Australians who wish to immigrate to Belgium from Australia will need to apply for a long-stay visa which will allow them to remain in the country for more than ninety days. Once they obtain this visa, they will handle the residency formalities.
Our Belgium immigration lawyer offers complete services throughout the visa application process and can guide applicants who wish to relocate to Europe from Australia and need to understand the requirements, as well as obtain details about the needed permits.
If you want to relocate to Belgium from Australia for work or study purposes, or if you want to open a business in Europe, read below to find out more about the residency requirements.
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Work in Belgium
Many foreign nationals who relocate to Belgium choose to do so in order to pursue different employment opportunities. If you sign an employment agreement with a Belgian employer, or if you are an intra-company transferee, you will move to Belgium from Australia for work purposes.
If you relocate from Australia for work purposes you will need a work permit or a professional card if you intend to work as a self-employed foreign national. Our team presents some of the steps that are needed to apply for a foreigner who will immigrate to Belgium from Australia for work purposes:
- apply for a long-stay visa type D at the Belgian Embassy or Consulate;
- arrive in Belgium and obtain the work permit that will allow you to engage in remunerated work as an employee or a self-employed individual;
- apply for your residence permit once you have obtained the work permit; this is done with the municipal administration in the area in which you will reside;
- have your family members join you if this applies in your case; if you immigrate to Belgium from Australia you can be joined by your spouse, your registered partner, and/or your children.
Our experts in Belgium immigration can give you more details about each of these essential steps and can answer personal questions, according to your unique situation.
Reside in Belgium indefinitely
A permanent residence permit in Belgium can be obtained after one spends at least 5 years lawfully living in the country. This needs to be a continuous period and the application will include documentation that will prove the lawful stay.
Alternatively, Australians who relocate to Belgium from Australia who wish to make their stay indefinite can apply for Belgian nationality.
An Australian can obtain citizenship in Belgium through acquisition under the following conditions:
- the main place of residence and the legal residence is in Belgium;
- at the time of the application, the individual is 18 years or older and has a permanent residence permit;
- he/she has sufficient knowledge of one of the three national languages, contributes to the country’s economy, and is integrated into the society.
You can also immigrate to Belgium from Australia and apply for Belgian nationality if you are married to a Belgian national or are the parent of a Belgian minor child (conditions apply in each of these cases).
If you want to apply for Belgian nationality as part of your relocation process, the following should also be taken into account:
- the application rate is currently 50 euros;
- a registration fee also applies, of 150 euros;
- the waiting period can be approximately 4 months.
You can also gain citizenship if you have been living in the country uninterruptedly for ten years, and you satisfy the other requirements.
You will not have to give up your Australian citizenship if you want to become a Belgian national.
Contact our experts in Belgium immigration for more information about the visa application process, and the post-arrival requirements if you want to move to Belgium from Australia.
