# Can Indians Travel to Belgium Without a Visa in 2026? > Belgium is not visa-free for Indian passport holders in 2026. Here is why, which visa fits your trip, what it costs from 1 October 2026 and what changes at the border. _Published: 2026-11-05 · Reading time: 5 min · Words: 1191_ ## TL;DR Indian passport holders cannot enter Belgium without a visa in 2026, because India is in Annex I of EU Regulation 2018/1806. You need a Belgian Schengen (C) visa for up to 90 days or a national (D) visa for longer stays, lodged at a VFS Global centre; there is no eVisa and no visa on arrival. ## Key takeaways - Belgium is not visa-free for Indians: India is in Annex I of EU Regulation 2018/1806. - Short stays of up to 90 days need a Schengen C visa: EUR 90 / INR 10170 for adults from 1 October 2026. - Applications are filled on VisaOnWeb and lodged in person at one of 14 VFS Global centres. - Decisions generally take 15 working days, up to 30 or exceptionally 60 calendar days if referred to Belgium. - European Commission data: 7.8% refusal rate at Belgian consulates in India in 2025. **No. Indian passport holders need a visa for Belgium in 2026. India is listed in Annex I of EU Regulation 2018/1806, the European Commission's visa-required list, so you must get a Belgian Schengen (C) or national (D) visa through a VFS Global centre before travel. Belgium offers Indians no eVisa and no visa on arrival.** ## Article This answer is based on the Embassy of Belgium in India, the Belgian Immigration Office, VFS Global and the European Commission, as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. For checklists by purpose and the long-stay routes, see our Belgium visa guide for Indian passport holders. ### Why is there no visa-free entry to Belgium for Indians? Belgium is a Schengen state, so it applies the common EU visa list. Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 names the countries whose nationals must hold a visa when crossing the Schengen external borders, and India is on it. No bilateral exemption for Indian ordinary passports appears on the Embassy's pages. The practical result is simple. An airline will expect a valid Belgian or other Schengen visa in your passport before you board for Brussels. The Embassy of Belgium in New Delhi or the Consulate General in Mumbai decides the application after you lodge it at VFS Global. ### Is there a Belgium eVisa or visa on arrival? Neither exists for Indians. Belgium does not issue visas online. You fill the application on VisaOnWeb (visaonweb.diplomatie.be), receive a copy by email, print and sign it, and lodge it in person at a VFS Global centre. There a live photo and, where required, fingerprints are taken. An online form that is not confirmed at a centre within 30 days is deleted, so do not fill VisaOnWeb months before your appointment. Children under 12 are exempt from fingerprints for C visas, and so are C applicants whose fingerprints and live photo were registered for a Schengen visa in the last 59 months. ### Which Belgian visa matches your trip? The visa type depends on purpose and length of stay. These are the categories the Embassy lists for applicants living in India: TripVisaAdult visa fee (from 1 October 2026)Holiday or sightseeing, up to 90 daysVisa C for TourismEUR 90 / INR 10170Visiting family or friends, up to 90 daysVisa C for Family or Private VisitEUR 90 / INR 10170Meetings, training, conferences, cultural or sporting eventsVisa C for BusinessEUR 90 / INR 10170Entrance exam for medical or dental programmesVisa C (entrance exam)EUR 90 / INR 10170Higher studies over 90 daysVisa D for StudentsEUR 250 / INR 28250, plus contribution feeWork over 90 daysVisa D Work Unique Permit or Other Than Unique PermitEUR 250 / INR 28250, plus contribution feeJoining a spouse, parent or childVisa D family reunion categoriesEUR 250 / INR 28250, plus contribution feeChildren aged 6 to 12 pay EUR 45 / INR 5085 for a C visa. Children under 6 and family members of an EU citizen are exempt from the visa fee. Everyone, including fee-exempt applicants, pays the VFS service fee: INR 2825 on VFS Global's Belgium centre pages, while the Embassy page states INR 2750. The VFS one-pager still showed the older INR 9720 visa fee in October 2026. The Embassy's tariff from 1 October 2026 is INR 10170, so confirm the amount payable at the centre before you go. ### How long does a Belgian visa take, and where do you apply? As a general rule, a decision comes within 15 working days of submission. It may be extended to 30 calendar days, and exceptionally 60 calendar days, if the file is referred to the Immigration Office in Belgium. VFS Global runs Belgium centres in 14 cities: Delhi, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Lucknow, Jalandhar, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Cochin, Chennai, Hyderabad, Goa, Pune and Puducherry. VFS says new appointment slots are released every 1st Monday of the month for the following month in the East and North Zone. Which office decides depends on your state. The Embassy in New Delhi covers states such as Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. The Consulate General in Mumbai covers Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, among others. ### How many Belgian visa applications from India are refused? European Commission data show a refusal rate of 7.8% for short-stay Schengen applications lodged at Belgian consulates in India in 2025: 2,581 visas not issued; 33,333 applications lodged. In 2024 the rate was 8.8%, with 2,557 visas not issued and 29,322 applications lodged. The Immigration Office lists the grounds for refusing a C visa. They include an unproven purpose, insufficient means of subsistence, reasonable doubt about your intention to leave and no adequate travel medical insurance. A previous refusal does not automatically lead to refusal of a new application. ### What changes after you get the visa? - Multiple-entry visas: under Commission Implementing Decision C(2024) 2434 of 18 April 2024, Indians living in India who have obtained and lawfully used two Schengen visas in the previous three years are issued a two-year multiple-entry visa. - Border registration: the EU Entry/Exit System became fully operational on 10 April 2026 and replaces passport stamping for short-stay travellers, including Indian Schengen visa holders. - Address declaration: short-stay visitors must declare their presence in Belgium within three days of arrival, and since 10 April 2026 can do it online with the My Address in Belgium (MAB) form instead of at the municipality. To keep a first application clean, carry travel medical insurance of at least EUR 30,000 from an approved Indian insurer, a full itinerary and a flight reservation rather than a purchased ticket. Our travel itinerary service covers the itinerary part. Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, travel itineraries and cover letters for Belgian Schengen files. Packages start at INR 1,000 for a flight reservation and go up to INR 3,000 for a reservation, hotel booking, itinerary and cover letter. WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or write to us via the contact page. ### Frequently asked questions #### How much money do I need per day in Belgium? The Belgian Immigration Office's guideline is generally at least EUR 95 per day if you stay in a hotel, or EUR 45 per day if you stay with a private individual. You show it with three months of bank statements, a credit card with its statement, or pay slips; otherwise a guarantor can sign an Annex 3bis undertaking. #### Can a travel agent lodge my Belgium visa application? A representative or travel agent can submit the file with your signed declaration or authorisation letter and a copy of their passport bio page. You still attend in person for fingerprints and a live photo unless you are exempt, for example a C applicant under 12 or someone whose biometrics were registered in the last 59 months. #### Is travel insurance compulsory for a Belgium visa? Yes. You need overseas travel medical insurance valid for all Schengen countries with cover of at least EUR 30,000, covering the entire trip. The policy must come from the approved list of insurance companies in India and be signed by you. #### Can I apply directly at the Belgian Embassy instead of VFS? Only official passport holders, family members of EU citizens and VIPs with an Embassy appointment may apply directly at the Embassy or Consulate General. Everyone else lodges at a VFS Global centre. ## FAQ ### How much money do I need per day in Belgium? The Belgian Immigration Office's guideline is generally at least EUR 95 per day if you stay in a hotel, or EUR 45 per day if you stay with a private individual. You show it with three months of bank statements, a credit card with its statement, or pay slips; otherwise a guarantor can sign an Annex 3bis undertaking. ### Can a travel agent lodge my Belgium visa application? A representative or travel agent can submit the file with your signed declaration or authorisation letter and a copy of their passport bio page. You still attend in person for fingerprints and a live photo unless you are exempt, for example a C applicant under 12 or someone whose biometrics were registered in the last 59 months. ### Is travel insurance compulsory for a Belgium visa? Yes. You need overseas travel medical insurance valid for all Schengen countries with cover of at least EUR 30,000, covering the entire trip. The policy must come from the approved list of insurance companies in India and be signed by you. ### Can I apply directly at the Belgian Embassy instead of VFS? Only official passport holders, family members of EU citizens and VIPs with an Embassy appointment may apply directly at the Embassy or Consulate General. Everyone else lodges at a VFS Global centre. ## Sources 1. [Embassy of Belgium in India - Visa for Belgium if you live in India](https://india.diplomatie.belgium.be/en/travel-belgium/visa-belgium/visa-belgium-if-you-live-india) — Embassy of Belgium in India 2. [Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 - Annex I list of visa-required nationalities](https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2020-05/regulation-2018-1806.pdf) — European Commission 3. [Embassy of Belgium in India - Tariffs for consular services (visa fees in INR) from 1 October 2026](https://india.diplomatie.belgium.be/sites/default/files/2026-10/fee%20for%20consular%20services%2001.10.2026.pdf) — Embassy of Belgium in India 4. [European Commission — Schengen visa statistics by consulate (2025)](https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/document/download/56816949-e59f-442b-9091-5d03360bf860_en) — European Commission