Belgium visa requirements for Congolese citizens

European Visa Centre (CEV) in Kinshasa, or Belgian Consulate General in Lubumbashi

The Belgian Embassy in Kinshasa refers all visa applications to the European Visa Centre (CEV), which handles short-stay visas for around twenty Schengen States. Residents of the provinces of Haut-Katanga, Lualaba, Haut-Lomami and Tanganyika can and must apply at the Belgian Consulate General in Lubumbashi. The Belgian Embassy in Kigali, where residents of the two Kivus used to be able to go, is closed for now, so they also apply in Kinshasa. Appointments open on a rolling five-week window: new slots are released every day, about 1,000 a week, and booking is free. Appointment details are taken from the VOWINT form, which cannot be changed afterwards and is checked at the CEV entrance, and you must give a correct phone number or the appointment is cancelled. It is not advisable to book more than three months before travel. For Belgium, anyone staying with a private host submits the model 3 bis undertaking of financial support. Card payment has been possible since 1 April 2024. Questions about applications go to kinshasa.visa@diplobel.fed.be.

Official application site →

Fee

€90

The €90 is the short-stay Schengen visa fee, set by Article 16 of the Visa Code (Regulation (EC) 810/2009) as amended by Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1415, in force since 11 June 2024. It is not a fee set by Belgium: the same amount is paid at any Schengen consulate. Children from the age of 6 and under 12 pay €45, and children under 6 are exempt. Travellers entering without a visa pay no fee at all.

Processing time

Where the trip requires a Schengen visa, the consulate must decide within 15 calendar days of an admissible application being lodged. That period may be extended to a maximum of 45 calendar days in individual cases, particularly where the application needs closer examination; in justified urgent individual cases the decision is taken immediately (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 23). An application may not be lodged more than six months before the intended trip and, as a rule, no later than 15 calendar days before it; where the consulate requires an appointment, it is normally given within two weeks of being requested (Art. 9).

Required documents

• A valid passport or travel document, issued within the previous ten years and valid for at least three months beyond the date you plan to leave the Schengen area (Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Art. 6(1)(a))
• A valid visa, if your nationality requires one. It is not needed if you hold a valid residence permit or long-stay visa issued by a Schengen State (Art. 6(1)(b))
• Documents justifying the purpose and conditions of the intended stay: an accommodation booking or a declaration of invitation from your host, and a return or onward ticket (Art. 6(1)(c) and Art. 6(3), which points to the non-exhaustive list in Annex I)
• Proof of sufficient means of subsistence for the whole stay and for the return to your country of origin, or of being in a position to acquire such means lawfully. They are assessed according to the duration and purpose of the stay, by reference to average prices for board and lodging in budget accommodation (Art. 6(1)(c) and 6(4)). Cash, traveller's cheques, credit cards and declarations of invitation or of sponsorship all count as proof (Art. 6(4))

Health insurance

Mandatory to apply for the Schengen visa: minimum coverage of €30,000, valid across the whole Schengen area and for the entire length of the stay (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 15).

Which policies meet the €30,000 requirement →

When travel insurance is mandatory → Travel insurance policies ↓

How long you can stay

Schengen rule: a maximum stay of 90 days within any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area.

Calculate your available Schengen days →

Why isn't your passport being stamped? The EES system →