Interns

Application for a temporary residency visa on the basis of an internship 

Do you need a Temporary Residency Visa?

A citizen of the United States of America or of any country other than a Member State of the European Union who intends to reside in Belgium for a period longer than 90 days, or for a succession of periods totaling more than 90 days per 6 months, must first obtain a temporary residency visa.

When the applicant seeks to engage in an internship, the required residency visa can only be issued upon the presentation of the proper supporting documents. The applicant has to be between 18 and 30 years old.

The employer mails the work permit to the intern, who then contacts the appropriate consular office in whose jurisdiction (s)he is a resident to apply for the temporary residency visa. 

Please request your intern visa at least three weeks prior to your intended departure date. The normal processing time for this type of visa is one week. For non US citizens, the processing time may be considerably longer.

How to apply?

Please be sure to lodge your visa application with the Embassy or Consulate General that holds jurisdiction over the State of your residence. For more information on which representation covers which States, please see: Embassy and consulates | Belgium in the United States.

If mailing in your application, make sure to submit all the documents mentioned below AND comply with the following additional requirements :

1) your signature on the application form must be notarized (certified) by a notary public.

2) do not send your application documents to an Honorary Consul. The application will be processed by the Embassy or by a Consulate General. Always make sure you mail your application to the Embassy or Consulate General competent for your place of residence (see the jurisdictions described here).

3) Make sure you have included 1 copy for every original document in your file. Original documents will be returned to you.

4) The visa fee can be paid by including a money order OR a filled out credit card authorization form (Washington DC and Los Angeles only). 

Documents to submit:

1. A valid national passport (validity 15 months).

2. Two visa application forms and two recent passport-size photographs.

Please include a print-out of the application form that you completed on Visa On Web (VOW) after registering on the website visaonweb.diplomatie.be

3. The valid work permit (and two photocopies of this document). This document is applied for and must be obtained by the employer in Belgium at the appropriate regional government office before the prospective intern enters Belgium. The employer will mail the work permit to the intern.

Please note that interns at international recognized coordination centers in Belgium are exempt from obtaining either document as long as the internship does not exceed 12 months, proof of this needs to be submitted by royal decree. An internship contract should be submitted (see item 6).

To find out if you are exempt from obtaining a work permit please contact the Embassy or the Consulate general of your residence.

Include three sets of the following documents (one original set of documents and two copies) collated and stapled:

The originals will be returned to you together with your passport and visa. You will need them to register at city hall in Belgium.

4. For adults over 18 years : an original sealed envelope containing your nationwide criminal history record (FBI Identification Record), not older than six months. Please submit your request electronically at https://www.edo.cjis.gov and request your results by mail via the U.S. Postal Service. Do not open the original sealed envelope with the results, and add it to your visa application package.

5. A medical certificate (PDF) according to the model enclosed. For a list of physicians affiliated with the Embassy or the Consulate General, click here. If you choose your family physician, the doctor's signature needs to be notarized, and authenticated by apostille which is to be obtained from the Secretary of State where the notary public has his/her office. See: http://www.hcch.net/index_en.php?act=authorities.details&aid=353

The medical document should be less than 6 months old from the date of your application.

6. An internship contract issued by the employer confirming that the intern receives a payment (amount specified). If the internship is unpaid, please consult the procedure on the dedicated page Affidavit of Support to fulfill the financial requirements.

7. A self-addressed prepaid envelope if you wish to have your passport and visa sent back to your home address. The Embassy or Consulate General is not responsible for lost items during shipping. 
Remarks: Do not use metered postage (for mailing to the Consulate General in New York only). Please note that the Embassy of Belgium in Washington DC and the Consulate General in New York no longer work with FedEx. (You can use UPS or USPS).

8. Fee to be paid at the time of application: 216 USD

The visa application fee is non-refundable, whether your visa is actually issued or not.

Please refer to the following table for payment options:

*ONLY when the application is submitted in person

Personal checks are not accepted.

Certified checks and money orders have to be paid to the order of:

• "the Embassy of Belgium in Washington" if you apply at the Embassy in Washington
• "the Consulate General of Belgium" if you apply at the Consulate General in Atlanta, Los Angeles or New York.

Incorrect money orders or certified checks will be rejected and returned to the applicant. Processing will only begin once the proper payment is received.

Only at the Embassy in Washington and the Consulate General of Los Angeles may you pay with Visa or MasterCard. In New York you can only pay with a money order or certified check.

9. An additional fee is required for applicants 18 and over: 220 EURO (payment through the bank). For instructions see: Fee | IBZ (bosa.be)

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UPON ARRIVAL IN BELGIUM

It is important that you register yourself and your family with the City Hall of your place of residence in Belgium within 8 days of your arrival. Make sure that all passports are endorsed by the immigration authorities when first entering Belgium (at airport or other border post).

The local authorities will process your registration identity document that will allow you to enter and leave the country as a legal temporary resident of Belgium.