Kronenburg Estates S.L.

Long term visa for Belgium (type D)

If you want to come to Belgium for longer than three months (90 days), you will have to apply for a long-stay (D) visa and residence permit based on the purpose of your stay, for example, whether you will be coming to Belgium to work, study, or join a family member, as detailed below.

Since 2015, an additional contribution has been required to process certain long-term visa applications, on top of the usual application handling fee (about EUR 180).

Unlike the handling fee which can be paid at the time of application, any applicable contribution must be paid to the Belgian Immigration Office beforehand and the proof of payment attached to your application – or your application won't be accepted. Some foreigners are exempt from this fee, which ranges from EUR 60–215 depending on your age and the purpose of the stay. Your local authority, embassy or consulate can advise you.

Working in Belgium

Before you apply for a long-term visa to come and work in Belgium, you will first need to find a job and an employer who will obtain authorisation to employ you and apply for a work permit on your behalf. Some highly qualified individuals can apply for a Blue Card instead. For more information on working in Belgium.

Studying in Belgium

To get a long-term visa to come to Belgium to study in higher education or to spend a preparatory year of study ahead of this, you will first need to be able to prove that you:

• have a place at a recognised institution (course information, letter from the educational establishment, educational certificates);
• have sufficient funds to cover your living costs, study, healthcare and repatriation costs (EUR 617 per month for the 2015-2016 study year);
• a medical certificate;
• proof that you don’t have a criminal record, if you’re over 21.

Family reunification

As a general rule, if you’re a non-EU/EEA or Swiss national, you can get a long-term visa to accompany your spouse, registered partner or parent (if you’re a dependent family member), who has been given permission to come and live in Belgium as long as you fulfil certain conditions. You have to be able to prove your relationship, have suitable accommodation in Belgium, and there must be sufficient funds to support the family’s living and health insurance costs.

RESIDENCE PERMIT REQUIREMENTS

How to apply for a Belgian long-term visa

If you’re outside Belgium then you should apply at the Belgian embassy in your home country. You may need to visit the embassy in person. If you’re already in Belgium – perhaps because you don't need an entry visa for less than three months, or you have a residence card for another purpose – you should apply at the local Belgian municipal administration offices /town hall (maison communale/gemeentehuis). You’ll need to complete an application form for a long-stay visa in Belgium, and also supply originals and copies of other documents, which may include:

• a valid passport/travel ID document;
• a work permit, proof of registration at an educational institution, marriage/civil partnership or birth certificates (if applicable);
• proof that you can support yourself during your stay;
• proof of accommodation;
• a medical certificate to prove that you don’t have any disease which could endanger public health;
• a certificate to show you don’t have a criminal record.

The visa takes the form of a sticker in your passport/travel ID.

Once you arrive in Belgium: Registration

Anyone who plans to stay in Belgium for more than three months will be classified as a ‘resident’. After your arrival in Belgium, you have eight working days to go to your local municipal administration office/town hall (maison communale/gemeentehuis) to be registered on the Foreigner's Register and get your residence card. To find the details of your local town hall, you’ll need to contact the commune in which you’re living.

You’ll need to take along your passport, work permit (if applicable) and passport photos. You’ll be issued with a Certificate of Registration, and either an A residence card if you are staying for a specific amount of time, or a B residence card if you are allowed to stay in Belgium indefinitely.

Besides registration, you will also need set up the necessary aspects for living in Belgium, such as a bank account, health insurance and more. See the necessary steps in our checklist for after you move to Belgium.

Permanent residence and Belgium citizenship

Once you have resided in Belgium for a period of five uninterrupted years and you plan to stay in Belgium long term, you may qualify for permanent residency in Belgium. Certain residents will also be able to apply for Belgian nationality if they fulfil certain conditions. Both allow you to stay in Belgium indefinitely, working or otherwise, under similar conditions as Belgian citizens.

If you hold a Blue Card from another EU-member state, and have lived elsewhere in the EU for a certain period, this time can count towards your calculation of five years.

Working in Belgium

EU/EEA and Swiss citizens can work without a work permit in Belgium. Third-country nationals, however, will typically need a work permit to engage in economic activities.

There are three types of work permit, A, B and C:

• type-A work permits allow you to work for any employer indefinitely;
• type-B work permits allow you to work for a specific employer for up to a year (renewable);
• type-C work permits allow those staying in Belgium only temporarily – such as students – to work for any employer for up to a year (also renewable).

Some highly qualified workers can also apply for a European Blue Card to come to Belgium to work.

Legalization and translation of documents

You may be asked to legalise – authenticate – certain documents. This must be done in the country where they were issued (ie. your country of birth), either by being Apostilled (a legalising stamp), or by the Belgian embassy or consulate in your home country. Documents in a foreign language other than French, Dutch or German, may need to be translated by an official translator.

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