CAN I ACQUIRE BELGIAN NATIONALITY? AND WHAT ABOUT MY CHILDREN?

PUBLISHED ON 19/04/2023

WEBINAR | MONDAY 22 MAY 2023, 12:00 - 13:30

Since Brexit, acquiring Belgian nationality has become increasingly appealing to UK citizens. Becoming Belgian not only offers a route to unconditional residence and democratic rights in Belgium, but also restores your rights as an EU citizen — including freedom of movement within the rest of the EU.

After a certain period of residence in Belgium, adult UK citizens residing in Belgium can acquire Belgian nationality so long as they meet specific eligibility requirements. There are various routes to citizenship, each with their own conditions. British children can also acquire Belgian nationality, but they have access to a different set of possible routes with their own specific rules.

In recent years, a number of questions have arisen regarding the eligibility of UK citizens for Belgian citizenship, in particular in light of isues related to their residence status (for example, as holders of Special Identity Cards) or to their employment status (for example, as posted workers or EU civil servants).

This webinar will outline the general eligibility conditions and process for Belgian nationality, while especailly focusing on some of the questions that have arisen for UK citizens. We will also share some insights into the latest developments in practice and in caselaw. After the presentation, we will open a Q+A and address questions from participants.

Speakers
  • Chair: Amélie Bovy, Legal Adviser Welcome Desk, commissioner.brussels
  • Wout Van Doren, Senior Associate, Fragomen Brussels
  • Jana Schellemans, Senior Associate, Fragomen Brussels
  • Anthony Valcke, Avocat au Barreau de Bruxelles, Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England & Wales, Avvocato presso il Consiglio dell' Ordine degli Avvocati di Palermo, Adjunct Professor of Law and Vesalius College, and Visiting Lecturer in EU Migration Law at the University of Kent

Slides

Download the slides from this session (pdf)

UK CITIZENS IN BRUSSELS NEWSLETTER

Alongside these webinars, commissioner.brussels is also launching a monthly newsletter for 2023. This new mailing will explore in detail some of the most complex aspects of post-Brexit life for UK citizens living in Belgium or planning to move here. Each edition will focus on a specific case study, starting from one tricky question and then exploring the detail that UK citizens should be aware of.

OUR WEBINARS FOR UK CITIZENS

In this series of free webinars for UK citizens living in Brussels or thinking of moving here, we give you the chance to speak with legal experts about some of the more complicated aspects of life after Brexit. Each session starts with a presentation of the legal and practical aspects of the issue at stake, before we move on to an open Q+A. These webinars are part of a project funded by the EU’s Brexit Adjustment Reserve, in which we are also publishing our newsletter the Brexit Brief and developing an online Brexit HelpdeskTo receive event invitations and the monthly newsletter straight to your inbox, sign up today!

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