Family reunification as an EU citizen with an EU citizen
Does your child, parent, or partner have an EU nationality? Are you an EU citizen yourself? Find out the steps for family reunification.
What is it about?
If you plan to stay in Belgium for more than 3 months, you must apply for registration with the municipality.
You will then receive an EU card.
What are the conditions?
- You are an EU citizen.
- You reside at a private address in Ghent.
If you do not have an address for at least 1 month, the registration procedure will be postponed until you have lived at the same address for more than 1 month.
How much does it cost?
The initiation of your file is free of charge.
For the residence card, you pay:
| Standard procedure | 30 euro |
| Residence card for a child under 12 | 9 euro |
| Urgent procedure | 133 euro |
If you request a residence card for more than one of your children under 12 years old who live at your address in an urgent procedure simultaneously, the fee for the second card onwards is 110 euro. Payment is preferably contactless.
programme
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What do I need?
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You are married
- Your marriage certificate
- Translated into Dutch, French, German, or English
- legalised or with an apostille, if required
- Your marriage certificate
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You are legally or de facto cohabiting
- Proof of registration for legal cohabitation
- Evidence of a stable and durable relationship:
- 1 year of effective cohabitation OR
- knowing each other for 2 years
- or having a child together
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You are under 18 years old
- Your birth certificate
- Translated into Dutch, French, German, or English
- If required, with legalization or apostille
- Proof of custody rights and parental authority: if custody is shared, also include consent from the absent parent
- Your birth certificate
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You are over 18 years old
- Your birth certificate
- translated into Dutch, French, German, or English
- legalised or with an apostille if required
- If you are 21 years of age or older, you must also prove that you are financially dependent on the parent living in Belgium. What documents are required for this?
- Proof of incapacity in the country where you previously lived.
- Proof that the parent living in Belgium financially supported you for 6 months in the past.
- A certificate stating that you are not financially dependent on the Public Centre for Social Welfare (OCMW).
- Your birth certificate
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You are a parent
Of a child under 18 years old
- Birth certificate of your child
- translated into Dutch, French, German, or English
- legalised or with an apostille if required
- Proof of sufficient means of subsistence
- Proof of health insurance
- Proof of custody rights. This means that the parent with whom you will be living has the right to have you in their care at all times.
In the case of shared custody, you will also need the consent of the parent with whom you previously lived. - Proof of cohabitation or evicence of an emotional and/or financial bond
Of a child over 18 years old
- Birth certificate of your child
- translated into Dutch, French, German, or English
- legalised or with an apostille if required
- Proof that you are financially dependent on your child:
- Proof of your child's income
- Proof of incapacity in the country where you previously lived
- Proof that the parent living in Belgium financially supported you for 6 months in the past
- A certificate stating that you are not financially dependent on the Public Centre for Social Welfare (OCMW)
- Proof of health insurance
- Proof of cohabitation or evicence of an emotional and/or financial bond
- Birth certificate of your child
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What are the steps?
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You are married or under 18 years old
- Register online and complete the steps indicated on the form.
- You will receive a confirmation email once we have received your e-form
- The police will conduct an address check.
- You will receive an invitation by email to apply for your residence card. Use the provided link to schedule an appointment for your EU card application. You will then receive your annex 19
- Collect your residence card at the City Office using the codes sent to your home. This process may take 3 to 4 weeks.
No appointment is necessary.
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You are a parent, over 18 years old or a partner
- Schedule an appointment with Migration.
- Your file will be initiated during your appointment, and you will receive a registration certificate (Annex 19).
- The police will conduct an address check.
- You will receive an invitation via email to complete your file. You can make an appointment through the link in the email
- At your appointment, a second appointment will be scheduled to receive the final decision at the end of the procedure.
- After 9 months you wil know the result of your application at the moment of your appointment.
If the result is positive, a residence card will be requested.
If the result is negative, the procedure will be closed. - Collect your residence card at the City Office or service centre where you applied, using the codes sent to your home. This process may take 3 to 4 weeks.
No appointment is necessary
Are there any exceptions?
If your situation does not fall under any of these categories, but you still wish to initiate a family reunification procedure, please contact the Migration Information Point.