Belgian Citizenship Through Marriage

Hello,

Since 1 January 2013, the procedure for obtaining Belgian nationality has been simplified. But the conditions are stricter. Including for the foreign spouse of a Belgian.

The declaration as a spouse of a Belgian (or parent of a Belgian minor child) is one of the ways of acquiring Belgian nationality since the reform of the Nationality Code, which came into force on 1 January 2013.

Four conditions

However, several simultaneous conditions must be met by the person to be able to claim Belgian nationality on the basis of a declaration as spouse of a Belgian.

Be married to a Belgian and live together in Belgium for at least three years. Legal cohabitation is not enough.

Stay legally in Belgium for at least five years.

Provide proof of knowledge of one of the three national languages ​​(A2 level - European reference framework).

Prove social integration in one of the following ways:

> have obtained a diploma of upper secondary education in Belgium,

> have followed an integration course,

> attest to at least 400 hours of professional training and provide proof of 234 working days (or three quarters of social contributions as self-employed).

Thank you, really good answer again.

Stay legally in Belgium for at least five years.  -I am assuming this needs to be uninterrupted, so my stay in belgium before would not count towards this?

Yes and no. To legally reside in Belgium means to be in administrative order in a municipality or at an embassy.

I see, very difficult questions that I'd probably have to ask in Belgium I know after I have left Belgium, I was still a resident in Belgium up until last year because I never de-registered at the city hall. I have done it though last year by e-mail so I can just ask the questions there at the commune.

Do the dates cumulate, when did you get married? When did you leave Belgium? When did you opt out?

If you are five years old between the first and last, it's good.

On the other hand, be careful with your disincription, because they may ask you to redo the process via appendix 19.

I had residence cards from Feb 2013 to Oct 2016 - so that would be 3 years 8 months - thats based on my residence cards

But my address was in Belgium between Feb 2013 - Dec 2018, so that would be almost 6 years. I do have my Model 8 attestation - although I am not sure if that is only for changing your address.

Read my first answer with the FOUR conditions... You're in

But with model 8, did you went to belgian embassy in London for registration ? Hope it's yes...

No I haven't unfortunately, I did it through the commune, but I do have the official document signed and dated, and they did change my address to my current one in the UK