Belgium long-stay (Type D) visa
Required documents, fees and processing time for a Belgium long-stay (Type D) Schengen visa when you apply from United Kingdom.
SCHENGEN · VISA C✈ DOCUMENTS
🇧🇪 Belgium·····✈·····🇬🇧 from United Kingdom
To
Belgium
Type
D · LONG STAY
Apply at
UK
Centre
VAC
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Action neededLong stay — national (Type D) · applying from United Kingdom.
Documents ready00 / 09
Competent authority
Embassy of Belgium in London (residents of the UK). Belgian Immigration Office (FPS Home Affairs) decides on residence.
Application centre
TLScontact - long-stay D applications lodged at TLScontact centres (London/Edinburgh/Manchester); a separate long-stay application form is used.
Recommended — commonly expected even when not on the official list
Cover letterA letter of introduction stating who you are and why you are travelling.
Travel itineraryA day-by-day plan of your trip to attach to the application.
Fees
Consular (Type C)
€90
Service fee
£34.7
Est. total (adult)
£115.7
Long stay (Type D)
—
The short-stay (Type C) consular fee is harmonised at €90 for adults across all Schengen states; collected in GBP · centre: TLScontact.
Fee notes
Belgium uses TLScontact in the UK (London).
Timeline
high confidenceProcessing
15–45 days
End-to-end
3–9 weeks
Centre
VAC
Appointment wait
Guidance advises booking 6-8 weeks before travel; realistic wait ~1-4 weeks, longest in summer and Christmas.
Application centre
TLScontact (official VAC for Belgium in the UK). London (Wandsworth), Manchester and Edinburgh.
Timeline notes
Official Belgian FPS Foreign Affairs UK page directs all short-stay applications to TLScontact, not the embassy.
Funds to show
high confidenceThe figures below are the short-stay (Type C) means of subsistence. A long-stay (Type D) visa sets its funds requirement nationally by purpose (study, work, family reunification, income) — check the consulate for the amount that applies to your case.
Per day
Scale
Minimum
—
In EUR ≈
as shown
staying with a private individual (no financial credit)
€45 / day
staying at a hotel (no financial credit)
€95 / day
Notes
Approximately EUR 45/day (hosted by a private individual) or EUR 95/day (hotel), per person, plus a return travel ticket. A signed, municipally-authenticated letter of guarantee (declaration of liability) by a solvent host can substitute for personal funds. Per day of planned stay.
Consulates apply discretion and may expect a buffer above this figure — treat it as a floor, not a guarantee.
Funds source ↗⚠ Special cases & caveats
- British and all other nationalitiesA D visa is required for any stay over 90 days, regardless of short-stay visa exemption.
- Family reunification applicantsProof that the sponsor has lawfully resided in Belgium (e.g. residence card B/C/D/F/F+), often for at least 12 months, plus proof of the family link and the sponsor's income/housing/insurance.