Belgian Citizenship Through Marriage

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GuestPoster180Guest26 September 2019 07:56:26

214245

Hi,

I do not know if this question was asked before and I have tried to find it over the internet but could not find anything. I am wondering about the citizenship journey in Belgium and different websites seem to give different answers. Some say 3, some say 5 etc. in terms of years of residence in Belgium.

I first lived in Belgium for 3,5 years as a student on a student residence card in Leuven, Belgium. Then I got married in Leuven with my Belgian husband but moved to the United Kingdom where my husband was working. That was 3,5 years ago. I do hold a residence card that says residence card of a family member of a union citizen.

No we want to move back to Belgium, but I don't know if I still have to wait for 5 years more in Belgium so that I can apply for citizenship. I saw that you can in theory apply for citizenship if you have lived in a different country with your husband and had strong ties to Belgium, I did not have that.

I believe I do fill the language need because I hold a B1 certificate in Dutch. And I would the integration course right away. My main question is about the wait. Would I have to wait for 5 years?

phipiemar VIP Member

Member since 01 May 2013

phipiemarVIP Member26 September 2019 08:21:01

4733

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).

GuestPoster180 Guest

GuestPoster180Guest26 September 2019 10:02:50

214245

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?

phipiemar VIP Member

Member since 01 May 2013

phipiemarVIP Member26 September 2019 10:36:17

4733

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

GuestPoster180 Guest

GuestPoster180Guest26 September 2019 10:40:41

214245

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.

phipiemar VIP Member

Member since 01 May 2013

phipiemarVIP Member26 September 2019 11:04:19

4733

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.

GuestPoster180 Guest

GuestPoster180Guest26 September 2019 11:27:59

214245

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.

phipiemar VIP Member

Member since 01 May 2013

phipiemarVIP Member26 September 2019 11:38:07

4733

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...

GuestPoster180 Guest

GuestPoster180Guest26 September 2019 11:54:58

214245

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

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