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This page contains general information posted by the FPS Foreign Affairs. If you are residing abroad, please verify in this list whether your embassy or consulate has posted specific information for your place of residence on its website.
All Belgian nationals over 12 years old who have their primary residence abroad and who are listed in the population registers of a Belgian embassy or career consulate, can apply for a Belgian identity card.
1. Validity of an eID
The validity depends on your age at the date of the application:
| Age at the date of the application | Validity of the eID |
|---|---|
| Between 12 and 18 Between 18 and 75 Older than 75 |
6 years 10 years 30 years |
The eID remains valid:
- in case you move (to another career post, from or to Belgium)
- if it was issued by a Belgian municipality and provided that the holder has reported his move to the municipal administration.
The eID is no longer valid:
- if it is reported to have been lost or stolen
- if the holder’s photo is no longer resemblant
- if it was issued after August 2008 by a Belgian municipality and if the holder has not reported his move abroad to the municipal administration.
2. How much does an eID cost?
An eID costs 20 €, regardless of the age of the applicant.
3. Where and how to apply for an eID?
Since 21 June 2021, to obtain an electronic identity card (eID) you have to come in person and by appointment to your consulate.
To do so, send or e-mail the following appointment form for your eID to your consulate available in:
French (PDF, 117 KB)
Dutch (PDF, 101.47 KB)
German (PDF, 118.86 KB)
Do not forget the payment of 20 € for the eID, plus shipping costs if applicable, after making an appointment. See the website of or contact your consulate.
From 21 June 2021, you can obtain your eID from (1) the Belgian municipality where you were last registered, (2) your Belgian municipality of birth if you have never lived in Belgium but were born there, or (3) a Belgian municipality of your choice if you have never lived in Belgium and were not born there.
This is slightly more expensive (around 100 euros, the price varies slightly from one commune to another).
The card and the PUK code will then be delivered to the commune no later than 2 working days later and you can activate the card immediately at the commune.
4. Activation of eID
Every Belgian citizen who is registered in the consular population register of a Belgian embassy or consulate can activate his eID where he is registered, at another consular post abroad or in a Belgian municipality. The identity card and certificate can only be activated in the presence of the person concerned. This means that the eID of a minor between the ages of 12 and 18 can only be activated in the presence of that minor. For the activation, the identity card and the PUK code must be brought along. The activation of the identity card and certificate is necessary to be able to log on to Belgian government websites.
