Belgian Nationality Law - Birth in Belgium

Birth in Belgium

A person born in Belgium (to non-Belgian parents) is a Belgian citizen if that person:

• holds no other nationality at the time of birth (i.e., is stateless) OR;
• loses any other nationality before turning 18 OR;
• has a parent who was born in Belgium or who has lived in Belgium for at least five years during the last 10 years OR;
• is adopted (while under 18) by a parent holding another nationality who was born in Belgium and who has had their main place of residence in Belgium for five years during the 10 year period before the adoption takes effect.
• has two parents or adoptive parents born abroad who submitted a declaration before that person's twelfth birthday requesting that the person be granted Belgian nationality. Belgium must have been the parents' main place of residence during the 10 years preceding the declaration, and the person must have lived in Belgium since birth.

Effectively this means that:

• the children of long-resident immigrants can acquire Belgian citizenship
• the grandchildren of immigrants to Belgium are normally Belgian by birth