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Belgian Residence Permit Acquisition (Worker, Family, Long-term, Student, EU)
Document Checklist
Passeport / Paspoort / Reisepass
Valid passport with appropriate entry visa
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)
Bring photocopies of the data page and any prior Schengen visas.
Photo d'identité / Pasfoto / Passfoto
Recent passport-size photographs
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
Some communes accept photos taken at the appointment for an additional fee.
Preuve d'adresse / Bewijs van adres / Adressnachweis
Proof of residential address in Belgium
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
The commune is identified by the address of intended residence, not by city of arrival.
Permis unique / Gecombineerde vergunning
Single-permit authorisation
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
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.
Documents d'état civil / Burgerlijke-stand-documenten
Family-reunification civil-status documents
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
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).
Attestation d'inscription / Inschrijvingsbewijs
Student enrolment proof
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
The carte A issued to students is limited to academic-year duration and renewable on enrolment proof.
Preuve de citoyenneté UE et de statut / Bewijs van EU-burgerschap en doel van verblijf
EU citizenship and intended-status proof
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
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.
Annexe 49 / Bijlage 49
Annex 49 (issued at commune)
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
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.
Annexe 19 / Bijlage 19 — Annexe 19ter / Bijlage 19ter
Annex 19 or Annex 19ter (issued at commune)
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
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.
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