Temporary press card Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs

Are you a foreign journalist and do you want to be accredited as a professional journalist in Belgium? Read the following information carefully before submitting your demand.

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What is a temporary press card?

The accreditation issued by the press office FPS Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation consists of a temporary Belgian press card with a 6-month validity.

The temporary press card from the FPS Foreign Affairs is required in order to obtain the permanent Belgian press card. It is also a means of identification as a professional journalist pending the permanent press card issued by FPS Internal Affairs.

For journalists from outside the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA), the temporary press card is also one of the required documents for the combined permit, necessary to reside and work in Belgium.

Can I apply for the temporary press card?

Employed or freelance journalists working for a foreign media can apply for a temporary press card. The procedure differs whether or not you are a national of an EU or an EEA country.

You are eligible if:

  • you do not have the Belgian nationality and you work for a foreign media;
  • journalism is your main occupation and allows you to live in Belgium;
  • you are at least 21 years old;
  • you have been working as a professional journalist for at least 2 years without interruption.

You are not eligible if:

  • you work for a Belgian media;

    In this case, contact the General Association of Professional Journalists in Belgium (AGJPB) for your accreditation. The AGJPIB is composed of the Association of French-speaking and German-speaking professional journalists (AJP) and the Vlaamse Vereniging van Journalisten (VVJ), the Dutch-speaking sister organisation.
     
  • you are staying in Belgium with a student visa;
  • journalism is not your main occupation;
  • you receive assistance from the Public Centre for Social Welfare (CPAS/OCMW). As a journalist, you do not live on your income.

How do I apply for a temporary press card?

You are an employed or freelance journalist from the EU or the EEA

Contact the press office to receive a list of the requested documents. Once your press file is approved, an appointment will be fixed to collect your provisional press card at the FPS Foreign Affairs.

You are an employed or freelance journalist from outside the EU or the EEA

Contact the Belgian diplomatic or consular post of your country of residence. This post will send you the list of required documents and follow up your demand.

Once your press file has been approved, you must:

Once in Belgium, contact the press office to fix an appointment to collect your provisional press card.

How do I contact the press office?

You can always contact the press office by e-mail if you have questions.

How do I apply for a permanent Belgian press card?

Once you have collected your temporary press card from the FPS Foreign Affairs and registered your residence with the local authority, you can request the national press card form the FPS Home Affairs via the International Press Association in Brussels (API/IPA).

How do I apply for accreditation at the European Institutions and at NATO?

Through these links you can apply for accreditation from the following institutions:

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