Long distance relationship and moving to Belgium for it

If you want to live with your boyfriend in Belgium, you can apply for the cohabitation visa. You can find information about it here:

https://unitedstates.diplomatie.belgium … ation-visa

And this blog has a lot of good information:

http://www.liveinbelgium.be/category/le … tion-visa/

My situation is a little similar to yours - I'm American (22) and my boyfriend (26) is Belgian, and we have been dating for almost 2 years after I met him when I studied abroad in Gent, so I'm planning to apply for this visa. The thing with the cohabitation visa is that in addition to all the documents you need, you and your partner have to be 21+ (18 is okay if you have lived together for a year), and you also have to be in a relationship for a minimum of 2 years if you haven't lived together before.

In those past 2+ years, you have to provide proof of relationship and you have to have visited each other at least 3 times, which should add up to at least 45 days. So in your situation, if you're able to, I think you should meet him first in Belgium like for a holiday. What's nice is that American citizens can visit the Schengen Area up to 90 days just on our passport.

I hope this helps!

Thank you a lot. This definitely helps a bunch. On the downside though, we both wouldn't be able to afford doing such. I'll probably have to try and find some other visa, but which one is probably going to be difficult. Again thanks for your help. It's definitely appreciated.

-S

@isaiz what about marriage? Do you still have to know him for two years and have visited each other at least 45 days?