Re-entry Belgium in case of Belgium Residence Permit being stolen in London

Re-entry Belgium in case of Belgium Residence Permit being stolen in London - Brown Wooden Framed Horse Statue on Brown Sand

I hold a Vietnamese passport and have resided in Belgium for the last few years. So I have a Belgium residence card type A.

I am currently visiting London and my backpack was stolen on the way to the Eurostar train, all my travelling documents (passport + Residence card) are gone.

I went to Vietnamese embassy to apply for the new passport, so that is fine.

But my question is what can I do to travel back to Belgium with my new passport, a copy of my residence card, a police report?

Do I need to apply for new visa at the Belgium embassy (I went to the Belgium embassy but the old lady was terrible, she kept saying it was my fault and I should have left my ID card in Belgium)



Best Answer

First things first: do not let this awful experience get to you. Just focus on solvin the problem. Here are the steps you need to take:

  1. Go to the police and report your documents as stolen. Give as many details as possible; ideally you should remember your passport number. Even better if ou have scanned copies of the lost documents to show and attach to the police report.

  2. You need to get a new passport or an emergency travel document from your embassy/consulate.

  3. You will need to apply for a new residency card at the Belgian embassy/consulate in the country you currently find yourself in

Quoting from the linked Belgian website:

En cas de perte ou de vol de la carte d’identité et/ou du passeport à l’étranger, une déclaration doit être faite auprès de la police.

Muni de cette déclaration et de photos d’identité, il vous sera possible d’obtenir un document (provisoire) auprès de l’ambassade ou du consulat belge ou, s’il n’y en a pas, auprès d’une représentation d’un autre pays de l’Union européenne.

La procédure sera facilitée si vous disposez d’une copie des documents égarés ou volés, de leur numéros et/ou de documents permettant de vous identifier (permis de conduire…).

Experience from other travellers indicates that you may be allowed to fly back with just a new passport and the police report. When my colleague had his French residency permit stolen in Prague he was allowed to fly back to France with the police report and his passport. Generally speaking airlines tend to be forgiving in these situations. Now, you are flying between the UK and the Schengen area so you will encounter immigration checks upon landing in Belgium therefore your mileage may vary.

In the future, my advice is that you save a scanned copy of your documents somewhere easily accessible - cloud, email, etc.. Having copies makes filing the police statement, and convincing immigration officers that you had a visa/residency permit much easier.




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Can I travel to UK with Belgian residence card?

Presently, Belgian citizens can still travel to the UK with either a valid identity card or a valid passport. From 1 October 2021, the British government will only accept a valid passport for short stays in the UK.

Can I travel with Belgian residence permit?

You only need a passport: If you are travelling to a country that does not recognise the Belgian identity card. If you reside in a country that requires a passport to issue you with a residence permit that allows you to reside there.

Can I travel within Europe with my residence permit without passport?

Travel documents within EuropeYou will need an ID card or passport if you are travelling within the European Union. And not just when you cross a border (for example, via an airport). You must also be able to show an ID card or passport if you are staying in a European country.

Can I travel in Europe with expired residence permit?

The foreign national who possesses a residence permit that has expired, but who has applied on time for it to be renewed or converted, can leave Italian territory and return to his/her country of origin, even through an external border that is different to the point of departure from Italy.



Residence Permit in Belgium. Immigration Guide




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Images: Russell Butcher, Paul Deetman, Barb Duggan, lilartsy