The easiest way is to count backwards; eg: the scientific activities commence on Monday 2 May. If 15 working days are counted backwards from the first working day preceding, ie: from Friday 29th April and then not counting Monday 25th April (Easter Monday Bank holiday) the 15th working day preceding the event will be Friday 8th April. The request may be submitted on that day included, up to midnight (Belgian time – CET).

One has to count backwards from the first official day of scientific activities, even if the participants do not participate on that day.

See also the tool “Calculation of the 15th working day” available on the Mdeon homepage, on the right in the gray frame.

A reduced submission period of 6 working days applies in the following four cases:

  • When the event gathers together a maximum of 15 participants and speakers of any different nationalities IN THE SAME PLACE. It should be noted that this figure represents the TOTAL number of persons concerned by the event (participants, speakers, company representatives – Belgian and foreign, all sessions included, etc..) The reason why the delay of 15 working days is not applicable in this case is because the event concerns a maximum of only 15 persons. In fact, the date of the event can be determined much more quickly than when an event concerns a larger number of participants.
  • When the request for a visa is re-applied for following a substantial modification to the latter (after an initial granting of a visa).
  • When a request for a visa is re-submitted following an initial refusal. It should be noted that this is only valid when the dossier was submitted within the time laid-down. It goes without saying that if the dossier was not submitted within the required time scale of a minimum of 15 working days, the applicant cannot use the reduced time delay of 6 working days.
  • When the visa application concerns a healthcare professional taking part in the scientific meeting as a consultant, which must be demonstrated.

A reduced submission period of 2 working days applies in the case of emergency.

If you -for any reason- were unable to submit a visa application (V1 or V2) in time, you can still submit a visa application using the emergency procedure. This procedure means that you can submit a visa application (V1 or V2) using a shortened deadline of 2 working days prior to the first day of the scientific meeting, provided that the visa application is submitted not later than 12:00 (noon) on the second working day before the start of the meeting. The decision of the Visa Office will then be sent no later than the last working day before the start of the scientific meeting (midnight). A motivation why you are invoking the urgency procedure must not be provided.

For example: if the scientific meeting starts on Thursday December 17, the visa application must be submitted by Tuesday December 15 at noon at the latest. The decision of the Visa Office will then be sent to you on Wednesday December 16 by midnight at the latest (specifically, no later than the last business day before the start of the scientific event).

Travel expenses: once a flight is sponsored (outward and / or return), the justificatif as referred to in FAQ 10.3 must always be attached.

Registration fee: once a company sponsors the participation to a scientific event organised by health professionals, the justificatif as referred to in FAQ 9.4 must always be attached, irrespective of whether or not the registration fee is sponsored and irrespective of whether or not a registration fee is requested.

If a company sponsors the participation of healthcare professionals in scientific events not directly, but through healthcare organisations (hospitals, scientific associations), it concerns an indirect sponsorship of scientific events. In this case, it will be the healthcare organisation that determines which professionals will benefit from the sponsorship.

If it concerns a sponsorship of participation to an event that takes place over several consecutive calendar days (including hospitality) (see FAQ 3), this indirect sponsorship is subjet to the visa obligation: see our brochure in this regard.

In this case, who submits the visa application: the company or the healthcare organisation?
You have the choice:

  • the company can (continue to) submit the visa application itself, as the names of the invited healthcare professionals do not have to be mentioned in the visa application. The healthcare organisation will however have to provide the company with the necessary information to introduce the file.
  • or the visa application is submitted jointly by both the healthcare organisation and the company: the healthcare organisation completes the visa application, encloses the necessary annexes and sends it to the company who checks it, pays for it and introduces it. To find out how to apply for a visa jointly, consult our operating instructions.

een onderneming de deelname van gezondheidszorgbeoefenaars aan wetenschappelijke manifestaties niet op een rechtstreekse, maar via een gezondheidszorgorganisatie (ziekenhuis, wetenschappelijke vereniging) sponsort, dan is er sprake van een onrechtstreekse sponsoring van wetenschappelijke manifestaties. In dat geval zal het de gezondheidszorgorganisatie zijn die bepaalt welke beroepsbeoefenaars de begunstigden zullen zijn van de sponsoring.

Indien het gaat om de sponsoring van deelname aan een meerdaagse bijeenkomst (zie hieromtrent FAQ 3), deze indirecte sponsoring blijft visumplichtig: zie onze brochure hieromtrent.

In dit geval, wie dient de visumaanvraag in: de onderneming of de gezondheidszorgorganisatie? U hebt de keuze:

  • de onderneming kan de visumaanvraag zelf (blijven) indienen aangezien de naam van de uitgenodigde gezondheidszorgbeoefenaars niet in het dossier moeten worden vermeld. De gezondheidszorgorganisatie zal evenwel aan de onderneming de inlichtingen moeten bezorgen die nodig zijn om de visumaanvraag in te dienen.
  • ofwel wordt de visumaanvraag gezamenlijk ingediend door de gezondheidszorgorganisatie én de onderneming: de gezondheidszorgorganisatie vult de visumaanvraag in, voegt er de nodige bijlagen aan toe, verzendt de aanvraag naar de onderneming die ze nakijkt, betaalt en indient. Voor meer uitleg over de gezamenlijke indiening van een visumaanvraag, raadpleeg onze handleiding.

If you have received a visa number, you have to submit a new visa application if your project of sponsorship undergoes a substantial modification between the moment of submitting the visa application and the beginning of the scientific event (art. 22.1 of the Code of Ethics).

In this case a new visa application may be submitted at the latest the 6th or 2nd working day prior to the day the event starts (art. 17.4 and 17.5 of the Code of Ethics).

In general is considered as substantial every modification of which we can reasonably presume that the Visa office should take it into consideration in order to take a decision with full knowledge of the case.

Here are a few examples a substantial modifications, not limitative:

V1 – Sponsorship of participants

  • the number of sponsored participants
    • increases by 3 or more persons (when you have already obtained a visa number for at least 4 persons) and the offered sponsorship remains the same
    • at least doubles (when you’ve already obtained a visa number for 1 to 3 persons) and the offered sponsorship remains the same
    • increases (independent of the number) and the offered sponsorship is different for the additional participant(s)
  • the sponsorship is extended to costs other than those mentioned in the original visa application (addition of transport costs, costs for overnights,…)
  • the hours of arrival or departure alter in an important way (see case by case) if the company sponsors the transport costs, even when the change in hours has no impact on the transport cost
  • the scientific program alters
  • the company sponsors one or more overnights extra
  • the location of the scientific event alters
  • the dates of the scientific event alter and this altering has an impact on the sponsoring
  • in case of a grouped visa application concerning several identical events, an increase of the amount of times the event will take place
  • What about transportation?
    • Local transfers: adding an extra transfer (e.g., taxi, parking, bus, subway) or a more expensive transfer constitutes a substantial change;
    • Main transportation (flight, train):
      • If the price increases between the submission of the visa application and the booking, this is not considered a substantial change provided that all other details remain identical (class, times, destination, date, etc.), even if the price increases by more than 50%. To avoid significant price fluctuations, it is exceptionally permitted to book a flight ticket before the visa has been granted, provided that the ticket is only offered to the invited HCPs after a visa has been obtained.
      • What does constitute a substantial modification: an upgrade, a schedule change that affects the case, a different mode of transportation (e.g., flying instead of taking the train or vice versa), etc.

V2 – Sponsorship of the organizer

  • substantial modification of the budget:
    • additional sponsor(s)*
    • extra costs in the budget (e.g. addition of a social activity)
    • etc.
  • modification of the scientific program
  • modification of the location of the event
  • the dates of the scientific event alter and this altering has an impact on the sponsoring.

* (!) The grouped visa number obtained by the organizer covers only the companies mentioned in the visa application and afterwards in the decision. If one or more sponsors present themselves later their sponsorship will have to be subject to a new visa application (substantial modification). This application can be submitted by the organiser as well as by the company itself. In this last situation, the file number of the organizer has to be mentioned in the visa application in order to allow the Visa Office to link the different applications.

Mdeon has drawn up a checklist that can help you complete a V1 visa application. This checklist provides section by section of the visa application V1 “tips & tricks” to ensure that you do not forget anything. In addition, the corresponding FAQ number is always mentioned, so that in case of doubt you know where you can go for more information.

Click here for the checklist.