Processing time and decision – tracking of application – passport withdrawal

Submission timings

A visa application can be submitted 6 months prior to the intended departure date and must be submitted by a minimum of 15 days before the intended departure date.

The standard processing time is two to three weeks. However, for certain nationalities, an additional Schengen-wide security check is required, which may extend the processing time by another two weeks.

VFS notifies applicants automatically at every stage of the application, and you can track your visa application status online.

Extended processing time at Belgian Immigration Office

In certain cases, Belgian Embassies must submit visa applications for decision to the Belgian Immigration Office (IBZ).

If your application is forwarded to the Belgian Immigration Office for further review, the processing time will be extended again by a minimum of 2 weeks.

If this is the case, you will receive an automated e-mail to inform you that your application has been forwarded to the Belgian Immigration Office, with the reference number for your file and a link to track the status.

Once your application has been transferred to the Immigration Office, the embassy has no visibility or influence on your application. The Belgian Immigration Office is your sole point of contact for the follow-up of the status of your visa application.

You can find more detailed information on how to verify the status of your application via Follow up a visa application.
 

More information on IBZ's processing times.

Passport resubmission

In case you were allowed to withdraw your passport during the processing, the Embassy will contact you when a visa decision has been made.

For the issuance of your visa, your original passport must be resubmitted through VFS. You do not need to book an appointment to resubmit your passport.

Please find the standard timeline below:

• Day 1: You submit your passport at VFS (no appointment required).
• Day 2: The Embassy receives your passport.
• Day 3 – from 3pm onwards: Your passport with the visa is available for collection at VFS.

Please note that there is no exception to this timeline.