Belgium family-visit visa from India: the official document checklist, decoded

The checklist, as published

Condensed from the official document linked above; wording is the mission's, shortened. Where the mission names an official form it is listed under "Forms". Always download the current version from the source link on the day you apply.

1. National passport with validity of at least 3 months after the end of the planned journey
2. Completed and signed application form with 1 recent colour photograph (5x3cm), white background, glued on the form
3. Copy of the passport identity page and copy of the most recent Schengen visa with stamps
4. From the guarantor in Belgium: invitation stating purpose of stay, address, telephone, e-mail and period of stay of the guest(s)
5. If the guarantor finances the entire trip: original guarantee letter (article 3bis, law of 15/12/1980) legalised by the municipality, plus 1 copy
6. Copy of guarantor's ID card or residence permit showing right to reside in Belgium for an unlimited period
7. Family composition document (from the municipality where the guarantor resides)
8. Proof of guarantor's recent income: 3 last salary slips plus child benefits, or last Belgian income tax assessment
9. From the applicant: letter of employer stating income and vacation days, or commerce-register inscription, or school certificate
10. Proof of family relationship (in case of family visit)
11. Minor under 18 travelling with one parent or alone: notary affidavit of parental consent, apostilled
12. Personal financial means: latest 3 month bank statement / income tax papers / salary slips
13. Copy of travel insurance valid in Belgium and Schengen, minimum EUR 30,000 or equivalent; recognised local insurers list
14. Copy of ticket reservation

Forms named by the mission

• Guarantee letter according to article 3bis of the law of 15/12/1980 (Annex 3bis 'formal obligation'), legalised by the guarantor's municipality, plus one copy
• Online application form via VisaOnWeb

Notes the mission attaches

• The insurance line of this PDF reads 'or equivalent amount in Bangladeshi Taka' (an apparent copy-over from the Bangladesh checklist); the tourism and business PDFs say 'equivalent amount in Rupees'.
• Same 'guarantees for return' paragraph and remarks (old passport useful, apply minimum 1 month before, earliest three months, fee non-refundable).
• The 3bis guarantee is required only if the guarantor in Belgium is financing the entire trip.

What each item is for

Every Schengen checklist is Article 14(1) of the Visa Code made specific: (a) purpose of the journey, (b) accommodation, (c) means of subsistence for the stay and the return, (d) information enabling an assessment of your intention to leave before the visa expires. Read the list above with those four heads in mind: bookings and invitations answer (a) and (b); bank statements, salary slips and tax returns answer (c); employment, business, family and property papers answer (d). Our documents guide explains each head, and the cover-letter guide shows how to make them agree.

For a family or friends visit the host's documents carry the weight: proof of the host's status in Belgium, the relationship, and, where the mission uses one, its own hospitality or sponsorship form. A missing or informal invitation is the classic route to ground 2 or 10 on the refusal form.

Fee, as stated by the mission

"The handling fee for a short term stay visa (C) is 90 euro, except for children between 6 and 12 years old, which is 45 euro, and children up to 6 years old, which is free; paid in Indian rupees at the exchange rate communicated by the Embassy of Belgium in New Delhi. Applicants submitting their files at the Belgian VAC shall be levied a service fee of INR 2750 (inclusive of taxes); applicants exempt from the visa fee are not exempt from the service fee (page last updated June 30, 2026)." (source) The euro amounts are fixed by Article 16: EUR 90 adults, EUR 45 children six to eleven, free under six.

Belgium's record for applications lodged in India

In 2025 Belgium decided 33,333 applications lodged in India and refused 7.7% (all-India average 15.7%); 89.6% of visas issued were multiple-entry. Its consulates: Mumbai (4.5%), New Delhi (14.0%). Which one handles you depends on your state of residence: see the Belgium country page.