From 1 July 2026, the fee for long-stay visa (D visa) applications will increase to €250.
If you already have an appointment scheduled on or after 1 July 2026, the new fee will apply when you submit your visa application.
Please ensure that you pay the updated fee on the day of your appointment.
As of 10 April 2026, the new EU Entry/Exit System (EES) is now fully operational across all Schengen countries.
What is the Entry/Exit System?
Instead of stamping passports, the system will record your entry and exit electronically if you are a non-EU traveller staying for a short period.
It will also collect basic information such as your facial image, fingerprints, and details from your travel documents.
This system helps improve border control, increase security, and make the process faster and more efficient.
Who does it apply to?
The Entry/Exit System (EES) applies to non-EU travellers staying in the Schengen area for a short period (up to 90 days within any 180 days).
It applies whether you need a visa or not.
A non-EU traveller is anyone who is not a citizen of an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland.
Some travellers may be exempt, depending on their status.
How does it work?
With the Entry/Exit System (EES), every time you enter or leave the Schengen area, your information is recorded electronically. This also applies if you are refused entry.
The system securely stores your facial image, fingerprints, and details from your travel documents.
Key benefits of the system
The Entry/Exit System (EES) is designed to:
make border checks faster and more efficient
reduce waiting times, including through self-service options
improve security by identifying people who overstay and helping prevent identity fraud
support authorities in detecting security risks and serious crime.
For more information, please consult the official EU website.
Please note that Johannesburg and Centurion refer to the same visa application centre.
When completing your application, you can select Johannesburg, as both options correspond to the same location.
On 22 May 2024, the Official Journal of the European Union published Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1415 of 14 March 2024 amending Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 as regards the amount of the visa fee, which you will find in the appendix.
This means that starting from 11 June 2024, the visa fee will increase from EUR 80 to EUR 90 for short-stay visas for adults and from EUR 40 to EUR 45 for short-stay visas for children aged 6 to 12 years.
The visa fee amount remains unchanged for countries benefiting from a visa facilitation agreement, staying at EUR 35, except for Cape Verde nationals, for whom the visa fee will increase from EUR 60 to EUR 67.50 for adults and from EUR 30 to EUR 33.75 for children aged 6 to 12 years.
Kindly note that all children from 6 years old and above applying for visa category type c are required to submit their bio-metrics at the Visa Application Centre.
South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho and Eswatini are no longer considered as “high risk countries”. These countries are now considered red zones.Who can travel?Nationals and permanent residents of Belgium, of the EU or of a country that is part of the Schengen Area.Nationals of third countries, when fully vaccinated, with a registered vaccination certificate. Fully vaccinated means vaccinated with a EMA approved vaccine and for which all doses of the vaccine have been administered at least 2 weeks before travelling.Nationals of third countries if they are not fully vaccinated or can’t produce a recognised and registered vaccination certificate, but are part of one of the following categories:
- health professionals;- frontier workers;- seasonal workers in agriculture;- transport personnel;- diplomats, staff of international organizations, military or police personnel (etc.);- passengers in transit;- travel for compelling family reasons;- seafarers;- travel for humanitarian reasons;- students;- travel undertaken by qualified professionals in possession of a single permit/professional card/ work permit- spouse or partner of a person who has the nationality of an EU or Schengen member state and who accompanies this spouse or partner.
The specific conditions described above are in addition to the normal conditions of access to Belgium. Travelers must also take into account which visa procedures are in force for them. And an essential travel document is needed.It’s important to check with your airline company and/or travel agency about their travel regulations and flights to and from above mentioned countries.For further information, please check this website https://www.info-coronavirus.be/en/faq/#006
Starting 4th October 2021 short term visa applications from persons that reside in Mozambique can be introduced at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Maputo. Fully vaccinated persons that have been vaccinated with a recognized vaccine can apply for a short term visa. Non-vaccinated persons or persons that were vaccinated with a non-recognized vaccine can only apply for a visa in case the travel is considered essential and permitted. Long term visa applications need to be introduced at the TLS-center in Johannesburg.More information concerning vaccination certificates and essential travel certificates as well as quarantaine measures can be found on following website: https://5195.f2w.bosa.be/en/themes/covid-19/international-travels