Belgium generally requires visa applicants to appear in person at the consular post competent for their country of residence. In-person submission can involve crossing borders, additional administrative steps, and substantial costs. Delays in obtaining appointments and long waiting times further exacerbate accessibility problems.

Following the European Court of Justice’s Afrin ruling of April 2023, Belgium introduced the exceptional “Afrin procedure,” allowing remote submission of family reunification visa applications when in-person submission is impossible or excessively difficult. The procedure applies primarily to applicants in difficult circumstances, including, but not limited to, conflict-affected regions. The Federal Ombudsman notes that, while this procedure improves access in some cases, it remains limited, inconsistently applied, and creates an additional administrative workload for the Immigration Office (OE). 

In detailed recommendations published on 25 November 2025, the Federal Ombudsman asks the Immigration Office to study the feasibility of remote submission for other long-stay visas and explore alternative submission methods. He asks the Federal Public Service (FPS) Foreign Affairs to: (1) instruct posts to consider both general regional and individual circumstances when assessing remote submission requests; (2) provide written, individualised reasoning for refusals; (3) improve the structuring of files sent to the Immigration Office; and (4) monitor posts’ practices regarding the Afrin procedure to ensure equality of treatment. Finally, the Federal Ombudsman urges the Federal Parliament to promptly develop a legal framework for the remote submission of family reunification visa applications, including the rules governing avenues of appeal.

For more details, please refer to the press article published by the Federal Ombudsman (in French or Dutch), which includes a link to his full recommendations.