---
title: "Belgian Residence Permit Acquisition (Worker, Family, Long-term, Student, EU)"
country: belgium
service: "residence-permit-eu-non-eu-types-a-b-d-f-annex-19-49"
category: immigration
difficulty: complex
estimated_time: "Roughly 3 to 6 months end-to-end from first commune appointment to electronic-card collection — 4 months statutory for the single-permit Worker route, 6 months for both family-reunification routes from file-opening or Annex 19ter date, and 3 to 5 months in observed practice for the EU/EEA/Swiss registration certificate; card production at the commune adds approximately 3 weeks after the Office of Foreigners decision"
cost_range: "€0,00 (minor applicants and exempt categories under Article 1/1/1 §2) through €126,00 to €313,00 federal Office-of-Foreigners residence-file fee, plus €25,00 to €150,00 in City of Brussels commune card-production and file-opening charges; other communes set their own card-production fees within ranges defined by federal law"
last_verified: 2026-05-27
canonical: https://publicservices.guide/belgium/residence-permit-eu-non-eu-types-a-b-d-f-annex-19-49/
status: current
confidence: low
tags:
  - immigration
  - "residence-permit"
  - belgium
  - "office-des-etrangers"
  - "dienst-vreemdelingenzaken"
  - "single-permit"
  - "family-reunification"
  - "eu-registration"
  - "annex-19"
  - "annex-49"
sources:
  - https://ibz.be/en/registration-and-reporting-obligation-general
  - https://ibz.be/en/right-of-permanent-residence-of-eu-citizens-and-their-family-members
  - https://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/cgi_loi/change_lg.pl?language=fr&la=F&cn=1981100831&table_name=loi
  - https://www.brussels.be/employee-registration
  - https://ibz.be/en
  - https://ibz.be/en
---

# Belgian Residence Permit Acquisition (Worker, Family, Long-term, Student, EU)

**Country:** 🇧🇪 Belgium  
**Last verified:** 2026-05-27  
**Estimated time:** Roughly 3 to 6 months end-to-end from first commune appointment to electronic-card collection — 4 months statutory for the single-permit Worker route, 6 months for both family-reunification routes from file-opening or Annex 19ter date, and 3 to 5 months in observed practice for the EU/EEA/Swiss registration certificate; card production at the commune adds approximately 3 weeks after the Office of Foreigners decision  
**Cost:** €0,00 (minor applicants and exempt categories under Article 1/1/1 §2) through €126,00 to €313,00 federal Office-of-Foreigners residence-file fee, plus €25,00 to €150,00 in City of Brussels commune card-production and file-opening charges; other communes set their own card-production fees within ranges defined by federal law

## Required documents

- **Valid passport with appropriate entry visa** *(Passeport / Paspoort / Reisepass)*
  - Required: Original passport with at least 6 months validity beyond intended stay. Non-EU long-stay applicants must present a valid visa D affixed at the Belgian embassy or consulate of habitual residence before arrival. EU/EEA/Swiss applicants present a national identity card as alternative.
  - Where to get: National passport authority in country of citizenship; visa D from the competent Belgian diplomatic post abroad
  - Cost: Already held (renewal in home country if insufficient validity)
  - _Note:_ Bring photocopies of the data page and any prior Schengen visas.
- **Recent passport-size photographs** *(Photo d'identité / Pasfoto / Passfoto)*
  - Required: Two ICAO-compliant biometric photographs (35 mm x 45 mm, neutral expression, light background) for the file and electronic card
  - Where to get: Photographer or photo booth meeting ICAO biometric standard
  - Cost: €7 to €15 per set, paid locally
  - _Note:_ Some communes accept photos taken at the appointment for an additional fee.
- **Proof of residential address in Belgium** *(Preuve d'adresse / Bewijs van adres / Adressnachweis)*
  - Required: Signed rental contract, owner declaration of hosting, or property deed in the applicant's name, evidencing the address of intended residence
  - Where to get: Landlord, host, or notarial deed
  - Cost: Free to obtain from landlord
  - _Note:_ The commune is identified by the address of intended residence, not by city of arrival.
- **Single-permit authorisation** *(Permis unique / Gecombineerde vergunning)*
  - Required: Worker route only: single-permit decision document issued by the region of the workplace (Brussels-Capital Region, Flanders, or Wallonia) before arrival, plus the employment contract or appointment letter
  - Where to get: Regional employment authority — Brussels Economy and Employment, Departement Werk en Sociale Economie (Flanders), or Service public de Wallonie Emploi
  - Cost: Filed by employer; no applicant-side fee for the regional permit decision
  - _Note:_ Maximum combined decision time is 4 months from a complete file. The Annex 49 issued at the commune appointment authorises work to begin while the carte A is produced.
- **Family-reunification civil-status documents** *(Documents d'état civil / Burgerlijke-stand-documenten)*
  - Required: Family routes only: marriage certificate or registered partnership certificate, plus birth certificates of children, each legalised (apostille or Belgian-consulate legalisation) and translated to French, Dutch, or German by a sworn translator. Sponsor's proof of stable, regular, and sufficient income (typically 120% of the social-integration income reference). Sponsor's proof of housing meeting cohabitation norms. Sponsor's health insurance covering family members.
  - Where to get: Civil registry of place of celebration; apostille authority of issuing country or Belgian diplomatic post for non-Hague states; sworn translator from the Belgian court list
  - Cost: Legalisation typically €15 to €40 per document; sworn translation €30 to €80 per page; locally borne
  - _Note:_ Untranslated or unlegalised originals are routinely rejected at the commune appointment. The income, housing, and insurance thresholds are higher under Article 10 (non-EU sponsor) than under Article 40bis (EU sponsor).
- **Student enrolment proof** *(Attestation d'inscription / Inschrijvingsbewijs)*
  - Required: Student route only: university or higher-education admission letter or proof of enrolment, proof of subsistence funds (scholarship award or affidavit of financial support), and health insurance coverage
  - Where to get: Belgian higher-education institution; sponsor or scholarship-awarding body
  - Cost: Free; enrolment fees paid separately to the institution
  - _Note:_ The carte A issued to students is limited to academic-year duration and renewable on enrolment proof.
- **EU citizenship and intended-status proof** *(Preuve de citoyenneté UE et de statut / Bewijs van EU-burgerschap en doel van verblijf)*
  - Required: EU/EEA/Swiss registration route only: national identity card or passport (from EU, EEA, or Switzerland) plus full evidence of intended status at the very first commune appointment — employment contract, self-employment activity declaration, study enrolment certificate, proof of sufficient resources, or family-member-of-EU-citizen status
  - Where to get: Employer, civil registry, higher-education institution, or sponsor
  - Cost: Free to obtain
  - _Note:_ Commune guidance reported from around 1 September 2025 indicates missing documents may no longer be supplemented within a grace period, so an incomplete file is dismissed at first appointment and the applicant must restart; confirm current practice with the commune.
- **Annex 49 (issued at commune)** *(Annexe 49 / Bijlage 49)*
  - Required: Worker route only: issued by the commune at file-opening; authorises the worker to begin paid employment for up to 135 days while the carte A is produced. Extendable in 45-day blocks up to three blocks.
  - Where to get: Commune of intended residence at file-opening appointment
  - Cost: Included in commune file-opening fee
  - _Note:_ In Wallonia, work authorisation begins on single-permit decision receipt rather than on Annex 49 issuance. Flanders and Brussels-Capital require the Annex 49 milestone first.
- **Annex 19 or Annex 19ter (issued at commune)** *(Annexe 19 / Bijlage 19 — Annexe 19ter / Bijlage 19ter)*
  - Required: EU registration route: Annex 19 issued at commune, valid pending the federal verification. Family-reunification-with-EU-sponsor route: Annex 19ter issued at commune, valid 6 months from issue date — the Office of Foreigners must decide within this window.
  - Where to get: Commune of intended residence at file-opening appointment
  - Cost: Included in commune file-opening fee
  - _Note:_ Annex 19 (EU registration) and Annex 19ter (family reunification with EU sponsor) are commonly conflated on commune-facing pages — preserve the 'ter' suffix where applicable.

## Costs

- **Federal residence-file fee — applicants under 18 (minors):** 0 EUR — Minor exemption is automatic on age at filing.
- **Federal residence-file fee — adult applicants under Article 1/1 §2 9° to 18°:** 126 EUR — Fee tier per Article 1/1/1, Arrêté royal du 8 octobre 1981. Adjusted on 1 January each year per §4 of that article — rounded up to the nearest euro.
- **Federal residence-file fee — adult applicants under Article 1/1 §2 5°, 8°:** 168 EUR — Fee tier per Article 1/1/1.
- **Federal residence-file fee — adult applicants under Article 1/1 §2 3°, 4°, 6° (incl. several long-stay categories):** 181 EUR — Fee tier per Article 1/1/1; covers long-stay categories including most family-reunification files.
- **Federal residence-file fee — adult applicants under Article 1/1 §2 1° (specific permits):** 201 EUR — Fee tier per Article 1/1/1.
- **Federal residence-file fee — adult applicants under Article 1/1 §2 7°:** 208 EUR — Fee tier per Article 1/1/1.
- **Federal residence-file fee — adult applicants under Article 1/1 §2 2° (specific permits, higher tier):** 313 EUR — Highest federal tier under Article 1/1/1.
- **City of Brussels file-opening fee at commune:** 35 EUR — Commune-set fee; other communes set their own values within federal limits. The City-of-Brussels figure is published on the Foreign employee registration page.
- **City of Brussels electronic residence card — standard delivery (approximately 3 weeks):** 25 EUR — Card-production fee published by the City of Brussels.
- **City of Brussels electronic residence card — urgent delivery (next day):** 150 EUR — Urgent-delivery option for time-critical cases.
- **City of Brussels residence permit card renewal:** 30 EUR — Renewal fee at City of Brussels.

## Steps

### 1. Identify the applicable route and prepare documents abroad

- Confirm which of the six routes applies: Worker (single permit, carte A); Family reunification with non-EU sponsor (Article 10, carte F); Family reunification with EU sponsor (Article 40bis, carte F via Annex 19ter); Long-term EU resident after 5 years (carte D); Student (Article 58, carte A); or EU/EEA/Swiss registration (Annex 19 to Annex 8 / carte E)
- For non-EU long-stay applicants, obtain the relevant visa D at the Belgian embassy or consulate of habitual residence — workers via the employer's regional single-permit filing, family-reunification applicants with sponsor evidence, students with admission proof
- EU/EEA/Swiss applicants skip the embassy stage — entry to Belgium is on national identity card
- Assemble civil-status documents (marriage and birth certificates) for family-reunification routes — each legalised and translated to French, Dutch, or German by a sworn translator

> **Tip:** The route drives which annex opens the file at the commune and which card is ultimately issued. Get the route confirmed in writing from the Belgian diplomatic post or from the local commune before paying for the legalisation chain.

_Links:_
- [Office of Foreigners — Registration and reporting obligation (general)](https://ibz.be/en/registration-and-reporting-obligation-general)
- [Office of Foreigners — Permanent residence of EU citizens and their family members](https://ibz.be/en/right-of-permanent-residence-of-eu-citizens-and-their-family-members)

### 2. Enter Belgium and declare arrival at the commune

- Non-EU long-stay (over 90 days): appear at the commune of intended residence within 8 days of arrival
- Non-EU short-stay (under 90 days, not in registered lodgings): appear at the commune within 3 working days; commune issues *Annex 3* (déclaration d'arrivée)
- EU/EEA/Swiss long-stay (over 90 days): appear at the commune within 3 months of arrival
- EU short-stay (under 90 days): commune-level reporting required within 10 days; commune issues Annex 3ter; non-compliance carries an administrative fine of €200

> **Tip:** The commune is identified by the address of intended residence — not by nationality, not by city of arrival, and not by the city the visa was issued in. Confirm the deadline that applies to the applicant's specific situation before arrival.

_Links:_
- [Office of Foreigners — Registration and reporting obligation (general)](https://ibz.be/en/registration-and-reporting-obligation-general)

### 3. Open the residence file at the commune and receive the opening annex

- Attend the commune appointment in person at the address of intended residence with passport, photographs, proof of address, and route-specific supporting documents
- Commune captures personal data, photographs, biometric fingerprints, and opens the file
- Single-permit worker: receive Annex 49 authorising paid employment to begin immediately for up to 135 days
- Family reunification with EU sponsor: receive Annex 19ter valid 6 months from issue date
- EU/EEA/Swiss registration: receive *Annex 19* (pending application for registration certificate)
- Non-EU short-stay declaration of arrival: receive Annex 3
- Pay the commune file-opening fee and the federal residence-file fee per Article 1/1/1 of the Arrêté royal du 8 octobre 1981

> **Tip:** Bring originals plus two photocopies of every document. Confirm the annex received against the route on issue — Annex 19 (EU registration) and Annex 19ter (family reunification with EU sponsor) are commonly conflated on commune-facing pages. The City of Brussels describes the worker route plainly: "At the end of the appointment at city hall, you will be given an Annex 49 authorising you to work."

_Links:_
- [City of Brussels — Foreign employee registration](https://www.brussels.be/employee-registration)

### 4. Police residence-verification visit

- After file-opening, a neighbourhood police officer visits the declared address to verify the applicant's effective presence
- The visit is unscheduled — applicants should remain reachable at the declared address in the first weeks after the commune appointment
- Label the mailbox with the applicant's name; this is the first sanity test the police officer performs
- Multiple absences at the visit cause file closure and exposure to an administrative fine of €200 under Article 41bis of the Loi du 15 décembre 1980

> **If this fails:** If the file closes for failed verification, the applicant must re-open at the commune and risks losing the fees already paid. Restart with a written explanation of the absence and corrected address evidence.

### 5. Office of Foreigners decision

- Worker route (carte A): statutory maximum 4 months from complete file; observed 6 to 16 weeks in practice
- Family reunification with non-EU sponsor (carte F): 6 months from file-opening, extendable to 9 months in exceptional circumstances
- Family reunification with EU sponsor (carte F via Annex 19ter): 6 months from Annex 19ter date
- Long-term residency upgrade (carte D): 5 months federal decision time, plus commune card-production
- Student route (carte A): generally within 3 months for first issue; renewal aligned with academic year
- EU registration certificate (Annex 8 / carte E): no fixed statutory maximum; typically 3 to 5 months from Annex 19
- EU permanent residence (Annex 22 to Annex 8bis / carte E+): 5 months from Annex 22 submission

> **If this fails:** Negative decisions are notified via Annex 14 or related forms. Appeal lies to the Conseil du Contentieux des Étrangers within 30 days of notification. Sponsor-based files may first receive Annex 15bis (suspension pending more documents).

_Links:_
- [Office of Foreigners — Permanent residence of EU citizens](https://ibz.be/en/right-of-permanent-residence-of-eu-citizens-and-their-family-members)

### 6. Second commune appointment — electronic card delivery

- On approval, the commune schedules a second appointment to deliver the electronic residence card
- Standard delivery is approximately 3 weeks from the appointment; urgent (next-day) delivery is available at the City of Brussels for €150
- The card must be collected in person; biometrics are confirmed at delivery
- PIN and PUK codes for card activation are issued at delivery or by separate secure post — keep them separately from the card

> **Tip:** Card-production fees vary across the 581 Belgian communes; the City of Brussels publishes €25 standard / €30 renewal / €150 urgent as published on its Foreign employee registration page. Confirm the local commune's figures at file-opening to avoid surprise.

## FAQ

### How long does the whole process take for a single-permit worker?

Statutory maximum is 4 months from a complete file at the Office of Foreigners. Including regional work-permit pre-approval and commune card-production, total elapsed time is typically 3 to 5 months. The Annex 49 issued at the commune file-opening appointment authorises work to begin immediately, so the carte A delivery delay does not block paid employment in most cases.

### Can I start working in Belgium before my carte A arrives?

Yes, on receipt of *Annex 49* at the commune file-opening appointment. The Annex 49 authorises employment for up to 135 days while the carte A is produced, extendable in 45-day blocks up to three blocks. In the Walloon Region, work authorisation begins on single-permit decision receipt rather than on Annex 49 issuance — Flanders and Brussels-Capital require the Annex 49 milestone first.

### Do EU citizens need a residence permit?

Strictly, EU citizens have an EU-treaty right of residence and do not need permission. They do need to register their residence at the commune within 3 months and receive an Annex 8 paper registration certificate, with an optional carte E electronic card valid 5 years. After 5 years continuous residence, EU citizens may apply for permanent residence via Annex 22; on approval, the commune delivers Annex 8bis or carte E+ (5 years renewable).

### What's the difference between carte E and carte E+?

Carte E is the temporary 5-year residence card issued to EU citizens alongside or instead of the paper Annex 8 registration certificate. Carte E+ certifies permanent residence after 5 years of continuous residence and is issued via Annex 22 application; validity is 5 years renewable. Both are issued by the commune; both require continuous registered residence as the predicate.

### What fees does the Office of Foreigners charge?

Per Article 1/1/1 of the Arrêté royal du 8 octobre 1981, federal residence-file fees range from €0,00 for minor applicants to €313,00 for the highest §2 2° tier. Most long-stay categories — family reunification, study, and specific permits — fall in the €126,00 to €201,00 range. Minor applicants and exempt categories pay nothing. Fees are indexed annually on 1 January and rounded up to the nearest euro. Confirm the applicable §2 sub-clause for your file with the commune.

### What happens at the police residence-verification visit?

After file-opening, a neighbourhood police officer visits the declared address to verify the applicant's effective presence. The visit is unscheduled, and absence at the visit can trigger re-attempts; multiple absences cause file closure with administrative-fine exposure (€200 per Article 41bis of the Loi du 15 décembre 1980). Applicants are advised to remain reachable at the declared address in the first weeks after appointment, and to keep mailboxes accessible and labelled with the applicant's name.

### What changed for EU applicants on 1 September 2025?

Commune guidance reported from 1 September 2025 indicates EU applicants opening an Annex 19 must present proof of EU citizenship and all documents demonstrating intended status — work, study, sufficient resources, or family-member-of-EU-citizen — at the very first commune appointment. On this guidance, missing documents can no longer be supplemented within a grace period; an incomplete file is dismissed at first appointment and the applicant must restart. The change is reported as introduced via amending instructions to commune practice and enforced commune by commune; the primary instruction text was not directly retrievable, so confirm with the commune.

### Can I leave Belgium while my file is pending?

With Annex 49 (workers): yes, the document allows travel within the Schengen Area. With Annex 19 (EU pending): yes, but absence over 3 months may complicate the police residence-verification visit. With Annex 3 short-stay declaration: travel does not affect status but file opening is delayed until return. Long-stay non-EU applicants should consult the commune before extended trips, particularly during the 4 or 6-month statutory decision window.

### What happens if my file is rejected?

The Office of Foreigners issues a negative decision via Annex 14 or related notification. Appeal lies to the Conseil du Contentieux des Étrangers (Council for Aliens Law Litigation) within 30 days of notification. Sponsor-based files may first receive Annex 15bis (suspension pending additional documents) rather than outright refusal — applicants supply the requested evidence within the deadline stated on the annex.

## Local tips

- Book the commune appointment as soon as the rental contract is signed — most communes accept appointments scheduled before the move-in date, and Brussels-Capital communes can have wait times of 6 or more weeks at the largest municipalities.
- Bring originals plus two photocopies of every civil-status document. Communes routinely retain photocopies for the file and return originals.
- Label the mailbox with the applicant's name immediately on move-in. The police residence-verification visit checks the mailbox label as the first sanity test of declared presence.
- Confirm in writing — by email to the commune's foreigners desk — the specific document checklist for the applicant's route before the appointment. Practice varies commune by commune within federal limits.
- For family-reunification routes, plan the document-legalisation chain 3 to 6 months ahead. Marriage and birth certificates flow through three handoffs (issuing authority, legalisation authority, sworn translator), each with its own waiting time.

## Sources

- [Federal Public Service Home Affairs — Registration and reporting obligation (general)](https://ibz.be/en/registration-and-reporting-obligation-general) — accessed 2026-05-27 — _T1_ — Non-EU long-stay applicants must appear at the commune of intended residence within 8 days of arrival. EU/EEA/Swiss long-stay applicants register within 3 months. Short-stay non-EU receive an Annex 3 declaration of arrival; long-stay EU receive an Annex 19 pending application, then a paper Annex 8 registration certificate on approval. Penalty for non-compliance with short-stay EU 10-day rule is an administrative fine of 200 euros.
- [Federal Public Service Home Affairs / Belgian Immigration Office — Right to permanent residence of EU citizens and their family members](https://ibz.be/en/right-of-permanent-residence-of-eu-citizens-and-their-family-members) — accessed 2026-05-27 — _T1_ — After 5 years of continuous residence, EU citizens and their family members apply for permanent residence via Annex 22. The Belgian Immigration Office renders a final decision within 5 months. On approval, the commune delivers Annex 8bis (paper) or carte E+ (electronic, valid 5 years renewable).
- [Belgian Official Gazette — Arrêté royal du 8 octobre 1981, Article 1/1/1](https://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/cgi_loi/change_lg.pl?language=fr&la=F&cn=1981100831&table_name=loi) — accessed 2026-05-27 — _T1_ — Article 1/1/1 sets the federal residence-file fee schedule. Minors under 18 are exempt (gratuit). Adult applicants pay €201 under §2 1°; €313 under §2 2°; €181 under §2 3°, 4°, 6°; €168 under §2 5°, 8°; €208 under §2 7°; and €126 under §2 9° to 18°. Paragraph 4 mandates annual indexation on 1 January with the result rounded up to the nearest euro.
- [City of Brussels — Foreign employee registration (non-EU)](https://www.brussels.be/employee-registration) — accessed 2026-05-27 — _T1_ — Single-permit worker procedure at the City of Brussels: at the end of the commune appointment the applicant is given an Annex 49 authorising employment. A neighbourhood police officer visits the declared address to verify presence. A second appointment is scheduled by the Office of Foreigners to deliver the carte A. City-of-Brussels card-production fees: €35 file-opening, €25 standard delivery (~3 weeks), €150 urgent (next-day), €30 renewal.
- [Federal Public Service Home Affairs — Immigration, Residence Permits and Foreigners (parent portal)](https://ibz.be/en) — accessed 2026-05-27 — _T1_ — The Office of Foreigners (Office des Étrangers / Dienst Vreemdelingenzaken / Ausländeramt) is the federal authority deciding residence files within the Federal Public Service Home Affairs. Contact: infodesk@ibz.fgov.be ; +32 (0)2 793 80 00.
- [Federal Public Service Home Affairs — Office of Foreigners (commune-practice guidance)](https://ibz.be/en) — accessed 2026-05-27 — _T1_ — An EU first-appointment completeness tightening is reported to have taken effect around 1 September 2025: EU applicants opening an Annex 19 must present proof of citizenship and full intended-status documents at the first commune appointment, with no grace period to supplement missing items. The underlying Federal Public Service Home Affairs instruction text was not directly retrievable at research time; the change is reported through commune practice and should be confirmed with the commune or the Office of Foreigners before relying on it.

---

Verification pending — see the canonical page for the latest trust state.
Canonical: https://publicservices.guide/belgium/residence-permit-eu-non-eu-types-a-b-d-f-annex-19-49/