Belgium is a country at the heart of Europe, one that is defined by multiculturalism, diversity, and integration. It is also the de facto capital of the European Union, as it is home to many important EU institutions. Its three regions, Brussels-Capital, Flanders, and Wallonia overlap their characteristics to define this unique country that has three official languages, French, Dutch, and German.
Having a team of experts by your side when you move to a new country, like our Belgium immigration lawyers, can help ease the relocation process and make the transition more facile. Our expat services in Belgium are appropriate for EU as well as non-EU/EEA foreign nationals who are interested in relocating to the country for long periods of time or permanently.
What assistance do we provide to expats? Read on to find out more about some of our most requested expat services in Belgium.
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Obtaining visas and residence permits in Belgium
Not all foreign nationals require visas to enter Belgium. In fact, only non-EU/EEA nationals will need to apply for a visa with the Belgian Embassy or Consulate in their country of origin before coming to the country. If you require a visa to enter the country, our Belgium immigration agents can provide complete details about the application process.
EU nationals who wish to stay in the country for more than three months will need to be ready to apply for residency in Belgium according to the motive of their stay. Our expat services in Belgium also include complete assistance for obtaining this permit.
The types of visas are summarized below:
- Type C visa: this is suitable for short-term purposes such as tourism or perhaps short business visits; it allows for 90-day stays in 180-day periods;
- Type D visa: this is suitable for foreign nationals who wish to stay and work in the country for more than 90 days; it is paired with a work permit;
- European Blue Card: targets highly skilled workers and having an employment contract with a Belgian company is mandatory;
- Others: a family reunification procedure is available to foreign nationals who already have a family member (who is an EU or non-EU national) who is legally residing in the country.
Our Belgium immigration lawyer can provide you with more details about each of these types of residence permits. You can reach out to us for personalized information about specific family situations or how to handle the visa or Belgium residence permit submission process.
Other types of expat services in Belgium
Moving Belgium will involve a set of mandatory steps and our team of immigration experts is ready to assist you during all of these. Some of the main issues to handle once you arrive in the country are the following:
- Register with the authorities: it is mandatory to register with the local municipality in the area in which you will live; the requirements may vary according to your region;
- Open a bank account: this is mandatory for employment purposes and it is required in many other cases;
- Utilities: if you have already purchased or rented a house in Belgium (w step during which our Belgium immigration agents can also help), it is time to handle various utility agreements;
- Others: signing up for healthcare and insurance as well as making the arrangements for a Belgian driver’s license are all steps that should be taken into consideration.
Our team who offers tailored expat services in Belgium is ready to assist you during all of these steps. Once you have successfully finished with the mandatory procedures you can start your new life in Belgium and get accustomed to living in the country.
Our services also include those related to assistance during Belgian citizenship applications. Foreign nationals who are ready to take this step can benefit from our assistance when preparing their application file. It is useful to know that the simple submission of an application does not grant the fact that the individual will acquire Belgian nationality, as this is a complex evaluation.
Our expat services can also include those related to school search, for families with children who come to the country or the coordination of international moving services. We also assist entrepreneurs who are interested in applying for Belgium residency by investment.
Belgium is a multicultural country, where people from Europe and from other non-EU countries have chosen to relocate. Some interesting statistics about the country’s population, as revealed by Statbel, the national statistical office, are presented below by our Belgium immigration agents:
- the country’s population numbered 11,431,406 individuals in January 2019;
- 51% of the total were women (5,803,178);
- 49% were men (5,628,228);
- the country’s population grew by 0.49% in 2019 on a yearly basis (by 55,336 individuals);
- the Brussels-Capital Region had a population of 1,208,542 in January 2019;
- the Flemish Region had 6,589,069 inhabitants and the Wallon Region 3,633,795 individuals.
The top foreign nationalities in the country, those who have immigrated to Belgium, are Romanians, French, Dutch, and Italians. Other nationalities include Moroccans, Afghans, and Syrians. Our team can assist those who wish to remain in the country permanently by applying for Belgian citizenship.
Are you interested in relocating to this country? Contact us for complete services for Belgium immigration.
Our expat services are tailored to the individual needs of the applicant and we focus on providing guidance throughout the entire process for applying for a residence permit in Belgium. Expat services for EU citizens differ from those offered to non-EU/EEA nationals, as the conditions of stay also differ among these groups. For personalized solutions, you can always reach out to one of our agents.
