Passport or a European ID card

Passport

A colored copy of the passport must be provided by all NON-EEA and EEA nationals. Make sure that the quality of the scan is sufficient as photographs taken from documents by mobile phone are not accepted. A copy of the other pages in the passport (such as the pages where you can find proof of the entries in countries or received visas are put on) are not required. The only exception to this is if it concerns an entry in a Schengen state, prior to the stay in Belgium.

In case you hold several passports, it is advised to provide the European passport or the passport which will give you the most rights in Belgium following out of bilateral agreements between Belgium and that country.

The passport must be still valid until six months after you enter Belgium. If your passport will expire during your stay in Belgium, a new passport can be requested at your countries’ embassy based in Belgium.

European ID card

A colored copy of the European ID card must be provided by EEA and NON-EEA nationals, if one is hold. Make sure that the quality of the scan is sufficient as photographs taken from documents by mobile phone are not accepted .The ID card must be still valid until six months after you enter Belgium.

If a NON-EEA national holds a status as ‘long-term resident’ in a certain European country, a Single Permit for indefinite period can be obtained in Belgium after 12 months of working in Belgium. For the first year, a single permit applied by Ghent University is required.

Long term resident within an EEA country

As a third-country national you can apply for the status of "long-term resident". You can apply for the status or the right of residence in a second Member State throughout the European Union. The EU introduced the status in 2003 with Directive 2003/109 / EC. Once you have the status of long-term resident, you can apply for a right of residence in a second, different EU Member State. For example: as a long-term resident in Spain, apply for a right of residence in a second Member State, Belgium, or vice versa.

As third country national you need to apply for an Single permit to work if you are considered as long-term resident in another EU member state and have worked 12 months in Belgium within the 18 months before the application, based on a valid single permit (applied by the University of Gent). More information on the procedure can be found here.

Belgian ID card

Obtaining a Belgian residence ID card is mandatory if you stay more than 90 days in Belgium. The ID card will replace your visa to enter Belgium and provide you the right to stay, live and work in Belgium. The procedure to obtain the card is started immediately after arrival.

The ID card is proof that you are staying in Belgium on a legal basis, however it does not replace your passport!

  • Always have your electronic residence card with you
  • Request a new residence card in time and before the expiring date
  • Inform the local authorities if you intend to move or to leave Belgium.

Types of Belgian ID cards

Depending on your status in Belgium (as employee, researcher on host agreement, family reunion or student) different types of ID-cards can be issued. Also depending on your nationality: NON-EEA nationality or EEA nationality a difference is made.

The A card : Proof of registration in the foreigners register - Temporary residence

This card is provided for NON EEA - Third-country nationals admitted or authorized to stay for an limited period. The period of validity of the electronic A card coincides with the duration of the temporary right of residence. This differs per category.

  • Family reunion with third country national: If you reside in Belgium through the right to family reunification as a family member of a third-country national (Article 10 and 10bis of the Residence Act), you will initially receive a temporary right of residence.
  • Economic migrant: If you come to Belgium as a labor migrant, you will initially receive a temporary right of residence. The residence card can be renewed if you can demonstrate that you are still exercising the activity.
  • Third-country student: Is your residence application approved as a student? Then you will receive a residence card that is valid for the duration of the studies. This is usually until October 31 of the current academic year. The card is renewed every year for the duration of the studies, provided you still meet the conditions.
  • Long-term resident in another EU country with a second residence in Belgium: Have you been granted long-term resident status in another EU country? Then you can apply for a second residence in Belgium. As a long-term resident with a second residence in Belgium, you will receive a temporary right of residence of 1 year. The card can be renewed 4 times with 1 year.

When do you have to renew the card? Between the 45th and 30th day before the card expiration date. If the Immigration Office does not take a decision on the renewal of the card before the expiry date, the municipality must issue an appendix 15. That document covers the stay for the time being.

The B card : Proof of registration in the foreigners register - unlimited residence

This card is provided for NON EEA - Third-country nationals admitted or authorized to stay for an unlimited period.

Who will receive this card? Foreign nationals with limited or conditional residence, after a certain period of time. If you go through a residence procedure as a third-country national, you often first get a limited or conditional residence. After a certain period of time, you will receive an unlimited stay. For some residence procedures, the length of this period is determined by law, but for some residence procedures there are no statutory provisions.

If there are no statutory provisions that prescribe when a stay of unlimited duration must be granted, the Immigration Office (DVZ) has a discretionary power. In practice, the Immigration Department will grant you an indefinite period of residence at the earliest after 5 years from the issue of the first residence card.

The period is determined by law:

  • Family member of a Belgian
  • Family member of a Union citizen
  • Family member of a third-country national with unlimited residence
  • Labor migrant after 5 years of employment with a single permit
  • Long-term resident with a second residence in Belgium

The term is not legally determined: the Immigration Department has a discretionary decision; At the earliest after 5 years from the issue of the first residence card, the Immigration Department will grant a residence for an unlimited period.

  • Labor migrant after a minimum of 5 years of employment who was not (fully) covered by a single permit (e.g. 3 years with work permit B and 2 years with single permit)

What is the validity period? The B card is valid for 5 years, but is then renewed without any conditions. After all, the holder of this card has an unlimited stay. A B card with the special remark 'Duplicate' may contain a different validity period. In that case it concerns a replacement after, for example, loss or theft.

When do you have to renew the card? Between the 45th and 30th day before the expiration date of the card. If the Immigration Department does not take a decision on the renewal of the card before the expiry date, the municipality must issue an appendix 15. An appendix 15 provisionally covers the stay.

The E card : Proof of registration for EEA citizens

This card is provided for EEA - Union citizens who come to Belgium for a stay of more than three months.

The electronic E card is valid for a maximum of 5 years. If you, as a Union citizen, indicate that you will be staying in Belgium for less than 5 years, the validity of the E card will be limited to the duration of your planned stay.

The F card : Family reunion

Nationals of third countries who reside in Belgium on the basis of a right to family reunification with a Belgian or Union citizen, and whose application for residence has been approved.

What is the validity period? The F card is valid for 5 years, unless the Union citizen or the Belgian joining the family member indicates that they are staying in Belgium for a shorter period. Then the validity of the F card is limited to the duration of the intended stay of the Belgian or Union citizen.

When do you have to renew the card? You must apply for permanent residence before the F card expires. If your permanent residence is not granted, your F card will be extended for a period of 5 years (or equal to the residence permit of the Union citizen accompanying you). If the Immigration Office does not take a decision on the renewal of the card before the expiry date, the municipality must issue an appendix 15. That document covers the stay for the time being.

The H card : European Blue card

This card is provided for highly trained workers from third countries, who have successfully completed the residence procedure for obtaining a single permit under a European Blue Card.

The B or D card: Long term residency in Belgium

Information on how to become a long-term resident in Belgium as NON EEA national can be found here in Dutch.

The general conditions are:

  • Immediately prior to applying for your long-term resident status, you have an uninterrupted legal residence of 5 years in Belgium. Some periods with a right of residence of limited duration only count partially or not at all:
    • Your stay as a foreign student counts for half
    • the stay for "reasons of a temporary nature only" (the explanatory memorandum of the law of 19 March 2014 amending the Residence Act gives examples: au pairs, seasonal workers, seconded workers) does not count
    • Your stay with a diplomatic, consular or special identity card does not count.
  • Periods of absence count under certain conditions:
    • you are not absent for more than 6 consecutive months,
    • over the entire 5-year period, you will not be absent for more than 10 months in total.
  • If you have a European blue card (electronic H card), you must prove that:
    • you have been staying in the EU with a European Blue Card for 5 years. You may not be absent for more than 12 consecutive months and 18 months in total.
    • you stayed in Belgium for 2 years prior to your application.