Medical repatriation from DR Congo to Belgium
From Kinshasa, Lubumbashi or elsewhere in the DRC, we organise the transfer of patients to a hospital in Belgium.
Kinshasa to Brussels: about 6,200 km
[Route to be confirmed by the company]
The main departure point is Kinshasa N’djili International Airport, about 25 km from the city centre. Direct scheduled flights land at Brussels Airport, in Zaventem, just outside the capital, some 6,200 km away as the crow flies.
Brussels Airlines flies the route direct in about eight hours, according to its route page, and Brussels Airport also lists Air Congo on it.
Lubumbashi, in the far south-east, is about 1,550 km from Kinshasa and 7,300 km from Brussels. By scheduled airline, the journey to Belgium involves a connection, via Kinshasa or another African hub, whereas an air ambulance can leave from Lubumbashi directly.
Three ways to travel to Belgium
Depending on the patient’s condition and on medical advice, the options are:
Air ambulance
Over 6,000 km, the aircraft may need a technical stop to refuel, depending on its range, planned and authorised in advance. As an indication only, allow longer than the scheduled flight’s eight hours. Air ambulance
Stretcher on a scheduled flight
Some airlines can fit a stretcher for a patient who must lie flat, subject to their medical approval and the aircraft. On Kinshasa–Brussels flights, this is confirmed case by case. Stretcher on a scheduled flight
Seat with a medical escort
For a patient able to sit for around eight hours, a doctor or nurse travels in the next seat. From Lubumbashi, the escort also handles the change of aircraft on the way. Medical escort
Belgian visa, health rules and travel advice
The patient’s visa for Belgium
Congolese nationals need a Schengen visa, unless they hold a Belgian residence permit. In Kinshasa, the Belgian embassy refers applicants to the European visa centre (CEV): see its visa page. Under the Belgian Immigration Office’s rules, a short-stay application is lodged 15 days to six months before travel, in person for a first application.
For treatment, Belgian consulates generally ask for a letter from the hospital or doctor in Belgium stating the treatment, its duration and cost, proof that it will be paid for, and a medical certificate. An accompanying relative applies separately.
A relative flying out from Belgium
Belgian nationals need a visa for the DRC, which requires a yellow fever vaccination certificate from travellers aged nine months and over. The Belgian foreign ministry advises against non-essential travel to the country and formally against any travel to North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri. It has also described epidemic-related measures, such as a health form to fill in before check-in on flights to or from Kinshasa. Read the Belgian travel advice before booking.
Timescale and cost
Once the medical plan, the payment and a bed in Belgium are confirmed, our usual time to take-off is [usual time from agreement to take-off]. The visa often sets the pace; in a justified emergency, consulates may accept an application at shorter notice.
The cost depends on the transport, any technical stop or domestic leg, and the medical team. With insurance or an assistance contract, contact the insurer before anything is booked. See costs and our insurance guide.
Important information
General information only, not a substitute for the treating doctor’s advice: the treating doctor, the medical team and the airline decide whether the patient can fly. In an emergency, call the local emergency number (112 in the European Union).
Questions about this route
Does a patient living in Belgium need a visa?
No, if they are Belgian or hold a valid Belgian residence permit. Check that the passport and the permit are still valid before departure.
Which hospitals in Belgium can receive the patient?
Any hospital able to treat the patient and willing to admit them, for example a university hospital in Brussels, Antwerp, Leuven or Liège. The hospital must confirm a bed before departure.
Will an air ambulance stop on the way?
It depends on the aircraft’s range, its load and the weather. If a stop is needed, its location and permits are arranged before take-off.
Bringing a patient from DR Congo to Belgium?
Send us the hospital and the treating doctor’s contact details, and we reply with the options and a written quote. Other departure countries are on our routes page.