All travellers

All travellers should familiarise themselves with the entry rules for Belgium before travel.

COVID-19

There are no longer COVID-19-related restrictions on travel from the UK, such as the need to present evidence of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 test or to complete a Passenger Locator Form.

A ban on non-essential travel remains in place for travellers arriving from very high risk countries, and arriving passengers are required to complete a Passenger Locator Form, quarantine for 10 days and take a PCR test on days 1 and 7. See the Belgian government website for further information on who is permitted to travel and the countries this affects.

If you’re fully vaccinated

Entry requirements for Belgium are the same for all travellers, regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status.

Proof of vaccination status

You don’t need to provide proof of your vaccination status for entry to Belgium.

If you’re not fully vaccinated

Entry requirements for Belgium are the same for all travellers, regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status.

If you’ve had COVID-19 in the past year

Entry requirements for Belgium are the same for all travellers, regardless of whether you have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past year.

Children and young people

Adults travelling to or from Belgium with children may be asked by border guards to provide proof of their relationship to a child they are accompanying at border control. This can be for parents, guardians or anyone else exercising parental authority. We recommend carrying documentation as proof, e.g. birth certificate, particularly if the parent or guardian has a different surname to the children.

If you’re transiting through Belgium

Transiting is when you pass through one country on the way to your final destination.

Check with your airline before departing.

Check your passport and travel documents before you travel

Passport validity

If you are planning to travel to an EU country (except Ireland), or Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City, you must follow the Schengen area passport requirements.

Your passport must be:

• Issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country (check the ‘date of issue’)
• valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’)

You must check your passport meets these requirements before you travel. If your passport was issued before 1 October 2018, extra months may have been added to its expiry date.

Contact the Belgian Embassy in the UK if you think that your passport does not meet both these requirements.

Visas

You can travel to countries in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. This applies if you travel as a tourist, to visit family or friends, to attend business meetings, cultural or sports events, or for short-term studies or training

If you are travelling to Belgium and other Schengen countries without a visa, make sure your whole visit is within the 90-day limit. Visits to Schengen countries within the previous 180 days before you travel count towards your 90 days.

To stay longer, to work or study, for business or for other reasons, you will need to meet the Belgian government’s entry requirements. Check with the Belgian Embassy what type of visa and/or work permit, you may need.

If you are travelling to Belgium for work, read the guidance on visas and permits.

If you stay in Belgium with a residence permit or long-stay visa, this does not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit.

Passport stamping

Check your passport is stamped if you enter or exit the Schengen area through Belgium as a visitor. Border guards will use passport stamps to check you’re complying with the 90-day visa-free limit for short stays in the Schengen area. If relevant entry or exit stamps are not in your passport, border guards will presume that you have overstayed your visa-free limit and ask for further evidence of your travel history.

You can show evidence of when and where you entered or exited the Schengen area, and ask the border guards to add this date and location in your passport. Examples of acceptable evidence include boarding passes and tickets.

You may also need to:

• show a return or onward ticket
• show you have enough money for your stay

If you are resident in Belgium, read our Living in Belgium guide for passport stamping information.