Search Q&A
Americans Applying For Belgian Citizenship-Tips and Success Stories
Question
I am interested in hearing from Americans who have applied for BE citizenship and have been successful.
I've lived in Belgium (Flanders) for almost 5 1/2 years and I am married to a Belgian. I've completed an integration course, completed Dutch courses and I currently volunteer, however, I do not work here.
I would like to have dual citizenship: American and Belgian
What specifically do you need to know? Here is some information that may be helpful:
1) allrights.be is a non-profit group that assists in getting Belgian nationality. They are free to use and are more knowledgeable than your local commune. Call to make an appointment and some of their staff speak perfect English. They can give you clarity on the requirements, including the economic requirement, and can help you write a cover letter to put on top of your application.
2) With regards to being Belgian, there is no additional burden on you other than the obligation to vote.
3) With regards to the US government, you should be aware of all the additional fiscal burdens placed on you (FATCA, et al), and the fact that you need to disclose your new Belgian citizenship to the US embassy when you renew your US passport, but you do not lose your American nationality unless you explicitly declare that.
4) While these are very specific limitations, I write them here for completeness: By getting a foreign nationality, you may be disqualified in getting certain US government jobs as you would not be able to receive the necessary security clearance. Additionally, you may not be able to run for a high-profile public office in the US, not because of legal issues, but because your opponent may use it against you.
5) You must enter the US on your US passport; you cannot use your Belgian one. While this shouldn't be a problem because of the visa waiver between the two countries, you may need to let your airline know that you have both nationalities.
I hope this helps,
By the way, I am not a lawyer and the information above is just for your information and not any sort of legal or fiscal advice.
@SIOMAH350
Thanks for your info as well. Your situation sounds similiar to mine except I don't have Belgian citizenship yet.
Very helpful.........thanks.
It was mentioned by some other posters but then buried by others.
The new law requires 5 years residence - married or unmarried.
If you are married then you need to prove induction by language.
If you are legally co-habituating and not married then you need to prove economic worth ie worked a certain amount of days in the previous years.
Those unmarried and are not sure about applying for citizenship should at least apply for the F+ which offers more protection than simply an F card. It also can only be obtained after 5 years with the new law changes. So if you want more protection but don't want to get Belgian citizenship, there is that option as well.
Pages