Family reunification process information

Hello,
it depends on what you intend to do and you've several options.

* You're coming in Belgium as a worker (single permit) and you depends on your own.
* You're coming in Belgium to sign a legal cohabitation / get married with your partner and you depend on the partner.
* You're already married/legal cohabitation and you'll depend on your partner.

Morning,

Thanks so much for your help.

So I am coming to Belgium to live with my partner, and get married. From our lawyers guidance (although dont trust what she says anymore), I could not go down the cohabitation route as it required living together in Belgium for 6 months, without having the working right, however I am on a UK contract and unable to work in Belgium. My company plan on transferring me to a Belgium contract once I have the living right, which will hopefully mean working right too.

I am struggling to find the right information about which process would work for us.

Where the hell did you find that lawyer? That's a free student?

As far as you told us, you're UK and your partner is Belgian
So, as you've visa-free access for short term (90d max) and your partner is Belgian, you can just come in Belgium, get married, and start the full family reunion process from Belgium once your civil status has been changed to "married".

So, after the wedding, you go to the commune with your husband (+ id pictures), you state your arrival and you tell them you're going to live together.

They'll send police in the next 15 calendar days to verify that you're living at the address of your partner, once it's done, you'll receive your orange card (temporary resident permit). As your partner is Belgium, you won't need work permit and you can start working + annexe 19ter.

After 3 months, you'll have to send your family reunion file to the commune and they'll forward it to the immigration for final decision (3 months to deny your stay).
==> full process = 6 months.


The only thing that you must make sure, is that you get married within the first month of your 90d stays.
As getting the orange card can take easily 1 month if you're going to live in a bigger city (Brussels/Antwerpen/...)
==> you must get the orange card within the 90d or you'll have to go back in the UK and wait 180d to come again.


All the info that you need are available on the embassy website or on the immigration website
https://dofi.ibz.be/fr/themes/les-resso … oupant-est

This is so helpful thank you! And the lawyer is getting some VERY bad reviews! Apparently fully qualified in Antwerp....

Whilst we plan on getting married, it is unlikely to happen just yet. Is there a similar process where I am able to register still with my partner, with the intent to marry?

Only other choice is the legal cohabitation (which is a 'light marriage', you'll both become family member with rights and obligations towards each other)

You've to be in one of these three cases:
* have a child together (born)
* have lived together for at least one year (and can proof it - rent/resident permit with address history/ ...)
* know each other since at least 2 years and you can proof it (pictures/stamp in passport (unlikely except for vacation?), flight tickets, phone call history, whatsapp/signal/messenger/..., gift, money, ... any legal means

then you can do the same as I described in my previous post (arriving in Belgium on tourist status (90d) and start the legal cohabitation process.

State your arrival in Belgium within the first 8 days to your commune & start the legal cohabitation process
Visit of police in 15d
interview at commune (split to see if you really know each other, common basic questions: best friend, job, money, address, family/best friend names, who do the cooking, laundry, blablabla super basic & easy questions)
then once it's validated, you can sign the legal cohabitation. (family member) => orange card + annexe 19ter
Then you start the family reunion process from Belgium


Make sure you get all your documents ready before leaving UK (criminal record, single certificate/affidavit, birth certificate, ...) + apostille and not older than 6/7 months when you start the process in Belgium!

Wish I had joined this forum months ago! Thank you, incredibly helpful.

I have actually just received all the documents as of today. And having had to prove relationship previously to get an essential travel certificate during covid, means we can prove our relationship. Wasn't aware of the interview however sounds fairly straight forward.

I am guessing I need to get all the documents translated into Dutch. Do you know if there are certain approved translators which need to be used?

I've just checked the Belgian embassy's website in UK, but they don't even talk about legal cohabitation. So, check the one from our Belgian embassy in Vietnam, at least they talk about it in English. (it's the same for every third country, as UK is out of Europe since the brexit)

https://vietnam.diplomatie.belgium.be/s … itizen.pdf

That's the one I did with my Vietnamese significant other to come in Belgium 2-3 years ago, and to get her legal cohabitation's visa (short stay 90d), then the "F" card (family member of EU) / resident permit.

Basically you are exempted of a visa as you're UK, but you'll need to provide the same file/document once you arrive in Belgium for the family reunion ==> prepare every document before leaving UK.
Once you start the process, you'll have to stay +/- 6 months in Belgium WITHOUT leaving the country. Unless force-majeur that you can proof (family death, ...)


Ok, you got a certificate to allow you to travel and proof that you know each other, but you'll have to proof it AGAIN for the family reunion.
Make sure you bring as much documents as you can! The more documents, the best... (administrative shi* point of view...  )

Your documents are easy to get, and so, the positive answer from the immigration basically only depends on your Belgian partner: long term contract/job, 1600€ after tax MINIMUM, correct accommodation (myrent certificate / owner ship certificate), mutuelle/ziekenfonds certificate that he's in order and you'll be covered. Your bf will understand when he read that document


question for the interview are stupid in case of real couple...
You can find some example here: https://www.nairaland.com/1087377/inter … union-visa
or check google: visa schengen interview question
They never go too far, except if they suspect grey/white couple because your answers completely differ from each other ==> then hardcore questions can be asked (sexual, intimate, private questions can be forseen...)

Really detailed info thank you.

My only worry is the time it'll take to get the orange card/right to work as my work are only allowing me to work on a UK contract for up to 2 weeks. I will move into a Belgian contract once I am able to work there of course. Does the route mean I have to wait 6 months or so to get that right to work?

Just reading a lot of conflicting information.

Getting the orange card will take from +/- 3weeks to 2-3 months depending on the commune and when the police verify your address. It's always slower in bigger cities.
As far as I remember it took +/- 3 weeks for my significant. (visit of the police in the first 7 days)

Once you've that temporary residence permit, you can work legally because your partner is EU.

Thank you for this, so I just wanted to make sure I understand all the above (apologies I am a stickler for details)

1. Arrive in Belgium and go straight to commune to start the cohabitation process (as we can prove we have known each other for 2+ years, we qualify for that)
2. Submit all the documents you have stated (already have these documents and will get them translated)
3. Wait for the police to then visit (15 days)
5. Interview with commune - split - is this instant or does it take time to arrange?
4. Once visited I will be given my orange card - is this the point I would be able to start working but I wont need a work permit because my partner is Belgian? For the processing time of the Orange card, we would be looking at 2-3 weeks (hopefully not 2-3 months as I would not be able to work and would be out of a job!)
5. Cohabitation starts, I cannot leave the country for 6 months and we start the family reunion process.

I am mostly interested in the working part as you may be aware because it could impact me and my job.

Really thank you so much for all the advice.

I had police visit in the same week. This past Sunday Today i called and the Gemeente told me towait for my Puk and pin code via post first in order to book an appointment to collect the Orange card.....

Thank you for letting me know. How long was the time between police visiting and then you getting your orange card?

I am waiting for my orange card. The police were here 2 days ago. My friends got theirs in about 3 weeks . The Gemeente said about 2 weeks to me.

Great, thank you. That is really helpful

Kendy Makere wrote:

I had police visit in the same week. This past Sunday Today i called and the Gemeente told me towait for my Puk and pin code via post first in order to book an appointment to collect the Orange card.....

Puk & pin code? that's only for the resident card. (electronic ID card secured by a password)
Not for the orange card (that's an old paper document) and which is a temporary resident card, before getting the eID one)

cameronlexi wrote:

1. Arrive in Belgium and go straight to commune to start the cohabitation process (as we can prove we have known each other for 2+ years, we qualify for that) ==> ok
2. Submit all the documents you have stated (already have these documents and will get them translated) ==> only single status certificate/birth certificate/criminal record/your passport/10-12 ID pictures (for the full process) + bring your Belgian partner + his/her id card
3. Wait for the police to then visit (15 days) ==> ok (put your name on the ring bell and on the postal box!!!)
5. Interview with commune - split - is this instant or does it take time to arrange? ==> immediately, you do write the answer on a document, then they send it to immigration and they give their opinion in +/- 7-10 days (to compare the answer)
4. Once visited I will be given my orange card - is this the point I would be able to start working but I wont need a work permit because my partner is Belgian? For the processing time of the Orange card, we would be looking at 2-3 weeks (hopefully not 2-3 months as I would not be able to work and would be out of a job!) ==> if immigration say yes, you'll sign the legal cohabitation + orange card + annexe 19ter family reunion (bring your ID pictures again)
5. Cohabitation starts, I cannot leave the country for 6 months and we start the family reunion process.  ==> it starts when you sign the document (point 5) and the family reunion starts once you receive the annexe 19ter

6. you've three month to give your family reunion file. (mostly documents from your partner + history of your relationship as you've already give what they want in step 2)
7. immigration has 3 months to denied your resident permit. 3 months + 1d later you go back to the commune for the result
8. 7-10 days later you come back for your F card (family member of EU) valid 5 years or until you "divorce" of your cohabitation (+/- 400-500€) and so you'll have to leave Belgium.


Good luck 

Thats what they told me yesterday...

hello. Am from Kenya married to a belgian which visa is much easier to get in short time? Becouse I think the family reunion visa takes longer. Help advice.

Hello am from Kenya just recently we got married to my husband who is a belgian. We are planing to go for family reunion visa . But we don't know how long that might take. Can you please advise on which visa to take so I can be able to do the whole process over there in Belgium? Advice pls

Hi Brenda, you may wish to read through the comments on my post as it is also the questions I have been asking and it should be answered in there.

Hello, if married to belgian in kenya how long does it take to get the the marriage registration in Belgium and what do we do if am still in kenya and I get my F card. Please advice?

You may want to create a separate thread as this was not what my original topic was about as I am travelling from the UK where the situation is different.

The orange card is a paper card. I saw it today

So from submitting the document at visa application center to the embassy then you wait for 2 months then start checking the ibz or what ? I did not understand

TLS gives u a tracking number to track your application on their site . The process in Africa can take 6 to 9 months thats the time frame they give us

Well if married to a belgian citizen (EU) normal process is max 6 months but if he's a non EU then 6 to 9 months. But the embassy is saying 3to 4month so which is which?

Officially thats the limits given. But it can be done sooner as the Embassy said. It also depends on your case. I had friends who got in 6months and others in 1 month.