Belgium Family Reunification Visa: Conditions and Procedure

The conditions depend on the sponsor's nationality and status (Belgian, EU citizen, non-EU national with limited or unlimited residence, beneficiary of protection), on the family tie (marriage, partnership, parentage) and on age. Typical family members are the spouse or registered partner and minor children; in specific cases parents of a Belgian minor child or an unmarried disabled adult child can also qualify.

Families of EU citizens who exercised free movement follow separate EU rules and pay no contribution fee.

The sponsor must have stable, regular and sufficient means for themselves and the family, documented ideally over the 12 months before the application (longer for the self-employed). Social integration income, family allowances, unemployment and similar benefits are not counted. The sponsor also needs adequate housing and health insurance covering the family.

A law of 18 July 2025, in force since 18 August 2025, changed the rules. Old provisions still apply to files pending on that date and, until 18 August 2027, to sponsors who were already admitted for more than three months before 18 August 2025; the new provisions apply in other cases and fully from 18 August 2027. Under the old reference, 120% of the social integration income corresponds to EUR 2,173.88 net per month (EUR 2,217.47 from 1 September 2026).

Create a Visa on Web account (you, the sponsor or a helper can do this), fill in the D form stating family reunification in box 23, book an appointment with the competent Belgian mission or its service provider and attend in person with the documents, the handling fee and the contribution fee unless exempt.

Foreign civil documents (marriage and birth records) must be apostilled or legalised before you apply and, if not in Dutch, French, German or English, accompanied by a sworn translation. Your passport must be valid for at least 12 months when the visa is issued.

For a non-EU sponsor the Immigration Office has nine months from the certificate of deposit (Annex 15quinquies) issued for a complete file, which it can extend twice by three months. For a Belgian sponsor the decision is due within six months of the application; for an EU Blue Card sponsor within four months, extendable once by three months.

Register with the municipality within eight days to receive the residence card. The residence remains conditional for a period, and the Immigration Office can end it if the conditions stop being met, after hearing you. Victims of domestic violence keep protection under a circular of 15 June 2023 and can report directly to the Immigration Office.

A refusal by the Immigration Office can be appealed to the Council for Alien Law Litigation, generally within 30 days of notification. In some cases you may ask the Immigration Office to review the decision, and where parentage could not be proven with documents it may propose a DNA test. A new application is also possible.