Registration

A. Your child was born in the UK

In this case there are two possibilities.
 

1. You are married to the father/mother on the day of your child’s birth

Your child has the Belgian nationality at birth. Please send the following documents to the Population Department:

• The registration form, either in Dutch (PDF, 189.61 KB) or in French (PDF, 165.78 KB) and a passport photo. The registration form has to be signed by both parents;
• A recent (not older than 6 months old) true copy of the birth certificate (extended version including the personal details of (both) (the) parent(s);
• A photocopy of the passport of the non-Belgian parent (this is not necessary if both parents are Belgian);
• A photocopy of the UK-residence permit of the non-Belgian parent (only if this parent is not an EU-national);
• A photocopy of any other passport of the child, should they also have another nationality.
  
  Embassy of Belgium Population Department 
  17 Grosvenor Crescent
  London SW1X 7EE
   

2. You are not married to the father/mother on the day of your child’s birth

• The registration form, either in Dutch (PDF, 189.61 KB) or in French (PDF, 165.78 KB) and a passport photo. The registration form has to be signed by both parents;
• A recent (not older than 6 months old) true copy of the birth certificate (extended version including the personal details of (both) (the) parent(s)
• A photocopy of any other passport of the child, should they also have another nationality
• For the non-Belgian parent (this is not necessary if both parents are Belgian):
   
  1. A photocopy of his/her passport;
  2. A photocopy of the UK-residence permit of the non-Belgian parent  (only if this parent is not an EU-national);
  3. Confirmation of his/her civil status on the date of the child’s birth. The non-Belgian parent does this by contacting his/her embassy/consulate in the UK. If the parent is British, he/she has to present an apostilled ‘statutory declaration’. Please contact a solicitor/notary in the UK for that;
  4. If the non-Belgian parent is the father: confirmation that the child's paternal filiation complies with the laws applicable in the father’s country of nationality. He therefore contacts his embassy/consulate in the UK. If the father is British, he is to present an apostilled statutory declaration. Please contact a solicitor/notary in the UK to that end.

The Belgian nationality is not automatically granted. We will inform you after having reviewed the presented documents.

Please send all documents to:

Embassy of Belgium - Population Department
17 Grosvenor Crescent
London SW1X 7EE
 

B. Your child was not born in the UK

The same documents as mentioned above (see A point 1 or 2)

AND

The birth certificate will possibly have to be legalised and/or translated by a sworn translator.

a. Legalisation: Please consult https://diplomatie.belgium.be/en/legalisation-documents

b. Translation:

Translations in Dutch, French, German or English are accepted.

You can use the services of

• a sworn translator in Belgium. Please ask the translator to have his/her signature legalised by the local Court in Belgium; OR
• a UK-based translator registered with the Chartered Institute of Translators (www.iol.org.uk) or the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (www.iti.org.uk). Please ask the UK-based translator to issue a cover note (in French, Dutch or German) with his/her name, signature and contact details.

Please send all documents to:

Embassy of Belgium - Population Department
17 Grosvenor Crescent
London SW1X 7EE

Your child did not obtain Belgian citizenship from birth. You can, if you so wish, give your child Belgian citizenship before his/her fifth birthday by means of a declaration of attribution of citizenship.

In order to start the procedure of ‘attribution of citizenship’, please send by post a letter to the Nationality Department in which you request further information regarding the procedure to be sent to you. Clearly indicate your contact details in the letter and include the following documents:

• Photocopy of your passport or ID card
• Photocopy of the passport of the other parent (including a copy of the UK residence permit in case you are not an EU national)
• Photocopy of the birth certificate of the child (long version which includes the names of both parents)
• Photocopy of the proof of your (pre)settled status. On 01.07.21 submission of proof of legal residence in the UK becomes mandatory.
• Verification code from the Home Office to prove your (pre)settled status. On 01.07.21 submission of proof of legal residence in the UK becomes mandatory. You should be able to generate it here: www.gov.uk/view-prove-immigration-status  
  Alternatively, if you have rather acquired British citizenship, please send a clear scanned copy of your British certificate of naturalisation/registration and British passport.

TO: 

Embassy of Belgium - Nationality Department
17 Grosvenor Crescent
London SW1X 7EE

Note that no ‘attribution of citizenship’ files will be accepted by email. At this stage only copies are required. If your child is over the age of 5, our services can only note that the legal deadline for signing the declaration of attribution of Belgian nationality has passed.
 

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