109 rules

I just arrived

If you have just moved to Belgium, these are the rules you need to know in the first months: address, driving licence, insurance, daily life.

☐ Not allowed: Can I cross a solid (continuous) white line to turn left into a shop or petrol station across the road? — No. A solid white line is not only about overtaking. You must never cross it to turn left, to enter a property across the road or to make a U-turn.
☐ Not allowed: Is it a crime to shout at, humiliate or hit my partner or child at home? — Yes, it is a crime. The new Criminal Code (Strafwetboek / Code pénal) punishes physical violence in the family, and also psychological violence such as constant humiliation.
☐ Not allowed: Can I carry a knife, pepper spray or knuckle-duster to protect myself? — No. Pepper spray, knuckle-dusters and some knives are forbidden weapons. Saying 'it is to protect myself' does not make it legal to carry them.
☐ Not allowed: What happens if I hit someone in a fight? Is it still a crime if they started it? — Usually yes. The fact that the other person started it does not on its own make you right. Only a proportionate defence against a serious and sudden attack that you cannot escape is self-defence. Deliberately injuring someone is punished from level 1 to 3, depending on how serious the injury is. If the person dies, it is level 4.
☐ Not allowed: Is it a crime to ask for money with a fake bank text message? What should I do if I get one? — Yes, fraud is a level 3 crime. If you get such a message, do not click the link, do not share codes or card details, and report the message.
☐ Not allowed: Is it a crime to insult someone on WhatsApp or to write 'I will find you'? — It can be. A threat that causes someone serious fear is a crime: threatening a serious attack, such as killing, is level 2, and threatening a lighter attack is level 1. Insults and defamation are level 1 crimes if they are made in public (e.g. in a group chat). A screenshot can be used as evidence.
☐ Not allowed: Is it a problem to talk loudly or play music at night when I have guests at home? — Yes, it is a problem. Municipal police regulations usually forbid noise that disturbs your neighbours' peace. Since 1 September 2026, night-time noise is no longer a crime under the Criminal Code. If the municipality has included it in its police regulation, it can impose an administrative fine (GAS).
☐ Not allowed: If the bottle bank is full, can I leave my bag next to it? — No. Leaving a bag next to the bottle bank counts as illegal dumping. The municipality can impose an administrative fine. It can also make you pay the cleaning costs.
☐ Not allowed: Can I take dry branches or wood lying on the ground in the forest? — No, as a rule you cannot. In Flanders and Brussels, it is forbidden, including dry branches. In Wallonia, you must have the owner's permission.
☐ Not allowed: Can I pick linden (lime) blossoms from a tree in the street or in the park? — As a rule, no. Street and park trees belong to the municipality or the region. Breaking branches, climbing the tree or putting a ladder on the road can lead to a penalty.
☐ Not allowed: Can I register at another address, or register someone at my address, to get more benefits? — No. Registering at an address where you do not really live, or registering someone else there, is a false statement. It can lead to prosecution for forgery or fraud.
☐ Not allowed: Can I overtake on the right when a car in the left lane is driving slowly? — No, as a rule you overtake on the left. You may pass a vehicle that is signalling to turn left, or a tram, on the right. In heavy traffic, if the right-hand lane happens to move faster, that does not count as overtaking.
☐ Not allowed: Can I use my phone or ride without lights on my bike? — No. Holding a phone in your hand is forbidden on a bike too, and front and rear lights are compulsory in the dark. The alcohol limits also apply to cyclists.
☐ Not allowed: Can I use a car with expired insurance or an overdue inspection for a short trip? — No. A motor vehicle may only be used on the road if it has compulsory motor insurance. Its inspection certificate must also be valid. Driving without insurance is a criminal offence dealt with by the courts.
☐ Not allowed: I live in Belgium. Can I drive a car with foreign number plates here? — As a rule, no. Anyone entered in the population register in Belgium must register the vehicle they use in Belgium. There are limited exceptions, such as a hire car, a company car, or a car lent to you free of charge for no more than 1 month.
☐ Not allowed: Can I use a fake payslip, tenancy agreement or diploma to rent a home or get a job? — No. Making a fake document and knowingly using one are both criminal offences (level 3). Even if someone else made the document, anyone who uses it knowing it is fake is responsible.
☐ Not allowed: Can I stay off work with a doctor's note I bought or tampered with when I am not ill? — No. A fake or altered doctor's note is forgery (level 3). You can also lose your job and your benefit.
☐ Not allowed: Is a social media post calling for hatred or violence against a group a criminal offence? — Yes. Publicly inciting discrimination, hatred or violence against a person or group is a criminal offence (level 2). This rule also protects migrants and refugees who are targeted because of their origin or religion.
☐ Not allowed: What should I do if I am attacked because of my origin or religion? Is this a more serious offence? — Yes, it is more serious. Using violence against someone because of their origin, religion or a similar characteristic is violence with a discriminatory motive (levels 2–5). If you are a victim, contact the police and Unia.
☐ Not allowed: Can I cover my face in the street so that I cannot be recognised? Does the ban include headscarves? — No. In public places, covering your face so that you cannot be recognised is forbidden (level 1). A headscarf that leaves the face uncovered is not covered by this ban.
☐ Not allowed: Can I marry someone, or register a legal cohabitation with them, just on paper so that they can get a residence permit? — No. If the aim is not to share a life but only to obtain a right of residence, it is a sham marriage and a criminal offence. A judge can annul the marriage, and residence rights and citizenship can be lost.
☐ Not allowed: Can I take a second wife through a religious (imam) marriage while I am still married? — No. In Belgium, entering into a second civil marriage while you are already married is a criminal offence (level 1). A religious (imam) marriage is not a marriage in law: the 'second wife' does not get the rights of the legal spouse. A religious official who conducts a religious marriage before the civil marriage is also punished.
☐ Not allowed: Can I leave my dog in the car for a short while? What is the penalty for abandoning or hitting an animal? — Leaving an animal in a hot car where it is in danger, abandoning it and causing it unnecessary suffering are all forbidden. In all three regions, this can lead to a court penalty and a ban on keeping animals.
☐ Not allowed: Is it still theft if I take something small from a supermarket without paying? — Yes. However little it is worth, theft is a criminal offence (level 2). If violence or threats are used, it is level 3.
☐ Not allowed: Can I park briefly on the pavement, on a cycle path or in front of a garage? — No. Parking on the pavement or on a cycle path is a 2nd-degree offence. Parking in front of a garage or house entrance is also forbidden; it makes no difference if it is only for a short time.
☐ Not allowed: Can I park in a disabled parking space for a few minutes? — No. Without a disabled parking card you cannot park there, not even for one minute. This is a 2nd-degree offence; your vehicle can be towed.
☐ Not allowed: If I am turned away when renting a home, applying for a job or in a shop because of my origin or my religion, is that a crime? — Yes, it can be. Deliberately treating someone differently because of their origin, religion or another protected characteristic is a crime when letting a home, at work, and in goods and services offered to the public (level 2). You can report it to Unia free of charge.
☐ Not allowed: Can I lend my passport or identity card to a relative or a friend? — 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).
☐ Not allowed: Is it a crime to force someone to worship, to stop them from worshipping, or to disturb order in a place of worship? — Yes. Using violence or threats to force someone to take part in worship, or to stop them from doing so, is a crime (level 1). Disrupting worship, and insulting objects of worship in a place of worship or during a religious ceremony, are also crimes.
☐ Not allowed: Is it a crime to post something on social media that glorifies a terrorist attack or calls for support for a terrorist organisation? — Yes, it can be. Publicly glorifying or justifying terrorist offences, or encouraging others to commit them, is a crime if it is done with that intention and creates a serious risk that a new offence will be committed (level 3–4). Knowingly supporting a terrorist group is also a crime.
☐ Not allowed: What is the penalty for killing a spouse, child or other relative? Does 'honour' or tradition reduce the penalty? — Deliberately killing a close family member (such as a parent, child, brother or sister, spouse or partner) is murder within the family, for which the law prescribes life imprisonment (level 8). The law treats killing in the name of 'honour', tradition or religion as an aggravating factor, not a mitigating one.
☐ Not allowed: Is attacking a police officer, doctor, teacher or bus driver because of their job punished more severely? — Yes. Violence against a person exercising a societal function, because of that function, is punished one level higher than ordinary violence (levels 2–5). Deliberately killing such a person because of their function is level 8, for which the law prescribes life imprisonment.
☐ Not allowed: Is it a crime to hold someone by force until a debt is paid? — Yes. Deliberately and unlawfully holding someone is deprivation of liberty (level 3). Holding someone as a guarantee that an order or condition will be met is hostage-taking (level 5).
☐ Not allowed: On the motorway, may I keep driving in the middle or left lane when the right lane is free? — As a rule, no. On the motorway, unless traffic is dense, you keep as far right as possible. After overtaking, you move back to the right as soon as it is safe. Not doing so is a 2nd-degree offence (€128); not keeping right in general is 1st degree (€64).
☐ Required: I am on a main road. Do I have to give way to a car coming out of a small street on my right? — Yes, most of the time. If there are no signs or traffic lights, you must give way to every vehicle coming from the right, even from a small side street. Not giving way is a 2nd-degree offence.
☐ Required: What are the speed limits in Belgium in town, outside town and on the motorway? — If there is no sign: 50 km/h in built-up areas (in Brussels the general rule is 30 km/h); outside built-up areas 70 km/h in Flanders and 90 km/h in Wallonia; 120 km/h on the motorway. If a sign shows something else, follow the sign.
☐ Required: Do I have to show my ID if the police stop me? Can I resist if I think it is unfair? — Yes, you must show your ID. Resisting the police with force is a crime (level 1 without a weapon, level 2 with a weapon). If you think the police action is unfair, stay calm and make a complaint afterwards.
☐ Required: Do I need a permit to fish in a river or lake? — Yes. As a rule, you must have a fishing permit to fish in public waters, and each region has its own permit. There are some exemptions for young people.
☐ Required: Do I have to have my cat microchipped and neutered? — Yes. Your cat must be microchipped and registered in CatID by the age of 12 weeks at the latest. Neutering is also compulsory in all three regions.
☐ Required: Do I have to have my dog microchipped and registered? — Yes. In all three regions, your dog must be microchipped and registered in DogID by the age of 8 weeks at the latest. Selling, buying or giving away a dog without a chip is forbidden.
☐ Required: Do I have to declare my house, plot of land or field abroad to Belgium? — Yes. If you pay taxes in Belgium, you must declare each property abroad separately to the tax authorities. A newly bought property must be declared within 4 months; someone who has just moved to Belgium must declare their existing property within 30 days.
☐ Required: Do I have to declare my bank account abroad to Belgium? — Yes. Every bank account abroad must be declared every year on your tax return, and once in the central register (CAP) of the National Bank of Belgium.
☐ Required: I have moved. When do I have to give the municipality my new address? — You must report your new address to your new municipality within 8 working days of moving. This also applies if you move within the same municipality.
☐ Required: Do I always have to carry my identity card or residence card? — Yes. From the age of 15, every Belgian must carry their identity card. Foreign nationals must also carry their residence card and show it when the police ask for it.
☐ Required: How much space must I leave when I pass a cyclist? — You must leave at least 1 metre in built-up areas and at least 1,5 metres outside them. In a cycle zone (fietszone), you may not overtake cyclists at all.
☐ Required: Do I need to register before driving into Brussels or Ghent in a car with foreign number plates? — Yes. Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent have a low emission zone (LEZ). A car with foreign plates must be registered (free of charge), even if it meets the standards (Dutch plates excepted). It is best to register before you set off. Entering without registering will get you a fine.
☐ Required: If I see someone injured or in danger in the street, do I have to help? — Yes. Knowingly failing to help someone in serious danger is a criminal offence (level 2). You do not have to put yourself in danger; calling 112 also counts as helping.
☐ Required: Do I have to get my child vaccinated? Will a nursery take an unvaccinated child? — Yes, the polio vaccine is compulsory for all babies. French-speaking nurseries also require other vaccines; Dutch-speaking nurseries do not require them but recommend them.
☐ Required: Can my dog be off the lead in the street? Can I be fined for barking or dog mess? — In most municipalities, dogs must be kept on a lead in public spaces and you must pick up after them. Constant barking can also count as noise nuisance. The rules are set by the municipality.
☐ Required: Do I have to join a health insurance fund (ziekenfonds / mutualité) in Belgium? — Yes. To get your doctor's, medicine and hospital costs reimbursed, you must be registered with a health insurance fund or with the public fund HZIV / CAAMI.
☐ Required: Does my doctor have to explain my condition and get my consent for treatment? Can I ask for an interpreter? — Yes. Under the Patients' Rights Act (22 August 2002), your doctor must inform you in a way you can understand and get your consent for every procedure.
☐ Required: My child was born in Belgium. When do I have to register the birth with the municipality and with my country's consulate? — Register the birth with the municipality within 15 days. You may also need to register it with your country's consulate; ask the consulate about the deadline. If you are a recognised refugee, do not go to the consulate; ask the CGRS (CGVS / CGRA) for advice.
☐ Required: I am ill and cannot go to work. When must I tell my employer, and do I need a doctor's certificate? — Yes. You must tell your employer straight away. If a certificate is requested, you usually have to hand it in within 2 working days. Twice a year, you may not need a certificate for the first day of illness.
☐ Required: I came from abroad for a visit and I have no address in Belgium: do I have to pay a traffic fine on the spot? — Yes. A driver with no address in Belgium must pay the fine immediately or leave the same amount as a deposit. If you do not pay, the vehicle is held and can later be seized.
☐ Required: When I move into a rented home, is an inventory of its condition compulsory, and must the lease be registered? — Yes. A detailed inventory of the property's condition must be drawn up when you move in. The landlord must register the lease and the inventory within 2 months of signing. If the lease is not registered, the tenant gains certain rights.
☐ Required: Do I have to file a tax return every year? Do I need to do anything about the 'proposal' from the tax authorities? — Yes. From the age of 18, you must file a return every year, even if you had no income. If the tax authorities have sent you a ready-made proposal, checking it may be enough.
☐ Required: I am a tenant: do I have to take out fire insurance? — Yes, in all three regions. As a tenant, you must insure your own liability for fire and water damage. In Brussels, this rule applies to leases signed or renewed from 1 November 2024.
☐ Required: I have been called as a witness in court. What happens if I do not go, or if I lie to protect someone I know? — If you are called as a witness, you must in principle appear and give evidence; deliberately failing to appear is a crime (level 1). Lying under oath with fraudulent intent is more serious (level 3).
☐ Required: Can I put paper, PMD and food scraps in the residual waste bag (restafval / déchets résiduels), or is sorting compulsory? — No, you cannot put everything in the residual waste. In Flanders and Brussels, regional rules directly require households to sort their waste. In Wallonia there is a general duty to sort; the municipal regulations set out what must be sorted and how.
☐ Required: How does the school system work in French-language schools in Wallonia and Brussels? Which school does my child go to at what age? — School is compulsory from age 5 to 18. A child can start nursery school at 2½; primary school lasts 6 years and secondary school also 6 years. In 2026-2027, nursery, primary and the 1st year of secondary are part of the common core (tronc commun).
☐ Required: How does the school system work in Flanders and in Dutch-language schools in Brussels? Which school does my child go to at what age? — School is compulsory from age 5 to 18. A child can start nursery school at 2½; primary school lasts 6 years and secondary school 6 years in 3 stages. The school tests every child's Dutch; if it is not good enough, language support is mandatory.
☐ Required: We have just arrived in Belgium and my child does not speak the school language. How does my child start school, and is there support? — Every child living in Belgium has the right to education and school is compulsory. For children who do not know the school language there are reception classes: in Flanders OKAN in secondary school and, since 2026, language classes (taalheldklas) in primary school; in French-language schools DASPA.
☐ Required: Is a smoke detector mandatory at home, and who fits it? — Yes, in all three regions. Your home must have a working smoke detector. In Wallonia and Brussels, the landlord or owner pays for the detector. How many detectors you need and where they go depends on the region.
☐ Depends: How long can I drive in Belgium with my foreign (non-EU) driving licence? — Your licence from outside the EU is valid for the first 185 days after you register your residence (domicilie / domicile) in Belgium. After that, driving with that licence counts as driving without a licence.
☐ Depends: I had an accident: do I need to call the police, and what should I do? — The police do not need to come to every accident. If there is only material damage and you agree with each other, it is enough to fill in the European accident report together. If someone is injured or you do not agree, call the police. Leaving the scene before the facts have been recorded, when you know you were involved in the accident, is a crime.
☐ Depends: Is it a crime to buy a phone that someone I know is selling very cheaply? — Yes, it can be. Knowingly buying stolen goods is a level 3 crime. By law, being aware that the goods might be stolen also counts as 'knowingly'; that is why a suspiciously low price is risky.
☐ Depends: Can I have a barbecue in the park? — It depends on the municipality and the park. In many parks, barbecues are only allowed in marked areas.
☐ Depends: Can I pick chestnuts in the forest? — It depends on the region. In Wallonia, you need the forest owner's permission for chestnuts; some municipal forests allow small amounts. In Flanders, it is forbidden as a rule; for small amounts you usually only get a warning. Picking without permission in order to sell can count as theft.
☐ Depends: Can I pick mushrooms in the forest? — In Brussels, it is completely forbidden. In Flanders, it is also forbidden; people who pick small amounts usually only get a warning. In Wallonia, it is allowed in the Region's forests up to 10 litres per person.
☐ Depends: Can I slaughter my sacrificial animal (Kurban) at home, in the garden or on a farm? — Usually not. In Flanders and Brussels, the sacrificial animal may only be slaughtered in a slaughterhouse or an approved temporary slaughter site. In Wallonia, slaughter at home is only possible if you notify the municipality and stun the animal. Slaughter without stunning is forbidden in Flanders and Wallonia; in Brussels, it is still allowed, but only in an approved slaughterhouse.
☐ Depends: Do I have priority when I change lanes, and do I have to indicate? — You may change lanes, but it counts as a "manoeuvre". You must give way to other vehicles and indicate in good time. If the road is clear, keep to the right-hand lane.
☐ Depends: As a pedestrian, can I cross the road wherever I want? — Only under certain conditions. If there is a pedestrian crossing within about 20 metres, you must use it. You may not step into the road when the pedestrian light is red, and you must give way to trams.
☐ Depends: Can I lend money at interest to people I know? When does it become illegal usury (loan sharking)? — It depends. Lending money is not a criminal offence in itself. But exploiting someone's difficult situation to demand interest or other benefits far above the normal rate is usury (level 2).
☐ Depends: If I am convicted of a criminal offence, will I lose my residence permit or my Belgian citizenship? — It depends. Not every conviction automatically ends your right of residence. But for serious or repeated offences, your right of residence can be withdrawn, and your citizenship application may also be affected.
☐ Depends: I am having problems with my neighbour over noise, a tree or a parking space. What can I do? — Talk to them first, then use the municipality's free mediation service. If the problem continues, you can ask the justice of the peace for free conciliation. If there is immediate danger, call 101.
☐ Depends: Do I need a permit to get a dog or cat in Wallonia? — It depends. In Wallonia, everyone automatically has a permit to keep animals. But when you get an animal from a shelter, breeder or shop, you must bring a certificate from the central register, which you get from your municipality. For cats and dogs, there is no exception, even if you get them from a private individual.
☐ Depends: Can I bring my cat or dog from a country outside the EU to Belgium? What do I need? — Yes. If you are coming from a non-EU country that is not on the list, preparations take at least 4 months. You need a microchip, a rabies vaccination, a rabies blood test and a 3-month wait after the test. An official veterinary health certificate is also required.
☐ Depends: Which number should I call in an emergency or when I need a doctor at night? — It depends on the situation: 112 for an ambulance or the fire service, 101 for urgent police help, and 1733 for the duty doctor out of hours.
☐ Depends: Is voting compulsory in Belgian elections? What happens if I do not vote? — It depends. Voting is compulsory for registered voters in federal, regional and European elections. In Flanders, it has not been compulsory in local and provincial elections since 2024.
☐ Depends: Is it an offence to catcall a woman in the street or to insult someone because of their gender? — Yes, it can be. Openly insulting someone in public because of their gender and seriously harming their dignity is an offence (level 2).
☐ Depends: My landlord is charging a very high rent for a home in poor condition. Is this an offence, and what can I do? — In some cases, yes. Renting out housing unfit for human dignity to someone in a vulnerable situation in order to make an excessive profit is a criminal offence (level 2). As a tenant, you can contact your region's housing inspection service.
☐ Depends: My employer has dismissed me. How much notice am I entitled to, and can I ask why? — Yes, in most cases. The notice period depends on your length of service and when you started. In the private sector, if you have worked there for at least 6 months, you can ask in writing why you were dismissed.
☐ Depends: Is unemployment benefit no longer unlimited? How long can I receive it after the 2026 reform? — No, for most people it is no longer unlimited. Since 1 March 2026, benefit for new claims lasts at most 24 months; some groups are exempt from this limit. To qualify, you must have worked long enough, be registered as a jobseeker and be available for work.
☐ Depends: What happens if I do not use a parking disc in a blue zone or do not pay for paid parking? — A parking disc is compulsory in a blue zone, and the time limit is usually 2 hours. Many municipalities charge a parking fee (retributie) instead of issuing a fine. If you do not pay, extra costs are added and the debt can be passed on for enforcement.
☐ Depends: My car has been towed. Who pays, and how do I get my car back? — If you parked wrongly, you pay the towing and storage costs. The local police will tell you where the car is. You may also get a parking fine.
☐ Depends: Is there a licence, helmet or age requirement for an electric bicycle? — Not for an ordinary electric bicycle (at most 250 W, with assistance cutting out at 25 km/h); it counts as a normal bicycle. For a motorised bicycle with a motor of up to 1 kW, you must be at least 16.
☐ Depends: Can I cycle side by side with someone, and can I ride the wrong way down a one-way street? — Yes, under certain conditions. On the road, you may ride two abreast, but outside built-up areas you must ride in single file when a vehicle comes up behind you. You may ride the wrong way down a one-way street only if an additional sign allows it.
☐ Depends: Can I ride on the road when there is a cycle path, and can I leave my bicycle on the pavement? — If there is a usable cycle path on your right, you must use it. Leave your bicycle on the pavement or in a bike park, not on the road or in a parking lane, and without getting in anyone's way.
☐ Depends: Can I ride a 125 cc motorbike with my B licence? At what age can I get a motorbike licence? — Under certain conditions. If you have held your B licence for at least 2 years, have completed the 4-hour training and have code 372 on your licence, you can ride a motorbike of up to 125 cc. For a more powerful motorbike, you need an A2 or A licence.
☐ Depends: How close to a junction, a pedestrian crossing or a bus stop can I park? — Watch the distances. Even stopping on a pedestrian crossing or less than 5 m before it is forbidden. At a junction, you may not stop less than 5 m from the edge of the side road either. You may not park within 15 m on either side of a bus stop.
☐ Depends: Can I park on the left-hand side of the street or double-park for a short time? — Double parking is never allowed, not even just to stop. You may park on the left-hand side only in a one-way street. In some streets you have to change sides halfway through the month.
☐ Depends: Can I park in a paid or blue zone in my own street with a residents' card (bewonerskaart)? — Yes, if your municipality issues this card. To get one, you usually have to be registered at an address in that area. Prices and rules vary from municipality to municipality.
☐ Depends: Who issues parking fines? What is the difference between a municipal fine (GAS) and a police fine, and how do I contest one? — A parking fine can be issued by the police or by the municipality. A municipal fine (GAS) is a fixed amount: 58 € or 116 €. You can contest both, but the procedures differ.
☐ Depends: How many months' rent can a landlord ask for as a deposit? Can I pay it to the landlord directly? — It depends on the region. In Brussels and Wallonia the landlord can ask for at most 2 months' rent, in Flanders at most 3 months' rent. The money is paid into a blocked bank account in your name; do not give it to the landlord directly.
☐ Depends: Can my landlord raise the rent every year? By how much? — Yes, but only once a year and in line with the health index. The landlord must request it in writing and can backdate it by at most 3 months. In Brussels, and for some older leases, there are limits linked to the energy performance certificate.
☐ Depends: Can I end my lease early? Can my landlord make me move out? — Yes, a tenant can always leave by giving 3 months' notice. If you leave in the first few years, you may have to pay compensation. The landlord can only end the lease on grounds set by law and with a long notice period.
☐ Depends: I got married or divorced abroad. Is this valid in Belgium, and do I have to report it to the municipality? — Usually yes, and no separate court case is needed. However, you must take the document, with an apostille and a sworn translation, to the municipality and have it entered in the Belgian records.
☐ Depends: How can I become a Belgian citizen? Is living here for 5 years enough? — Not on its own. As well as 5 years of legal residence, there are requirements on language (at least A2), social integration and work. After 10 years of legal residence, the work requirement no longer applies.
☐ Depends: How do you get married in Belgium? What documents do you need, and do you have to report the marriage in your country of origin? — First you make a declaration of marriage at the municipality; the wedding can take place 14 days later at the earliest. If you are a citizen of another country, you may also need to report the marriage to that country's consulate.
☐ Depends: I married abroad: what conditions must I meet to bring my spouse to Belgium? — Marriage alone does not give a right of residence. Family reunification is subject to conditions on age, stable income, suitable housing and health insurance. These became stricter on 18 August 2025; for some applications the old rules still apply until 17 August 2027.
☐ Depends: How do I enrol my child in school? Can the school turn my child away? — You choose the school, but places are limited. At many schools you first have to pre-register on set dates. If the school is full, it can turn your child away.
☐ Depends: How much money can the school ask me for? Is there help with school costs? — Enrolment is free. In nursery and primary school, the school can only charge costs within set limits. If your income is low enough, you can get a school allowance (schooltoeslag / allocation d'études).
☐ Depends: Does child benefit (Groeipakket / allocations familiales) come automatically, or do I have to apply? — It depends on the region. In Flanders, the monthly amount often starts automatically. In Wallonia and Brussels, you must register with a child benefit fund (caisse) yourself.
☐ Depends: How much does childcare (kinderopvang / crèche) cost, and how do I find a place? — Childcare is not compulsory. In many childcare centres, the price depends on the family's income. Start looking early; you can contact French-language childcare centres from the 4th month of pregnancy.
☐ Depends: Can I bring a relative's child from my home country to Belgium and adopt them? — Only through the legal procedure. You must first complete the preparation and obtain a court ruling that you are 'suitable' to adopt. Obtaining an unlawful adoption by fraud, using an unrecognised intermediary and paying for a child can all be crimes.
☐ Depends: Can I educate my child at home instead of sending them to school? — Yes, but with conditions. Home education must be declared in advance every year, the government checks it and the child takes official exams at certain ages. If two checks in a row are negative or the required certificate is not obtained in time, the child must be enrolled in a school.
☐ Depends: May I drill, saw, renovate or make building noise on a Sunday or in the evening? — It depends. There is no single rule for all of Belgium; the hours are mostly set in the municipality's police regulation. Many municipalities ban power tools on Sundays, public holidays and at night. In Brussels, regional hours apply to building sites.
☐ Depends: Can I have a steel door fitted in my home? — Yes, in principle you can. In Belgium there is no federal or regional rule that bans steel doors. But in a newer apartment building, your front door may be a fire door. Then the new door must also be fire-resistant and self-closing.
☐ Allowed: If my child breaks the neighbour's window, who pays? Is family liability insurance compulsory? — It is not compulsory, but it is strongly recommended. As a rule, you pay for any damage your child under 16 or your dog causes to someone else. Family liability insurance usually covers this.