Belgium Family Reunification Visa Requirements and Application Process

The Belgium family reunification visa is a type D visa that allows foreign nationals to stay in the Kingdom of Belgium for more than 90 days. The Belgium family reunification visa is obtained by people who are family members of Belgian citizens and want to reside in Belgium for a long time.

Persons accepted as family members for the Belgium family reunification visa are determined as spouse, children under the age of 18 and children of the spouse under the age of 18. Applicants are required to submit documents showing that they are in the family member category.

Since Belgium is a country included in the Schengen area, which includes 26 countries, the Belgian visa has the Schengen visa feature.

How to Apply for a Belgium Family Reunification Visa?

The steps to be followed in the Belgium family reunification visa application process are listed below.

• Completing the Belgium family reunification visa application form in writing: All requested information on the visa application form must be filled in completely and accurately by the applicant using a ballpoint pen. The application form must be signed twice by the applicant, including the 37th question on the Belgium family reunification visa application form and the signature section on the last page. The application form can be obtained free of charge from the Belgian consulate or as a printout from the consulate’s website. 3 biometric photographs taken within the last 6 months must be attached to the application form.
  Persons applying for a Belgium family reunification visa that is included in the Belgium long-term D type visa category must be present at the application centers in person to have their fingerprints taken and digital photographs taken. Applicants who have a physical condition that prevents them from giving fingerprints for the Belgium family reunification visa are exempt from coming to the application center.
  As of 01.12.2018, the Belgian Consulate and the authorized institution of the consulate; In long-term visa applications, all fingerprints of applicants over the age of 6 are taken and digital photographs are taken.
• Making an appointment for a Belgian family reunification visa: After filling in the necessary information on the document obtained from the Belgian Consulate, an appointment must be made at the authorized visa application centers to complete the visa application process. The visa appointment includes providing the applicants’ biometric (fingerprint) information, submitting the application form and taking a digital photo.
• Payment of the Belgium family reunification visa application fee: Visa expenses are paid at a visa application center authorized by Belgium, together with the service fee in addition to the visa fee.
• Submission of Belgian family reunification visa documents: The Belgian family reunification visa application form and all other required documents must be submitted by the applicant personally to the visa application centre.
• In case of a request for an interview for family reunification in Belgium, choosing the interview language: If an interview is requested by the Belgian Consulate, in order to be able to plan an interview in Dutch, German or French, which are among the official languages ​​of Belgium, the language declaration form on the Belgian Consulate’s website must be filled out by selecting one of the 3 languages.

What are the Required Documents for a Belgium Family Reunification Visa?

B The documents required for the Belgium family reunification visa are listed below with their explanations.

• A valid passport and a copy : The passport to be used for the Belgium family reunification visa must not be older than 10 years, must be valid for at least 12 months from the application date, and must have at least 2 blank pages for the visa application. A copy of the passport must be provided for the Belgium family reunification visa without including the blank pages.
• Copy of ID card : A copy of the Turkish Republic ID card must be obtained and submitted if requested during the Belgium family reunification visa application.
• 3 photos : 3 photos that are not older than 6 months, in color, 35 mm wide and 45 mm high with a white background, and in compliance with biometric specifications, must be attached to the Belgium family reunification visa application form. The person whose photo is being taken must face the lens and their head must be straight; the face must be in the center of the photo. The person taking the photo must not have any accessories covering their head, except for headscarves worn for religious reasons. For people wearing glasses, the lenses of their glasses must not be colored and there must be no reflections in the lenses. The edges of the glasses must not cover the eyes. The mouth must be closed with a neutral facial expression when the photo is being taken. The applicant must write their name and surname legibly on the back of their photo.
• Language preference form : The applicant has the right to choose one of the three national languages ​​of Belgium, French, German and Dutch (FR-DE-NL respectively). For applications in English, the language preference form can be filled out using the “No Preference” option.
• Administrative Fee : The applicant for the Belgium family reunification visa must submit proof of payment of the administrative fee during the application. If the administrative fee proof is not submitted during the application, the application will not be accepted. Applicants who pay the administrative fee via the international bank transfer system SWIFT must select the “OUR” option. The “OUR” option indicates that the applicant has guaranteed that they will cover all incurred expenses such as the transfer fee and the amount to be paid. The “OUR” code must be clearly stated in the bank payment proof for the Belgium family reunification visa.
• Copy of the ID of the person you are settling with in Belgium
• Proof of partnership : For spouses, a copy of the marriage registration and a copy of the birth registration are required for the Belgium family reunification visa application. If there has been a previous divorce or widowhood, a copy of the death registration as a result of the divorce case or in the name of the deceased spouse must be submitted during the Belgium family reunification visa application.
  For children under the age of 18, a copy of the birth registration showing the names of both parents, if the parents are divorced; a certified true copy of the divorce decree stating which parent has custody, and a notarized parental consent stating that the child can leave the country permanently must be present during the application.
  If there is adoption, an adoption certificate; in the case of the death of the parents, copies of the death registration are among the required documents.
  For children aged 18 and over, a copy of the birth registration showing the names of both parents; for children aged 21 and over, a copy of the birth registration showing the names of both parents and proof that the child is dependent on the person in Belgium are required for the visa application.
• Proof of sufficient accommodation : Proof that the person being settled with has sufficient accommodation and a registered lease or proof of ownership of the house in Belgium are required.
• Document showing the means of subsistence of the person settled with in Belgium : A document showing that the person settled with has stable, regular and sufficient means of subsistence to meet the needs of both himself and his family members and in an amount that does not constitute a burden on the public authorities for the family members must be attached to the file to be submitted. This condition does not apply when the family reunification is carried out by only one child under the age of 18.
• Proof of Belgian health insurance : A document showing that the person being settled with is affiliated with an insurance institution and that both he/she and his/her family members have health insurance that provides coverage against risks is required for the Belgian family reunification visa.

The documents required for the Belgium family reunification visa and two copies of the documents must be submitted during the application. The original documents are returned to the applicant after the application.

For applications for a Belgian family reunification visa; documents prepared abroad in a language other than the official languages ​​of Belgium, Dutch, French or German, must be translated by a sworn translator in accordance with the original. The translation must be certified as a separate document in accordance with the procedures determined in Turkey and then approved by the authorized Belgian Consulate or Embassy.

Applicants who cannot provide all the documents on the list can add alternatives or provide a valid explanation as to why the required documents were not submitted.

During the examination of an application, the Belgian Consulate may, if deemed necessary, request additional documents not included in the list of required documents.

How to Fill in the Belgium Family Reunification Visa Application Form?

Belgium family reunification visa application form is a document that must be filled in by the applicant with all requested information completely and accurately using a ballpoint pen.

The application form must be signed and dated by the applicant, provided that the 37th question in the Belgium family reunification visa application form and the signature section on the last page are met.

The Belgium family reunification visa application form can be filled out in French, Dutch, German or English. The application form must be filled out separately for each applicant. 3 biometric photographs taken within the last 6 months must be attached to the application form. Visa application forms for minor children must be filled out correctly and completely and signed by the parent or legal guardian.

The Belgian family reunification visa application form can be obtained free of charge from the Belgian Consulate or can be filled out in writing by taking a printout from the online system where the Belgian visa application is made.

What are the Belgium Family Reunification Interview Questions?

The Belgian Consulate official may require an interview before a decision is made regarding certain situations in the Belgian family reunification visa application. If the Belgian Consulate requests an interview to determine that the marriage is not a sham, the language declaration form on the Belgian Consulate’s website must be filled out by selecting one of the 3 languages ​​in order to schedule an interview in Dutch, German or French, which are among the official languages ​​of Belgium.

Examples of Belgium family reunification interview questions are listed below.

• In what year did you get married?
• What is your spouse’s income in Belgium?
• Where does your spouse live in Belgium?
• Have you been to Belgium before?
• How long has your spouse been residing in Belgium?
• Do you speak one of the official languages ​​of Belgium?

In addition to the questions mentioned above, the Belgian Consulate official also asks different questions depending on the situation and the person.

How Much Is the Belgium Family Reunification Visa Fee?

The Belgium family reunification visa fee table is given below.

How Many Days Does It Take to Get a Belgium Family Reunification Visa?

Since the Belgian family reunification visa is an administrative visa and is entirely at the discretion of the Belgian Consulate General, no specific time period can be given for whether or not a visa can be obtained or how long the application process will take.

How to Appeal a Belgium Family Reunification Visa Rejection?

Applications for a Belgian family reunification visa may be rejected for many different reasons, such as the application documents being filled out with incomplete or incorrect information, in a manner that does not comply with the rules set by the Belgian Consulate, the applicant having a criminal record, visa fees being paid incompletely, or applying with a passport that has expired or has no blank pages.

The Immigration Office in Brussels is the sole authority to reject family reunification visa applications for Belgium. Applicants who receive a rejection as a result of the Belgium Visa Follow-up can submit an appeal letter for the rejection of their application. The appeal letter must state valid reasons why the visa refusal is wrong, the reasons must be based on real and legal grounds, and additional evidence must be provided to prove that the visa refusal decision is wrong, if permitted.

After the rejection of the appeal letter for the Belgian family reunification visa, a new application can be submitted with a new file in which additional or missing information is completed. The submission of the new file can be done immediately after the applicant learns of the visa and appeal letter rejection.

After the Belgian family reunification visa refusal is notified by the embassy; the embassy or the Belgian Immigration Office does not contact the applicants by e-mail or phone. The Belgian Consulate states that applicants should be careful in this regard.

The rejection decision for the applicant’s Belgian family reunification visa does not negatively affect future applications, unless there is fraud on the document. In case of re-applications, the Belgian family reunification visa application process must be completed again. A new visa application must be made, and the visa and service fee must be paid again.