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If, as a major Belgian, you voluntarily acquire a foreign nationality
The lifting of the ban on multiple nationality among major Belgians who voluntarily acquire another nationality, introduced by the law of 27 December 2006, took place in two stages:
From 9 June 2007, Belgian nationals acquiring the nationality of a country not party to the Council of Europe Convention on the Reduction of Cases of Multiple Nationality, signed in Strasbourg on 6 May 1963, retained their nationality Belgian.
The States Parties to the Council of Europe Convention are Austria, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain and the Netherlands. .
As from 28 April 2008, the lifting of the prohibition of multiple nationality is complete, which means in practice that any Belgian national who voluntarily acquires the nationality of one of the countries listed above retains his Belgian nationality.
The law on dual nationality does not require any formality. You must not make a declaration to a communal service or a diplomatic post abroad.
Warning: this measure has no retroactive effect. If, in the past, you have lost your Belgian nationality, you do not automatically recover it; you will have to file a recovery declaration.
You, as a Belgian with dual nationality, can renounce Belgian nationality by making a declaration to that effect. This declaration can be subscribed with the registrar of your municipality of main residence (This hyperlink opens a new window) or with the Belgian embassy or consulate (This hyperlink opens a new window) of the country where you reside.
If as a foreigner you acquire Belgian nationality
As a foreign national, you can obtain dual nationality if you acquire Belgian nationality, for example through the declaration of nationality or naturalization, and you retain your nationality of origin. In this case too, it is the legislation of the country of origin (This hyperlink opens a new window) that determines whether you can keep your original nationality.
As a minor, If you are from a mixed marriage, you may be born with one or more nationalities. In this case we speak of dual nationality or plurinationality.
1. If you come from a mixed marriage of which at least one of the authors is Belgian
Belgian nationality is automatically assigned to you at birth if:
you were born in Belgium
you are not born in Belgium but this is the case of your Belgian author
In addition to the Belgian nationality, you also have the nationality of your non-Belgian author, unless the laws of the country of origin of the latter decide otherwise. The authorities of the country of origin (This hyperlink opens a new window) of your non-Belgian author can confirm you whether or not you have the nationality of this one.
If you have two or more nationalities, including Belgian nationality, you will be considered Belgian in Belgium and therefore registered as such in the registers of the population of your residence in Belgium (This hyperlink opens a new window).
2. If you come from a mixed marriage and none of your authors have Belgian nationality
You are in principle the same nationality as your authors, unless the laws of the country of origin of the latter decide otherwise. The authorities of the country of origin (This hyperlink opens a new window) of your authors can confirm to you if you own or not the nationality of these.
When one of your authors acquires Belgian nationality before your majority, in principle you become Belgian at the same time as you fulfill the required conditions.
It is the nationality law of your country of origin that determines whether or not you retain your nationality of origin.
