Should I pay in advance for hotel booking to get a Tourist Visa for begium.?

Question

I am going to apply for belgian VISA as a tourist on the 15th of July. They required proof of accommodation in Belgium (hotel booking). Is it mendatory to pay in advance to show them as a proof? The problem is, I want to stay in the 'sleepwell' youth hostel, I reserved a room and got a reservation confirmation also, the donot have any system to take payment in advance. I am not sure whether the embassy gonna accept this. Please share if you have any similar experience.

Thanks

Answer 1

My friends who applied for tourist visas to western Europe only needed the proof of booking + proof of ability to pay.  They had no problems getting the visas.

Answer 2

Confirmation of accommodation booking should be good enough for you unless you are particular about a hotel and that hotel insisting for an advance payment for a day's stay to be sure that the hotel is not going to loose in case on " No show".Hotels generally demand Credit Card details as a security measure