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Legally Registered Partner of a Protection Beneficiary

BelgiumFamily

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Explore pathways in Belgium Read the five questions ↓

Which family relationships qualify?

A legally registered partner of an adult international-protection beneficiary may qualify. The Immigration Office identifies Belgian registered partnership with a declaration of legal cohabitation before a civil registrar and requires a stable, lasting relationship.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The source does not specify every foreign partnership registration that Belgium will accept.
  • Family members of an adult beneficiary — spouse/partner
    their spouse or the foreign national with whom he/she is in a registered partnership considered to be equivalent to marriage in Belgium, who comes to live with him/her, provided that both are over 21 years of age. However, this minimum age is reduced to 18 if the marriage or the registered partnership predates the arrival of the foreign national being joined in Belgium ;

Who may sponsor or bring the family member, and what immigration/citizenship status must that person hold?

The sponsor is an adult foreign national admitted to stay in Belgium as a refugee or subsidiary-protection beneficiary; the application must include the decision recognising or granting that protection.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The page concerns a sponsor admitted as an international-protection beneficiary and does not resolve other sponsor statuses.

What is important for proving marriage, partnership, parentage, custody, dependency or another qualifying relationship?

A stable, lasting relationship may be proven through at least one year of continuous cohabitation; alternatively, knowing each other for at least two years plus regular contact and three meetings totalling at least 45 days; or a mutual child. Both must normally be over 21, reduced to 18 if they had cohabited for at least a year before the sponsor arrived. Both must be unmarried, and prohibited close-family partnerships do not qualify.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The available evidence alternatives are stated, but the source does not describe every document format or assessment practice.
  • Spouse/partner conditions — relationship evidence
    In general, the applicant must submit official documents in accordance with article 30 of the Law of 16 July 2004 on the Code of Private International Law or international conventions on the same subject to establish his/her relationship or relationship through marriage to the foreign national being joined.
  • Spouse/partner conditions — alternative evidence
    Special provision: if the applicant cannot provide evidence of the family relationship or relationship through marriage by means of official documents, the Immigration Office may take into account other valid evidence submitted regarding this relationship, provided that it predates the entry of the joined foreign national in Belgium.

What important financial, accommodation, insurance or maintenance responsibilities apply?

The sponsor generally must show stable, regular and sufficient means, adequate housing and health insurance. An exception to these proofs applies where the partnership predates arrival and the application is filed within one year after protection is granted, subject to possible excuse for special circumstances.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • No monetary support threshold is supplied; the one-year exception is conditional.
  • Spouse/partner conditions — means of subsistence
    The foreigner being joined must have stable, regular and sufficient means of subsistence to meet their own needs and those of their family members and to avoid becoming a burden on the public authorities.
  • Spouse/partner conditions — one-year exception
    The spouse or partner of a foreign national who has the international protection status does not need to provide evidence that this foreign national has stable, regular and sufficient means of subsistence, if the marriage or partnership precedes his/her entry into Belgium, and if the application for family reunification is submitted within the year following the recognition of refugee status or the granting of subsidiary protection to the sponsor.
  • Spouse/partner conditions — housing
    The foreigner being joinedmust have sufficient housing to accommodate the family member(s) who have asked to join them, and which meets the conditions imposed upon real estate leased as a principal residence, as stipulated in Article 2 of Book III, Title VIII, Chapter II, Section 2 of the Civil Code.
  • Spouse/partner conditions — health insurance
    The foreigner being joined must have health insurance that covers the risks in Belgium for themselves and their family members.

How does the application work at a high level, what rights does the family member receive, how long does the status last, and how can it become independent or longer-term where officially stated?

An applicant abroad normally files at the Belgian diplomatic or consular post responsible for their place of residence, for a national long-stay visa over 90 days. The page does not state the resulting permit's duration, work rights or independent-residence progression.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • Residence-card duration, work rights and subsequent independent status are not specified here.
  • Application for family reunification
    As a rule, the application for family reunification is submitted to the Belgian diplomatic or consular post responsible for the family member's place of residence abroad (

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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