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ANNOUNCEMENT
VISA APPLICATIONS CITIZENS FROM AREAS AFFECTED BY THE EARTHQUAKE
The priority granted by Belgium to the processing of visa applications of victims of the earthquake in Türkiye [régions de Kahramanmaras, Gaziantep, Hatay, Adana, Malatya, Diyarbakir, Sanliurfa, Adiyaman, Kilis, Osmaniye] and Syria [régions de Idlib, Alep, Lattaquié, Hama, Tartous] will end on May 1, 2023.
However, this priority is maintained for visa applications submitted before May 1, 2023, as well as for applications that will be submitted during an appointment granted before May 1, 2023 by VFS Global (Türkiye) or TLS Contact (Lebanon). These applications will continue to be processed "as quickly as possible" by the Belgian representations in Istanbul and Beirut and by the Immigration Office.
For more information, click here
Competent authority for visa applications
All the information concerning visa applications for Belgium is available on the website of the Immigration Office of the FPS Home Affairs, which is the competent Belgian authority for access to the territory, stay, residence and removal of foreigners in Belgium.
Information on the GDPR
New contribution for visa LONG stay - D
Since 2 March 2015, a contribution is required for the processing of certain long stay (D) visa applications.
As of 1 June 2019, the amount of this contribution will be increased from €200 to €204 and from €350 to €358.
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. An exemption for the handling fee, does not necessarily imply that one is also exempt for the contribution.
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 likewise not be reimbursed in the event of a refusal of the visa.
With the aim of facilitating your travel arrangements, the Embassy of Belgium in Ankara and the Consulate General of Belgium in Istanbul have launched a new service for visa applications.
In this new system, visa applications should be lodged at Visa Application Centres operated by VFS Global. To make an appointment at the Visa Application Center and submit your application, please call the Belgium Visa Information and Appointment Service from the following number:
0090-212-3735804
By calling the Visa Information and Appointment Service, you will be able to receive detailed information regarding the application procedures, the required documents as well as an appointment for your application.
Visa Information and Appointment Service operate Monday-Friday from 08:30am to 17:30pm except for Turkish holidays. When making an appointment over the phone, please make sure you have your passport with you.
For more information, see also the website www.vfsglobal.com/belgium/turkey
NEW PROCEDURE SHORT STAY VISA - THE VISA INFORMATION SYSTEM (VIS) - AS FROM 25/09/2014
The Visa Information System – VIS
The Visa Information System (VIS) is an IT system that allows Schengen States to exchange visa data. The main purpose of the VIS is to simplify the visa issuance process, facilitate checks at external borders and to enhance security for everyone involved, including applicants.
The Schengen States’ Visa Information System has been operational since 11 October 2011. A phased rollout is underway, connecting more of these States’ visa sections to the VIS at each stage. The VIS will be operational in our region on 25/09/2014.
The VIS works by linking Schengen States’ consulates and external border crossing points to the central VIS database. The introduction of the VIS has necessitated various changes to the visa application process:
- As from 25/09/2014, people applying for a short-stay visa (max. 90 days) for the first time must apply in person, so that the necessary biometric data – ten fingerprints and a digital photo – can be collected.
- Finger scans stored in the VIS can be reused for further visa applications within the following five years.
- When travelers enter the Schengen area, the border authorities are thus able to verify their identity by accessing the VIS.
For more information please consult the European Commission website
Visa applications for Georgian citizens
Please be informed that citizens from Georgia who want to travel to Belgium, have to apply for their short stay visas (max 90 days) at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tbilissi: Sheraton Metechi Palace Hotel, 20 Telavi Street, 0103 Tbilisi.
Please contact this embassy for all information regarding your visa application.
Visa applications of long stay visas are handled by the company VFS in Turkey.
The costs for long term visas are 414 TL (i.e. 180 Euros) + 45 TL service fee for VFS. In case there is change in the exchange rate and therefore a difference between the amounts we received and the amounts we should get, we will reserve the right to ask you for the difference the day we are in the possession of your file.
Persons who want to come to Turkey (Istanbul) should first call VFS (tel. no. 0090-212-3735804 or via mail: info.belgiumtr@vfshelpline.com) to make an appointment. Please contact VFS also for the method of payment.
Persons who want to send their application by mail to VFS, please contact VFS on how to proceed.
In case you choose to send your application by post, please make sure you include the following in a sealed envelope:
- all obligatory and supporting application documents
- a prepaid express courier envelope must be included for documents and passports to be returned. The delivery address should be clearly stated on the envelope.
IMPORTANT NOTE: PLEASE BE INFORMED THAT VFS HOLDS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT OR INDIRECT DAMAGE OR/ LOSS DURING THE DELIVERY OF ANY DOCUMENTS AND PASSPORTS TO/FROM THE VISA APPLICATION CENTER.
For information on visa, please go to www.vfsglobal.com/belgium/turkey for the list of documents to be handed.
Note however that when a medical certificate is requested in the list of required documents the Consulate General of Belgium in Istanbul will only accept medical certificates from Georgia issued by the Medi Club Georgia Chavchavadze Avenue 5 Tbilisi 0179 - www.mediclubgeorgia.ge/default.aspx
*** Visas for Family Reunion with a Belgian or a person from the European Economic Space are free of charge.
Work permit
Please consult the site of the Immigration Office: www.dofi.fgov.be
You will find more information in the section Nationals of third countries, on the pages "A short stay in Belgium – for business purposes)" and "Establishing in Belgium for professional reasons".
Please consult the site of the regions for more information on the procedure to follow for an employment permit and a work permit B application, on the conditions under which a worker benefits from a work permit exemption, on specific categories of workers benefiting from a work permit exemption, on the labour market in Belgium and the sectors where occupations are in short supply, etc.
- Employment in the Brussels-Capital Region: www.bruxelles.irisnet.be
- Employment in the Flemish Region: www.werk.be
- Employment in the Walloon Region: www.emploi.wallonie.be
In accordance with the Visa Code, every visa applicant reserves the right to submit his or her visa application directly at the Belgian Embassy or Consulate competent for his/her place of residence. In order to do so, the applicant is required to schedule an appointment by email with the mission concerned.
