Can I lend my passport or identity card to a relative or a friend?
In short
Don't. Giving your passport or identity card to someone else with fraudulent intent or intent to cause harm, or accepting or using someone else's, is a crime (level 1). Tampering with the document with fraudulent intent is more serious (level 3).
Video transcript
A relative wants to borrow your identity card to cross a border or find a job. We look alike, nobody will notice, he says. Not allowed: Giving your ID card or passport to someone else with fraudulent intent, or accepting or using someone else's, is a crime: level 1. The right way: Don't give your identity card to anyone. If it's lost or stolen, report it straight away to the police or the municipality. Consequences (Level 1 offence): Giving, accepting, using: Fine, service or probation; Forging the document: 3 – 5 years in prison; Residence (serious crimes): Can be ended.
What is not allowed, what is required?
- Using a passport, travel document, identity card or a document that replaces them, giving it to someone else or accepting it from someone else, with fraudulent intent or intent to cause harm, is a crime (Criminal Code art. 453, level 1).
- For example, if someone uses your document to cross a border, get a job or open a bank account, this may be covered by the rule.
- Changing the photo or details on the document with fraudulent intent or intent to cause harm is forgery; using such a forged document for the same purpose is also a crime (art. 451, level 3).
- If the competent authority has decided to withdraw your passport or identity card, failing to hand in the document by the deadline is also a crime (art. 454, level 1).
- If your identity document is lost or stolen, report it immediately to the police or the municipality. This stops anyone else from using it.
Penalty and indirect consequences
- Fine / payment
- Level 1 does not carry a prison sentence: the judge imposes a fine, community service or probation.
Legal basis:Strafwetboek (W 29.2.2024) Boek I, art. 36
- Court / prison
- No prison sentence for handing over or using the document. Forging the document (art. 451) is level 3: 3 – 5 years in prison.
What does this level mean? Criminal Code, level 1: No prison: a fine, community service or probation. All penalty levels →
What really matters: the indirect consequences
- It may appear on your criminal record extract (uittreksel uit het strafregister / extrait de casier judiciaire); this can cause problems when you apply for jobs
Legal basis:FOD Justitie – Uittreksel strafregister + Sv. art. 595-596
- For serious or repeated offences, your residence permit can be withdrawn, and a citizenship application may be adversely affected
Legal basis:Vreemdelingenwet 15.12.1980, art. 13 §1, 21-22 + WBN, art. 15 §3
What do these terms mean?
- Criminal record
- The state register of convictions handed down by a court. The extract asked for a job, residence or nationality application comes from it. Municipal GAS fines are not entered in it.
Why does this rule exist?
Identity documents must reliably show who someone is. Travelling on someone else's document undermines border checks and opens the door to identity theft.
Where can you go?
- Municipal population officeChange of address, identity card and residence card
- Neighbourhood police officerAddress check (wijkagent / agent de quartier)
- Social interpreterAt the municipality, the OCMW/CPAS, school and hospital, you can ask for an interpreter in your language; it is often free.
This site does not handle individual cases; it points you to the right service. All help addresses
Source and reliability
Official source- Source check
- 7 / 8 statements in an official source
- Checked: 22.10.2026
- Last checked
- 22.10.2026
- Rules can change
Show the 8 checked statementsopen
- Found in an official source
Seyahat/kimlik belgesinin devri, seviye 1 (md. 453)
Code pénal livre II (Loi 29.2.2024), Justel FR konsolide metin, art. 453 (madde numarası: Justel NL inhoudstafel) - Reliable secondary source
Örnekler (sınır, iş, banka hesabı) md. 453 tanımının yorumudur
Code pénal livre II (Loi 29.2.2024), Justel FR konsolide metin, art. 453 (madde numarası: Justel NL inhoudstafel) — örnekler yorum - Found in an official source
Sahtecilik ve sahte belge kullanımı, seviye 3 (md. 451)
Code pénal livre II (Loi 29.2.2024), Justel FR konsolide metin, art. 451 (madde numarası: Justel NL inhoudstafel) - Found in an official source
Belge geri alma kararına süresinde uymamak, seviye 1 (md. 454)
Code pénal livre II (Loi 29.2.2024), Justel FR konsolide metin, art. 454 (madde numarası: Justel NL inhoudstafel) - Found in an official source
Kayıp/çalıntı kimliği hemen bildirin
IBZ – Identiteitsdocumenten (kaynak: kimlik-kart-tasima-03 kaydı) - Found in an official source
Seviye 1: hapis yok; para cezası, çalışma cezası veya probation cezası (Kitap I md. 36)
Strafwetboek (W 29.2.2024) Boek I, art. 36 - Found in an official source
Mahkûmiyet adli sicile yansır
FOD Justitie – Uittreksel strafregister + Sv. art. 595-596 - Found in an official source
Ağır/tekrarlanan suçlarda oturum ve vatandaşlık etkisi (genel ifade)
Vreemdelingenwet 15.12.1980, art. 13 §1, 21-22 + WBN, art. 15 §3
The checked statements are in Turkish, as in the source text. This check does not replace legal advice.
General information, not legal advice. For your own situation, ask a lawyer or free legal aid. How was this information prepared?