Visas to Belgium.

[Bruno]

Ok, lets try it... but mainland Europe doesn't exist... each European country has its own rules... so, what I will write bellow is only for Belgium...

First, you need to know the "purpose" of the application :
- Tourist visa for visit a boyfriend in Belgium
- Cohabitation visa for living with boyfriend without marriage
- Marriage visa ( like K1 )
- Family reunification to join a spouse in Belgium ( like K3 )

For information, up to date processing time for each type of visa http://www.dofi.fgov.be/fr/statistieken/visa.pdf

When any type of long term visa is asked ( cohabitation / Family reunification ) is asked, the evolution of the dossier can be followed at :
- French : http://www.dofi.fgov.be/infovisa/francais/visum.htm
- Dutch : http://www.dofi.fgov.be/infovisa/nederlands/visum.htm
For short term, the reply is give by Embassy, the foreign office publish it a few week after on the site... Short term is decide by Embassy, long term by foreign office located in Belgium.

For the cohabitation visa, it is actually very difficult to receive it... over the last two years, the refusal rate has grown from around 10% to more of 60%... new rules were added to the laws like :
- She need to have visited you one time with tourist visa before
- You need to visit her more than one time in the year... so, better 2 trips of one week by year than one trip of 6 weeks...
- Need evidence of relationship, recently ask evidence of things you have bought together !!!
So, these who will try these way need to have a very very strong dossier...

TOURIST VISA :

1. DOCUMENTS TO BE SUBMITTED

To apply for a visa for a short stay (up to 90 days) in Belgium, you must submit the following documents to the embassy or consulate responsible for your place of residence:

1. A valid travel document (e.g. national passport) in which a visa can be affixed . This travel document must be valid for three months longer than the visa.

2. A visa application form http://www.diplomatie.be/en/pdf/visa.pdf  correctly completed, signed and accompanied by two recent passport photos bearing a true likeness to the applicant.

3. Documents proving the purpose of your trip (e.g. a letter of invitation) and the circumstances of the planned stay (e.g. hotel reservation, staying with a private individual).

4. Documents proving that you have sufficient means of subsistence, covering both the duration of your stay and your return journey:
 
- either your own financial means (e.g. hotel reservation, cash, cheques and credit cards accepted in Belgium, an employment contract, bank statements, proof of enrolment on the trade register and/or of professional activity);

- or the guarantor's financial means: A pledge of financial support is specific proof of means of subsistence. It offers a solution in situations where you cannot prove your own  solvency. Through this pledge of financial support, a Belgian national, or a foreign national resident in Belgium, acts as a guarantor for your period of residence, your return journey and your medical costs. The guarantor should ask for the pledge of financial support (also called Annex 3bis) at the municipality (commune/gemeente) of his/her place of residence. The guarantor does not have to be the issuer of the invitation. When the pledge of financial support has been authenticated by the municipal authorities, the original document must be submitted to the relevant embassy or consulate, within six months of the authentication, together with:

    * a copy of the guarantor's last three pay slips or any other (official) document proving his/her solvency. In the case of a family visit, the guarantor must earn at least 800 euro net per month + 150 euro for each of the guarantor's current dependents and/or + 150 euro for each person invited. In the case of a visit to friends, the guarantor must earn at least 1,000 euro net per month + 150 euro for each of the guarantor's current dependents and/or + 200 euro for each person invited;
    * a copy of a document proving that the guarantor is of Belgian nationality (identity card) or has authorisation to stay in Belgium indefinitely (residence permit).

Given that the number of current dependents is a factor in determining the solvency of the guarantor, it is also advisable to submit proof of the  make-up of the guarantor's family together with evidence of any family benefits received. 

5.  Proof that you are the holder of a valid travel insurance policy, either individual or group, covering the cost of repatriation on medical grounds, urgent medical treatment and/or urgent hospital treatment. As a rule, you must take out insurance in your country of residence. If your host takes out the insurance for you, he/she must do so in his/her own country of residence. To find out which insurance policies are accepted, you should enquire at the relevant Belgian embassy or consulate. The insurance must be valid throughout all of the Schengen countries  and must cover the whole duration of the stay. The minimum cover is 30,000 euro.

6.  Proof of transport arrangements (return ticket): as soon as your visa application has been approved, you must submit a return ticket (in your name and non-transferable) in order for the visa to be issued.

You only need submit the return ticket and travel insurance policy once the Belgian embassy or consulate informs you that your visa has been granted. This is to avoid unnecessary expense on your part. However, the embassy or consulate may ask you to submit proof that a return ticket has been reserved.

The documents listed above are only the basic documents to be submitted in all cases. Additional documents may be requested by the embassy or consulate.

2. PROCESSING THE APPLICATION

In some cases, the visa application procedure may take a long time so you should submit your application as early as possible. For a short stay, you should normally apply for your visa three to four weeks prior to departure.   

3. COMMENTS

Young people and minors

Children under the age of 16 may enter Belgium without their own individual travel document if accompanied by one of their parents, grandparents or by a guardian, provided this person is of the same nationality as the child and the child is included on his/her passport. Children for whom this is not the case must have their own valid travel document containing a visa if necessary.

Minors travelling alone or with persons other than their parents require a statement of authorisation to travel signed by both parents or by a legal guardian. This statement must be authenticated by the local authorities. Minors travelling with one of their parents also need this authorisation if their parents are divorced.

In some cases, schoolchildren or students are required to have a statement from their school to the effect that they are on holiday and are not missing classes.

Access to the territory

Presentation of a visa does not grant an unconditional right to enter Belgium or the Schengen area. When you present your visa at the border, you may be refused access to Belgium if you are clearly without means of subsistence and are unable to procure such means by undertaking legal paid employment. Proof of adequate means of subsistence may take the form of cash, cheques and credit cards accepted in Belgium, the original copy of a pledge of financial support, a work contract, bank statements, proof of enrolment on the trade register and/or of professional activity.

The rest follow in the two next post... the forum engine give a error when i try to post everything in one post :
 The following error or errors occurred while posting this message:
The message exceeds the maximum allowed length (20000 characters).

[Bruno]

MARRIAGE VISA

1. DOCUMENTS REQUIRED

When applying for a visa to come to Belgium to marry a Belgian citizen or a foreign national legally residing in Belgium, you need to present the following documents in person at the embassy or consulate responsible for your place of residence:

1. A travel document (e.g. national passport) valid for at least 12 months, in which a visa can be affixed.

2. Two visa application forms http://www.diplomatie.be/en/pdf/SchengenvisaEnglish.pdf duly completed, signed and accompanied by two recent passport photos bearing a true likeness to the applicant.

3. A medical certificate http://www.diplomatie.be/fr/pdf/certif%20medical%20visa%20FR.pdf filled out by a doctor approved by the Belgian embassy or consulate and dated no more than six months prior to the date of application.

4. An extract from your judicial record dating from no more than six months prior to the date of application and covering the previous five years.

5. Proof of sufficient means of subsistence for the duration of the stay in Belgium or a pledge of financial support from an individual who has sufficient means of subsistence and who is a Belgian citizen or a foreign national authorised to reside in Belgium for an unlimited period. The guarantor can request the form (annexe 3bis/bijlage 3bis) from their municipal authority in Belgium.  Once the pledge of financial support has been legalised by that municipal authority, the original must be submitted to the relevant embassy or consulate within six months and accompanied by:

    * Documents confirming the guarantor's solvency (e.g. payslips).
    * A copy of a document proving the guarantor's Belgian citizenship (identity card) or a document confirming they are authorised to reside in Belgium for an unlimited period (residence permit).

5. An official copy of the marriage notice form (acte de déclaration de marriage/akte van aangifte van het huwelijk) drawn up by the relevant registrar in Belgium. This document must be dated no more than six months prior to the date of application.

6. Proof that you are the holder of a valid travel insurance policy, either individual or group, covering the cost of repatriation on medical grounds, urgent medical treatment and/or urgent hospital treatment. As a rule, you must take out insurance in your country of residence. If your host takes out the insurance for you, they must do so in their own country of residence. To find out which insurance policies are accepted, you should enquire at the relevant Belgian embassy or consulate. The insurance must be valid throughout all of the Schengen countries and must cover the whole duration of the stay. The minimum cover is 30,000 euro.

The documents listed above are merely the basic documents required in all cases. Additional documents may be requested by the embassy or consulate.

Official documents issued abroad must be legalised or bear an apostille, depending on the country whence they originated, unless a treaty provides for exemption from this process.

Documents issued abroad in a language other than Dutch, English, French or German must be translated by a sworn translator.

2. PROCESSING THE APPLICATION
 
You will have to submit to the Belgian embassy or consulate copies of any original documents submitted. The original documents will be returned to you.

If the Immigration Service approves your application, you will receive a short-stay visa authorising you to stay in Belgium for three months. Your wedding ceremony must take place during this period. After your marriage has taken place, the Immigration Service will then decide whether to grant you authorisation to reside in Belgium for an unlimited period.

[Bruno]

COHABITATION VISA

1. GENERAL CONDITIONS

- Both partners must be at least 18 years old.

- Both partners must be unmarried.

- The partner already residing in Belgium must hold Belgian citizenship or be a foreign national legally residing in Belgium. Any partner residing in Belgium who is not a citizen of one of the countries in the European Economic Area (EEA) must have authorisation to stay in Belgium for a period of longer than three months.

- The partner already residing in Belgium must have sufficient and sustainable means of subsistence.

- These conditions apply to both heterosexual and same-sex relationships.

2. DOCUMENTS REQUIRED

When applying for a visa, you need to present the following documents in person at the embassy or consulate responsible for your place of residence:

1. A travel document (e.g. national passport) valid for at least 12 months, in which a visa can be affixed.

2. Two  visa application forms http://www.diplomatie.be/en/pdf/SchengenvisaEnglish.pdf duly completed, signed and accompanied by two recent passport photos bearing a true likeness to the applicant.

3. One copy of the Belgian identity card or residence or settlement permit issued to the partner residing in Belgium.

4. A document proving that the two partners are not married.

5. An official copy of your full birth certificate.

6. Proof that the relationship is stable and long-term (e.g. letters, plane tickets, photographs, etc.). see my comment up, in the first post

7. Proof that the partner residing in Belgium has sufficient means of subsistence (i.e. earns at least 750 euro a month + 125 euro for each dependant).

8. A pledge of financial support signed by the partner residing in Belgium who can request the appropriate form (engagement de prise en charge d'un partenaire concubin/verbintenis tot tenlasteneming van een partner die in concubinaat samenleeft) from their municipal authority. Once this pledge has been legalised by that municipal authority, the original must be sent to the visa applicant or relevant embassy or consulate, accompanied by:

    * Documents confirming the guarantor's solvency (e.g. payslips).
    * A copy of a document proving the guarantor's Belgian citizenship (identity card) or a document confirming that they are authorised to reside in Belgium for an unlimited period (residence permit).

9. An extract from your judicial record dating from no more than six months prior to the date of application and covering the previous five years.

10. A medical certificate http://www.diplomatie.be/en/pdf/MEDICAL%20CERTIFICATE%20FOR%20VISA.pdf filled out by a doctor approved by the Belgian embassy or consulate and dated no more than six months prior to the date of application.

The documents listed above are merely the basic documents required in all cases. Additional documents may be requested by the embassy or consulate.

Official documents issued abroad must be legalised or bear an apostille, depending on the country whence they originated, unless a treaty provides for exemption from this process.

Documents issued abroad in a language other than Dutch, English, French or German must be translated by a sworn translator.

3. PROCESSING THE APPLICATION

You will have to submit to the Belgian embassy or consulate copies of any original documents submitted. The original documents will be returned to you.

Once the submitted documents have been verified and the application is complete, the embassy or consulate will send it to the Immigration Service at the Federal Public Service Home Affairs in Belgium, which will then decide whether or not to issue a visa.

Attention: this department decides sovereignly, on the basis of all the elements of each application taken separately, if the duration and the seriousness of the relationship justify the issuance of a visa.

Within eight days of your arrival in Belgium, you must go in person to the municipal authority in your partner's place of residence. You must actually live together in Belgium for the entire duration of your relationship and share the same household. Within six months of the issue date of the visa, you must sign a contract stating that you live together (i.e. a contrat de vie commune/samenlevingscontract) in the presence of a Belgian notary or make a cohabitation declaration (déclaration de cohabitation/verklaring van wettelijke samenwoning) in the presence of your local municipal authorities's registrar, in accordance with Article 1476 of the Civil Code. All applications for extensions of residence permits must be accompanied by the required proof of cohabitation.

If your partner residing in Belgium is a student, their parents may pledge you their financial support provided that you submit proof from the partner's educational establishment and also a pledge of financial support signed by your partner's parents, who may request the appropriate form ("engagement de prise en charge d'un partenaire concubin" / "verbintenis tot tenlasteneming van een partner die in concubinaat samenleeft") from their local municipal authority in Belgium. This exception only applies to students.

[Bruno]

FAMILY REUNIFICATION VISA

1. If you are married to a Belgian citizen or a national of a country in the European Economic Area (EEA) who resides in Belgium

Documents required

When applying for a visa, you need to present the following documents in person at the embassy or consulate  responsible for your place of residence:

1. A travel document (e.g. national passport) valid for at least 12 months, in which a visa can be affixed.

2. Two visa application forms http://www.diplomatie.be/en/pdf/SchengenvisaEnglish.pdf duly completed, signed and accompanied by two recent passport photos bearing a true likeness to the applicant.

3. An official copy of your marriage certificate.

4. An official copy of the divorce ruling, divorce certificate or death certificate for your previous spouse if you had been married before.

5. A copy of the Belgian identity card, confirmation of registration (attestation d'immatriculation/attest van immatriculatie) or residence permit of your spouse residing in Belgium who is a Belgian citizen or an EEA national. If your spouse does not already reside in Belgium, you must also provide proof of their intention to settle there (e.g. employment or rental contract).

2. If you are married to an individual who is not a national of a country in the European Economic Area (EEA)

Documents required

You must submit the aforementioned documents. If you are at least 18 years old, you must also submit an extract from your judicial record dating from no more than six months and covering the previous five years.

If your spouse resides in Belgium and is not an EEA national, they must be authorised to stay in Belgium for longer than three months and be in possession of either an identity card for foreign nationals or proof that they have been entered into the register of foreign nationals. Unlike EEA nationals, confirmation of registration (attestation d'immatriculation/attest van immatriculatie) is not sufficient.

Restrictions
 
- If your spouse was already authorised to stay in Belgium for longer than three months to participate in a family reunification with a non-EEA national, in principle you can no longer qualify for a family reunification visa.

- If another member of your family, for example a child, has already obtained a family reunification visa, you must exercise your right to family reunification before the end of the following calendar year.

If you come from Algeria, Bosnia, Morocco, Turkey, Tunisia, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro or the Republic of Macedonia, the above two restrictions do not apply, since bilateral agreements have been signed with these countries. This exemption applies on condition that your spouse has worked for at least three months (1 month for Turkish citizens) in Belgium, either as an employee or on a self-employed basis, and has an income as such or a replacement income, e.g. receives unemployment benefit (NB: an integration income (revenu d'intégration/leefloon) received from a public social assistance centre (CPAS/OCMW) does not count).

The documents listed above are merely the basic documents required in all cases. Additional documents may be requested by the embassy or consulate.

Official documents issued abroad must be legalised or bear an apostille, depending on the country whence they originated, unless a treaty provides for exemption from this process.

Documents issued abroad in a language other than Dutch, English, French or German must be translated by a sworn translator.

3. PROCESSING THE APPLICATION

You will have to submit to the Belgian embassy or consulate copies of any original documents submitted. The original documents will be returned to you.

Once the submitted documents have been verified and the application is complete, in certain cases the embassy or consulate will send it to the Immigration Service at the Federal Public Service Home Affairs in Belgium, which will then decide whether or not to issue a visa.

Within eight days of your arrival in Belgium, you must go in person to the municipal authority in your place of residence.

If someone from Belgium needs more information, they are free to PM me or e-mail me... my personal experience is a marriage followed by family reunion visa, a divorce ( hope no one will need info for it ), a marriage visa, two cohabitation visa... and soon ( i hope ) , again  a marriage followed by a family reunion visa... for these who marry a RW with child, i have some information about the adaption but i have never finish the procedure, divorce was coming more early... have receive the paper for adoption from the Russian embassy a few month after the divorce, 4 year after the start of the procedure !!! For fiancee visa, i have no personal experience, only info...