UK-Belgian Visitor Service for Chinese nationals

Chinese visitors wishing to come to the UK can apply for a visitor visa at the same time as applying for a visa to Belgium. It is hoped that this new service will encourage tourism to both countries, along with the wider Schengen area.

A one-stop service

When using the new UK-Belgian Visitor Service, Chinese customers are able to submit visa applications for both countries during a single visit to a UK visa application centre (VAC).

This new process will be introduced first as a pilot scheme at UK VACs in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai, and will be available from 1 July 2015.

Applicants may apply online and will be able to submit a single payment along with a single set of supporting documents in order to acquire both visas. Successful Belgian visa applicants are eligible to travel freely within any of the 25 other Schengen area countries, meaning that this new scheme will provide customers with a one-stop shop for hassle-free travel around Europe.

‘The number of Chinese visitors coming to the UK continues to soar. We will continue to make sure our visa services are world-class to ensure that our borders are protected and that Britain remains open for business.’ – Theresa May, Home Secretary

Following in the footsteps of the British-Irish Visa Scheme, the service is the latest in a series of initiatives aimed at making it easier for tourists to visit the UK and the Schengen area from outside the European Economic Area, including the expansion of the super priority visa service to Indian, UAE, Turkish, South African, American and Chinese customers.

As yet there are no further details as to the exact application and collection process. We intend to provide this information as soon as it becomes available, so watch this space…!

Are you planning to visit the UK from China? Contact your Smith Stone Walters UK Immigration Advisor to ensure that your application has the best chance of succeeding.