BelgiumFamily

Belgium Spouse and Partner Visa

Visa D for spouses and legal partners, and visa for marriage or legal cohabitation in Belgium

In short

A married spouse or a legal cohabitation partner of a Belgian or of a foreign resident applies for a family reunification D visa; both partners must normally be over 21. Couples who want to marry or register their partnership in Belgium first can request a separate visa for that purpose, examined by the Immigration Office.

Apply on Visa on Web (Belgian online visa application) checked 25 October 2026

Key facts

Maximum stay
Residence linked to the sponsor
Validity
D visa valid 12 months, then a residence card
Fee
€218Contribution fee (2026) for a spouse or partner of a Belgian or foreign resident; the visa for marriage or legal cohabitation in Belgium falls under Article 9 at EUR 242. Beneficiaries of the EEC–Turkey Association Agreement are exempt from both. A D visa handling fee is paid on top when you apply.
Processing time
Spouse of a non-EU resident: 9 months (extendable); spouse of a Belgian: 6 months. Belgian missions indicate three to six months for marriage or cohabitation visas.
Work
Yes, once residence is granted
Path to permanent residence
After the conditional period, the spouse can apply for settlement or permanent residence.
Where to apply
Belgian post responsible for your place of residence (or its service provider), after the Visa on Web form.

Married spouses

The marriage must be valid and recognised in Belgium. Both spouses must be over 21; the minimum is 18 if the marriage existed before the sponsor arrived in Belgium. A sponsor with unlimited residence or settlement can be joined only after 12 months, except when the marriage pre-dated the sponsor's arrival, the couple has a child together, or the sponsor is a beneficiary of international protection. The couple must intend to live together.

Legal cohabitation partners

Unmarried partners need a declaration of legal cohabitation made before a Belgian civil registrar and must prove a stable relationship: either one year of continuous cohabitation before the application, or knowing each other for two years with regular contact and at least three meetings totalling 45 days or more, or a common child. Both must be over 21 (18 if they lived together for a year before the sponsor arrived), and neither may have had a final refusal of an intended marriage.

Visa to marry or cohabit in Belgium

If the wedding or the cohabitation declaration will take place in Belgium, you can apply for a visa for marriage or legal cohabitation (an Article 9 visa examined by the Immigration Office, contribution fee EUR 242). After the marriage or registration, the residence application based on family reunification follows in Belgium.

  1. Decide the route: family reunification as an already married couple or registered partners, or a visa to marry or cohabit in Belgium.
  2. Have your civil status documents apostilled or legalised and get sworn translations.
  3. Collect the sponsor's documents and your medical certificate and criminal record.
  4. Pay the contribution fee unless exempt, fill in Visa on Web and attend the competent Belgian mission or its service provider.
  5. Be ready for a possible interview; after approval, travel and register with the municipality within eight days.

Decision times

For a spouse or partner of a non-EU resident, the Immigration Office has nine months from the certificate of deposit, extendable twice by three months; for the spouse of a Belgian, six months from the application.

Checks on genuine relationships

If the Immigration Office doubts that the couple intends to build a lasting life together, it can invite the applicant and the sponsor to an interview and ask the public prosecutor for an opinion. A marriage or partnership concluded only to obtain residence leads to refusal.

Refusal and appeal

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.

Documents

Required documents

Identity

  • Visa on Web D application form, printed and signed
  • Criminal record extract not older than six months, apostilled or legalised depending on the issuing country, with sworn translation

Travel

  • Passport valid at least 12 months when the visa is issued

Money

  • Proof of payment of the Immigration Office contribution fee, unless exempt

Family

  • Apostilled marriage certificate (evlilik kayıt örneği or international marriage certificate) with sworn translation
  • Sponsor's residence card or Belgian ID, proof of income, housing and health insurance

Other

  • Medical certificate on the official Belgian form, issued within six months by a doctor accredited by the Belgian mission (otherwise with legalised signature), in Dutch, French or English

Supporting documents (where they apply)

Family

  • Legal partners: declaration of legal cohabitation and proof of a stable relationship (cohabitation, contact history, meetings)
  • Proof that any earlier marriage has ended (divorce or death record)

Frequently asked questions

My husband has unlimited residence in Belgium and we married last month. Must we wait?

Yes, generally 12 months, unless you have a child together. The waiting period does not apply if the marriage existed before he came to Belgium.

We are both 20. Can we apply?

Only if the marriage existed before the sponsor arrived in Belgium; otherwise both spouses must be over 21.

Is a religious marriage enough?

Not if it has no civil effect: the marriage must be legally valid and recognised in Belgium.

Can we register legal cohabitation from abroad?

The declaration is made before a civil registrar in Belgium; to do that you can apply for the visa for legal cohabitation.

Official sources

Summarised from the official sources above. Rules, fees and processing times change: confirm with the embassy or the official portal before you apply.

Other visa types for Belgium

Visits and short stays

  • Tourist visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the Schengen area
  • Family and friends visit visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the Schengen area
  • Transit visa Maximum stay: Transit only: the days needed to cross the Schengen area to the next destination
  • Medical treatment visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the Schengen area
  • Culture, sports and events visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the Schengen area

Business and self-employment

Study and training

  • Student visa Maximum stay: Residence for the length of studies, renewed yearly
  • Researcher visa Maximum stay: For the duration of the research project
  • Internship and trainee visa Maximum stay: Up to six months, renewable once, in the Flemish "trainee in or after training" category
  • Au pair visa Maximum stay: One year at most, including a single possible renewal

Work

  • Work visa Maximum stay: Tied to the employment contract; Flanders can grant up to three years at once for highly skilled workers
  • EU Blue Card Maximum stay: For the contract period; after 24 months of Blue Card employment a three-year card is issued
  • Intra-company transfer visa Maximum stay: For the duration of the transfer authorised by the region
  • Seasonal work visa Maximum stay: 150 days within any 365-day period
  • Job seeker visa Maximum stay: Up to 12 months

Family

Residence

Protection

  • Asylum and international protection Maximum stay: Right to stay during the procedure; recognised refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection receive residence permits

Belgium visa guide