VISA for Belgium - short stay

AMO

Hi all,

Whats the cheapest way to get a visa to visit Belgium?

I am only aware of the following link:
http://www.vfs-be-uk.com/visafees.aspx

However, this will cost approx £43 + £22 handling fee plus cost of Special Delivery.

What's the timeframe for getting the visa once an application has been submitted?

Thanx

AMO

mjdh1957

If you've got a UK or other EU passport you won't need a visa.

What kind of passport do you have?

AMO

It's for my friend - Chinese.

Voyager2002

OP, I think the link you have given is the cheapest way, unless you are a national of a member country of the EU or are married to one.

Is this as a means to get into France? Because the Belgian website says that they only give visas if Belgium is the MAIN country you are visiting (rather than a country through which you are passing).

AMO

Yes its the main country we're visiting thanks.

Seems a bit expensive though, but I guess she's got to pay it!

AMO

jaymac_2

If you go to France first would your friend need a visa for France? You can drive into Belgium from France without needing to show anyone your passport.

SoozyJ22

Chinese people do need a visa for France. A Chinese girl I work with spent last Friday in London sorting out a visa for a trip to Paris.

The reason you can drive from Belgium to France without showing your passport is that they're both in the Schengen area so the one visa covers both countries.

Voyager2002

The visa for Belgium is extra expensive because the consulate in London has given the contract to a private company. The company keeps the extra 22 pound fee that all applicants must pay.

However, you can enter Belgium with a visa for any Schengen country. I think that Germany is fairly efficient about issuing visas. You do need a booking for accommodation, but it is easy to make bookings and then cancel them without penalty...

BernadetteN

Outsourcing of visa applications to private agencies is now a common practice.

Belgium and France are both Schengen countries and you will find Schengen visa fees are more or less the same, no matter which country you apply to. It appears the French Embassy in London do not "outsource" their applications to a private agency (yet) so a little bending of the truth about "main country" of visit could avoid the agency fee, but then you may be asked to provide proof of accommodation for France which one will not have if one is going to Belgium so what is there to gain?

If it makes you feel any better, I have paid close to £500 for visit visas for 5 of the family to Russia this Summer. DH is a diplomat but we have had to pay for our own visas as he is there for less than a year!

PS please ensure your Chinese friend has valid leave to enter/remain in the UK beyond his/her visit to Belgium or he/she will not get back into the UK. Also it is a good idea to bring any relevant proof of studies / work permit to show for the return immigration control for the UK it makes it so much easier for the immigration officer, especially since Chinese passports are "hot" property for fraudulent use.

AMO

Thanks for the responses especially BernadetteN. Yes, we looked at the FAQ and it required that we apply to Belgium because that is the main country we are visiting - possibly a day trip to Amsterdam in addition to that.

It also requires proof of overseas medical insurance. What is the best way to go about that. When purchasing the flight ticket it came with insurance - but I assume that's just for the flight and the luggage. Will standard travel insurance cover medical insurance and does that make the insurance for the flight pretty much redundant?

Thanx

AMO

Voyager2002

AMO wrote: »

Thanks for the responses especially BernadetteN. Yes, we looked at the FAQ and it required that we apply to Belgium because that is the main country we are visiting - possibly a day trip to Amsterdam in addition to that.

It also requires proof of overseas medical insurance. What is the best way to go about that. When purchasing the flight ticket it came with insurance - but I assume that's just for the flight and the luggage. Will standard travel insurance cover medical insurance and does that make the insurance for the flight pretty much redundant?

Thanx

AMO

You will have to read the insurance policy for the insurance that you bought with the flight. As a guess, if you paid less than five pounds it was probably just insurance against the airline going bankrupt, but if it was any more than that it was probably holiday insurance. But you will have to find out what you bought. If it was holiday insurance, you will need to print out the policy and use it as part of your visa application.

On visas: you can enter Belgium with a visa issued by France, Holland, Germany or other countries. The costs of these visas vary (particularly because of the Belgian out-sourcing charge), as does the processing time, so it makes sense to shop around. Now, you might well fly to Brussels and then have short train to a holiday destination in a neighbouring country: France, Germany, Luxembourg or Holland. So you could apply for a visa for any of these countries: you would just need to book somewhere to stay in whichever country charges least for the visa and/or offers the most rapid service.

As for re-entry to the UK: my wife has a Chinese passport and a valid (student) visa for the UK, and has entered the UK many times without any problems at all. So no need to bring other papers: UK immigration officers can recognise a genuine visa, and in case of any doubt can look it up on a database.