Eligibility quiz
Was one of your parents a Belgian citizen when you were born, or when they died if they died before you were born?
Benefits
Benefits for your childBenefits for your child
Belgian passport and ID
Belgian citizens can get a Belgian passport and identity card.
Live in Belgium for life
Belgian citizens can enter, live in and return to Belgium without renewing their citizenship.
They can use ordinary public services on the same basis as other Belgian citizens.
Study in Belgium
Belgian citizens can study in Belgium on the same basis as other Belgian citizens.
Work in Belgium
Belgian citizens can work or run a business in Belgium on the same basis as other Belgian citizens.
Get help abroad
Belgian citizens can seek consular help abroad.
Those registered at a Belgian consulate can get documents and more effective emergency help; help for an unregistered visitor is narrower.
Vote in elections
Belgian citizens can vote in federal, regional and European elections if they meet the age and other rules.
Those abroad can vote in federal elections from 18 and European elections from 16, if they register at a consulate and enrol, and meet the other conditions.
Use public healthcare
Belgian citizens who are insured or otherwise meet the rules can get healthcare costs reimbursed; citizenship alone does not make healthcare free.
Get social support
Belgian citizens may qualify for social support, including unemployment benefits, pensions, family benefits and a living wage, if they meet the relevant work, residence, contribution or financial conditions.
How to apply
Applying at the town hallApplying at the town hall
Find your town hall
Find the town hall where you, the Belgian parent, have your main home. If your child is already Belgian automatically, ask the town hall how to record their nationality instead; the steps below are for a declaration.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “Which town hall in your city handles attribution of Belgian nationality for a child?”
Gather your documents
Prepare the required documents for your child’s declaration at the town hall.
See required documentsGet the declaration form
Ask your town hall for its form or instructions for declaring Belgian nationality for your child.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I get the form for a declaration of attribution of Belgian nationality for a child at the town hall in your city?”
Fill in the form
As the Belgian parent, complete the declaration in the language your town hall requires. You will sign it before the town hall officer.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How does a parent complete a declaration of attribution of Belgian nationality for a child at the town hall in your city?”
Book an appointment
Book or request an appointment with your town hall’s civil-status service if it requires one.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I book a town hall appointment in your city for a declaration of attribution of Belgian nationality for a child?”
Hand in your declaration
Bring the completed declaration and your original documents or certified copies to your town hall, and sign before the civil-status officer; ask the town hall how it takes declarations. Make the declaration within five years of your child’s birth; there is no nationality fee, although documents and related services may cost money.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I submit a declaration of attribution of Belgian nationality for a child at the town hall in your city?”
Wait for the decision
Wait while the town hall checks your declaration and draws up your child’s nationality record if the conditions are met. Your child becomes Belgian when that record is drawn up.
See what happens nextSearches DuckDuckGo for “What happens after a declaration of attribution of Belgian nationality for a child at a town hall?”
Request a record update
Once your child’s nationality record has been made, ask for their civil-status and national-register records to be updated. You can then request their Belgian identity or travel document.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I update a child’s civil-status and national-register records after attribution of Belgian nationality at the town hall in your city?”
Request your child’s document
Request a Belgian identity or travel document for your child from the appropriate Belgian authority. A travel document lets your child travel as a Belgian citizen.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I request a Belgian identity card or passport for my child in your city after attribution of Belgian nationality?”
Documents needed
Family certificates and recordsFamily certificates and records
Birth certificates
Get your birth certificate as an original or certified copy. If your Belgian parent’s place of birth matters to your case, also get their birth certificate. If your relationship to your parent is not already clear from the records, add a recognition or court record, or an adoption decision if you were adopted.
Parent's citizenship records
Bring your Belgian parent’s Belgian identity card, passport or proof of Belgian nationality as an original or officially certified copy. The record should help the office check that your parent was Belgian when you were born, or when they died if they died before your birth.
Parent's residence record *
Bring proof of your Belgian parent’s address or registration in the consular population register, as requested by the consulate. Ask the consulate which documents it accepts.
* Only if you apply at a consulate and it asks for proof of your Belgian parent's address or registration.
May need translationMay need apostille/legalisationConsiderations
Things to think aboutThings to think about
Citizenship can be lost
At 28, some born abroad after 1 January 1967 lose citizenship: another citizenship, mainly abroad at 18–28, no qualifying Belgian work, retention declaration or voluntary grant after 18.
Adults can give it up or lose it by taking another citizenship.
Courts can remove it for fraud, serious breaches, certain crimes or sham marriage; minors can lose it with a parent or by adoption, with safeguards against statelessness.
Discuss
Online communitiesOnline communities
Life in Belgium
English Facebook group for people living in Belgium interested in Belgian local life
Join on Facebookr/AnchorLessEurope
English Reddit group for people living in Europe interested in visas
Join on Redditr/europe
English Reddit group for people interested in local life in Europe
Join on RedditConsultation
Talk to a professionalTalk to a professional
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