If your spouse lives in Belgium, family reunification is the legal route to joining them. But set one expectation at the start: marriage on its own does not give you Belgian residence.
Your spouse’s nationality or residence status, their income and housing, the marriage documents and your own circumstances all shape the case. Here is the route step by step, including the income thresholds, the D visa, and what it takes to reach long-term residence.
Is it actually possible?
Yes, in defined circumstances, through family reunification. If your spouse is a Belgian citizen, the case turns on the validity of the marriage, the ages of both spouses, housing, health insurance and financial capacity. If your spouse is a non-EU national living in Belgium, the conditions can differ.
Before starting, establish:
- Your spouse’s nationality and residence status in Belgium.
- Whether the marriage certificate is valid and recognised.
- Their financial position and housing.
- Which documents your particular case requires.
- Which visa fits the entry and stay you need.
The first real step is identifying which legal route matches your situation, because the rest follows from that.
The conditions
According to the Belgian Immigration Office, the conditions depend on the residence status of the person already in Belgium. A few things matter in most cases.
Age. For the spouse of a Belgian citizen, some routes require both spouses to be at least 21. Exceptions exist where the marriage took place before the visa application, and a minimum of 18 applies in some circumstances. Check this against your actual case rather than assuming.
A genuine relationship. Producing a marriage certificate is not always the end of the assessment. Where there is doubt, the file can be examined further. What you say about how you met, the history of the relationship and your life together needs to be consistent with the documents.
Your spouse’s position. The person you are joining may need to show they can support family life. For reunification with a Belgian citizen, the official document list covers adequate housing, health insurance, and stable, regular and sufficient means.
Documents
The exact list depends on the type of case and where you apply, but expect identity, family and financial documents.
From the applicant:
- A valid passport.
- The visa application form.
- Photographs.
- The marriage certificate.
- Birth certificate.
- Police certificate, where you fall within the requirement.
- A medical certificate, if required.
- Documents relating to any previous marriage.
From the spouse in Belgium:
- Identity card or residence card.
- Proof of accommodation.
- Proof of income.
- Health insurance.
- A household composition certificate.
- Passport.
Documents issued outside Belgium may need certified translation, attestation or legalisation, and what is required depends on the issuing country. Check the checklist of the post you are applying through before paying to translate everything.
Read more: Dutch residence through marriage: what the application actually requires
The income requirement
The point of this test is whether the family can support itself without becoming a burden on public funds. The figure is not the same for every case: it depends on your spouse’s status and which set of rules applies to the file.
| Basis | Monthly reference amount |
|---|---|
| 110% of the guaranteed average minimum monthly income (GAMMI), indexed 1 April 2026 | €2,408.79 net |
| 120% of the social integration income under the Law of 26 May 2002, indexed 1 March 2026 | €2,173.88 net |
| Each additional dependent family member | +10% of the base amount |
The two figures are not simply “old” and “new” — they are two different statutory bases, and which applies depends on transitional rules. The newer provisions apply in full to applications made on or after 18 August 2027. For applications between 18 August 2025 and 18 August 2027, which rules bite can depend on when your spouse was first authorised to reside in Belgium.
So establish your spouse’s residence type and which regime your file falls under before you plan around a number. The 10% uplift counts every additional dependent family member, whether they already live in Belgium legally or are applying alongside you.
Read more: Spousal sponsorship in Canada: a complete guide
The steps
One: check the case. Establish your spouse’s status, the marriage, where you will live and the financial position. This matters because the documents for the spouse of a Belgian citizen are not necessarily those for the spouse of a non-EU national resident in Belgium.
Two: assemble the documents. Identity papers, the marriage certificate, your spouse’s financial and residence documents, translated and legalised where needed. Check them against the checklist for your specific application type before filing.
Three: apply for the D visa. Applying from outside Belgium means a long-stay family visa through the Belgian diplomatic post, with the application, documents and biometrics all forming part of the assessment.
Four: assessment. The file may be examined by the Immigration Office. In family cases that can include scrutiny of the documents and, in some cases, further examination of the relationship.
Five: arrive and register. Once the visa is issued and you have travelled, you must register at the municipality where you live — within eight working days of arrival. The residence card follows.
Read more: UK family visa: requirements, documents, fees and timelines
How long it takes
There is no single timeline. Where the file is complete and the decision is taken at the consular stage, it can move quickly — one Belgian post cites initial processing of up to 15 days for complete files. Where the case is referred to the Immigration Office for decision, it can take several months.
Completeness of the file is the single biggest thing within your control.
Are marriages of convenience investigated?
Yes. The genuineness of the relationship is one of the things a family reunification file can be tested on, and where there is doubt the case can be examined further. Even the rules on processing times allow that files needing this kind of examination become more involved. Everything you say should be honest and internally consistent.
If asked, the kind of evidence that shows the history of a relationship includes:
- Photographs together.
- Travel records.
- Correspondence.
- Evidence of meeting in person.
- Evidence of living together.
- Other material relevant to the relationship.
More is not automatically better. Evidence has to be genuine, relevant and capable of being relied on.
Read more: The Austrian marriage visa: conditions, cost, and the quota
Why applications are refused
- Incomplete documents. Missing papers, or translations and attestations that do not meet the requirements.
- Not meeting the conditions. The applicant or the sponsor does not satisfy the legal requirements of the chosen route.
- Financial evidence. Where income has to be proved, incomplete or insufficient documentation causes problems.
- Doubts about the relationship. Contradictions or serious ambiguity invite further examination.
- Incorrect information. Inconsistent statements or documents that are not genuine have serious consequences for the file.
Permanent residence after marriage
Marrying a Belgian citizen does not by itself give you permanent residence. You first obtain residence through family reunification, then maintain lawful status after arriving. After several years of lawful residence, and if you meet the other conditions, you can apply for long-term or permanent residence. How long, and on what conditions, depends on the type of residence you hold and your own circumstances.
Marriage to a Belgian citizen also does not confer Belgian nationality automatically. Citizenship is a separate process with its own requirements.
Read more: Germany marriage visa: residence through marriage
In short
Family reunification can be a good route to living with your spouse, but it does not end with registering a marriage. Your spouse’s nationality or residence status, the marriage documents, the finances, the housing and the insurance all have to hold up.
The case for the spouse of a Belgian citizen differs from the case for the spouse of a non-EU national with Belgian residence. And a family visa should not be confused with a tourist visa — for a long stay, what matters is the family reunification route and the D visa.
The same route works differently elsewhere in Europe: compare the Austrian marriage visa, Dutch residence through marriage and the German marriage visa. Outside Europe, see spousal sponsorship in Canada and the UK family visa.
Common questions
- Can I work after arriving through marriage? Work rights depend on the type of residence and the permit issued, so check the conditions attached to the residence card you receive.
- How many years until permanent residence? Length of marriage is not the deciding factor. On some routes, long-term residence can be applied for after five years of continuous lawful residence, subject to the other conditions. The position for family of a Belgian citizen differs.
- Does my residence survive a divorce? It depends on the type of residence, how long you have been in Belgium and the circumstances. Divorce can affect residence based on family reunification, and it is assessed case by case.
This article is general information, not legal advice, and it describes published official rules rather than any individual case.
