Belgian passport
| Belgian passport | |
|---|---|
 The front cover of a contemporary Belgian biometric passport (2008) | |
 The information page of a contemporary Belgian biometric passport | |
| Date first issued |
15 November 2004 (biometric passport) 1 February 2008 (current version) |
| Issued by |
.svg.png){kind=small} Belgium |
| Type of document | Passport |
| Purpose | Identification |
| Eligibility requirements | Citizens of Belgium |
| Expiration | 5 years after issuance |
Belgian passports are issued to citizens of Belgium to facilitate international travel. The Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs is responsible for issuing and renewing Belgian passports.
Types of Passports
- Standard Passport - Issued for ordinary travel, such as vacations and business trips. The passport identifier is an 8-character alphanumeric with the structure AB123456; 2 alphas followed by 6 digits. Availabile in 35 and 60 page formats.
- Diplomatic Passport - Issued to members of the Belgian Royal Family, members of the government, ministers of State and representatives of Belgium or of the Communities or Regions (diplomats, economic or trade attaches, the main representative of each Community or Region)
- Service Passport - Issued to civil servants within the federal public services, ministries, parliaments and judicial services sent on an official mission abroad by the Belgian authorities.
- Temporary Passport is a passport issued in Emergency Conditions by the provinces valid for 6 months, if there is a justifiable urgent matter requiring immediate travel. This Passport is recognisable by its dark green cover.
- Emergency Travel Document is issued by Belgian diplomatic representatives abroad when a previously issued passport has been lost . It is burgundy and has only 6 pages.
Physical Appearance
Belgian passports are burgundy, with the Belgian smaller Coat of arms emblazoned in the centre of the front cover. The words "EUROPESE UNIE" (Dutch), "UNION EUROPÉENNE" (French) and "EUROPÄISCHE UNION" (German) (English: European Union) - "KONINKRIJK BELGIË" (Dutch), "ROYAUME DE BELGIQUE" (French) and "KÖNIGREICH BELGIEN" (German) (English: Kingdom of Belgium) is inscribed above the coat of arms and the word "PASPOORT - PASSEPORT - REISEPASS" (English: Passport) is inscribed below the coat of arms. Belgian passports have the standard biometric symbol at the bottom and use the standard EU design. The sequence of the languages on the cover is Dutch-French-German, French-Dutch-German or German-French-Dutch, depending on the affiliation with the lingual community of its holder.
Passport forgery
According to the Belgian police, 19,050 blank Belgian passports had been stolen between 1990 and 2002 and had been used to create forged travel documents.[1]
See also
External links
- Images of a 1946 Belgian passport from www.passportland.com
- Images of a 1968 Belgian passport from www.passportland.com
References
- ↑ How to fake a passport, New York Times Magazine, February 10, 2002.
