Americans Applying For Belgian Citizenship-Tips and Success Stories

The rules have been changed recently in 2013. .

Having established the main residence in Belgium for 5 years: in addition, the applicant must provide proof of economic participation AND social integration.

- For social participation : provide your integration course as a proof.
- For economic participation : Proof of minimum 468 working days (social security contributions) in the past 5 years;

There is a long list of qualifications, all of which require residence of at least five years.

One is having a Belgian spouse so go to your commune and ask.

Why dual Nationality?

If you intend to stay and don't want toxic US Nationality, why keep it? If you have not worked as yet, you may never do so if you associate yourself with the USA.

You have filed all your tax returns to the USA, having earned or not and declared your foreign bank accounts, right? No? Oops.

Not come across a bank that will refuse your custom due to your citizenship? You will.

http://thefederalist.com/2014/01/27/toxic-citizen-the-misery-of-being-an...

Marriage to a Belgian isn't a requirement, it is a qualifier.

Five years continuous lawful residence in Belgium plus having a Belgian spouse is sufficient qualification to apply for Belgian citizenship without having to meet any economic participation requirement.

I get that you would only like to hear from US citizens who got Belgian Nationality, but this is a public forum (to a point) and as such we are able to take the question and expand on it.
I have friend who was in the same boat and after discovering the onerous requirements of FATCA on her AND her Belgian partner (who was strangely reluctant to declare HIS income to the USA for taxation consideration) subsequently decided to disown her US Nationality as it was , pointless flag waving exercises aside, completely useless to her and indeed, was nothing but trouble.
I only make this point because I know for a fact that many US citizens living abroad would appear to be completely unaware that they are being treated as tax evading traitors for daring to leave the Country, that they are required to file a tax return every year or risk massive fines, and I know that pointing this out has resulted in several friends having a serious rethink about retaining their US citizenship when Belgian (and other) citizenships were on offer.
Feel free to ignore me. :-)
I'm sure my post will not stop others who fit your criteria from posting, and I suspect it will open the eyes of a few Americans reading. Good luck with your citizenship application, but I do urge you to read up on FATCA before trying to retain your US citizenship. You are already being treated as a second class citizen by the USA.
I will bet a penny to a Pound that in the five years you have been here, with no income of your own, you did not file a tax return?

I got mine Belgian nationality under the old rules. We went to our commune and asked for me to take it. I had to supply some forms, we chatted a bit, they checked our marriage in the records and I signed the form. 4 months later I had my Belgian National ID. I must admit, my commune is rather small, very friendly and easy going with foreigners (there are only a few) so was so simple to deal with them.
I haven't given up my US yet, but have considered it. Mainly as I haven't owed any taxes and BTW if you don't file and don't owe any money there are no late fees or penalties, but if you don't file and do owe then it is a nightmare. And YES from this year FACTA is mandatory.
My husband and I also never registered our marriage in the US as we never have lived there and never planned to. I talked to Deloitte and he cannot be considered in any way shape or form for US taxes so that's not an issue. But, if he was I would give it up as then we would need to file for tax already paid expmention and that is a huge hassle especially since Belgium files so late.