production costs and issuance fees. Pay the issuance fees in local currency to you local Honorary Consul if you lodge your application at the local honorary consulate or in Australian dollars directly to the Consulate in Sydneyn if you apply directly in Sydney. The production costs are to be paid in Australian dollars. If you have problems paying in Australian dollars contact your local Honorary Consul. He may have an arrangement with the Consulate in Sydney to cover these instances.

Fill the forms clearly and legibly in capital letters and black ink. Use a biro or a fel-tip, medium or bold. If you sign with an extra fine pen your signature may not be copied to the passport. If you are not able to sign please let us have a medical certificate stating the fact.

Do not fold the signature forms (folding it in two is permitted as long as no fold runs through the signature field).

§ If you live in Australia, a ‘Certificate of Evidence of Resident Status’ . To apply download document 164 and use it to get your Certificate (number 283).

§ Your present passport . If you cannot part with it for the moment send it to us or hand it over to the Honorary Consul once you have received your new passport. If your current passport still has more than a year’s validity left, we shall let you have your new passport against the old one. If you want the old passport back we shall return it to you along with the new one. All pages will be cancelled except those that contain a valid visa.

§ 2 passport photographs, recent and in colour. The photo should measure 35 x 45 mm. The length of the face (hair included) should be within 25 to 35 mm. The background should be light and plain unpatterned (white, light grey, light yellow or light blue). Make sure there are no special effects on the background and that there are no shadows (pay special attention to the ears and the hair where shadows often appear if the lighting is not properly set). Do not stick the photographs to the form but insert them in a separate envelope

If you are not registered, a personal appearance is required either in Sydney or at your local Honorary Consulate Belgian Consulates SE Pacific

§ the application form Forms. Sign this form along with at least one of your parents.

§ the signature form Model A (two copies) Forms. You must sign this form yourself. If you are too young, leave blank.

§ a birth certificate if this is your first application and you have not sent your birth certificate previously.

If you are not registered, a personal appearance is required either in Sydney or at your local Honorary Consulate Belgian Consulates SE Pacific

Important: Follow the instructions strictly (especially colour of ink and caracteristics of photograph) to avoid your application being discarded by the production centre.