Update civil status

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Attention

Every Belgian citizen has the legal responsibility of keeping their administrative file updated at all times. If your civil status has changed, you will need to update your file in the Belgian National Register.

What documents should I send?

Marriage

If you have got married, please send the following documents by post to the Population department:

  • A copy of your Belgian identity card (front and back) or passport
  • A copy of your spouse’s passport
  • An official copy of the marriage certificate, no older than a year old (the original document, not a photocopy or scan)
  • A certified translation of the marriage certificate into a Belgian national language (Dutch, French or German), performed by a recognised sworn translator. To find a sworn translator recognised by Belgium, please consult the website of the FPS Justice. This doesn't apply if the original certificate is in Dutch, French or German
  • A prepaid envelope (preferably Special Delivery) addressed to yourself, in which we will return your documents

If you got married in the European Union, the marriage certificate will not need to be legalised. If the marriage certificate is not in a Belgian national language, you should request the local authority that issued your document in an EU country to provide a multilingual standard form. You can then present this form (instead of a certified translation) together with the marriage certificate.

If you got married outside the EU and the UK, the certificate may need to be legalised. For use of a foreign document, please consult the website of the FPS Foreign Affairs.

Civil partnership

If you have formed a civil partnership, you should provide the documents listed for marriages above. However, your civil partnership certificate will need to be legalised by the British government.

Divorce

If you have got divorced, please send the following documents by post to the Population department:

  • A copy of your Belgian identity card (front and back) or passport
  • The final order, formerly known as a decree absolute (the original document, not a photocopy or scan). If you got divorced in the UK, this will need to be legalised by the British government. If you got divorced outside the EU and the UK, the court decision may need to be legalised – please consult the website of the FPS Foreign Affairs
  • A certified translation of the final order into a Belgian national language (Dutch, French or German), performed by a recognised sworn translator. To find a sworn translator recognised by Belgium, please consult the website of the FPS Justice. This doesn't apply if the original document is in Dutch, French or German
  • A prepaid envelope (preferably Special Delivery) addressed to yourself, in which we will return your documents

Please note: since 1st January 2025, if your marriage took place in Belgium, we are unable to register your divorce at the embassy. Instead, you should contact the last town hall where you were registered in Belgium.

Where do I send the documents?

You should send all the documents requested above to:

Embassy of Belgium (Population)
17 Grosvenor Crescent
LONDON
SW1X 7EE

Once we receive your documents, we aim to process them within 10 working days.