DRC: the Belgian ambassador explains the difficulties in securing Schengen visa appointments

Kinshasa, May 24^th, 2026 (CPA). – The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has reassured Congolese citizens that the Schengen Centre (CEV) is issuing appointments for visa applications despite high demand and the hacking of its IT system, international media have informed on Sunday. ‘Indeed, the situation currently faced by DRC is due to high demand as well as the hacking of the Schengen Centre’s IT system by the travel agencies, but the CEV has implemented a more secure and robust IT system to prevent them from continuing to hack their platform, so that they are no longer the first to appropriate the appointment dates made available to visa applicants each day,” has declared Roxane de Bilderling. “It is difficult but possible to book appointments at the visa processing centre in DRC, as around 250 appointments are made available every day at different times,” she has added. Roxane de Bilderling has indicated that to obtain an appointment, applicants must enter their details on the form and in their passport to receive a reference number and secure an appointment.  The Belgian diplomat has exhorted the Congolese public to stop the habit of asking travel agencies to do the work for them for a service that is free and open to everyone, rather than wasting money. “The day nobody uses agencies anymore, there will be no more of this problem,” she has noted. She has also affirmed that applicants who have previously obtained a Schengen visa are entitled to a shorter processing time for their applications, but the Schengen service is open even to first-time applicants. It is worth noting that last year the Schengen Centre had processed 40,000 visa applications, and this year it has already received more than 20,000 applications and continues to receive appointment forms. “You must keep trying at different times; the platform is open,” she has concluded.  CPA/