Belgium Consulate Los Angeles – 4 Easy Steps to Apply for Belgium Schengen Visa

Belgium really is a glorious Schengen country to visit at any time of the year. In the summer, what better way to enjoy yourself than to immerse yourself into the Belgian way of life in its vibrant cities. Winter is also a good time to visit for the vast array of outdoor activities in the stunning mountains and countryside. In this article learn more about how to apply for Belgium Visa at the Belgian consulate in Los Angeles, California, Belgium visa appointment booking, Processing time at the Belgium visa application center and Belgium Visa Application Process at the Los Angeles consulate.

Schengen Visa

There were a total of 231,437 Schengen visa applications for Belgium last year. 37,062 were not issued. The Consulate General of Belgium in Los Angeles received just 990 and 971 of these were issued.

Applying for Schengen Visa from the United States

If you wish to apply for a Belgian Schengen visa, you can do so from the United States even if you are a non-US citizen. However, you must live permanently in the US and live within the jurisdiction of any of the Belgian consulates in the country. You have to make sure you apply at the right Belgian embassy and consulate.

The Consulate General of Belgium in Los Angeles deals with applications from residents of:

States: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

The American Territory of the Samoa Islands

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

The Territory of Guam

Types of Schengen Visas Offered at the Belgian Consulate in Los Angeles

There are usually 2 types of visas for entering Belgium and the one you need to apply for will depend on the duration of your trip.

1. Schengen (short-stay) visa is for stays of up to 90 days
2. National (long-stay) visa is for stays over 90 days

If you take a look at the consulate’s website you’ll find comprehensive information about visas there.

There are different categories of visas depending on your reason for travel. This could be:

1. Tourism
2. Business
3. Visiting family or friends
4. Cultural
5. Sports
6. Official visit
7. Medical reasons
8. Study
9. Transit
10. Airport transit
11. Other

If you don’t apply for the correct one, this could mean that your application may be rejected, so take time to read and understand which one is the right one for your circumstances.

You also have a choice of how many times you can enter a Schengen country during the validity of the visa. You can have single, double or multiple entries. Please note, if you apply for a National visa, these can be single or multiple entry only.

Schengen Visa Application Process at the Belgian Consulate in Los Angeles

There are a number of straightforward steps to applying for your Belgian visa and you should follow them in order. But, first, go to the Belgian consulate’s website to see what they require for your type of visa.

After you are happy with what is needed, you need to book an appointment. You can do this on the consulate in Los Angeles’ booking system.

When you apply, please do so way before your trip. You can apply any time between 90 and 15 days before. To be on the safe side, it’s advisable to submit your application at least 21 days beforehand. The consulate in Los Angeles usually takes around 15 days to give a decision, but this could be longer depending on what type of visa you are applying for.

Step 1: Book an appointment

First, on the Belgian consulate’s website click on: “Address and Opening Hours”:

Scroll down and click on: “Please make an appointment online”: www.appointmentquest.com/scheduler/2120112830”

The next page is the gateway to the online appointment scheduler:

If you have used the system before, you should log in:

If not, you need to create an account. If you just wish to check to see what appointments are available, you should click on: “Quick sign up”:

If you want to go ahead and book your appointment, you should click on: “Complete enrolment”:

On the next page, you can make your appointment for when is suitable for you:

If you cannot attend your appointment, you need to cancel it by using the online system or by sending an email to the consulate.

Now, you should print the application form and complete it fully and sign it. You can find this on the consulate’s website.

Making appointments with the embassy or visa application center is generally free and can be done yourself. However, If you are running short of time or not sure which consulate to apply to or have no idea on how to get this done yourself then not to worry, we will make the appointment for you for a small service fee!

Step 2: Prepare your documents

It is your job to get all the paperwork for your application together. If not, this will mean that you are submitting an incomplete application, which is unacceptable. Check the consulate’s website for what you need to prepare because it may be different for different types of visas. In addition, you need to provide originals and photocopies of everything. Documents to prepare include:

1) A passport issued in the last 10 years, valid for 3 or 15 months longer than trip and 2 free pages

2) 1 to 3 passport-sized color photographs. Check the consulate’s website for what applies to your application

3) 1 or 2 application forms for Schengen or National visa. Again, check the consulate’s website for further information

4) Language form (in French, German, or Dutch). Choose one and indicate your preferred language. There is no English version, but the details you need to include are:

a. Indicate your name: full name as it appears on your passport (nom du demandeur, naam visumaanvrager, Name Visumbewerber)
b. Number of the file will be indicated by this office (numéro du dossier – dossiernummer – Aktenzeichen)
c. Indicate in what language you wish your file to be handled:

I. Have no preference (geen voorkeur, pas de preference, keiner Sprache den Vorzug)
II. prefer French (français, Frans, französischer Sprache)
III. prefer Dutch (néerlandais, Nederlands, niederländischer Sprache)
IV. prefer German (allemand, Duits, deutscher Sprache)

d. Date the form (format: DAY MONTH YEAR (NOT: MONTH, DAY, YEAR)
e. Sign the form (no need to have it notarized)

5) Proof of residence in the US plus re-entry document (valid for 3 months past trip)

6) Return flight reservation and full itinerary

7) Proof of accommodation for the entire trip

8) Invitation letter from friend/family/business partner

9) Reference letter from employer and confirmed accommodation

10) Letter of enrolment in course/study and confirmation of length and purpose of stay

11) Proof of financial sufficiency – 3 bank statements or tax return if self-employed/confirmation of retirement income/parental consent for minors/financial liability form

12) Travel medical insurance with at least €30,000 to cover medical expenses, hospitalization, and repatriation

13) Birth certificate and/or marriage certificate

14) FBI check issued within last 6 months

15) Medical certificate

16) US work permit

17) Confirmation of participation in events/activities

If you’re planning to obtain your flight reservation for visa without paying for the ticket, all you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:

1. Visit the Visa Reservation website to choose the right package
2. Submit the travel details and make the payment online
3. Receive flight itinerary in email

Step 3: Submitting your file

On the day of your appointment, you need to arrive at the consulate in Los Angeles early in order to submit your documents. If you dress too casually, it won’t make a good impression, so pls use common sense. Most importantly, don’t forget any of your documents. As mentioned above, the consulate will not process applications with anything missing and this could affect the outcome of your application.

In order to confirm what you have said in your application, the visa staff may ask you interview questions like:

1. Are you married? If so, what does your spouse do?
2. Do you have any scholarship?
3. DO you have an approved leave of absence from your employer?
4. Do you have any family or friends living in the Schengen area?
5. Have you booked the flight ticket?

Answer any questions put to you truthfully and give accurate information. Sometimes, it is enough to say yes or no.

Don’t jeopardize your Schengen visa interview at the last minute. Use this comprehensive and thorough visa interview guide to crack the visa interview!

You’ll also have to pay the fee for your visa. You can pay by credit card, certified check or money order payable to the Consulate General of Belgium. The fee won’t be refunded even if your application is not accepted.

Schengen Visa Fee

If you are applying for a Schengen visa for the first time, you will have to provide biometric data, which involves a scan of your fingerprints. However, if you have done this within the last 5 years, your data can be re-used.

If you have applied for a visa within the last 5 years and your information has been retrieved from the Visa Information System (VIS) then it may be possible to mail your application. If this applies, you should create an account and fill in the application form online. Further details can be found on the consulate’s website.

Step 4: Receiving your visa

You will be told when you can pick up your passport from the consulate. If you prefer, you can have it mailed back to you, but you must provide a self-addressed, pre-paid envelope when you submit your application.

All being well, your Belgian visa will be attached to your passport, but it may have been rejected for any of the following reasons:

1. False travel documents
2. No documents to prove the purpose of stay
3. No 2 free passport pages
4. Flight booking not complete
5. Names on documents different
6. No invitation letter

First and foremost, do NOT provide fake travel documents. It is pointless because you will be found out and this could affect future applications. The consulate needs to see all the necessary documents in order to make a decision on your application, including 2 free passport pages, so prepare all the requirements. If there is more than one person in your traveling party, make sure the names and/or documents don’t get mixed up – an easy mistake to make but it will cost you dearly.

Contact detail for the Consulate of Belgium in Los Angeles

Address 6300 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 720, Los Angeles, CA 90048

Email: losangeles@diplobel.fed.be

Tel: +1 323 857 1244

Fax: +1 213 247 9305

Hours: Monday to Friday, 9.00 am – 12.30 pm and 1.30 pm to 4.00 pm

Conclusion

Overall, it’s really easy to apply for a Belgian Schengen visa from the US. Just follow the aforementioned steps one by one and in order. Before long you’ll have your visa and you can start packing for your stay in Belgium!

At Visa Reservation, we strive to simplify the visa process by providing free visa consultations, cover letter templates and no objection letter templates for our clients from US, UK, Canada, Philippines, India, China, UAE, Europe, Nigeria and globally. We also offer flight itinerary for visa, travel medical insurance, hotel reservations for visa , Book Visa Appointment, Travel Guides, Visa Interview Guides and many more. To learn more about how we can help you with our visa services, please feel free to contact us today.

See Also

How To Apply for Belgium Schengen Visa at Belgian Consulate in NYC, New York