The power of the Belgium passport is ranked 5th in the world. A Belgium citizen can travel to 160 countries without a pre-approved visa. This is probably one of the reasons why many people apply for a Belgium citizenship every year. Belgium permits dual citizenship. This means that when you are granted Belgian citizenship, you do not have to give up your existing citizenship.
Criteria for Belgium Citizenship
To apply for a Belgium citizenship, the following criteria must be met.
- The applicant must be at least 18 years old
- The applicant must have resided legally in Belgium for at least 3 years
- The applicant must be able to speak one of the official languages of Belgium i.e. French, German or Dutch
- The applicant must have a clean criminal record
- The applicant must have good character
How to Apply for the Citizenship
Foreigners cannot apply for Belgian citizenship through investments or marriage to a Belgian citizen. If at least one parent is a Belgian citizen, the individual can apply for citizenship through descent. Children born or adopted by parents of whom at least one is a citizen automatically get Belgian citizenship. Any other person wanting to become a Belgian citizen can apply for citizenship via naturalization.
Applying for Citizenship via Naturalization
The application form for Belgian citizenship is available online. The application must be filled in completely and submitted along with:
- A stamped copy of the applicant’s identification card
- A printed list5 of residences in Belgium that have been stamped by the consulate
- Original birth certificate
- Handwritten statement of loyalty to the Belgian King and Belgian state
If these documents for Belgium citizenship are not in one of the official languages of Belgium, they will need to be translated. A registration fee of 150 EUROS is payable at the time of submitting these documents.
It can take anywhere between 6 months to 2 years for your application to be processed. Once the Belgium citizenship is granted, you may then apply for a Belgian passport.
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