Schengen visa versus national visa

A Schengen visa is a short stay visa C for a visit to the the Schengen area of a maximum of 90 days for following travel purposes:

• Tourist visit
• Visit to family or friends
• Attending cultural or sports manifestations
• Business visit / Conference / Short training
• Medical visit
• Transit through the Schengen area
• Official government visit

You must submit the visa application at the Belgian Embassy if your first entry in the Schengen zone will be Belgium, and/or if the main purpose of your travel to Schengen lies in Belgium (for example, attending a 5 day conference in Belgium, followed by 3 days of vacation in France). Once you have entered Belgium, you can travel freely within the Schengen zone.

The Schengen states are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Find the complete list of countries requiring a Schengen visa.

A national visa is a long stay visa D for a stay in Belgium of more than 90 days. This visa is applicable for the following purposes of stay:

• academic (student and student exchange)
• economic (single permit, au pair, professional card)
• family reunification
• marriage or legal cohabitation with intention of permanent stay in Belgium
• retirement