How to apply for a Belgium Schengen visa from the UK

Where you apply

Apply to Belgium if it is your main destination. TLScontact takes every Belgian visa application in the UK, and as a UK resident you may use any of its three centres, wherever you live:

• London: 18 Ryeland Boulevard (Ram Quarter), Wandsworth, SW18 1UN; submissions 08:30 to 14:00.
• Manchester: 1 Portland Street, M1 3BE; submissions 07:30 to 16:00.
• Edinburgh: Argyle House, 3 Lady Lawson Street, EH3 9DR; submissions 08:30 to 13:30.

The embassy says every EU embassy in London has long delays for appointments at the moment. Its booking calendar shows four weeks ahead, and new appointments are released each day for the date seven days later; they go quickly, so book several weeks before you travel. The embassy cannot find you an earlier slot, and a few expedited appointments are given only for genuine emergencies, such as a medical one; tourist trips do not count.

Step by step

1. 1

   Fill in the form on Visa On Web

   Complete the application on Visa On Web, Belgium's online form; it is the only form accepted. Print it, sign it and bring it to the appointment.
2. 2

   Book at TLScontact

   Click “Make an appointment” in Visa On Web, which takes you to TLScontact; choose the centre, date and time, and pay the service fee online. If the payment does not arrive in time, the appointment is cancelled. A missed or late appointment means booking a new one.
3. 3

   Gather the documents

   Against TLScontact's list for your purpose of travel, in English, French, Dutch or German; the UK-specific points are below. Remove all staples.
4. 4

   Attend the appointment

   At least 15 calendar days before you travel, and no more than six months before. Hand in the file, give fingerprints and pay the visa fee by card; TLScontact sends the file to the embassy the next working day. The passport stays with the embassy until the decision.
5. 5

   Wait for the decision

   The embassy aims to decide within ten working days of receiving the file. It can take up to 85 days if more documents are requested or the file goes to the Immigration Office in Belgium, which is the rule for some nationalities. You are notified by SMS when the passport is back at the centre.

Documents

The country's own checklist is the one that counts. The core of it:

• Passport issued within the last ten years, valid at least three months after you leave the Schengen Area, with two blank pages.
• Proof of your UK immigration status, such as your eVisa and a share code, valid beyond your return.
• The signed application form and a photo to the ICAO passport standard.
• Travel medical insurance with at least €30,000 cover, valid in every Schengen country for the whole trip.
• Recent bank statements, and a letter from your employer or proof of studies or self-employment.
• A flight reservation, and hotel bookings or an invitation letter.

On top of that, TLScontact's tourism list for the UK asks for:

• A printout of a share code for checking your immigration status or right to work, not your own status check, showing at least one month of UK residence left after you leave the Schengen Area.
• A passport valid at least three months beyond the visa, with two blank pages side by side, and two UK passport-size photos.
• UK bank statements in your name for at least the last three months, showing the balance, and credit card statements showing the monthly limit.
• Employees: a recent signed letter from the employer giving its UK registration number and your salary, with payslips for the last three months. The self-employed bring a letter from an accountant, banker or solicitor and a self-assessment form; students a letter from their school, college or university.
• A travel insurance certificate that itself states the cover. A certificate referring to a separate policy booklet is not accepted, and neither is an EHIC.

The embassy warns that it decides on the documents in your original file, and that it sees a significant decline in the quality of applications lodged in the UK.

Fees and processing time

Visa fee, adults

€90, payable only in pounds: £81 on TLScontact's table (TLScontact, November 2026)

Children aged 6 to 11

€45 (£40.50 on TLScontact's table)

TLScontact service fee

£34.70 per application, paid online when you book (TLScontact, November 2026)

Prime Time

Optional 07:30 and 08:00 appointments, £79.74 per person (TLScontact, November 2026)

Processing

Within ten working days as a target, according to the embassy; up to 85 days in some cases

The visa fee is set in euros and charged in pounds, so the sterling amount changes with the exchange rate. Applicants exempt from the visa fee still pay TLScontact's service fee, the embassy says. TLScontact takes debit and credit cards, but not American Express.

Applications and refusals

In 2025, the consulates of Belgium in the UK received 12,135 short-stay Schengen visa applications: 2.4% of all those lodged in the UK, and the 11th most of any Schengen country. They refused 14.7% of the applications they decided; across every Schengen country in the UK the rate was 10.5%, according to the European Commission's visa statistics.

Applications, 2025

12,135

Rank in the UK

11th of 28 Schengen countries

Refused

14.7%

All Schengen countries in the UK

10.5% refused

The Commission counts applications where they are lodged, not by nationality, so these are residents of the UK of many nationalities. A refusal rate is an average over every applicant and says little about any one file; and the country you apply to is set by your main destination, not by its refusal rate.

What applicants reported

25 applicants in the United Kingdom have reported their Belgium visa to Visa Catcher's statistics. The median time from appointment to passport back was 10 days.

Reports

25

Appointment to passport back (median)

10 days; typically 7–15 days

Approved

92% of 25 with a known outcome

Validity granted (median)

3 months

Multiple entry

73%

See every Belgium report from the United Kingdom · how the statistics work

Getting the appointment

The form is the easy part. The hard part is a free date with TLScontact: when demand is high the calendar can stay empty, and new dates go quickly when they appear.

These are the ways to get a date:

Every route we do track is on the UK appointment board page. For how the booking systems work, see how to book a Schengen visa appointment in the UK.

Questions

Can I apply for a Belgian visa in Manchester or Edinburgh?

Yes. TLScontact says any UK resident can apply at its Belgium visa application centre in London, Manchester or Edinburgh, wherever they live. Applications are never lodged at the embassy itself.

When are new Belgium visa appointments released in the UK?

The embassy says its booking calendar shows four weeks ahead and new appointments are released each day for the date seven days later. They are booked quickly, so it advises booking several weeks before you travel. Appointments are free of charge.

How long must my UK residence permit be valid for a Belgian visa?

At least one month after the day you leave the Schengen Area, according to TLScontact; your passport must be valid at least 90 days after that. The embassy cannot deviate from this rule.

Do I need to register when I arrive in Belgium?

Yes. The embassy says anyone entering Belgium for a short stay must declare their presence within three days of arrival. Since 10 April 2026 this can be done online with the “My Address in Belgium” form instead of at the local municipal office.

What is the refusal rate for Belgium Schengen visas in the UK?

In 2025, the consulates of Belgium in the UK refused 14.7% of the short-stay visa applications they decided, against 10.5% across all Schengen countries in the UK, according to the European Commission’s visa statistics. They received 12,135 applications, the 11th most of any Schengen country.

Sources

• Embassy of Belgium in the UK: visa for Belgium
• Embassy of Belgium in the UK: short-stay Schengen visa
• Embassy of Belgium in the UK: important information (appointments)
• Embassy of Belgium in the UK: visa FAQ
• Belgium: Visa On Web application form
• TLScontact Belgium, UK: choose your centre
• TLScontact Belgium, London: application process
• TLScontact Belgium, London: visa application fees
• TLScontact Belgium, London: address and opening hours
• TLScontact Belgium, Manchester: address and opening hours
• TLScontact Belgium, Edinburgh: address and opening hours
• TLScontact Belgium, London: FAQ
• TLScontact Belgium, London: fraud alert
• TLScontact Belgium, UK: list of documents for tourism (PDF)
• TLScontact Belgium, UK: processing time (PDF)
• EU Visa Code, Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 (consolidated text of 28 June 2024)
• European Commission: visa policy and the short-stay visa fee
• European Commission: Schengen visa statistics for consulates, 2025 (2025-consulates-schengen-visa-statistics.xlsx)

Rules and fees are set by the consulates and their visa centres and can change; check the official pages above before you apply. Our coverage, prices and release statistics on this page are live. Visa Catcher is an independent appointment-tracking service, not affiliated with any visa centre, embassy, consulate or government.