Becoming Belgian: how my nationality application went

The last step of the journey, and the quietest one. A brochure, a signature, months of silence, a phone call on a Saturday, and one refresh of a government website. Here’s how it went, and how the process works today.

Last checked: October 2026Rules shown: BelgiumMy route: declaration after 5 years

My experience plus a summary of the rules, not legal advice. Belgian nationality law is being tightened right now, so the conditions below may already have changed. Always check with your commune before you apply.

The short version

The usual route is a nationality declaration at your commune, after five years of legal residence.
In my case, I needed permanent residence first: a card with unlimited stay (for me, the L card). A lot of articles online say different things; ask your commune for your situation.
You also prove knowledge of a national language, social integration and economic participation (that you’ve worked).
The fee is now €1,030 (2026), up from €150 before July 2025, and it isn’t refunded if you’re refused.
After you submit, the public prosecutor has four months to object. Expect a police check, and don’t count on a letter: you may simply see your nationality change in your online citizen profile.
Belgium allows dual nationality, so you don’t have to give up your current one on the Belgian side.

How it went for me

By the time I applied for nationality, I’d been through the Blue Card, the renewals, the professional card and permanent residence. This last step turned out to be the quietest, and in some ways the most nerve-racking.

FIRSTThe right card before anything else

I read a lot of articles about Belgian nationality, and they all seemed to say something slightly different. What I learned in practice: in my case, I needed permanent residence before I could apply. With my L card, I could start.

Permanent residence first. Everything else comes after.

A FIRST APPOINTMENTJust to talk

I made an appointment at my commune just to ask about it. They gave me a little brochure listing everything I’d need. The same information is online, but it isn’t always easy to find one clear source, so that brochure was worth the trip.

THE LANGUAGEA certificate I already had

You have to prove you speak one of Belgium’s languages. When I applied, the level required was A2. I’d already been taking Dutch courses at CVO Gent and had a certificate for B1, so that served as my proof.

AUGUSTThe second appointment, and a signature

With everything together, including proof that I’d worked over the past years, I went back to City Hall for the real application. I signed a declaration on the spot, handed in my file, and that was it. The fee back then was €150. Today it’s €1,030, which changes the maths for a lot of people.

THE SILENCENo confirmation. Nothing.

I was told I’d normally get a confirmation. I never did. That was the scary part: you don’t know whether anything has started, or whether your file is just sitting somewhere.

No news isn’t bad news. It’s just no news.

NOVEMBERA call on a Saturday

Then, one Saturday, the police called. Could they come by tomorrow, Sunday morning, for an interview about my nationality? Sure.

It was a brief, friendly chat, all in Dutch: my life here, my language, what I do, what I want to do in the future, and why I wanted Belgian nationality. Very standard.

REFRESHThe moment I knew

I never received an official letter. Some people say you get a letter telling you you’re now Belgian and can apply for your ID card and passport. I can’t confirm that, because I was too quick.

Two to three months after submitting, I kept checking my citizen profile on the Flemish government’s website (Mijn Burgerprofiel). One day I refreshed it, and under nationality it said: Belgian.

The next day, I booked an appointment on my commune’s website for my Belgian ID card and passport. Maybe that’s why the letter never came.

One refresh, and I was Belgian.

So expect different possibilities: a letter, a call, or nothing at all until your profile changes. All of them are normal.

The rules are changing

The fee: since 29 July 2025, the declaration costs €1,000 instead of €150; with indexation it’s €1,030 in 2026, and it isn’t refunded.

The language level: the government has announced raising the level from A2 to B1, in the language of the region where you live, and that five years of work will no longer count as automatic proof of language. Sources disagree on whether all of this already applies, so check with your commune before you apply.

If you’re close to five years, it’s worth asking early which version of the rules will apply to you.

Who can apply

The main routes for a nationality declaration:

	Residence	Main extra conditions
Standard route	5 years of legal residence	Language, social integration and economic participation
Partner or parent of a Belgian	5 years of legal residence	Married to or living with a Belgian for at least 3 years, or parent of a Belgian minor child; plus integration and language
Long-term residents	10 years of legal residence	Language, and proof that you take part in the life of your community (lighter conditions)

The conditions (standard route)

Legal residence for five years, and at the moment you apply, a residence card with unlimited stay (B, K or L). In my case, the L card.
Language: a certificate showing one of the national languages, for example from a CVO course, a recognised test, or a diploma. A2 when I applied; B1 has been announced.
Social integration: for example a Belgian diploma, a vocational training of at least 400 hours, a completed integration course, or five years of uninterrupted work.
Economic participation: working days as an employee (commonly at least 468 in the last five years) or social security contributions as self-employed.
Documents: passport, residence card, birth certificate (legalised and translated if it isn’t from Belgium), proof of the fee payment, and your certificates. Your commune gives you the exact list.

How it works

STEP 01You

Book an information appointment

Ask your commune for its brochure or checklist. It saves a lot of guessing.

STEP 02You

Prepare your file and pay the fee

Gather the certificates and documents, and pay the registration fee before you submit.

STEP 03Commune

Sign the declaration at the commune

You hand in your file and sign the declaration in person at the civil registry.

STEP 04Prosecutor

The public prosecutor checks it

The commune sends your file on. The prosecutor has four months to object, and the police may visit you for a short interview.

STEP 05Commune

Become Belgian, then get your documents

If there’s no objection, your nationality is registered. You may get a letter, or just see it in your online profile. Then book an appointment for your Belgian ID card and passport.

What I’d tell myself

Sort out permanent residence first, then start the nationality file.
Go to the commune once just to ask. The brochure is the clearest source you’ll find.
Get your language certificate early. Courses at a CVO give you a certificate you can use.
Expect silence after you submit. It doesn’t mean something went wrong.
Answer unknown numbers for a while. The police may call to plan a visit.
Check your online citizen profile (in Flanders, Mijn Burgerprofiel). As soon as it says Belgian, book your ID card and passport appointment.

Sources

City of Leuven: Becoming Belgian — an example of a commune’s overview; your own commune’s page is the one that counts
Burgerzaken Vlaanderen: Belgian nationality — updates on the fee and rule changes (in Dutch)
The Brussels Times: record year for new Belgians — background on the fee increase and language changes