Name of the Organization : Foreign Affairs
Type of Facility : Belgian Biometric Passport
Country : Belgium
Website : http://diplomatie.belgium.be/en/services/services_abroad/belgian_passport/
Belgian passport :
A passport is an official, worldwide recognized and usable travel document in the format of a booklet issued by the relevant authority in a particular State to its nationals.
Related : Kingdom of Belgium Foreign Affairs Visa Application : www.statusin.org/7792.html
One must make a distinction between a passport and an identity card which, as its name implies, is just a single card.
Belgian passports are valid 7 years (5 years for minors).
Any Belgian citizen can be issued his or her own passport starting at birth.
It is possible to travel to around 50 countries using an identity card, but a passport allows its holder to travel to any country in the world, subject to fulfilling any applicable visa requirements
Biometrics in your passport:
In 2004, Belgium was a forerunner in introducing electronic chips in its passports. These chips contained the passport holder’s personal data, signature and photo. Now, fingerprints are the next step forward as they are also gradually being introduced.
European harmonisation:
Some 500 million European citizens are affected by these measures, as the new biometric passports are a European Union requirement.
The EU hereby aims intends to improve the security of:
** the citizens themselves: by guaranteeing them a travel document that is almost impossible to forge, offering greater protection against identity theft;
** the territories: by fighting against identity fraud, which is constantly on the rise and which affects many states.
When, how and why?:
Even though the basic principle remains unchanged, the new procedures and their consequences are slightly different depending on whether you live in Belgium or abroad. To find out more, select the appropriate section.
Application for a passport:
Belgian citizens residing in Belgium who are registered with a municipality, can request a passport from their municipality.
Belgian citizens residing abroad who are registered with the Belgian embassy or consulate competent for their place of residence, can request a passport from their embassy or consulate. If they wish to lodge their application with another Belgian embassy or consulate or with a provincial passport administration when transiting the Belgian territory, prior authorization from their embassy or consulate is required. For further information, we refer to the section Other possibilities.
Belgian citizens who are registered neither with a Belgian municipality nor with a Belgian embassy or consulate, cannot apply for an ordinary passport. Only in certain cases of emergency, they will be granted a provisional passport.
Documents:
Please note that passport applications must be submitted to the relevant municipal administration, provincial administration or embassy or consulate.
a) A Belgian identity card or any document which is proof of identity
b) The previous passport or a certificate stating that the passport was lost or stolen
If an applicant is unable to provide the previous passport because it was lost or stolen, he or she must provide a certificate evidencing the loss or a police report documenting the theft. These documents must be drawn up by the police services of the location where the loss or theft occurred or of the applicant’s place of residence. Since late 2008, Belgian citizens have been able to declare a lost or stolen passport themselves without going through the police by contacting docstop on + 32 (0) 2 518 2123.
Children under 18 years of age:
Passport applications for minors must always be signed by the minor (from the moment he or she can write, so from around six years of age) as well as by one of the parents.
The municipal or provincial administration, or the embassy or consulate, may also require the other parent to provide consent.
Time required to issue a passport:
Passports are issued within five working days once the passport application has been collected.
The time required to issue a passport therefore depends on the number of collections, of which there are a minimum of two per week. Your municipality can provide more precise details on the frequency of collections.
A new emergency procedure has also been introduced</s