Visa information for Belgian EU Family Card holders

If you are the holder of a document called “Residence card of a family member of a Union citizen” as referred to in Articles 5(2) and 10(1) of Directive 2004/38/EC on the rights of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of Member States, then you are not a visa required national for Ireland and can travel without a visa, independently of whether your EU citizen family member accompanies or joins you in the State, for up to but not exceeding a period of 90 days.

The exemption from the requirement for a visa for Ireland applies to holders of the following Belgian residence documents:

EU Family Member Article 10 Residence Permit

• Dutch-language version – F. FAMILIELID EU ART 10 RL 2004/38/EG
• French-language version – F. MEMBRE FAMILLE UE ART 10 DIR 2004/38/CE
• German-language version – F. EU-FAMILIENANGEHORIGER ART 10 RL 2004/38/EG

EU Family Member Article 20 Residence Permit

• Dutch-language version – F+. FAMILIELID EU ART 20 RL 2004/38/EG
• French-language version – F+. MEMBRE FAMILLE UE ART 20 DIR 2004/38/CE
• German-language version – F+. EU-FAMILIENANGEHORIGER ART 20 RL 2004/38/EG

Please note that the onus is on the holder of the “Residence card of a family member of a Union citizen” to provide this document to the appropriate authorities (e.g. airlines, border authorities). Failure to provide the appropriate documentation may result in you being refused exit at the point of departure or entry to Ireland. Boarding of passengers is an operational matter for all carriers to determine whether or not to carry a passenger.

Holders of Belgian Article 10 and 20 residence cards may wish to carry additional evidence of the basis on which they hold their EU Family Card (e.g. marriage certificate).

Please note the Embassy in Brussels cannot provide letters or emails confirming whether or not intending travellers are visa exempt.

If you are unclear about the basis on which your EU Family Card was issued, please contact the Belgian authority that issued the document.

Intending travellers to Ireland should be aware that Ireland is not part of the Schengen Area. Non-EU nationals always require a valid passport/travel document and a Belgian residence card alone is insufficient for travel.

Please note the exemption from the requirement for a visa for Ireland does not apply to holders of Belgian residence permits other than the EU Family Card (type F or F+).

This includes the temporary residence permit (type A), permanent residence permit (type B), EU Blue Card (type H), and the EU long-term residence permit (type L). Holders of these cards require a visa if they are from visa-required countries. Information on applying for a visa for Ireland, if required, is available in our Visas for Ireland section.

Please note, you cannot use a Belgian EU Family Card to authorise a long-term stay in Ireland. More information on joining or accompanying an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen who is moving to Ireland is available from Immigration Service Delivery.

Further information on entry to Ireland for non-EU, non-EEA, non-Swiss and non-UK nationals, whether or not you need a visa, is available from Immigration Service Delivery.