How to Get Belgian Citizenship Through Marriage

A person married to a Belgian citizen may be able to obtain Belgian citizenship through a declaration of nationality, provided they meet a number of legal requirements demonstrating their connection to and integration into Belgian society.

Under Belgian law, the foreign spouse must generally:

•  Have been married to a Belgian citizen for at least three years.
• Have lived together with their Belgian spouse in Belgium for three years before submitting the nationality declaration.

The couple does not necessarily have to continue living together throughout the nationality declaration procedure. A ruling by the Belgian Court of Cassation on February 6, 2020, clarified that separation or the end of the shared household after the required period does not automatically cancel the applicant’s right to make a nationality declaration, provided the conditions were met when the application was submitted.

Other Belgian Citizenship Requirements

Belgian law also requires that:

•  The Belgian spouse must still hold Belgian citizenship at the time of the nationality declaration. They do not necessarily have to have remained Belgian throughout the entire period of shared residence.
•  The applicant must have an unlimited right of residence in Belgium.
•  The applicant must have had their legal and main residence in Belgium continuously for at least five years.
•  The applicant must demonstrate social integration and knowledge of one of Belgium’s three national languages: Dutch, French or German.

If you have been married to a Belgian woman for at least three years, have lived with her in Belgium during that period, have had permanent residence in Belgium for at least five years, and meet the language and integration requirements, you may be able to apply for Belgian citizenship through a nationality declaration.

You may still qualify even if you are no longer living with your spouse when you submit the application, provided the required conditions were met and your spouse is still a Belgian citizen at the time of the application.