I am going to stay abroad for several months or over a year. Do I need to tell the municipality?

What is not allowed, what is required?

• Foreign nationals with a residence card: if you will be abroad for more than 3 months, tell the municipality about your departure and return in advance. You will be given a document (bijlage 18 / annexe 18).
• If you have been away for more than 3 months, report to the municipality within 15 days of your return. Your card must be valid when you come back; if it will expire while you are abroad, ask to renew it before you leave.
• As a rule, the right of return (terugkeerrecht / droit de retour) lasts 1 year (Aliens Act art. 19). To stay away for longer than 1 year, you must prove before you leave that the centre of your life remains in Belgium, and report this.
• Some cards have different time limits: the EU long-term resident card becomes invalid after 12 consecutive months outside the EU or 6 years outside Belgium. A permanent residence document becomes invalid after an absence of 24 consecutive months.
• Everyone, including Belgian citizens, can report a temporary absence (tijdelijke afwezigheid / absence temporaire) of up to 1 year to the municipality; this can be extended once by 1 year. If you are away for more than 6 months without reporting it, the authorities can strike you off the population register.

Penalty and indirect consequences

Why does this rule exist?

In Belgium, the right of residence and other rights depend on actually living in the country. Reporting your absence prevents a short stay abroad from being wrongly treated as a move.