Consulate General of Belgium in Chennai

The Consulate General of Belgium for Southern India is one of the three missions of Belgium in India focusing on Belgian interests in the region. It is located in Chennai and its jurisdiction includes the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and the union territory of Puducherry. The other two are the Embassy of Belgium at New Delhi and the Belgian Consulate General at Mumbai, in addition to an honorary office in Kolkata. The current consul general of the Chennai Consulate is Bart De Groof, who is also the first consul general of the Chennai Consulate and the first head of mission since the establishment of the Mission in 2013.
History
The need to set up a Consulate General for Southern India in Chennai arose because, as of 2012, more than a third of Indian visitors to Belgium were from the four South Indian states. There was an honorary consulate of Belgium functioning at Guindy and a trade office before the establishment of the Consulate General. The Consulate General of Belgium for Southern India in Chennai was established on 28 November 2013 by Princess Astrid of Belgium in the presence of the then ambassador of Belgium Pierre Vaesen. The city’s port and its geo-strategic location on the east coast of the country were among the primary reasons behind the opening of the mission which Belgium considered could enhance its presence in Myanmar and Bangladesh. The visa application centre was opened earlier on 15 April 2013 to cater to travellers from south India.
Location
The Consulate General is located at 18 Khader Nawaz Khan Road in Nungambakkam. It is located at the premises of the former trade office of Canada.<ref name="IE_BelgiumGetsChennaiAddress"/>
List of consul generals
# Bart De Groof (2013-Present)
Functions
About 10,000 visas are expected to be given from the consulate in Chennai, most of them business visas.<ref name="TOI_BelgianMissionLookToExpandTrade"/>

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu