How to get a Belgium visa from Burkina Faso

• Burkinabés planning to visit Belgium for a short-term trip can apply for a tourist Schengen Visa to Belgium.
• This visa is valid for 90 days.
• The Schengen visa allows barrier-free travel between all its member states, however, if you want to apply for a visa through the Belgium embassy, you need to be sure whether you are either going to spend most of your travel time in Belgium or you intend to enter other Schengen regions through a Belgian city. This information will be asked of you during your visa interview.
  
• Belgian authorities offer you the opportunity to choose in which of the three national languages of Belgium you wish your application to be treated (French, German or Dutch). On the other hand, if you choose to complete the application in English, please choose “no preference”.
• You are required to submit a document, which confirms that you have purchased travel insurance for Belgium and the whole territory of Schengen, with a minimum of €30,000 coverage for medical emergencies, and repatriation in case of death.
• Proof of sufficient financial means for the period of stay in Belgium must be provided. According to the Belgian Immigration Office, a traveler has to attest possessing €95 per day if staying in a hotel, and €45 when planning to get accommodated by cheaper means.
• You are subject to local laws. If you violate local laws, even unknowingly, you may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned. Penalties for possessing, using, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Belgium are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines.
• Emergency services are efficient and responsive. For police emergencies, dial 101 by phone within Belgium. For all other emergencies, dial 112.
• The Belgian tourist visa does not serve study purposes. You cannot be enrolled in any of the institutions of learning in the country.
• You are also not allowed to take up paid work on this visa.

• The Belgium business visa is for Burkinabés looking to travel for business purposes.
• You will need to provide a letter from the Belgian company you will be visiting. This letter will also contain their detailed address, accompanied b the date and actual purpose of your trip.
• If the intention is to attend a meeting or seminar, confirmation/invitation from the conference organizer/institution is required.
• The invitation letter must also mention how the expenses of the applicant are going to be covered during his/her travel. It must be made clear whether it will be sponsored by the employer or the local company.
• In most cases, you will also need to submit a ‘no-objection’ letter. This letter is required to validate your current status and assure the embassy that your have permission to travel. A no-objection letter is typically obtained from your employer or school authorities.
• If you are employed, you will have to present a certificate from your employer stating or allowing your business travel.
• Your bank statement from the last 6 months is needed. Self-employed people will submit proof of business registration.
• You cannot be gainfully employed while you are in the country with this visa.
• Having a visa does not necessarily mean you will be allowed to enter Belgium. Upon checking your documents, the Belgian border officer will give the final decision whether you should be permitted to enter Belgium or not.
• Once you pose no threat, you will be allowed to enter Belgium and any Schengen Area. Make sure the Belgian border officer gives you an entry stamp in your passport when you enter Belgium. Without a stamp, you could be fined or detained in Belgium.

• Burkinabés planning on taking jobs in Belgium should get a work permit first.
• Foreigners must have a work permit, usually applied for by their potential employer, in order to be legally entitled to work in the country.
• Generally, you need to have a work permit before you can apply for a long-stay visa in Belgium.
• The work permit is also known as a Blue Card in Belgium.
• There are three types of work permit in Belgium:
• C work permit- is valid for all professions and all employers. It is valid for a limited time and must be renewed each year.
• B-work permit - valid for one employer and runs for one year, after which it can be renewed (by the same employer, usually for the same job or job classification). If you change employers, your new employer must apply for a new B permit. You may find that you have to return to your home country and re-apply for a residence visa before you can start your new job! Once you’ve renewed a B permit four or more times, i.e. have lived and worked in Belgium for four years on the same permit, you can receive an unlimited A permit.
• A-work permit - allows you to work for any employer in Belgium for an unlimited period of time. These permits are issued only to any foreigner who has lived and worked in Belgium for four years on a B permit and those with ten years’ uninterrupted (legal) residency in Belgium.
• The B permit is the standard form of work permit for most foreigners. Applying for a B permit is the responsibility of the employer wishing to hire a non-EU foreigner.
• You must give your potential employer a certificate of good health and three passport-size photos, which he then submits along with a copy of the proposed employment contract to the Ministry of Labour.
• Before issuing the work permit, the Ministry of Labour must determine that there’s no Belgian or other EU national who can fill the position and they may send the employer candidates for the job from their lists of Belgians drawing unemployment benefit.
• In the case of managerial positions, the permit is usually granted with little or no question. It can take up to 12 weeks for a B permit to be granted.
• Some categories of foreign employees and self-employed (EU citizens, too) must declare their activities in Belgium before starting to work in Belgium. This is called LIMOSA Declaration.

The processing time for a Belgian Schengen visa may take up to 15 days, in a normal situation. In some cases, this period may be extended to up to 30 days, depending on the reason presented.