Hi Ben, your F Card is tied to the relationship with this woman. In general, if both of you separate officially within 3 years from the date of the Orange Card, you will lose your residency unless you can prove that you have a job or have a child together. Your case is complicated when involving children. It is better to consult a lawyer to seek better advice.

My problem now is I applied to live together with the first Belgian lady to get documents, but it didn’t work. So, I moved on and got the first baby and a 6-month Orange Card before getting the 5-year permit. The second lady left Belgium, so I didn’t get the five years card. That was when I met this third lady and had a baby again. Now I have F card, but I didn’t stay long and moved away from her and the baby. If she makes a complaint of all this, can my card be taken away from me?

Hi Fabian, thanks for sharing your experience. Really appreciate it!

Hi Gregory, I have only read briefly on the F+ Card and the application of Belgian nationality in the past. For my case, I have no wish to apply for citizenship as my country does not allow dual nationality either.

1) From what I know, you can start applying for your F+ card or your nationality from 4.5 years onwards from the date of your Orange Card or rather, from the date stated on the Annexe 19ter. You can read more about applying for Belgian nationality here.

2) The first advantage I can think of as a Belgian nationality is an EU passport, which can grant you travelling access to more countries without a visa. If you hold a passport currently that have more limited travel rights to countries, then an EU passport is surely more advantageous. The second advantage is job applications which only allow EU citizens to apply. One thing you can consider is how secure is your life in Belgium and will there be any possibility that you may go back to your country again.

3) I am not sure about the answer to this question. I presume even if you hold an F+ Card, you can apply for a Belgian nationality anytime. It is best to check with the Stadhuis for the answer or google online. Whether you apply for F+ card or a Belgian nationality, the result will be out in 6 months.

I am very happy to see your help and quick respond to each comment. I belong to non-EEA and I am married to a Belgian. We have been living together for the last 4.5 yrs (me having F card) and have a child born here in Belgium.

– First 3 years, I was a student at a Belgian university (master degree)
– Then started working in a Belgian company (since Feb 2019, and still working)
– I have enough required level of the Dutch language (1.2 level) for the application.

My questions are:

Thank you so much in advance!

Hi Ledio, in fact, I see that it is good news that you have not received any letter at the moment because it means that your stay in Belgium is granted. Do note that the commune does not typically send a letter or email to tell people that they have been approved. After 11 April if you still do not receive any notification, you can proceed down to your commune to make another appointment for your F Card.

However, this period is unusual as most people can choose to work from home. So, I anticipate that the collection of your F Card may be further delayed since the commune may remain close even after 5 April. My advice is to do nothing and not even call them as I’m sure you will not get any answer to whether your F Card will be approved or not. Just wait patiently for 11 April to come and keep yourself safe during this period.

Thank you for your help, very kind of you. Could I ask you some more question, please? My orange card for 6 months that the commune gave to me will expire on 10 April. I still have no answer from the commune or immigration yet. I went down to the commune, but the office was closed. They work just by phone, but my French language isn’t that good to sort out things by phone. Could you tell me what I should do, please? I have an orange card from my European wife. Thank you.

Hi Ben, you will not lose your F Card unless the baby mother divorces you, and you depend on her status to live in Belgium within the next 2.5 years. If you have an F Card because of the baby, then you might not lose it that easy. For more information, should seek help from the Stadhuis who can refer you to a more appropriate agency to handle the domestic affair.

My problem now is when I was moving to my baby’s address, I didn’t leave my old house. I didn’t tell my house boss, so I was still paying my rent. I am back to my old house. Can my baby’s mama make a complaint? Can that make me lose my card?