Consular Affairs

Visa requirements to visit the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg

Visa applicants are required to report in person at the Netherlands Embassy in Lusaka between 9.30 - 11.00 hrs. From Monday to Friday. The following requirements are being applied with regard to Short-Stay Visa and Applications for a Temporary Residence Permit.

Short-Stay Visa
Temporary Resdidence Permit (MVV)

Short-Stay Visa

Zambian nationals and nationals from a number of other countries require a visa for a short stay of up to 90 days (tourist or business) for the following countries, which form the Schengen territory:

Austria
Belgium
Denmark
Finland
France

Germany
Greece
Italy
Luxembourg
Netherlands

Norway
Portugal
Spain
Sweden
Iceland

In Zambia, Spain and Portugal are represented by the French Embassy, Belgium and Luxembourg by the Netherlands Embassy, Greece by the Italian Embassy and Austria by the German Embassy.

Where to apply?

Applicants may obtain a visa (based on order of precedence):

at the mission of the country where the main purpose of the travel lies;
at the mission of the country where the applicant will stay longest;
at the mission of the country of first entry into Schengen territory in case the applicant visits several countries and has no specific main purpose of travel or destination.

What are the requirements?

Applicants are required to appear in person and should submit at least the following (applicable) documents:

A passport with a minimum three months validity upon return from the Schengen territory + copy first 2 pages passport
Zambian National Registration Card (NRC) + copy both sides
One recent and clear passport size photograph
Confirmed airline reservation (incl. Return flight)
Confirmed hotel reservation (needs to be on official letter head from the hotel with confirmation number)
Bankstatements over the last three months
Traveller's cheques signed personally + original purchase slip
Legalised invitation letter, if reference is married both partners must sign this letter + proof of sufficient income of reference ('garantverklaring'), + copy of his/her passport
Official invitation of the business contact in the Netherlands/Belgium/Luxemburg (on official company letter head)
Zambian entry permit or work permit valid at least three months after return from Schengen
Visa or residence permit of third country to be visited after the visit to Schengen territory
Accompanying letter of employer in Zambia, stating financial guarantee, granted leave, authorisation for business trip or private trip
Accompanying letter of school granting absence, proof of study results
Health insurance (minimum coverage of Euro 30.000, needs to be valid for all Schengen territory)
Company certificate of registration and share holders overview
Official invitation to attend a wedding (Confirmation from City Hall 'register of marriages')
Official invitation to attend a funeral/graduation/tourist stay
Notification of enrolment/registration to a course/seminar/conference
Consent of parents/custodians for travel of a minor + copy of parents/custodians NRC
Original Birth certificate + copy
Original Marriage certificate + copy
Certificate of no impediment of marriage (legalised where applicable)
Work permit

Payment

The fee is payable on application and is non-refundable.
Fees are fixed in Euro’s, but payment is in Zambia Kwacha at the rate of exchange established by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague.

Other observations

Nationals of certain countries require an airport transit visa (which entitles entry to the transit sector of the airport only, not to the Schengen territory).
Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
A visa does not guarantee admission to the Netherlands or other Schengen countries. Final approval of admission is the competence of the Immigration Officer at the border.
Once a complete visa application has been submitted, three working days are required to process and issue the visa.

Application for a Temporary Residence Permit for the Netherlands and Belgium

To obtain a temporary residence permit, an application should be made for an MVV visa. Such visa allows to apply for a temporary residence permit once in the country of destination. If your future residence will be in the Netherlands, the application should be submitted at the Royal Netherlands Embassy. You wil be required to submit certain authenticated documents. Please contact us for information about specific requirements.

The civic integration examination

As of 15 March 2006, certain categories of aliens seeking to settle in the Netherlands who need an authorisation for temporary stay (MVV) to enter the country will have to take an integration test before coming to the Netherlands. This mainly concerns people who want to marry someone in the Netherlands or join family members. Religious leaders (such as imams or other clergy) coming to work in the Netherlands will also have to take the examination.

This requirement does not apply to MVV applications submitted to a Dutch mission or to the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) in the Netherlands (through the advisory procedure) before 15 March 2006. Applications to take the civic integration examination can only be made as of that date.

What is the civic integration examination?

It is a test that an applicant must take at the Dutch embassy or consulate in his/her country of residence before travelling to the Netherlands. People applying for an MVV must first prove that they have passed the examination. You need an MVV to apply for a residence permit - which is necessary for a stay of over three months in the Netherlands. The civic integration examination is an oral test given in Dutch. Candidates will be tested on their knowledge of Dutch society and their command of the Dutch language. Anyone who prepares properly should be able to pass the examination.

It is not possible to take the examination at honorary consulates, nor are candidates who pass the examination able to submit an MVV application for family reunification/formation at honorary consulates.

Before arranging with the embassy to take the civic integration examination you have to pay the examination fee (EUR 350) into the bank account of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Netherlands. To start this procedure, you first need to fill in the application form, which will be available here starting 15 March 2006.

To find out whether you have to take the civic integration examination, go to the Immigration and Naturalisation Service website, www.ind.nl/EN/index.asp, and click on 'Residence Wizard: planning to stay in the Netherlands'.

If you want to know more about the examination, you can order an information leaflet. Either call 0900 1234561 (EUR 0.10 a minute) or go to www.ind.nl/EN/index.asp and click on 'Brochures/forms'

The embassy cannot provide teaching material or preparation material for the examination. If you want to know more about the examination and how to prepare for it, go to www.naarnederland.nl.

Residence in Belgium

For future residence in Belgium, the application should be submitted through the Honorary Consul of Belgium or directly at the Embassy of Belgium in Harare, Zimbabwe:

Mr Diego Casilli
c/o Amanita Zambiana Ltd
Mumbwa Road
P.O. Box 31412
Lusaka
Telephone: +260 (0)211 213 363
Office hours: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 8.00 - 12.00 hrs

Embassy of Belgium in Zimbabwe
5th floor, Tanganyika House
Corner Union Avenue & Third Street
P.O. Box 2522
Harare - Zimbabwe
Telephone: (263 4) 700112 / 793306

FOR DETAILED INFORMATION WITH REGARD TO VISA REQUIREMENTS, PLEASE VISIT www.immigratiedienst.nl or www.minbuza.nl