How long does Belgium Schengen visa take after you submit your application? A week, two weeks, up to one month, or more? As an interested traveler to Belgium, you must factor in the processing time for visas if you want to plan your trip effectively. The last thing you want is visa delays to leave you hanging and disrupt your plans. Getting as much information about the process at your fingertips will help you greatly.
Who Needs A Schengen Visa?
Before proceeding any further, it is necessary to note that only some travelers need a Schengen visa. Visitors are divided into two categories; those who need Schengen visas because they are not from visa-exempt countries and those that don’t need Schengen visas because they are from visa-exempt countries.
If you are not from a visa exempt country, you need this visa before being allowed into Belgium or any other Schengen country. Persons from visa-exempt countries can enter visa-free but must possess the ETIAS visa waiver. You can avail of a visa for transit, tourism, cultural and sports exchange, business trips, short study, training, or official visits. You can even use it to visit family and friends.
Schengen visas are quite flexible and allow for non commercial visits that last only a short time. The visa is valid for 180 days, and visitors can stay for up to 90 days within six months.
Visit As Many Countries In Europe
The beauty of the Schengen visa is that you can visit more than one country with the same visa issued by the embassy. This is because Schengen visas are recognized by most European countries, including all 27 Schengen member states. The issuer of the visa does not matter; what matters is that the bearer is the visa owner, and it is valid for travel. Another thing to note is that the visa must be used to enter the country that issued it first before any other country.
For instance, if the Belgian embassy has issued you this visa, you must travel to Belgium before transiting to any other country.
How Long Does Belgium Schengen Visa Take?
So how long does Belgium Schengen visa take? The quickest time you will get your visa is about 45 days after you start the process for a few reasons.
If An Interview Is Required: If the embassy requests your presence, as is often the case, you will need to book an appointment with them, which will take some time. This interview is necessary for the process to move forward. During peak periods, you may need to wait for two weeks or more before your interview, and this adds more time to the waiting period.
If You Apply Through A Visa Application Center: If you apply through a visa application center, you may need to wait a while for the visa to get to the embassy. Deciding to apply directly or indirectly to the embassy is not up to you but to the embassy.
Without your application reaching the embassy, the process will not move forward.
Processing Time: Apart from the above factors, you must also consider the processing time. Most embassies take about 15 days to process a visa application, but that is only after other procedures have been completed, but a few embassies may take time.
These are some factors to bear in mind when submitting your application, and they determine how soon or later you get the Belgium tourist visa.
Schengen Visa Documents For Belgium
The visa documents for Belgium are as follows
Completed application form
Two recent photographs
Valid passport
Cover letter
Invitation letter, if necessary
Proof of financial means
Civil Status certificate
Proof of accommodation
Copies of the previous visa
Round trip itinerary
Travel Insurance
Visa fee
How To Apply For A Schengen Visa?
The first step is to determine if you need a visa or not. Once you are certain you need one, decide on the type of visa you want based on the purpose of your trip. Once this is clear, you can go ahead to fill out the application form with your details which should match the information in your documents.
After filling out the form, attach the documents listed above, then do one of two things; you either submit the documents to a visa agent or the embassy, depending on the procedure. The embassy will fix a date for you to appear with original copies of all the documents for review. After the interview, your application will be processed, and the Belgian Schengen visa will be issued a few weeks later.
How long does Belgium Schengen visa take? This Belgium visa can take 30-45 days to get depending on several factors discussed in this article.