Passport

Only Belgians officially registered in one of our consular posts (Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou) can apply for an ordinary (biometric) passport. Belgians registered in another consular post abroad can also apply for a new ordinary passport, but their application must be approved by the consular post where they are registered. Belgians who are registered in a municipality in Belgium or who are not registered anywhere, cannot obtain an ordinary passport from a Belgian consular post abroad. They can, however, apply for a temporary passport, for example in case of loss or theft of your passport.

The ordinary passport is valid for seven years for adults and five years for minors. In principle, it takes about 6 weeks for the passport to arrive at the consular post where the application was made. Please take this into account and apply for your passport in good time.

The application for a passport can be submitted during office hours. Please note: in Beijing and Guangzhou, the application can only be made by appointment. In Shanghai, it is not necessary to make an appointment. From the age of 6, personal appearance is mandatory to apply for a passport.

Since 7 February 2022, the Belgian passport model has changed. You can find more information about this model here.

The following is required for a passport application:

• duly completed and signed application form;
  • Please note that the forms of minors must be signed by both parents.
• one recent passport photo;
• the passport fee; 
• proof of address change, if applicable;
• your current passport, which will be annulled upon delivery of the new passport.

Please note that in case of doubt about your identity or nationality, additional documents may be requested and your application may possibly be delayed as a result.

Loss or theft of your passport

Theft

1. Report the theft to the nearest police station (“gong’an paichusuo” 公安派出所). The authorities will issue a police report (“shou an  huizhi” 受案回执) which you will have to ask a copy of.
2. Then, contact the nearest Consulate-General during office hours, to apply for a new passport or, if you are not registered at the post, a temporary passport which only has a maximum validity of one year. When applying for the new (temporary) passport, you will have to present the police report that states your passport has been stolen.
    

Loss

Contact the nearest Consulate-General, during office hours, to apply for a new passport or, if you are not registered at the post, a temporary passport. This document has a maximum validity of one year and is to be used to return back home. You will also need to fill in the ‘Form of Loss’ and deliver this to the Consulate-General in person or by mail.

Attention! You do not have to deliver a police certificate of loss to apply for a temporary passport or a new biometric passport when your passport has been lost. Nevertheless, this certificate might be needed for the Chinese authorities to apply for e new visa. The Consulate-General, therefore, recommends you to report the loss with the local police and ask them to make a certificate of loss (Confirmation of loss report“huzhao baoshi zhengming”护照报失证明).
 

Application procedure for a temporary passport

In general a temporary passport can be obtained immediately when presenting the documents below and provided there is no doubt about your identity or nationality:

• proof of identity, such as an ID card, driver’s license, or copy of your passport, and a copy of that proof;
• 2 recent passport photos, more specifically 45x35 mm with a white background;
• a fully completed and signed request form;
• a police report and its copy or the form of loss;
• the passport fee;

Belgian citizens who are officially registered at the Embassy or Consulate General can request a new biometrical passport.

IMPORTANT! Before you can leave China with your new (temporary) passport, you need to obtain a new “exit” visa. As soon as you have received your new (temporary) passport, you have to go to the Exit and Entry Administration Office of the local Public Security Bureau (PSB).

Please do take into account that the issuance of such an exit visa may take up to 20 working days and that you need extra passport photos. Consequently, you may have to postpone your flight.

Please note that the Embassy or Consulate General is not authorized to intervene in this standard procedure.