Belgium Schengen Visa Photo: White Background, Under 6 Months — One Photo or Two Depends on the Embassy

There is no single Belgian Schengen visa photo checklist for the whole world: each Belgian embassy publishes its own. They agree on the basics — a recent colour passport photo — but differ on how many photos to bring. Here is what the official Belgian diplomatic pages say.

What the embassies ask for

So the safe set is a colour photo in passport size, on a white background, taken less than six months ago — and check your own embassy’s list for the number.

A photo is also taken at the appointment

Belgium in Jamaica explains the biometrics: “All applicants for short-stay Schengen visa must appear in person to have their 10 fingerprints and their photograph registered. These data are stored for 59 months in the VIS.”

• Within those 59 months you do not have to come back for fingerprints; the application can then be sent in by courier with a prepaid return.
• But the photograph has to be taken or scanned and integrated in the VIS with every new application.
• In Montreal, an applicant who already holds a Schengen visa may send the file by post with a copy of the previous visa and two recent passport photos; otherwise biometrics (fingerprints and photo) are taken at the appointment.

Other documents named by the embassies

• A passport at most 10 years old, valid for the trip plus 3 months, with at least 2 blank pages (Belgium in Korea).
• The Schengen visa application form, completed, dated and signed.
• Travel medical insurance, proof of accommodation and travel arrangements, proof of funds.
• For a minor (US checklist): the parents’ authorisation with notarized signatures.

Get the passport-size format on our Belgium Schengen visa photo page.