Visa for Belgium

Important information on processing time

The visa department of the Belgian embassy in Addis Ababa is currently facing a large influx of short-stay visa applications. Our team makes every effort to process all requests within a period of 15 working days. (Note: this period of 15 days may be exceeded if additional investigation and prior consultation of the Immigration Office in Brussels is required or if documents are missing).

We encourage you to make an appointment as soon as possible via TLS. This can be done from 6 months before the planned departure date. The waiting time for a short-stay appointment at TLS is currently between two weeks and one month.

Unfortunately, we cannot help you find an earlier appointment slot.

We thank you for your understanding.

Competent authority for visa applications

All the information concerning visa applications for Belgium is available on the website of the Immigration Office of the FPS Home Affairs, which is the competent Belgian authority for access to the territory, stay, residence and removal of foreigners in Belgium.

Activities of the Visa Section of the Embassy of Belgium in Addis Ababa

Starting July 1, 2026, the fee for long-stay visas will be €250. Do you already have an appointment? If your appointment is after June 30, you will need to pay €250 when you submit your D visa application.

Please bear in mind that the possession of a valid visa does not mean that you are automatically allowed to enter Belgian territory. The ultimate decision in this matter lies with the border control and will depend on the measures in force at that time.

To submit your visa application, you must make an appointment with the visa reception center TLS. New address: 6th floor Intercontinental Addis Hotel New business complex building, Kazanchis area, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Before you go to the TLS Application Center, do not forget to fill in the online visa application form VisaOnWeb.

Holders of Diplomatic or Service passports travelling for an official purpose and family members of EU citizens remain welcome to file their application at the Belgian Embassy. Opening hours: Monday - Thursday 09:00 am - 12:00 am, after appointment.

Who can apply in Addis Ababa to travel to Belgium or Luxemburg:

Ethiopian nationals
Foreign nationals with residence in Ethiopia
Djibouti nationals who apply for a visa D
Only Eritrean nationals who have an Emergency Travel Document (ETD) issued by the Ethiopian authorities will be able to easily obtain an Ethiopian exit visa, after the issuance of a Belgian visa by our diplomatic post. Laissez-passers issued by Belgium or other EU members are currently no longer automatically recognized by the Ethiopian authorities, which at this stage makes (legal) exit from Ethiopian territory extremely complicated for many Eritrean nationals. Discussions are underway to try to find a solution.
Eritreans residing in Sudan

Other categories should introduce their request in the respective competent embassy or consulate. More specifically, among others:

Djibouti nationals applying for a visa C should introduce their visa request at the French Embassy in Djibouti.
Family members of a Somali national who has been granted the status of refugee or the subsidiary protection in Belgium, should introduce their visa request to the outsourced service provider TLS in Nairobi (Kenya).

Applicants applying for a long stay visa (D Visa) are requested among others to bring a medical certificate. The Embassy of Belgium recognizes certificates from the following medical centers:

Suisse Clinic: Make an appointment through info@suisseclinic.com or call (+251) 011 41 61 649
Nordic Medical Centre: Make an appointment through reception@nordicmedicalcentre.com or call (+251) 0929 105 653 or 8901

Information on declaration of presence (for short stay visa holders only)

Any person entering Belgium for a short stay (90 days during any 180-day period) must declare their presence within the following three days.

From 10 April 2026, you can declare your arrival in Belgium online via the electronic form « My address in Belgium » (MAB). You no longer have to declare your arrival in Belgium to the municipal administration of your place of residence.

You can find more information about the Entry Exit System, « My address in Belgium » and the obligation to declare your arrival in Belgium on the website of the Immigration Office and on social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram).

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