Belgian Cohabitation Visa Experience/Advice

The biggest thing ive found is the person you are cohabiting with must have proof theythwy have the money to support youifyoudo not already have work. I moved in with my partner after being in belgium for a year as a au pair not questions asked but I an from eu. We had been togeather 2 years in total

1. Has anyone had any experience applying for this visa and being accepted or denied?

Yes accepted, Apart from all the paper work was easy,

2. If accepted, had you known each other for 2 years? If denied, what did you do next? Is it costly to hire an attorney? And most importantly, is it harmful to have a denied visa request on my record? Will this hinder my ability to be approved in the future?! This is what I am most worried about...

Nope we have not been together for 2 years

3. Does it help that my bf and I have a legitimate relationship and are not a foreign couple trying to get married for legal purposes?

I dont no how to answer this.

4. Also does it make a difference which commune we register with? Is it more likely to be accepted if you apply in a small city like Ypres or even Ghent as opposed to a large city like Brussels where they probably get a lot more visa requests?

I have no idea, But applying in Brussels was fine.


Things that can be a problem is what hannah said showing proof of support.

By entering as tourist, I d wait 2 months to be certain living here in that relationship us right, then apply for an f card. Apply where you can support yourselves financially. By time you get to applying, you'll probably be near 2 years

Hey, can i ask how you went with your Visa? And how long was the process from start to finish?


I am currently in a similar situation, however my partner and I both live in Australia. He wants to move back to Belgium. However, as we both live in Australia he does not have a job.

Cheers!

Hi Modia,

this thread is an old one, the posters haven't connected since years now. Perhaps you should consider creating your own topic on the the Belgium forum so that you might easily get some feedbacks.

All the best,
Bhavna

Hi, I am interested how'd you go with your visa. I am currently in the same situation. I'm a Filipina working in Bangkok legit and my boyfriend is Belgian. He is currently unemployed here. My boyfriend moved to Thailand last year with me so we can be together and had a job at first (legit with visa and work permit) but we ended up scammed by his employer so he had to quit and he has been having short-term jobs. Things are getting harder for us here because of his unemployment and visa runs that are really expensive so he wans to move to Belgium soon with me. I already had a successful visa application for schengen two year ago sponsored by him but he still has a job that time. Now, we want to apply for the cohabitation visa but he would not have enough funds to support me as he won't have a job if he goes back. In my end, I can provide the means of subsistence for 90 days (€45/day) but there's a lot of things on his end that he can only provide if he has work. We're really confused on how to go about it and we would appreciate any feedback. We do not want to be in a long distance relationship anymore after having lived together for more than a year. In total, we've been in a relationship for 3 years now. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you and I hope you are well and happy! Cheers! xx

Hi L_Skittles,

To apply for Cohabitation or getting married and apply for Family Reunification Visa, would really be tough if the Belgian doesn't have or cannot prove he can support you financially. I guess you already know that Employment Cert plus payslips are part of the requirements to obtain long term visa here. To be sure as well, you may ask your boyfriend to check the same on the municipality where he is registered.

Cheers!

Hello Sabrina! Thank you for your reply. I'll take note of your feedback. However, I contacted the Belgian Embassy here in Thailand through their third-party agency (VFS Global). They told me we can have a Belgian guarantor (my boyfriend's immediate family) who can issue  financial support and accommodation. We were advised to write to the embassy about the situation so they understand about my boyfriend's unemployment. My boyfriend will drop by the Belgian embassy to inquire in person and have a more accurate info. Thanks foe your reply, weal appreciate it. xx