Passport renewal
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 (see Loss or theft of your passport | Belgium in China).
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, the application can only be made by appointment. In Shanghai and Guangzhou, 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
- Passport fee
- (If applicable) proof of address change
- Current passport (this 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.