Registration

Why you should register

Since the entry into force of the Consular Code on 15/06/2014, administrative assistance has only been granted to Belgians who are registered in the consular population register.

Having your name registered in the population register kept by a Belgian consulate or embassy abroad entitles you to benefit from the same services as those provided by municipal authorities in Belgium, i.e. the management of your administrative file. Registering allows the embassy or consulate to assist you more efficiently when issuing an identity card, issuing consular certificates (e.g. residence certificates, registration certificates, certificates of nationality, 'household composition' certificates, cohabitation etc.). You may also participate in some elections in Belgium (federal general elections, and European elections if you reside in an EU Member State).

Foreign nationals who are part of your family may also be entered in the relevant population registers. However, registration does not entitle them to obtain a consular identity card or a passport, nor does it give them the right to be registered as a Belgian voter. If they require consular assistance, they should contact the office representing their country of origin.

It is important that your file is regularly updated, in particular with a view to a possible return to Belgium or a move to another foreign country, to keep the Belgian nationality of your children, to update the data in your National Register , or so that the Embassy can contact you if necessary and / or send you practical information. After registering, you are therefore advised to notify the Embassy or Consulate of any changes to your marital status, your place of residence, your telephone number or your e-mail address. The Belgian consulate will be able to help you more quickly if your file is up to date, also in cases where you need urgent humanitarian assistance (e.g. during accidents, disasters, evacuations, etc.) .

Please take a moment of your time to learn about the Privacy Statement

Prior to your departure 

Establishment of your principal residence abroad 

Any Belgian who wishes to establish his principal residence abroad must declare this to the municipal administration where he resides at the latest one day before departure. The municipal administration then issues proof of its removal from the population registers. On the basis of proof that you have mainly and legally established yourself abroad (copy of your residence permit, residence certificate from the local authorities, etc.) and a certain number of other documents, you can then register with the competent Belgian career consulate for your new habitual residence. It is recommended that you first contact the Belgian career consulate to find out what other documents are concerned.

Tax consequences

As soon as a person is removed from the Belgian population registers, their tax situation changes. Belgian tax regulations are very complex and the tax situation may also differ depending on the bilateral or multilateral agreements to which Belgium is a party. 

The FPS Foreign Affairs does not provide any information on the tax consequences of going abroad.

For detailed information::

• Federal Public Service Finances 
  Tax Administration
  North Galaxy Boulevard du Roi Albert II 33, box 22
  1030 Brussels
  + 32 2 572 57 57 
  Website
   
• Competent tax office in Belgium

Conditions for stay

For information on the conditions of stay (residence permit, work permit, etc.), contact the embassy of the country of residence in Brussels.

Social Security

For more information on social security, please consult this webpage.

Pension

For more information on social security, please consult this webpage

Other information

You will find more information on living abroad on this website

Procedure

Documents to submit for registration 

• The Registration form: French form (PDF, 134.38 KB) / Dutch form (PDF, 137.21 KB),duly completed, dated and signed.
  
  The form must be completed for each family member. For minors, please use the following form: French form (PDF, 161.2 KB) / Dutch form (PDF, 186.71 KB). The form must be signed by both parents.

• A document that proves your address: attestation from local authorities, electricity/water bill, renting contract, etc.
• Copy of your long stay visa or residence permit or local identity card.
• Copy of your Belgian passport and/or Belgian Identity card.
• Registration form for elections for Belgians abroad: French form (PDF, 86.81 KB) / Dutch form (PDF, 81.61 KB), and eventually the proxy form: French form (DOCX, 30.15 KB) / Dutch form (DOCX, 30.04 KB). See Elections section for more information.
• To register non-Belgian family members living at your address, complete this form: French form (PDF, 197.17 KB) / Dutch form (PDF, 178.39 KB)
• Proof of deregistration from the population register of the town hall in Belgium “model 8/modèle 8”:
  • If you moved from another country, and you were previously registered at another Belgian consulate, you don’t need to submit this certificate.
  • If you didn’t notify the municipal office before you left Belgium, you can still do it by mail and request them to send you the certificate (template in Dutch (PDF, 5.56 KB) and in French (PDF, 7.57 KB)).

Submission of your registration file 

The introduction of your registration file can be done in one of the three following ways:

1. Online via e-consul, under the following cumulative conditions:
   • be Belgian national
   • not being registered in a municipality in Belgium
   • be in posession of a valid and activated ID card
   • know your PIN code and have a card reader.
2. By e-mail at amman@diplobel.fed.be. Please send the documents in PDF format (one file per document), without the email exceeding 6 megabytes.
3. Submit at the embassy in hard copy after booking an appointment online

Upon receipt of a complete file, registration in the consular registers of the population will be made within 14 working days.
 

Once registered, please inform the Belgian consulate of:

• Any change of address within the month following the change with the Declaration form (PDF, 353.64 KB) for change of address to which the supporting documents will be attached (certificate from the local authorities, electricity / water bill, rental lease, etc.).
• Any change in marital status, of yourself or of members of your family, by means of a literal extract from the act concerned, for example a marriage, divorce, birth or adoption certificate or a declaration name change.
• Any change in the family composition.
• Any change of nationality by means of an official document / certificate issued by the competent national authorities.
• If you are registered as a voter and want to change the way you vote.

Cancelation of your registration

When you move back to Belgium or to another country, you have to notify the Embassy of your departure. 

Return to Belgium: 

If you intend to return to Belgium, you will have to register with the municipal administration; this is compulsory. Your registration with the Embassy will be automatically canceled. You’ll find more practical information for your return to Belgium on the federal portal site

Move to a different country:

If you move to another country and request registration at another consulate, your registration with the Embassy will be automatically canceled. It is not compulsory to get registered at the consular registers of the Belgian Embassy of your new country of residence, but it is highly recommended.

The Belgian career consulate will take these changes into your administrative file and adapt your file to the national registry