The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) refreshed its Belgium travel-advice page on 14 December 2025, reminding travellers that Belgium’s additional entry checks will stay in place until at least the end of the year. The advisory also flags that the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) began phased deployment on 12 October and may add “several extra minutes” per traveller at busy checkpoints.
Under the temporary controls, Belgian police can stop vehicles on major roads from France, the Netherlands and Germany, inspect documents on international buses and trains, and conduct spot checks on intra-Schengen flights. Travellers must therefore carry passports at all times, even on domestic Belgian journeys—an important compliance point for posted workers who often use national ID cards within Schengen.
![UK updates Belgium travel advice: extra border checks remain in force, EES queues expected]()
For added peace of mind, mobility managers can outsource much of this compliance work to VisaHQ, whose Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) consolidates the latest border regulations, tracks Schengen-day allowances and provides personalised alerts when entry rules change, helping both tourists and business travellers keep paperwork in order.
For mobility managers, the key takeaway is operational: visa-exempt employees should build extra time into border crossings, keep proof of accommodation and return tickets handy, and ensure 90/180-day Schengen limits are meticulously tracked. The EES roll-out also means first-time entrants after 12 October will be asked to provide fingerprints and a face image; repeat entries will be quicker once biometrics are on file.
Although the UK is outside Schengen, Eurostar passengers departing London may be pre-registered for EES before boarding, a process that could lengthen departure-hall queues during the holiday peak. Employers should circulate the updated FCDO guidance and remind staff that failure to obtain a passport stamp (until EES is fully live) can lead to over-stay disputes during future assignments.
Under the temporary controls, Belgian police can stop vehicles on major roads from France, the Netherlands and Germany, inspect documents on international buses and trains, and conduct spot checks on intra-Schengen flights. Travellers must therefore carry passports at all times, even on domestic Belgian journeys—an important compliance point for posted workers who often use national ID cards within Schengen.
For added peace of mind, mobility managers can outsource much of this compliance work to VisaHQ, whose Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) consolidates the latest border regulations, tracks Schengen-day allowances and provides personalised alerts when entry rules change, helping both tourists and business travellers keep paperwork in order.
For mobility managers, the key takeaway is operational: visa-exempt employees should build extra time into border crossings, keep proof of accommodation and return tickets handy, and ensure 90/180-day Schengen limits are meticulously tracked. The EES roll-out also means first-time entrants after 12 October will be asked to provide fingerprints and a face image; repeat entries will be quicker once biometrics are on file.
Although the UK is outside Schengen, Eurostar passengers departing London may be pre-registered for EES before boarding, a process that could lengthen departure-hall queues during the holiday peak. Employers should circulate the updated FCDO guidance and remind staff that failure to obtain a passport stamp (until EES is fully live) can lead to over-stay disputes during future assignments.
