Cohabitation Visa Belgium Q & A section is a recap or archive of all the articles and the table of contents written for my entire series of Legal Cohabitation Visa Survival Series for a Well-Prepared Battle. Click on the link for any question and answer that you would like to know. The link will jump directly to your area of concern.

1) Introduction to Legal Cohabitation Visa Survival Series for a Well-Prepared Battle

Introduction – Legal Cohabitation Visa

1. Brief Relationship History
2. Objective of the Website
3. Research on Cohabitation Visa Process
4. Why is the Procedure So Long and Difficult?
5. Main Referencing Official Website
6. Cohabitation Documents Requirement
7. Cohabitation Visa in Belgium
8. Disclaimer

2) Legal Cohabitation: An Alternative to Marriage

Legal Cohabitation: An Alternative to Marriage

1. Is Marriage Every Girl’s Dream?
2. Long Distance Relationship is always a Honeymoon Stage
3. High Divorce Rate in Belgium
4. Legal Cohabitation on the Rise
5. Who can Enter into a Legal Cohabitation Contract?
6. How to End Legal Cohabitation Contract?
7. Unlawful Act
Sham Marriage and Bogus Cohabitation
Forced Marriage

3) Timeline Events Overview of Cohabitation Visa Process

Timeline Events Overview

1. 2014
• December
2. 2016
• March to June
i) Arrival in Belgium
• July
• August
ii) How I Kill Time with the Orange Card
• September
• October
• November
3. 2017
• March
4. Miscellaneous Notes

4) Register Record in the Commune Database

Creating Impression on First Enquiry Visit in Commune for Cohabitation Visa Process

1. Legal Cohabitation Questionnaire
2. Make Appointment to Visit Commune during Holiday
3. How to Handle Different Answers from Commune?
4. Not All Documents will be Submitted

5) Schengen Type C Travel Visa to Declare Legal Cohabitation

Travel Visa Type C and Long-Stay D Visa: Legal Cohabitation

History, Facts and Benefits of Schengen Area
1. Type C and D Visa: Which is the Correct Visa to apply for Legal Cohabitation?
2. Type C Visa to Declare Legal Cohabitation in Belgium
How to Fill in the Schengen Visa Application Form?
3. Non-EU Citizen who wants to join Non-EU Citizen
4. One Way / Single Trip Air Ticket
5. What is a Type D Visa?
6. General Schengen Information
The European Union Explained

6) Pledge of Financial Support – Annex 3bis Formal Obligation Form

What is Bijlage 3 bis / Annexe 3bis?

1. Sufficient Personal Means of Subsistence
• Financial Preparation Tips
2. Pledge of Financial Support
• Mail Bijlage / Annexe 3bis to Foreign Partner
• At Arrival Airport of Europe
3. Who can be a Guarantor / Sponsor?
4. Types of Formal Obligation Forms
• Annexe 3bis Form – Purpose of Family and Friends Visit
Download Annexe 3bis Form
• Annexe 5 Form – Pledge of Support for Cohabitation
• Annexe 32 Form – Pledge of Support for Student
5. Conclusion

7) Legalisation of Documents: Certificate of Celibacy & Birth Certificate and Sworn Translator

What is a Legalisation?

1. How to Legalise Documents in Your Country?
2. What is an Apostille?
3. Sworn Translators
4. Certificate of Celibacy
5. Birth Certificate Extract
6. What if I do not have a Birth Certificate and not able to get one in my country?

8) Certificate of Good Conduct – No Criminal Record

Certificate of Good Conduct

1. Getting a Certificate of Good Conduct in Your Home Country
2. Getting a Certificate of Good Conduct in Belgium
3. Other Advantages of Possessing a Certificate of Good Conduct
• For jobs involving domestic work
• For the benefits of your future employment

9) Do You Need International Travel Health Insurance Instead to Apply for Cohabitation Visa?

Difference between Travel Insurance & International Health Insurance

1. Travel Insurance (Single Trip)
2. Travel Insurance (Annual Plan)
3. International Health Insurance
4. Claim Issue for Travel Insurance
5. How many Months of Health Insurance to Submit?
6. Cost Analysis between AXA Schengen Visa and IMG Hopper
7. My Health Insurance Plan
• Extension of Health Insurance
• Cost of IMG Hopper
• Visa Letter
8. Can I Be Covered under My Belgian/EU Partner’s National Insurance Plan?

10) Is Medical Certificate Necessary?

Do You Need a Medical Certificate?

1. Leaving the Medical Certificate Behind
2. Making Health Screening Appointment in Belgium
3. Why Go for Medical Checkup?
Download Medical Certificate Form

11) The Day of Declaring Legal Cohabitation in Stadhuis

Declare Legal Cohabitation within 8 Days Upon Arrival in Belgium

1. Newcomer Online Registration
2. Documents Required to Bring When Declaring Legal Cohabitation
3. Stadhuis Keeping My Visit Record For 1.5 Years
4. Signing Legal Cohabitation Agreement
5. Informed of Police Visit after Legal Cohabitation Declaration
6. No Problem Going for Holiday before Receiving Orange Card
7. Call to Districtshuis Deurne
8. Conclusion

12) What are the Cohabitation Requirements and Process from Commune Letters and Email?

Cohabitation Requirements after Declaring Legal Cohabitation

1. First Letter (18 July 2016) – Delayed Registration of Legal Cohabitation
2. Second Letter (18 July 2016) – Proof of Relationship for “Legal Cohabitation Declaration”
3. Email (22 July 2016) – Proof of Relationship for “Investigation of Fake Relationship”
• How do you send your documents?
• How much should you pay?
• How do you pay?
• What happens after receipt of the documents?

13) Proof of Relationship Cohabitation Visa: What to Submit for Belgian Immigration Office?

Proof of Relationship: What to Submit for Legal Cohabitation Visa?

1. What is Considered “Proof of Relationship” for Cohabitation Visa?
2. Different Stage of Document Submission
3. Make Your Presentation Format Clear and Easy to Read
4. Email File Size Limit
5. Do Not Compress The Photo Size
6. Manipulating Photo Dates
7. Submission of Tickets and Receipts
• Air Tickets
• Train, Bus and Paid Carpool Trip
• Hotel Reservation
8. Other Proof of Relationship and Method Used
• Screenshot of Emails, Facebook Photos and FB Messenger
• Generated Chat History
→ How to Generate Chat History from WhatsApp?
• Retrieve Backup Message of Skype and MSN
9. Merge Documents into a Single PDF File Online
• How to Combine and Merge Documents into a Single PDF File Online?
10. My Proof of Relationship Submission
11. Presentation Format

14) What to Expect from Police Visit: Prepare Mentally to Handle Challenging Questions

Manage Your Expectation of Police Visit for Legal Cohabitation Process

1. Why is there a Police Visit?
2. Definition of ‘Resident’
3. Police Visit after Signing a Legal Cohabitation Agreement
4. What to Expect from a Police Visit?
5. What If the Police Did Not Come and Visit?
6. The Long-Awaited Dreadful Police Visit
• Scenario
7. My Police Visit Experience
8. Questions to Ponder for the Police Visit: Opportunity to Know Our Partner Better

15) Legal Cohabitation Approval and Orange Card Appointment: What to Bring

Approval of Declaration of Legal Cohabitation and Things to Bring for Orange Card

1. Declaration of Legal Cohabitation Approved
2. First Obstacle Cleared: Appointment Given for my Orange Card
3. What are the Things to Bring for Orange Card?

16) Orange Card + Annexe / Bijlage 19ter: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know

Orange Card + Annex 19ter: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know

1. What is an Orange Card?
2. Validity and Extension
3. No News is Good News
4. Purposes of Orange Card
5. How Long Does It Take to Receive the Orange Card after Arriving in Belgium?
6. Is it Illegal to Stay in Belgium after the Visa Expires and Orange Card not Received Yet?
7. Can I Travel with Orange Card?
8. Suggestions to Reduce Travelling Risk
9. Return Visa (Terugkeervisum) – Exceptional Cases to Leave Belgium
10. When Can I Travel Out of Belgium?
11. Can I Study Dutch and Attend Integration Courses with Orange Card?
12. Can I Work with Orange Card?
• Working with Orange Card and Annexe/Bijlage 19ter
13. What is Annex 19ter?
• Bijlage 19ter Listed Cohabitation Documents Requirement

17) Belgian/EU Partner Proof of Income, Health Insurance and Housing

Belgian/EU Partner Proof of Income, Housing & Health Insurance for Legal Cohabitation Visa

1. Adequate Housing
2. Adequate Health Insurance
3. Proof of Income
• How to derive the minimum salary needed to apply for legal cohabitation?
• Regular or Irregular Income for 12 months or Less
4. What if my Belgian/EU partner does not fulfil the minimum income of €1,739.00 for one year?
• Favourable Benefits as Remedy for Lower Income
• What Kind of Benefits are Not Taken into Consideration?
5. Case Studies
• Scenario 1
• Scenario 2
6. Get Someone to be a Sponsor / Guarantor

18) Legal Cohabitation Visa Template for Documents and Proof of Relationship

Legal Cohabitation Visa Template for Presenting Proof of Relationship & Required Documents

1. Submit a Complete File
2. Upload Photos and Documents in Cloud Storage
• Pros and Cons of Cloud Storage
3. Divide Presentation Template into Rows and Columns Table
4. Introducing Your Relationship
5. Description of Activity
• Activities Highlights
• Cohabitation Documents
6. Air Ticket Record
• How to Label Air Ticket Record?
7. Photo (P) / Document (D) Link
• How to Link Activities to External Photos and Documents?
• Document Test Link from Google Drive
• Labelling of Photos and Documents
8. Location
9. Total Days
10. Folders in Cloud Storage
11. Miscellaneous Information
• Your Blogging Website
• Concluding Sentences
• Contact Details
12. Final Proof Check of Hyperlinks in Template

19) Long-Awaited F Card Triumph: Belgian eID Procedure

F Card: Belgian eID Procedure

1. What is F and F+ Card?
• How Long Does It Take to Receive the Residence Permit – F Card?
• No News of F Card is Good News
2. Things to Bring for Applying F Card
3. F Card Procedure
• No Belgian eID Collection on First Appointment
• Passport-Sized Photograph
• Temporary Paper Identification
• Can You travel with a Temporary Paper Identity?
• PIN and PUK Code of Belgian eID
• F Card Payment and Collection
• Fast Method of Collecting the F Card
4. Bring Forward the F Card Collection Date
5. Travel with F Card
• F Card is not a Travel Document
• Travelling within Schengen and Non-Schengen Zone
• Leaving Belgium for More than 3 Months
• How long Can You Travel Out or Leave Belgium with an F Card?
6. Working Abroad with F Card
7. Final Conclusion

20) Cohabitation Visa Denied: What to Do for Visa Rejection? Reapply the Cohabitation Process, Appeal or Hire A Lawyer?

Course of Action: Cohabitation Visa F Card Rejection

1. Reapply for the Cohabitation Process
2. Appeal
3. Hire a Lawyer

21) 9 Tips for Couples Applying for Cohabitation Visa Later

9 Useful Cohabitation Tips for Couples Applying for Visa

1. Do not rush into a cohabitation contract
2. Use calendar, journal or diary to track important dates
3. Be over-prepared than underprepared
4. Take sufficient photos together
5. Keep air tickets, train tickets and hotel reservation
6. Partner in Belgium to have a minimum income
7. Start keeping all the message threads on your phone app
8. Visit the Town Hall at least once when you are in Belgium for a holiday
9. Avoid applying for your cohabitation visa during holiday or festive seasons

22) Family Reunion Checklist: Moving to Belgium for Marriage and Legal Cohabitation

Checklist of Items to Do and Bring for Legal Cohabitation or Marriage Purpose

1. Download the Checklist from Google Drive
2. Checklist
• Legal Cohabitation Visa Documents
• Things to Bring
• Things to Do

23) You Are Wanted! Guest Blogging | Legal Cohabitation Visa

We have come to the end of the “Legal Cohabitation Visa Series for a Well-Prepared Battle”. Are you more confident to fight the unknown forces and to conquer your residence permit F Card successfully? Share your experience and be my Guest Blogger! Hope you continue to follow my post by subscribing to my newsletter for other useful information.

I am inviting you to contribute as a guest blogger about your legal cohabitation process in Belgium. It is a space for you to share your smooth journey or to vent your frustration. This platform would allow others to make some comparisons about similar or differing processes between different communes or individuals.

Most importantly, your contribution can help others to understand the procedures better. It is especially useful when your cohabitation journey helps other people in your country to get a better idea of what to expect, particularly when a visa application is required before coming over to Belgium.

Another advantage of having a recorded journey is when your friends or family members ask you about the process that you went through, you can give them the link to your post. Then, you do not have to repeat the process several times. Your friends can read also read your post in detail. The website also provides a translation tool in several languages. The people you care about could read a translated version if necessary.

How to Become a Contributor for the Guest Post?

Criteria

You must either be married or cohabit legally with your partner in Belgium.

Name

Your name can be fictitious if you are not comfortable giving your real name. However, the nationality of you and your partner must be real to provide accuracy to the readers.

Nationality

Your partner can be of any country of origin. It is not important whether he/she is a Belgian or not. But, you have to state your nationality.

Orange Card

You must already be at the stage of having your Orange card approved by email or post though it is not necessary that you have received it. If you have an exceptional case and would still like to contribute, you are welcome to do so.

Photo

Photo submission is optional. You can give one photo of yourself or with your partner if you wish. On the contrary, I respect your decision if you want to stay private and confidential. What matters most is your content and willingness to share the cohabitation visa experience.

Number of Words

Your content should have a minimum of 500 words. Please do not let the number of words deter you from sharing your story. Leave the counting to me. Just concentrate on writing your experience. Thus, with that notion in mind, 500 words should not be a problem.

In fact, I prefer longer content because if a blog post has short content, it may not provide enough information. The post that you are reading now contains <em>700 words</em> but excluding the questionnaire below. It is to let you have a rough idea of how long a post is for 500 words. Not that difficult, right?

Grammar

Ideally, your content should be free from grammatical errors. Again, do not let this point deter you from writing. As we all come from different backgrounds and countries, English may not be your first language or mother tongue.

Two Submission Methods of Guest Post

There are two methods of submission. Choose one that is most suitable for you. No matter which is your preferred style of post submission, the required fields marked * is compulsory to fill up.

Method ➀

Write your story continuously the way you want it to be. Use the questions below as a guideline only. Likewise, you do not have to fill up all the text boxes. Choose one text box (preferably the last one) and paste your content into it. One word of advice: save your writing to your laptop or phone device first before submission in the event of a technical error. Then, submit.

Method ➁

Fill in the questionnaires below. You can answer all or skip some of the questions if they are not relevant to you. Before skipping them, consider whether the questions are of interest to the readers such as waiting time for Orange Card. I created the questionnaire below hoping that you have a fun time filling them up to increase your participation interest.

Are you enthusiastic to share your story now?

Thank you for your time in participating!

Family Reunion Checklist – Items to Do and Bring for Legal Cohabitation or Marriage

Are you moving to Belgium to be with your loved ones for a family reunion? Be it for marriage or legal cohabitation, relocating overseas is always an extremely stressful affair for anyone. This checklist for moving to Belgium will help to lower your stress mentally.

The online checklist targets those who move to Belgium permanently for forming a family reunion. Eventually, you will get your residence permit and make Belgium your home. Since the checklist is meant to apply for a family reunion in Belgium, there will be a list of specific documents to prepare for submission to Belgian Immigration later. You can tick each item off the moment you get one document ready.

The online checklist is my precious baby for the past three months before coming to Belgium. I have deleted quite a number of items. So far, being an organised person, I have not forgotten to bring any documents with me to Belgium. Other than the relevant documents to bring, you may find some other reminders useful and applicable to you.

Download the Checklist for Moving to Belgium from Google Drive

If you like to print out or save the online checklist for moving to Belgium, you can download the copy in Excel (Window) format which I have uploaded to Google Drive. That is without the introduction text and explanations below. It is simply a checklist. You can make changes to the checklist to customise into your own. I appreciate the fact that my checklist for moving to Belgium is helpful to you! 🙂

PS: If there is a compatibility issue with the checklist and you are not able to see or download it, please leave me a comment below.

Checklist

Legal Cohabitation Documents

◯  ­Certificate of Celibacy

The Certificate of Celibacy is the first thing to pass to the commune on the day of declaring the legal cohabitation. Produce within 6 months from the issue date. May require legalisation and sworn translation.

◯  ­Birth Certificate Extract

Do not laminate the Birth Certificate copy. You need to legalise it later. On a side note, many people were not asked to submit this copy. I believe it has to do with your nationality. Those who do not need to apply for a tourist visa to enter Belgium are usually exempted.

◯  ­Legalisation of Document

Birth Certificate Extract, Certificate of Celibacy or other marital status documents requiring legalisation. Legalise first from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then go to the Belgium Embassy. €20/copy from the Embassy of Belgium plus the legalisation cost from your authority.

◯  Sworn Translation of Official Documents

If your documents are not in Dutch, French, German and English language, you need a sworn translator. Do the translation after legalising the documents.

◯  Certificate of No Criminal Record

Ask for a ‘Letter of Introduction’ from the Belgium Embassy in your country. Subsequently, introduce your request for the Certificate of Good Conduct to the State Police. Present within six months to the authority from the date of issue.

◯  ­Biljage/Annexe 3bis

Annexe/Bijlage 3 bis is a Pledge of Financial Support applied by the partner in Belgium. After the commune endorses, your partner can send it by registered mail to you. This form will come in handy if you encounter a customs check at the arrival airport. Subsequently, you can show it to the customs officer if they ask for it. Hence, hold it with you in your hand-carried bag. Valid for 6 months from the date of issue.

◯  Purchase Travel Health Insurance

It is compulsory to buy and then submit the health travel insurance to apply for the cohabitation visa. The minimum coverage amount is €30,000. You can get it from IMG Hopper from Pacific Prime because it offers the lowest insurance after some research at that point in time.

◯  ­Medical Certificate

If you do not need to apply for a Schengen visa to enter Belgium, it is not necessary to get a medical certificate before going to Belgium. You can opt not to bring it over to Belgium first and read my experience. Many people were not asked for it either.

◯  Passport with Valid Travel Visa (if applicable)

The passport should have more than 6 months of validity before going to Belgium. It is even better to have more than a year of validity. You are going to be grounded in Belgium for more than six months while holding your Orange Card.

Things to Bring

▢  Academic Qualifications Paper

Bring all your original copies of academic certificates, transcripts, professional working diplomas for the sake of the employment in future. You can ask for the Equivalence of Diploma from the Ministry of Education and Training in Belgium. An ‘Equivalence Statement’ is a document that equalises the overseas academic certificates to a grade on a par with the Belgian education system.

▢  Medical Record History of Health Screening and Vaccination

It is always critical to bring along all the records of medical history or vaccination that you have done over the years. The doctors in Belgium can assess quickly on your existing medical conditions better when the need arises

▢  Medication Prescription

Although the health care system in Belgium is one of the best in the world, it is beyond the reach for most of us at a subsidised rate as a newcomer. Seeing a doctor as a tourist or foreigner status in any country is always costly. Furthermore, the clinic or hospitals may not have a particular brand of medicine that the patient is currently using. Therefore, bring your medication or top up the supply before coming over to Belgium. I prepared my medical need for one year.

▢  Eyes Related Products

You might find it strange at the mention of these items here. The optical products in Belgium are expensive as compared to what I can get in my country. Especially the contact lens and the saline solution. I made a pair of new spectacles, purchase a few boxes of the contact lens before moving to Belgium. As for the saline solution, due to its weight and size restriction for the luggage space, I did not bring many bottles.

▢  Air Ticket

Start monitoring the airfares to Belgium 3 months before your departure. CheapAir conducted a study based on 1.5 billion sold airfares and nearly 5 million trips made, the best period to buy the cheapest airfare is on average 47 days. Take it as a guideline. From my personal travelling experience on long-haul flights, the best time to buy the cheapest air ticket is 30 – 45 days. When the departure date draws closer, the airfare will go up again. I usually monitor the airfares of three airports in Brussels, Paris and Amsterdam to compare the air ticket prices.

▢  Train Ticket

When I travelled from Singapore to Antwerp to visit my boyfriend for the past 6 years, I landed at Brussels Airport 20% to 30% of the time only. The rest of the time was arriving in Paris or Amsterdam airports. For me, the airfares direct to Brussels Airport is usually more expensive. Consequently, I need a train ticket from the airport to Antwerp. I would recommend getting the tickets online be it a domestic or an international train journey to avoid the long queue while moving around with a heavy suitcase.

Things to Do

▢  Change of Address Overseas

In some countries such as Singapore, it is obligatory to inform the Immigration Department about relocation. Also, to provide them with an overseas address as a record. After notifying the Immigration Department, in future, you can receive the official documents at your registered address in Belgium too. Check with your Immigration Department to see whether your country has such a law.

▢  Online Banking

Do you use any online banking system so that it is convenient to check the bank account even when residing overseas? You can check with your bank and set up one.

▢  Update New Particulars with Your Bank

Since you will be living with your partner in Belgium, you can already provide your Belgian address to your bank. Likewise, if you already have a Belgian SIM card, update the mobile number in your online profile database or change it personally at the counter.

▢  Closing of Additional Bank Account

Any inactive bank account that you would like to close so as to concentrate the resources in one or two banks. The good news is that you can bring more cash to Belgium.

▢  Renew the Credit Cards

Check the expiry dates of all your credit cards. They should have at least one year of validity. Renew the terms of the credit cards before leaving the country. The banks would likely replace them even when the cards have several months left to their expiry dates. Or, terminate some credit cards if you do not use them often to avoid annual subscription payments. For security reasons, many credit cards are deactivated for overseas use unless you activate them intentionally.

▢  Redemption of Reward Points

Redeem the rewards points from the credit cards, phone bills or from pumping petrol accumulated over the years. Don’t let it go to waste.

▢  Selling Vehicle

Give yourself more time to get the best offer in the market from potential buyers. If you sell the car last minute, you might be forced to accept a low price that someone offers. After selling your car, check with the insurance company whether it is possible to get a partial refund back of the car insurance.

▢  Cancel Vehicle Speedpass

If you are using some form of contactless payments for pumping petrol or gas for your vehicle, terminate it if necessary.

▢  Termination of Long-Term Subscription

Do you have any long-term financial obligations that you would like to terminate? Eg. Insurance plan, financial investment, subscription plan, monthly donation, mobile subscription plan, fixed expenses. For a start, you might not be able to find a job so soon to support those financial commitments for an indefinite period in Belgium.

▢  Cancel or Renew Mobile Plan

Some people want to terminate their mobile plan permanently in their home country. On the other hand, some wish to keep their number. You can consider changing your SIM card from a postpaid to a prepaid plan to avoid paying every month. Terminate the phone line earlier to allow the final bill to reach you in time and make payment before you move to Belgium. Check with the operator to ensure that the roaming is activated for your local SIM card.

Or, simply get one prepaid SIM card in Belgium. Curious to know more about various prepaid SIM card plans in Belgium? Check out this article on various prepaid SIM card plans in Belgium to make a smart choice. Finally, are you ready to move to Belgium with the checklist?

9 Practical Tips for Couples Applying for Legal Cohabitation Visa

Are you thinking of applying for a cohabitation visa at a later date? This article provides 9 tips for couples who are researching for information on legal cohabitation visas. Most of all, they do not want to start cohabitation right now and most probably have not arrived in Belgium yet.

Being someone who has already gone through the cohabitation process smoothly, I would be able to offer some insights. My advice is to gather and prepare as much information as possible while you still have the time. Here are some of the things that you can do before applying for a cohabitation visa.

1. Do Not Rush into Cohabitation Contract

Do not enter into a cohabitation agreement just to be together. The longer time you take to apply for a legal cohabitation visa, you are proving to the authority the strength and stability of your relationship. That is to say that you will get the approval of your Belgian eID F Card more easily.

If you cannot prove a minimum of a two-year relationship with your partner, you are heading for failure. Other ingredients of cohabitation visa rejection are meeting your partner less than three times and below 45 days in total.

2. Use Calendar, Journal or Diary to Track Important Dates

Personally, I use Google Calendar and Microsoft OneNote to record important dates over the years. I form a habit of jotting down my daily activities and blogging, especially with my boyfriend when we are together. This good practice will help you tremendously in recalling all the events when it comes to submitting proof of relationship timeline for the authority to review your relationship.

Remember you have to show the earliest date of your document backdated for at least two years at the point of document submission to the authority. An easy and practical method is to take a screenshot of the initial date when you first knew each other. The screenshot can be of any email, document or photo. You have to recall which is the earliest proof that you can find.

Whenever we met and took photos for the past six years since 2010, I uploaded them on Facebook albums. By referring to the albums’ dates, I can convey our many years of relationship history to the authority with ease. If you use Instagram or any other social media application that shows the date, the screenshot will work as well.

3. Be Over-Prepared than Under-Prepared

It is better to (over) prepare all the documents stated on the official website than to under-prepare yourself. You do not want to end up missing one document which you can only get in your home country. I refer to the Certificate of Celibacy, Birth Certificate and Certificate of Good Conduct (No Criminal Record). If the commune asks for it and the foreign partner does not bring that copy, then you are not able to produce it. Save your headache and bring everything over.

I have also prepared a checklist for moving to Belgium with all the essential documents that you should bring with you. You can also download a copy of the spreadsheet for your own use.

4. Take Sufficient Photos Together

Do not be surprised that there are some couples out there who do not have a lot of photos taken together. Indeed a problem when you need to submit them as proof of relationship later. Make it a habit of taking wefie at different places whenever both of you meet up.

Another tip is to keep the size of those images minimum. If you take high-res photos for every shot, you might have a problem submitting them by email. There is a 25 MB email file size limit. Even after you zip those files, you may still exceed the limit. Fortunately, I have provided you with another solution for the legal cohabitation visa template if the email file size exceeds.

5. Keep Air tickets, Train Tickets and Hotel Reservation

Keep the useful receipts, invoices or past email records. You would need to submit them as proof of relationship later. Air ticket record is one of the best ways to show that both of you are sincere to meet each other on a constant level. The date of the air ticket cannot be fake whereas you can manipulate the dates on the photos. I am revealing to you this dirty little trick to cheat on your photo dates.

6. Partner in Belgium to Have Minimum Income

As last seen on 7 March 2019 update in the Belgian Immigration website, make sure that the Belgian/EU partner has a stable job of at least 12 months fulling the minimum income. It is another crucial factor where many couples failed to apply for the visa successfully.

Contract jobs without full-time employment will be taken into consideration if the Belgian satisfy the two conditions stated. There are always some solutions for not meeting the criteria of a minimum income requirement as suggested by the Belgian Immigration Office.

So, if you do not read French in the first place or perhaps the Belgian partner is from the Dutch-speaking community, most people would never have discovered these remedies in the first place. Let’s just say that most non-EU citizens applying for a family reunion in Belgium are not French speakers.

Go to Belgium only when your partner has a job. Otherwise, the percentage of a denied cohabitation visa is almost 100%. If going to Belgium is a priority for you regardless of whether the partner joined has a job or stable income or not, at least get a sponsor or guarantor from his family to take charge of your stay financially in Belgium.

7. Start Keeping All Message Threads on Your Phone App

If you use a phone app like WhatsApp, do not delete the conversation thread. Start keeping all the messages between you and your partner from day one. You can generate the chat history of WhatsApp into a .txt (text) file later. Then, submit the conversation thread file as proof of relationship submission.

If you want to change to a new handset later, you can back up the text messages to your cloud storage on your old phone first. Android phone users can use Google Drive. Apple Users can use iCloud Apple. Subsequently, WhatsApp will prompt you to retrieve back the backup messages in your new handset. Click «OK».

If you do not want to back up the old messages on your new phone, alternatively, you can choose to start a new conversation thread. Subsequently, your phone will create another new .txt file. Later, repeat the same procedure to convert the second file into another .txt format and so on.

8. Visit the Town Hall At Least Once

When you are visiting your partner just for a holiday in Belgium, make it a point to go to <em>Stadhuis</em> if you have a chance. Get some information about legal cohabitation visa requirements and procedures even if you have nothing to ask.

The idea is to make them take your passport and key inside their system as a record. It may help you in the future when both of you declare a legal cohabitation. Besides, I reaped such an advantage by chance. Therefore, I would introduce you to a similar benefit. This method is even more relevant when your partner is living in Antwerp.

9. Avoid Applying for Your Cohabitation Visa during Holiday or Festive Seasons

The reason is obvious. Many people go on vacation in July and August which is also the summer holiday. So, there will be fewer people working and processing the application. The duration of the procedure will be even longer. Likewise for December when people take long leaves to celebrate Christmas and New Year too.

Despite that, I applied for my cohabitation visa on 15 July 2016 in Antwerp city. However, I had never experienced any delay in handling my case. In conclusion, The Belgian Immigration Office website also cited the following:

Do not wait until the last moment to apply for a visa. The period in which you receive a decision is longer at certain times (summer, holidays). Therefore, submit your visa application early enough.

Course of Action: Cohabitation Visa F Card Rejection

If your application for the Residence Permit F Card is rejected, you will receive a letter from the authority to leave the country within a month. Being refused is very disappointing. Do not be disheartened and brace up. Here are some actions that you can take since the authority would state the ground of visa denial on the letter. You can improve on that in the next round. So, what would be the best way to counter the refusal? Below are three methods that you can consider.

To reapply the cohabitation process again, to appeal or to hire a lawyer?

1) Reapply the Cohabitation Process

The rejection letter will state the reason for cohabitation visa denial and the criteria not fulfilled. The couple has to work on the requirement that they could not meet. Go to the commune and make the application all over again.

You have to pay the application fees and buy new insurance. Probably by this time, the foreigner partner could be covered under the Belgian partner’s national health insurance plan to cut down some costs.

Perhaps the foreign partner would like to take the opportunity to go back to the country of origin for visiting the family members before coming back. It is also a good time after being grounded in Belgium for a while.

Points for Consideration

When does the foreign partner want to come back to apply the cohabitation procedure? Is it within six months? I am not sure whether the 90/180 day of the Schengen rule still applies in this scenario since the foreigner has stayed more than 90 days out of 180 days in Belgium.

It is advisable to send an email and check with the Belgian Immigration Office regarding the Schengen rule policy. That is to play safe by ensuring that the foreign partner has no problem entering the Schengen Zone within six months.

2) Appeal against the Decision

An appeal against the decision would be an immediate thought when going through a rejection letter. However, other folks that have gone through this appeal process might not advise this method. The time taken to introduce an appeal would be much longer than for one to reapply for cohabitation. Usually, the appeal period could be more than a year of waiting.

During the cohabitation appeal period, applicants have to go back to the commune every month to get a stamp on their document. The reminder to go back for the chop every month makes the person even more mentally tortured. It makes one wonder when this process would concretely end. It will not end until the result is out.

There is a high possibility that the result would still be negative by appealing. That is too painful after prolonged waiting and stamping every month. Well, if you believe that you have a strong case and evidence to appeal against the decision for a denied visa, you can check out the Belgian Immigration Office site for more info.

Points for Consideration

Why is an appeal not a favourable decision? The council has taken a decision to reject an application because the couple could not meet certain cohabitation requirements. By appealing, you are telling them that their decision is not correct.

On the other hand, if you have not rectified the problem that occurred and you go ahead to appeal, what would be the success rate? The current file has already a negative record that might manifest the problem further. In this sense, why not reapply the case and make it a fresh start?

3) Hire a Lawyer

The only reason I could think of for hiring a lawyer is when the case is complicated and not straightforward enough. It is not any straightforward case of merely submitting proof of relationship documents or buying time until the relationship is at least two years old.

If the rejection reason from the authority is clear-cut and the criteria are indeed not met, you do not even need a lawyer! Just solve that problem by fulfilling the exact requirement, and you are on your way to getting the family reunion visa on the next application.

Many applications are rejected eventually because they cannot prove a relationship of at least two years or when the Belgian’s partner income is insufficient when applying for a cohabitation visa. Sometimes, the file submission is complete but still denied of the residence permit F Card. That is when one needs an immigration lawyer to help to reduce the stress and to mitigate the problem.

» Case Study

One recent example of hiring a lawyer is a rejection letter received by an applicant in which the authority suspected that the company set up by her Belgian partner is not genuine enough. The company is newly set up and would not have met either one of the Belgian’s minimum income criteria due to insufficient business transactions for any startup company.

In this scenario, the applicant can delay her second cohabitation visa process until the company of her partner is more stable or at least has been operating for a year to gather enough financial proof for submission.

If they choose to engage a lawyer to speed up the process, the lawyer would be able to advise the corporate documents required to submit to the authority that the company is not bogus and indeed running a real business.

Standing at the position of the Immigration Office, they have every reason to suspect that a company set-up is for the sole purpose of bringing the foreign partner over. If one has a malicious intention and by setting up a company with no real business transaction bringing their ‘foreign partners’ over, this method would be exploited for sham marriages.

Points for Consideration

The first point of consideration is always the cost of hiring a lawyer because it is not cheap. Establish the cause of rejection and whether it is necessary to hire a lawyer. Sometimes, the couple can just solve the problem by themselves using the first two methods discussed above without burning a hole in their pocket by engaging a lawyer. That is to weigh the cost versus the need. You can refer to the website of notaris.be where it provides legal advice on marriage and cohabitation. The first advice given by a civil law notary may be free of charge.

F Card Belgium: Belgian eID Procedure

What is F and F+ Card?

The F Card (Appendix 9) is issued to family members of third-country nationals in Belgium based on the right to family reunification with a Belgian or EU citizen after the approval of their residence application. The F Card is valid for five years. Subsequently, one can apply for a permanent residence permit (F+ Card) before the F Card expires. Or perhaps Belgian citizenship if an applicant meets all the criteria.

If the application of the F+ Card (Appendix 9a Stay Decision) is not successful, the F Card would be extended for another five years. The holder of the F Card is in the Foreigners’ Register whereas the F+ Card is in the Population Register.

» How Long Does It Take to Receive the Residence Permit – F Card?

An Orange Card is valid for six months. The commune will request you to submit all relevant documents for their consideration during the first three months of the Orange Card. Following this, the Immigration Office in Brussels will take a decision on whether you will get the approval of the F Card before the end date of the Orange Card.

You will receive a notification within the next few weeks after submitting the required cohabitation documents. In fact, some people that I know of in Antwerp received a positive reply within 6 weeks of receiving it after submitting a complete file to the consulate. I received a favourable response by email less than three weeks after my cohabitation documents submission.

My F Card appointment date was on 21 March 2017. One month before collection, Districtshuis postponed the date to 22 March. On that day, I realised that I had to go back exactly three weeks later to collect my Belgian eID on 12 April. Back then, I signed my legal cohabitation contract on 15 July 2016. Nearly nine months of waiting.

» No News of F Card is Good News

In case you receive no reply from Gemeentehuis about the status of your F Card towards the end of your Orange Card period, do not worry. On the contrary, this is a piece of good news for you. Belgian Immigration Office has granted your stay in Belgium if you do not receive any letter of rejection during these six months. (There will always be exceptions, of course.)

You will receive an appointment requesting you to go down to the commune to make an eID (Electronic Identity Documents) after six months. The reply is a confirmation of your cohabitation visa approval.

Things to Bring for Applying F Card

What to Bring for Registration of your Belgian eID? The process requires two appointments. Bring the following documents below: –

• First Appointment

1. Orange Card
2. National Passport
3. 1 x Passport Sized Photograph

• Second Appointment

4. Temporary Paper Identity Card
5. Letter for New PIN and PUK Code
6. €20.70 (for F Card)

In some other cities, the Registry Office may ask for additional documents to be submitted such as the Annexe/Bijlage 19ter. I had to submit this copy in Antwerp.

F Card Procedure

» No Belgian eID Collection on First Appointment

On the first appointment in Gemeentehuis, do not expect to collect your F Card on the same day. The staff will ask you to come back to pick up the eID after three weeks. It is crucial to know for those who are planning to travel out of Belgium immediately after they have a confirmed appointment date for their eID.

Add another three weeks of F Card processing time after the 6-months validity period of the Orange Card.

The estimated time is 30 minutes at the counter while the eID registration process takes place. You hand over the counter staff Item No. 1 to 3 above.

» Passport-Sized Photograph

Take note that the passport photo should have a neutral facial expression and cannot expose any teeth. I handed the same photo used for my Orange Card showing me smiling and exposing my teeth. Consequently, the staff in Districtshuis Deurne told me that the machine would reject the photo once it detected the teeth. I did not have other photos with me then.

Fortunately, there was a machine booth available where I could take instant coloured passport photos for less than €10. One tip is to bring more variety of passport-sized photographs if you are not sure whether it would be of an acceptable standard. Alternatively, you can take more coins to make instant photos at the Districtshuis. Refer to the guideline for a quality photo requirement.

» Temporary Paper Identification

The staff will collect back your Orange Card and replace it with a Temporary Paper Identification to use for the next three weeks. He will screen your photo in the system and later attach it to the paper ID.

» Can you travel with a Temporary Paper Identity during the three weeks of waiting for your F Card?

The staff strongly advised the applicant to travel only after the collection of the Belgian eID. If any unforeseen circumstance happens while one travels out of Belgium, Belgian Immigration would be contacted. Hmm, we would not want that to happen. So, try and make plans for your travel only after collecting your F Card.

» PIN and PUK Code of Belgian eID

Within one week after the first appointment in Gemeentehuis, you will receive a letter with the PIN and PUK sent to your house. On the second visit, the Registry Office will take this letter and ask you for a new 4-digit PIN code of your choice. The PUK number is required when one forgets the PIN code. Therefore, store the information carefully for avoiding the inconvenience to reset the PIN code in the Registry Office.

» F Card Payment and Collection

The cost of the F Card is €20.70. You only make payment upon collection of your F Card on the second appointment date. There is a machine that accepts coins and dollar notes up to €5o. Some machines may not be able to accept the new €5o note. Firstly, scan the invoice barcode given by the cashier against the machine reader. Then, make payment. Pass the receipt to the counter and exchange it for the eID. The staff will take back the temporary paper identification too.

» Fast Method of Collecting the F Card

If you need to leave Belgium and do not want to wait for three weeks, you can ask for an accelerated procedure to get the eID which will take 2 to 3 days on your first appointment date. It costs €125 to get it done in 3 days time.

Bring Forward the F Card Collection Date

Another method to try is to send a request by bringing forward the F Card collection date. I have asked the staff on the day of collecting my F Card whether it was possible to bring the date forward if one has to attend the wedding of a family member. The staff said that it was possible provided that one submits proof of the wedding and the air ticket.

I guess no one would buy an air ticket first without prior approval unless it is an emergency. As I live in Antwerp, that is how the procedure goes to ask a question or to make an appointment to file your application and provide proof.

Alternatively, you can send the request back to the email that you have received the confirmation.

Travel with F Card

» F Card is not a Travel Document

F Card is a residence permit to prove that you have a right to stay in Belgium. However, it is not a travel document and cannot be used alone when one travels. Nonetheless, if you need to travel out of Belgium, always carry your passport and your residence card with you.

» Travelling within Schengen and Non-Schengen Zone

The F Cardholder can travel to all the Schengen Countries freely without a need to apply for an entry visa upon presenting their passport and residence card concurrently at the border control. Even without taking a flight, a non-EU citizen should always make it a point to carry a passport in the event of any check that requires further verification.

On the other hand, an entry visa is required for a non-EU national whose passport does not permit a visa-free entry to a non-Schengen country such as the UK. As the non-EU national is travelling with a Belgian or EU partner, the process of the visa application is quick and free of charge. The Europa website provides a clear scenario of Travel Documents for Non-EU Family Members and various examples in the FAQ.

» Leaving Belgium for More than 3 Months

If you plan to leave Belgium for more than three months for whatsoever reason, one is obliged to inform the commune of where they stay. You can do this online via the website of Stadhuis or go to the office to report this. There is no need to make an appointment in advance for this purpose.

» How long Can You Travel Out or Leave Belgium with an F Card?

One can travel and leave Belgium for a maximum of one year without losing the residency. As reiterated above, please inform your commune if you are leaving Belgium for more than three months.

Working Abroad with F Card

Can you work outside Belgium with an F Card? What if you find a prospective employer in another European country? I have clarified the last few questions above including this with the Foreigners’ Office. Hence, the reply is the holder of an F Card cannot work abroad. The person must request a D card and make an appointment to do so. Therefore, if you wish to work in other European countries holding an F Card, please check with your local commune for more detail and whether you are eligible to do that.

Conclusion

Nowadays, one usually has to wait for an average of 8 to 12 months from the day of arriving in Belgium to get the F Card. Therefore, I do not believe one can get the F Card in six months’ time from the date of cohabitation visa submission unless they are converting from a student visa to an F card. The information has been circulating like wildfire on the internet that one can get the F card in six months’ time. On the contrary, indeed it takes more than six months in an entire cohabitation visa procedure. Best of luck to you!

Legal Cohabitation Visa Template for Presenting Proof of Relationship & Required Documents

The presentation template is in conjunction with the first part of the article – 13) Proof of Relationship: Ideas and Suggestions for Legal Cohabitation Visa. I design the order according to my 3) Timeline Events Overview of Cohabitation Visa. Hence, the articles are not in order.

Include all the information and files as much as you can even if the commune does not ask for them. The logic is to deter the authority from requesting more documents later each time they request for one document which you did not submit which will drag a longer time to your family reunion process. The commune did not ask me for the ‘Certificate of Good Conduct’ but I attached it anyway.

Submit a Complete File

In my Timeline Overview Events, you can see that each time the commune asked for one document, they would take a few days to reply back. Correspondingly, on the Belgian Immigration Office website in the French language, in the second paragraph, the translated version states:

Read carefully on the information of the supporting documents to produce before submitting your files. If the consulate has to ask for additional documents before making a decision or before sending your file to the Aliens Office, you may not receive your visa in time.

Upload Photos and Documents in Cloud Storage

Firstly, I uploaded all my photos and documents in external cloud storage services such as Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive or Dropbox. You can use other cloud services too.

No matter which remote system you use, it must be able to generate a shared link   of an individual file. Also, it must have enough storage space if you have previously stored other documents or photos inside.

For free cloud services, I suggest using Google Drive. So far, it has the highest storage space of 15 GB among all. Following is Microsoft OneDrive with 5 GB cloud storage. Dropbox Basic Plan has only 2 GB of external storage space without any referral. Each successful referral will add 500 MB of extra storage space.

» Pros and Cons of Cloud Storage 

The advantage of using a cloud service is indisputably its large storage capacity. Unlike a typical email file restriction of 25 MB, the email will bounce back the moment you exceed the file size limit.

On the other hand, you can load as many high-resolution photos, documents or even videos to the cloud service. The drawback is that you need a lot of time to upload all the documents. Moreover, additional effort is needed to ensure that the links are working fine. I took four days to complete all my files and then, submit them to the commune.

Before submitting your document to the authority,

• Double-check all the external links to the cloud storage. Ensure there are no broken links.
• Check the dates of the photos. They must reflect the creation or original photos’ date and not on the day of upload. If that happens, delete the photo and upload it again.

Divide Presentation Template into Rows and Columns Table

Introducing Your Relationship

In the first opening row of the template, give an introduction of your relationship considering the following questions: –

Description of Activity

Other than stating the obvious statement of just meeting each other, give important highlights of the meeting. Besides that, emphasized events that could suggest a serious commitment to each other.

» Activities Highlights

• a) Meeting each other’s parents and other family members.
• b) Travelling, meeting or activities with each other’s friends.
• c) Meeting with each other’s colleagues or attending company functions.
• d) Purchase of equipment for household use and provide the receipt with the foreign partner’s name as evidence.

An Example: In 2015, my partner bought a 4K TV in Belgium. The receipt had my name on it for a tax claim in the airport. My partner paid for the TV. But, inside the description, I used the word “co-purchase” to sound like we bought the expensive TV together.

• e) Screenshots of important dates to emphasise the duration for being together
• f) Overseas trips together with your partner other than in Belgium and the origin country of the foreign partner
• g) Birthday cards (inclusive of e-card), postcards and letters from each other or mutual friends
  

» Cohabitation Documents

I stated the date and description of my application for each certificate brought over to Belgium from Singapore in the template. Examples are Certificate of Celibacy, Certificate of Good Conduct (No Criminal Record) and Health Insurance bought online. Then, I linked my document evidence in the “Photo (P) / Document (D) Link” column.

Air Ticket Record

Air tickets are the most expensive trade-off in a long-distance relationship. When two parties are willing to spend money and time visiting each other regularly, isn’t it a telltale sign of a committed relationship?

I knew my partner for six years. We visited each other on an average of every six months either in Belgium or Singapore. Furthermore, I even stressed the amount of money spent solely on both our airfares.

Unquestionably, they were a whopping few thousand Euro for both our airfare expenses alone. The emphasis was to tell the authority how serious we were towards the relationship. Additionally, the amount of effort and time made to see each other.

» How to Label Air Ticket Record?

For each trip, I merged the round trip air tickets into one PDF file. I labelled them ‘Air Ticket Record: 1’ and so forth. I have a total of 10 pairs of return air tickets to submit. So, I labelled them from 1 to 10.

For more information to combine the air tickets or other documents online in a PDF format, please refer to my article section – How to Combine and Merge Documents into a Single PDF file Online?

Photo (P) / Document (D) Link

You and your partner might have taken hundreds of photos together yet you are not going to submit everything. That’s for sure. Choose the images and documents that can illustrate your sentences under “Description of Activity” consequently.

The essential photos for submission are those taken with family members, colleagues and friends. That is to show active involvement in each other’s lives. Indeed, the relationship of a couple might seem more real if family members get involved in the photo-taking.

For each activity described, make it a point to attach at least one photo of the two of you together. Likewise, for documents, I mentioned the application or purchase date of a certificate or health insurance.

I had also directed the link of the relevant file to the cloud service. Thus, the date was also clear since some documents are only valid for six months from the time of application.

» How to Link Activities to External Photos and Documents?

Here is a YouTube tutorial on  Adding a Hyperlink from Documents in Google Drive to the Anchor Text. The tutorial also has clear explanations of the method that I explained.

» Document Test Link from Google Drive

I have uploaded a Checklist of Moving to Belgium to Google Drive for showing you how the information about your photo and document will look in Google Drive.

• Click on the link which will take you to the Checklist Excel Sheet
• On the top right-hand corner, click More Actions
• Select Details

You will be able to see the «Modified» and «Created» dates. Both dates or usually the «Created» date should at least reflect the actual day and year in which the photo was taken.

» Labelling of Photos and Documents

I labelled my photos according to the Air Ticket Record Number because they belonged to the same trip. For the ‘Air Ticket Record: 1’, I would label the photos for the journey as P1a, P1b, P1c and so on.

When my partner and I met the next time, the label would be ‘Air Ticket Record: 2’ consequentially. The photos taken during the trip would be P2a, P2b, P2c and so forth. Since there were only a few documents, the labelling started from D1 onwards, then D2, D3…

Location

The location is rather straightforward. It is where the activities take place. The point of interests other than Belgium and that of the foreign partner might denote the couple spending time out of their comfort zone. As a result, both connect to a deeper experience in unfamiliar challenges.

Total Days

A summary of the total number of days met for each rendezvous. As a rule of thumb, it should exceed 45 days. Both parties must have met at least three times and know each other for at least two years.

My Folders in Cloud Storage

I summarised all the uploaded photos and documents into 5 main folders below. Besides, I mentioned the number of files in each folder.

For each folder in the cloud storage, generate a shared link. Highlight the folder name in your Words or Excel documents, right-clicked and choose “Add Link”. Lastly, paste the generated ‘shared link’ URL onto “Add Link” and save.

The method explained is for Macbook. You should find something similar in the Microsoft system. You can check on the Youtube tutorial if you are not sure  how to create a hyperlink.

Hopefully, this step is not too complicated to do it. We do not know whether the authority would click every photo or document link under the “Description of Activity” section. Hence, the staff reviewing your case can click on your folder link to see everything instead of individual files or photos.

Miscellaneous Information

» Your Blogging Website

I blogged about travelling with my partner on another website that has photos of our faces and our friends together. I gave all the URL links related to travel or food blogs since the web pages have the date of our activities in the past. If you have blogs or public journals online relating to your partner and you, submit the links as proof of relationship then. Your partner’s face has to be on the blog. Otherwise, it defeats the purpose.

» Concluding Sentences

This proof of relationship presentation also gives you a chance to say something to the authority if you have. Thus, I made use of this golden opportunity to tell them:-

• Why do we want to be together?
• What was the motivation after knowing each other for several years?

Overall, I wrote about 2 to 4 sentences for the purpose of impressing them on the durability of our relationship. It is also a great way of concluding my presentation. Lastly, do not forget to thank them for their time at the end of the presentation.

» Contact Details

I round up my presentation with both our full names, contact numbers and email addresses.

Final Proof Check of Hyperlinks in Template

Finally, after all the uploads, use some time to test all the links of your cohabitation template. Make sure that the dates of the photos are correct and not adjusted to the current year. That means the dates should not be modified on the day that you had uploaded them. Contrarily, you cannot prove the duration of the relationship accurately if the period is wrong.

Belgian/EU Partner Proof of Income, Housing & Health Insurance for Legal Cohabitation

This article concentrates on the document requirements of the partners residing in Belgium. What do they need to prepare? The minimum salary requirement for proof of income is a great concern for most couples. In fact, this is one of the most stringent criteria for a successful cohabitation application.

To apply for legal cohabitation, the partner in Belgium submits three documents other than his/her identification card. They are proof of income, title deed/rental agreement and health insurance. He has to prove his sufficient personal means of subsistence before the authority can approve his partner’s residence permit.

Adequate Housing

For the preparation of a family reunion application, one criterion of the partner in Belgium is to provide evidence of sufficient accommodation for the foreign partner. Therefore, the dwelling must be healthy for staying. The Belgian/EU partner can demonstrate adequate housing in either way: –

The proof of housing is usually the easiest to produce. If one does not have the rental contract, one can always ask for another copy from the landlord.

Adequate Health Insurance

Social security contributions are mandatory for people working in Belgium. A percentage of the contribution goes to health insurance. The name of the health insurance is ‘mutualité’ in French and ‘ziekenfonds’ in Dutch.

The Belgian/EU partner must provide proof of health insurance valid in Belgium for himself and the family member who joined. The partner in Belgium can obtain this insurance certificate from his national health insurance company. Alternatively, the Belgian partner can provide the health certificate purchased from another insurance organisation.

In my case, my Belgian partner went down to his national health insurance company, CM. I want him to ask specifically for PDF format. So, I did not have to do double work in converting the hard copy to a soft copy later. CM emailed him the certificate on the spot.

Proof of Income

The Belgian/EU partner should have a regular and stable income in order not to burden the social security system. The Government wants to ensure that the partner in Belgium is capable of supporting his foreign partner financially.

As a result, the Belgian/EU partner must satisfy the two conditions as proof of income requirement met for the legal cohabitation visa.

» How to derive the minimum salary needed to apply for legal cohabitation?

The partner to be joined in Belgium should have a salary that is 120% of the minimum income. The minimum wage is under Category 3 Montants en euros sur base mensuelle laid out by SPP Social Integration as of 1 January 2022. The minimum income calculation is €1,741.29 x 120% = €2,089.55.

The Belgian Immigration website has also adjusted the minimum income to €2,089.55 net/month. You have to check the page for the latest published salary. Then, you will know the minimum wage to submit as evidence for the income proof.

If you click on the link to the SPP website below, you can see that the minimum salary (excel) increases every year. Sometimes, the adjustment is 2 to 3 times a year.

» Regular or Irregular Income for 12 months or Less

Having a full-time work contract and at least one year of payslip with the minimum income requirement is the most ideal. However, for many couples especially the younger ones, fulfilling one of the above criteria may pose a challenge.

It is rather common to hear the reasons that the cohabitation visa is not approved when the Belgian/EU partner:-

Danger! These are signs of financial instability in which the likelihood of rejection for legal cohabitation approval is high.

What if my Belgian/EU partner does not fulfil the minimum income of €1,739.00/month for one year?

If your Belgian partner’s proof of income does not meet the minimum salary requirement for 12 months, the chance of the foreign partner getting a residence permit F card is low, though not entirely impossible.

The DOFI website of the same link states that failing to fulfil the two criteria above does not lead to outright refusal of the cohabitation visa application. Therefore, the authority offers solutions to turn the tables for those who earn a lower salary than the stipulated amount. It is an extra step to prove that the Belgian’s current household expenses are manageable.

» Favourable Benefits as Remedies for Lower Income

Other than submitting the inflow of regular and stable income, the Belgian provides additional evidence in his favour. Consequently, it will enable the Immigration Department to have a better assessment of his financial situation. The given examples are to be provided as proof below:-

• The amount of rent that he pays monthly

• The amount of rent that he collected monthly

• Unemployment benefit

• Amount of child benefits that he receives
• Other types of premiums received
• Specific reductions are allocated based on personal circumstances
• Other beneficial sources

» What Kind of Benefits are Not Taken into Consideration?

The following benefits or income stated on the Belgian Immigration website are not taken into account: –

• Integration income
• Family allowances
• Supplementary family allowances
• Social assistance (CPAS)
• Waiting allowances
• Transition allowance
• Income allowance
• The integration allowance received by a disabled person
• Income from an employment contract signed on the basis of Article 60 (7)
• Signed commitment in favour of a student (Annex 32)

Case Studies

These are a few case studies come across in which the foreign partners have already obtained the Orange Card.

» Scenario 1

The foreign partner has a regular job in Belgium and earns more than the minimum amount required. Whereas, the Belgian partner is either not working, has a salary lower than required or just started working for a few months. Correspondingly, all these factors lead to a rejection of the residence permit application of the foreign partner after 6 months of waiting.

Of course, the foreign partner having a Belgian partner can continue to work with an Orange Card. Besides, they can always reapply the process all over again. So, it does not matter anymore how many times the rejections were. In summary, after the Belgian partner fulfils the two proof of income requirements stated above, notably, the foreign partner’s approval for an F card turns positive.

» Scenario 2

A woman came to Belgium to apply for a legal cohabitation visa with her Belgian boyfriend. He was a student back then. Subsequently, she received the Orange Card. After waiting for the first round, the approval of her permanent stay was not positive. The reason was that her Belgian partner was still a student. They reapplied for the second time.

The Belgian partner found a job shortly after graduation. Another six months later, the result was once again depressing. She was again not approved to get her F Card. Surely, her partner could not fulfil one of the income proof requirements. Either he was not earning the minimum income required, or he did not work long enough.

In the meanwhile, the woman makes use of the time by attending Dutch classes and a Social Integration course since it is compulsory for non-EU citizens to follow a Civic Integration Programme in Belgium.

Ask Someone to be a Sponsor / Guarantor

The next resort is solely my personal suggestion for the Belgian partner who does not meet the minimum salary requirement. If the foreign partner is financially self-sufficient and able to provide her bank statement, submit it together with the Belgian partner’s income.

Nonetheless, the best solution is to submit a Bijlage/Annexe 3bis of a family member of the Belgian. Annex 3bis is a pledge of financial support to the foreign applicant. Check with the Belgian partner’s parent(s) whether he/she is willing to be your sponsor.

If the parent agrees, submit an Annexe/Bijlage 3bis or a written Letter of Guarantee to the authority. If you have more documents to support your case, it may improve your chances of getting a residence permit visa. Please note if the guarantor is not a family member, the authority needs a Letter of Attorney.

The foreigner’s income or bank statement is not a critical consideration when it comes to attaining a residence permit. The Belgian income stability is more important in the decision making and not that of the foreign partner.

On the contrary, staying with parents and not renting an apartment are useful ways for demonstrating to the authority. It says that the couple has some form of financial relief. Additionally, it may help to strengthen the case.

Orange Card Belgium: How Long It Takes? Can I Work and Travel? What is Bijlage 19ter? (Hint: Working)

What is an Orange Card for Cohabitation in Belgium?

Orange Card Belgium is an informal name for the official term of ‘Certificate of Registration – Model A.’ The Dutch name is ‘Attest van Immatriculatie’ and ‘Attestation d’Immatriculation’ in French. The Orange Card is a type of residence permit that entitles the holder to a temporary stay in Belgium. The residence permit is also known as “Titre de Séjour” in French.

The foreign partner must file for a ‘Certificate of Registration’ to the commune within three months of entering Belgium. Thus, one has to sign a legal cohabitation contract as soon as possible. Preferably, within eight days upon arrival in Belgium. The rest of the procedures will follow suit after a declaration of legal cohabitation.

The Orange Card will have a National number. Correspondingly, it bears the same numbers as the F Card which is the Belgian Identification Card. The annoying part of getting the Orange Card is that the holder cannot travel out of Belgium officially including travel within the Schengen countries. As a result, one feels at times like a “prisoner in Belgium”.

Orange Card Validity and Extension

The validity of the Orange card can range from 3 to 6 months depending on the reasons for the issue. For the purpose of declaring a legal cohabitation, an Orange card is valid for six months. During this period, the foreign partner will get a reply from the immigration office through the commune. They will know if they can get a permanent residence permit (F Card) after submitting all the relevant documents.

You must fulfil all the criteria of a family reunification stipulated by the Belgian Immigration Office. Additionally, all the submitted documents are duly completed. Then, you should receive the Orange Card in time. In exceptional cases in which the authority requires more time to make a decision, they will inform you by writing. They reserve the right to extend the Orange Card twice for another three months.

No News is Good News

Within the six month waiting period of the Orange Card, the municipal will inform the applicant of one of the following below: –

It is stated clearly on the official website that your stay shall be granted if you did not receive any reply from the commune. Hence, no news is good news in general but there are always exceptions. Some people were rejected after 6 months of waiting with no news.

Other Purposes of Orange Card in Belgium other than Family Reunification

Other than for the purpose of family reunification and waiting for the cohabitation visa, there are several other reasons for issuing an Orange Card.

• People with medical reason such as a serious illness that impede movement
• Victims of human trafficking
• Unaccompanied minors
• Asylum seekers
• Students pending for entrance examination results to enter into a higher academic institution

To clarify doubts of those people who have yet come to Belgium. The Orange Card Belgium is not a replacement for the Schengen Type C Travel Visa. They have no relationship. It is still obligatory to apply for a Schengen Visa if the passport holder has no exemption from the application.

One will receive the Orange Card in 2 to 3 months’ time after arriving in Belgium, especially in Antwerp. Some of my friends in Antwerp receive the Orange Card in the mentioned timeline. That is on the condition that the cohabitation declaration process starts early and goes smoothly.

Lately, I have read more and more cases where people were issued Orange Card 5 to 6 months later and had very tough police procedures with a translator provided and grilling session during the interviews.

How Long Does It Take to Receive the Orange Card after Arrival in Belgium?

It is the most common question that people want to know. I took two months (21.09.2016) to receive the Orange Card after arriving in Belgium (15.07.2016). For some others, they receive the Orange Card 4 or 6 months later. Yes, by that time, their three months passport visa/visa-free would have expired by then.

Is it Illegal to Stay in Belgium after the Visa Expires and the Orange Card not Received Yet?

So, it is considered illegal to stay in Belgium? When one still has not received the Orange Card within the first three months of arrival? As long as one has declared legal cohabitation in the commune in 90 days, it should not be considered illegal to stay.

However, I have read about a case where the police came to someone’s house to serve a notice to leave Belgium within 30 days as she had overstayed 90 days (visa-free). After clarifying with Gemeentehuis, the notice to leave Belgium was withdrawn.

After all, the commune should also be responsible for issuing the Orange Card on time. If they do not, one should not be penalised for being an ‘illegal immigrant’. I have a friend who had this problem. The commune did not issue her an Orange Card during the first three months. The Stadhuis told her she could continue to stay while the investigation process run.

Can I Travel with Orange Card?

With an Orange Card, technically, you are NOT allowed to travel out of Belgium. The Orange Card grants you a temporary stay in Belgium and not in Schengen Zone when your 3-month travel visa expires. The Stadhuis had confirmed this statement to be true on the day of collecting my Orange Card.

On the same wavelength, bear in mind with the visa expiry, one cannot travel out of Belgium anyway. That is the 90/180 Days Schengen rule. Under a tourist visa, no one can stay in any Schengen Area for more than 90 days in 6 months’ time unless there are other supporting travel documents to do so. You have already stayed in Belgium for 90 days or more.

Do Not Take the Risk!

After all, you have waited this long to get the Orange Card. Therefore, let’s not succumb to the travelling temptation and take the risk. Moreover, there are many beautiful cities in Belgium worth exploring. Have you been travelling to other regions and cities? I take this as the best opportunity to travel more in Belgium. You can always travel out of Belgium at a later date once you get the residence permit F Card.

Exiting out and re-entry in Belgium are entirely the responsibility and risk of the Orange card owner. One cannot foresee incidents and accidents while travelling out of Belgium. These unpredictable circumstances may put you into a complicated situation later. As the old saying goes, you can do anything you want but don’t get caught. You have been warned.

Tip: Within the first three months of your arrival, travel out of Belgium and have as much holiday as you want during this period. Then, you will not feel regretful and unhappy when you receive the Orange Card later. Henceforth, you will feel grounded in Belgium for at least six months or more.

Suggestions to Reduce Travelling Risk

Since there is no border control in the Schengen Area, some people would naturally take the risk. There are others who travel out of Belgium with success. It is just a matter of luck. If you decide to take the risk, here are some suggestions to reduce it.

• Take a train, bus or paid carpool trip such as blablacar to your destination to and fro.
• Avoid taking a plane including departing from neighbouring airports in France and the Netherlands.
  • The Customs Officer may check your passport and the date of your last entry when you come back.
  • This sentence is particularly true for Asian women as they get checks often for overstaying.
  • Again, Schengen rule reminder: shall not exceed a stay of 90 days continuously out of 180 days > You have already stayed in Belgium for (more than) three months.
• If you receive the Orange Card within three months of your travel visa, depart from any Schengen country and arrive in London later. Then from London, take a train, bus or paid carpool trip back to Belgium.
• If you receive the Orange Card after three months (say on the 5th month), depart and arrive at London airport. Then from London, take a train, bus or paid carpool back to Belgium.
  • Exiting the Schengen Area at this stage (after three months) indicate that you have already overstayed in the zone.
  • Exiting out is not too much of a problem compared to re-entering Schengen Zone.

Important: Although the United Kingdom is not part of the Schengen Area, the Customs Officers in the London Airport do check on the passports for overstaying in Europe. The above suggestions are solely my opinion for risk takers with some understanding of how the Schengen system operates. I cannot guarantee that my method would be 100% safe. I reiterate again that it is a matter of luck for getting caught.

Return Visa (Terugkeervisum) – Exceptional Cases to Travel out of Belgium with Orange Card

Travelling out of Belgium with an Orange Card is not allowed in principle. There are always cases where people want to leave Belgium due to a particular reason before receiving their residence permit. The authority may grant permission to travel out of Belgium with a Return Visa while holding an Orange Card only in exceptional circumstances.

Examples are medical, family or business-related reasons. In the events when a family member is seriously ill or has passed away, these are valid grounds for leaving Belgium. One also has to produce proof to the commune before they would grant you the Return Visa (Terugkeervisum) or otherwise known as Re-Entry Visa to leave Belgium.

It is a requirement under a family reunification procedure. Orange Card is one of the five types of appendix granted for such application. In other words, the (old website) Belgian Immigration Office states that: –

If you leave Belgium before the end of the procedure but would return later to continue the process, then you need a re-entry visa. Unless if you are exempt from the visa requirement for short stays in the Schengen area and provided that you do not have stayed 90 days in a period of 180 days in the Schengen Zone.

The Belgian Immigration website also provides the email address gh.secretariaat@ibz.fgov.be and fax number 02 274 66 56, to send your urgent exceptional reason for the reunification service. Of course, the request is always subject to approval. There is no harm in trying if there is a need for you to leave.

In fact, attending the wedding of a close relative is one of the most commonly known reasons to leave Belgium. If you are already aware of a significant event date in advance, get an answer from the commune as early as possible. Fill up a form there for the Return Visa application.

If you are not in Belgium yet, get your partner to check with the commune to see if they will allow you to leave Belgium for this particular reason. It will help you plan your schedule better. On the other hand, you can also delay the cohabitation visa process at a later date.

When Can I Travel Out of Belgium?

You can travel out of Belgium when you receive an F Card. It is an eID. The F Card signifies the end of the grounded days in Belgium. The Immigration Department may give their positive reply to you in 6-weeks time following your completed documents submission.

However, the date given to collect the orange card is on the last day of the Orange Card or even later. Inform the commune if you have to go back to your country to attend a function such as a wedding. They may accede to the request and bring forward the eID collection date. There are more rejections than success rates for reasons such as attending a wedding.

Can I Study Dutch and Attend Integration Courses with Orange Card?

As you cannot travel out of Belgium, you must be pretty boring, right? Not necessarily so. You can take advantage of your free time to register for the Civic Integration Programme in your commune with an Orange Card. The programme consists of Inburgering / Social Integration Course and basic Dutch language courses at a subsidised rate which is mandatory for non-EU nationals to take up to beginner level 1.2.

In other communes other than Antwerp, you can go to Huis van Nederlands (House of Dutch) to inquire about your Dutch lessons. Atlas in Antwerp will handle both the mentioned courses above. A programme counsellor who is part of the Civic Integration Programme will assist you throughout this period.

Can I Work with Orange Card?

Yes, you can work with the Orange Card provided that your partner is a Belgian or an EU citizen. You will follow your partner’s right to work in Belgium without the need to apply for another work permit. If your partner is not a European citizen, you cannot work in Belgium with an Orange Card. You have to get a company that is willing to help you apply for a work permit.

I have a Belgian partner. Besides, the commune has confirmed that I can work with the Orange Card on the day of collection. Furthermore, I have also found a contract job two days after collecting my Orange Card. My first working experience in Belgium will confirm the question positively to those doubts of yours.

» Working with Orange Card and Annexe/Bijlage 19ter

Important: Your prospective employer or employment agency will need your Orange Card together with Bijlage/Annexe 19ter (19b) concurrently to process the employment contract.

What is an Annex 19ter?

Bijlage/Annexe 19ter (a.ka. 19b) is the application of a residence card as a family member of a Belgian, EU citizen or Swiss. The person who receives this annexe is a non-EU citizen or third-country national after requesting family reunification. The issuing of this form with the Orange Card should have the same date with a 6-months validity period.

Annexe 19b will list the documents needed to submit to the authority within the first three months of your Orange Card. The immigration office will then use the remaining time to decide on your right of residence in Belgium. Nevertheless, if you submit all the documents early, you might receive a reply in less than a month after submission. I received a positive reply to my F Card in 17 days.

» Bijlage 19ter Listed Cohabitation Documents Requirement

I received my Bijlage 19ter together with the Orange Card on the same day in September 2016. In other cities, one can receive the two items on separate days. The Bijlage 19ter stated the documents received by the commune from my first submission in August which was one month ago.

They also listed down specifically the final documents required as the last submission to the Belgian Immigration Office. In another word, the file needs to be completed with all the necessary documents and proof of relationship in the filing record.

In fact, the requested documents in my Bijlage 19ter are a repetition of what I submitted in a Cohabitation Visa Template in August. That being so, I resubmitted nearly the same information. I adjusted a few changes in my document template. Like removing out items that the record already had and adding in new information that the Bijlage 19ter requested.

In the new additions, Appendix 19ter specifically wanted my boyfriend’s 12 months payslips and his national health insurance. Annexe 19b also needed my private medical insurance policy and proof of relationship once again. Though I have included them in my last August document submission, it was apparent they were not inside the record.

Approval of Legal Cohabitation Declaration and Things to Bring for Orange Card

Declaration of Legal Cohabitation Approved

On 10 August 2016, six days after the cohabitation visa documents submission, one email requested me to submit the approved Declaration of Legal Cohabitation Contract (Verklaring Wettelijke Samenwoning). So, they wanted me to submit the same document that my partner and I signed at Districtshuis Antwerpen. Since that time, Stadhuis retained back the contract pending approval from the Municipality (Gemeentebestuur).

One week later, I replied that I had not received the document as there was a postponement due to “further investigation”. (Refer to “Content of FIRST Letter dated 18 July 2016”) During this period, the Police also visited our apartment on 16 August. You may like to check out the post about police visits and prepare yourself for tough questions.

A few days later on 22 August, Stadhuis replied to me. According to the record in the National Register, my legal cohabitation was approved and registered on 16 August 2016. Moreover, they wanted me to email the official letter after receiving it. Undoubtedly, it came as a pleasant surprise that I did not have to wait until September to receive the approval.

True enough, I received the legal cohabitation contract three days later on 25 August, approved by the Municipality (Gemeentebestuur). Consequently, I submitted the below which came as a set:-

I believe receiving the approval letter for the cohabitation agreement would lead to the next step for getting the Orange Card. The letter content below stated the cohabitation contract as one of the requirements. Despite that, my friend who lives in another city received her approved cohabitation agreement on the same day as her Orange Card.

First Obstacle Cleared: Orange Card Appointment

I received an appointment date by email. I had to proceed to Districtshuis Deurne for my Orange card collection on 27 September 2017. The issue of the Orange Card is usually close to the tourist visa expiry date which is after the second month. Most people worry from the second month onwards if they never hear any news about their Orange Card.

That is because their visa is going to expire in one month’s time. Honestly, people do not have to worry even if they did not receive their Orange Card within three months. As long as the cohabitation visa application is running, one can continue to remain in Belgium. That includes taking Dutch language classes and Social Integration courses. Without an Orange Card, you have to pay the full course fee without the government’s subsidy.

Besides, the email also mentioned that the police would come and visit us to complete the registration process. I replied that the police had already visited us on 16 August. The letter also advised, “it is important that your name is clearly visible on the door or doorbell”.

I requested a date change for the Orange Card collection as my boyfriend had to work overseas on 27 September. Correspondingly, he was frequently not at home during that stretch of the period. I suggested the appointment date to either 21, 22 September or after 7 October based on my boyfriend’s availability.

Thanks to Stad Antwerpen for being accommodative and responding swiftly. As a result, they brought forward the appointment date to 21 September at 8 am. I presumed they gave us some priority and squeezed us in for that day after accepting our valid explanation.

What are the Things to Bring for the Orange Card?

If you receive a similar message requesting you to bring the following documents below, that is a piece of good news.

Congratulation! The authority has approved your Orange Card. Some people received such an email but were not sure whether it was the time to collect the Orange Card. The answer is unquestionably positive!