How long i can stay out of Belgium without resetting PR counter

6 months trip maximum and you can go outside Belgium for 10 months overall in a 5 years period.

If you have an H card, then you're allowed to have a maximum 12 months trip and the total duration of your absences is less than 18 months within a 5 years period.


https://dofi.ibz.be/sites/dvzoe/FR/Guid … gique.aspx

You can go out of Belgium max 6 months.
If you go to your commune and have temporary absence processed there, then you can stay out of Belgium max 12 months.
However, this will impact citizenship process if you will apply in the future.

My advise, come back to Belgium in 6 months even it is one day. Then, you are fine.

yossupaga wrote:

You can go out of Belgium max 6 months.
If you go to your commune and have temporary absence processed there, then you can stay out of Belgium max 12 months.
However, this will impact citizenship process if you will apply in the future.

My advise, come back to Belgium in 6 months even it is one day. Then, you are fine.

Hi,

You really take Belgian administrative services for incompetents. You really believe that they will never notice the ride back in Belgium for just one day ...

Even if they often lag behind in administrative processing, EVERYTHING is recorded and may be used even years later.

yossupaga wrote:

You can go out of Belgium max 6 months.
If you go to your commune and have temporary absence processed there, then you can stay out of Belgium max 12 months.
However, this will impact citizenship process if you will apply in the future.

My advise, come back to Belgium in 6 months even it is one day. Then, you are fine.

I really don't know whether your trick works or not. But you make me recall of an ex-colleague of mine. When we were in a training of a new software system, he insisted that by hitting very fast on buttons, he could bypass system logging.

With all this discussion my what i conclude:

1- I can stay out of Belgium for 6 months maximum in one trip without any trouble.
2- I can stay out of Belgium for 10months in total during my 5 years of stay.

Correct me if i am getting it wrong?

In my case due to COVID-19 office got closed and everyone stated working from home, i live alone in Belgium so i found it is better to come back to home country and work from home there, I'm still paying rent/bills even I'm not there, Planing to move back to belgium before exceeding 6 months of stay.

One note to add, for 6 months absence, you have to inform districthuis. This is written law not trick by the way.

But... if you leave 3 months max, you don't have to inform anybody and even entering the country one day resets your absence. Then, you can go out of country again. This is shared info by districthuis.

yossupaga wrote:

One note to add, for 6 months absence, you have to inform districthuis. This is written law not trick by the way.

But... if you leave 3 months max, you don't have to inform anybody and even entering the country one day resets your absence. Then, you can go out of country again. This is shared info by districthuis.

If i have less than 6 months (for my case it will be 5mnths) of absence do i need to inform any authority?

It's always better to tell them that you're planning a long trip and that you will be back.

If there's the police check to verify that you still live in your home in Belgium, while you're gone, you may be removed from the foreigner register if you didn't tell the commune.

Dear All,

I have seen stubborn people before but you are really winning.  Any exit outside European borders is automatically recorded by the immigration services.  You really believe that going back on Monday to leaving on Wednesday will not make the Belgian administrative services react at one time or another ...

phipiemar wrote:

Dear All,

I have seen stubborn people before but you are really winning.  Any exit outside European borders is automatically recorded by the immigration services.  You really believe that going back on Monday to leaving on Wednesday will not make the Belgian administrative services react at one time or another ...

I don't have any intention of doing (entry-exit) just to reset out of Belgium stay, just wanted to know if long stay out of Belgium has any effect on PR counter. Whole point of asking this question was if there is a limit on staying out of Belgium then i would return back to Belgium and stay there (no plans to leave BE).

AlexFromBelgium wrote:

It's always better to tell them that you're planning a long trip and that you will be back.

If there's the police check to verify that you still live in your home in Belgium, while you're gone, you may be removed from the foreigner register if you didn't tell the commune.

I'm already been out of BE for more than 3 months and planning to get back in 20 days so my total stay could be around 4 months.

Should i write email to inform commune about my stay? at my apartment's door I've pasted  a note "out of country, along with my contact no" not sure if it is enough if someone came verify.

I agree completely. There is no automated system where the police comes and check exactly after 3 months and most probably you will be fine if you are late 20 days or so but it is a risk in case the police comes and check. If you can't justify that you were in Belgium, which you can't as you are out of country, then you are in trouble and that will cause de-registration.

So better you have informed before you left but all you can do now is to pray that nobody will come and check in 20 days

AlexFromBelgium wrote:

It's always better to tell them that you're planning a long trip and that you will be back.

If there's the police check to verify that you still live in your home in Belgium, while you're gone, you may be removed from the foreigner register if you didn't tell the commune.

I agree completely. There is no automated system where the police comes and check exactly after 3 months and most probably you will be fine if you are late 20 days or so but it is a risk in case the police comes and check. If you can't justify that you were in Belgium, which you can't as you are out of country, then you are in trouble and that will cause de-registration.

So better you have informed before you left but all you can do now is to pray that nobody will come and check in 20 days

@yossupaga Hi , You mentioned "However, this will impact citizenship process if you will apply in the future".

Could you help me understand if someone already holding PR will also be affected if he leaves Belgium for 6 months ( I mean when he applies for citizenship).

Thanks.

Hello Josep,

Unfortunately yossupaga has been inactive since 2020...

I don't think that you'll receive an answer from him.

Yoginee

Expat.com team

hi i am belgian citizen and now imcurrently  6months out of the country in that case.

i would like to ask if i can go outside of the country for 1 year or more? i still have my address in belgium i just want to know if there is any problem with that

hi i am belgian citizen and now imcurrently 6months out of the country in that case.
i would like to ask if i can go outside of the country for 1 year or more? i still have my address in belgium i just want to know if there is any problem with that
-@Emery Justine Sta. Ana

Can anyone share info regarding this subject?

@Emery Justine Sta. Ana Hi,

if you are a citizen and you intend to return to Belgium, it ideally should not be a problem. You may indeed have to compromise on your pension amount and other benefits later on. Not sure on that part.

Why don't you send an email to the consulate where you are living or your commune in Belgium?.

I am aware from a permanent residence perspective that you will loose it if you live outside the country for more than 2 consecutive years. Don't see such rules for Belgian national.

(my good friend stayed in Africa for 8 years without coming to Belgium and did not have any issues).