Nationality

Where can I find out which documents I have to submit and how long different procedures regarding Belgian nationality will take?

• If your main place of residence is in Belgium, you should contact the registrar in your municipality.
• If you live abroad, you should contact the Belgian consular offices for your main residence abroad.

What criteria do the documents that need to be submitted have to meet?

The documents submitted for an application for nationality must meet the following criteria:

• All documents issued by authorities in other countries must be legalised by the Belgian embassy or consulate in that country. In some cases, documents do not need to be legalised.
• Documents that were not drawn up in Dutch, French or German must be translated into the language used by the municipality in which the application for nationality is to be submitted. If the request for nationality is made in a Belgian consulate, it is not necessary for all the documents in your file to be in the same national language. The translations provided must be produced by a sworn translator. A list of sworn translators in Belgium is available from the court of first instance. The signatures of sworn translators abroad must be legalised.
• A single document may contain more than one piece of information;
• All documents must be originals or certified copies of originals. Copies must be certified by the authority that issued the documents;
• When establishing a declaration of nationality the supporting documents must have been issued within the six months before the application.

Further information on

Registration certificates issued in Belgium and abroad