Belgian Citizenship by Descent

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Would you like to obtain a second passport in Belgium? If so, you've come to the right place. With over 20 years of experience in helping people like you with genealogy projects all over Europe and elsewhere, our team of specialists can assist you in getting your second passport through the process of jus sanguinis, which in Latin translates as "citizenship by blood." The process, known colloquially as citizenship by descent, is available in many countries, including Belgium.

Having a second citizenship in Belgium accords you all the rights and privileges of a Belgian citizen, and you, your children, and other relatives will be able to get more affordable healthcare, education, and residential possibilities in Belgium, as well as the other 26 member countries of the European Union.

To gather documentation needed for your Belgian citizenship application, you'll need the help of professional genealogists who can locate records on your behalf, including passenger lists, birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, church parish records, obituaries, cemetery records, military records, passports, censuses, and other types of records. You will also need the help of a professional translator to translate these documents into French, Dutch, or German for your application, which can then be submitted to the Belgian Consulate which has jurisdiction in your area.

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What is citizenship by descent?

Citizenship by descent is the process by which an individual attains citizenship in a country through one's ancestry or family tree. The process, known in legal terminology as jus sanguinis or jure sanguinis, would be translated from Latin as the "right of the blood," meaning that one's right to citizenship is based upon their ancestry, regardless of where they were born. This differs from jus soli, or birthright citizenship, where one's citizenship rights are determined by their place of birth.

Does Belgium offer citizenship through the process of jure sanguinis, also known as citizenship by descent?

Yes.

How many generations of ancestry does Belgium allow for a citizenship by descent application?

Belgium allows citizenship by descent through your parents.

Why would I want a second citizenship?

Having a second passport and additional citizenship rights opens a world of possibilities for you and your family in terms of travel, economic opportunities, political freedom, access to healthcare, and educational opportunities. In an ever-changing political landscape and globalizing world, possibilities also exist for a backup plan if needed for yourself and your family to begin a new life elsewhere outside of your home country.

How strong is the Belgian passport?

The Belgian passport is one of the strongest in the world and currently ranks at #4 globally. It is tied with Austria, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden, and allows visa-free access to 188 countries.

Which records are needed for my Belgian citizenship application?

You will need to document an unbroken chain of evidence between yourself and your parents. To do this, you will need to acquire copies of vital records for each generation of your tree (i.e. birth, marriage, and death certificates).

How many hours does it take to do a Belgian citizenship case?

Every project is unique, but most citizenship cases take on average between 40 to 80 hours of work from start to finish.

Can I apply for Belgian citizenship along with my spouse, children, and other members of my family?

Yes. When submitting your citizenship application, you will be required to submit primary source records for your case for yourself, spouse, and children, all of whom can apply for citizenship with you. However, they will each need to submit an individual application.

Will the Belgian consulate accept digital or printed copies of my genealogy records?

No. All records submitted with your application must be paper documents with the appropriate certifications and apostilles for international records originating outside of Belgium.

Do I have to renounce my current citizenship?

Not necessarily. Many countries allow second, third, or even multiple citizenships. For example, American, Canadian, and UK citizens can be dual citizens with two separate passports.

How long have you been doing citizenship cases?

Our current research team, which includes many genealogists, attorneys, and other experts in the field, have been doing citizenship cases for more than 20 years. We have helped many clients get second passports in places like Ireland, Portugal, Italy and elsewhere.

What kind of experience do you have in Belgian genealogy research?

We are experts in the field of Belgian genealogy research as we've been doing research in Belgium and on families of the Belgian diaspora for more than 20 years. All of the work published on the website www.belgiangenealogy.net was carried out by members of our research team.

Where are you located?

We are currently in the process of opening a new office in Dublin, Ireland, which gives us direct access to the European Union, United Kingdom, and Schengen Area. Our company headquarters, which falls under the umbrella of MyGenealogist.com, is located in Salt Lake City, USA, where we have access to the world's largest collection of genealogical records at the Family History Library. We also have on-the-ground contacts in many major international cities, including New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., London, Rome, Madrid, and elsewhere.

I can only budget a small amount of money for this. What are the cheapest options available for people with limited resources?

Citizenship cases are generally much more challenging than standard genealogy projects, as on-the-ground research is usually required at multiple archives and in multiple geographic jurisdictions and countries. Unlike standard family history projects, you are also required to get translations and special certifications of records found during this type of project, which requires much more labor and time-management in terms of editing, records ordering, report-writing, letter-writing, and overall administration. This is the reason we generally recommend working in either a 40-hour or 80-hour block of time, as most projects like this take around 80 hours total from start to finish. However, if you'd like assistance doing research on your own, we offer hourly consultations at €150 an hour or research plans, which generally take about 5 hours to put together, as we have to review all of your past research, records, and eligibility for citizenship based upon your current documentation. The price for this service would be €700. However, even if you are saving money on booking a smaller block of research time, you will still need to order certified copies of all of the citizenship records needed for your case, which would oftentimes ends up costing at least several hundred euros even if you're doing all of your own research.

If I only need a few records for my citizenship application, why would it take so many hours to complete my project?

Although you might only need a few records to help solve your case, gathering those individual records will be a labor-intensive and time-consuming process as these records will no doubt be found at multiple archives, libraries, public health departments, courthouses, civil registry offices, churches, cemeteries, and elsewhere. In addition, and especially for clients in the U.S., Canada, and Australia, records will need to gathered in more than one country, and records in Europe will need to found during onsite visits to a variety of government agencies overseas. In addition to this, there is a huge amount of records review, analysis of evidence, editing, report-writing, and other tasks that must be completed during a citizenship case, which means that these cases are much more challenging than your standard family history projects where research can be completed online at websites like Ancestry, FamilySearch, and MyHeritage much more quickly from the comfort of home.

How much does a standard standard Belgian citizenship cases cost?

As noted above, we recommend starting with at least a 40-hour block of research time for citizenship cases, although some cases take 80 hours or more to complete. It's possible that your case could be completed in 40 hours, but it might take up to 80 hours or more if we're encountering a lot of brick walls during the search for your ancestors, or if we're doing research in a lot of different jurisdictions, for example, if records are needed in New York, Belgium, and elsewhere. Our hourly rate for a standard 40-hour project would be €135/hour, so a project of this size and scope would cost €5,400. If the 80-hour project fits into your budget, there would be a €1,200 discount on the larger project, which would come out to €9,600. Although these projects might be out of range of affordability for some people, it's important to keep in mind that the process of acquiring a second citizenship outside of your home country is a huge investment in you and your family's future, with all of the rights, responsibilities, privileges, and responsibilities of that citizenship being available not only to yourself, but also to your spouse, children, and descendants. Genealogy research, although sometimes expensive, is also a great value in terms of what you'd ultimately be getting in terms of health care, educational opportunities, property acquisition, and overall freedom of travel and residency in the 27-member block of the European Union, for example.

What is the current turnaround time on citizenship projects?

Depending on your situation, most projects take an average of 10-12 weeks to complete. However, if brick walls are encountered in finding your documentation, the project could take considerably longer. In addition, some government agencies are notoriously slow in responding to record requests, which is the primary reason we recommend larger projects where we have enough time to do on-the-ground research in the places of interest, where we can often get records on the same day, thus saving time and labor, as opposed to waiting for records requests overseas, where you could sometimes end up waiting for records for several months or longer. The other thing to take into consideration in terms of timing and completion of your overall citizenship case, is that we will attempt to complete your project in 2-3 months, but you would still most likely need to make an appointment with your new country's consulate near your current place of residence. For example, if doing a Belgian citizenship case, where you're currently residing in New York City, you will need to take your package of documentation to them during your appointment, and with the various consulates getting booked up many months in advance, the Belgian government may take several months or more than a year to process your application, even after all of the work has been completed.

How long does it take to acquire citizenship through the process of jure sanguinis (AKA citizenship by descent)?

As earlier discussed, the genealogical research required for citizenship cases usually takes a couple of months. However, the entire process of acquiring citizenship can sometimes take a year or two because there are also additional steps that must be completed in terms of your new country processing your application, and interviews with various consulates and government agencies might be required before your final papers are processed. Many countries, Italy being a good example of this, are literally swamped with requests for citizenship from people overseas in places like Canada, the US, Argentina, and Australia, so processing time on the government end of things can often take a bit of time and patience on the part of the person applying.

Will I have the contact information of the genealogists assigned to my case?

Yes. You will be in contact with a project manager from start to finish of your case. All projects are worked on collectively as a team, with researchers working in many different geographical areas and with different specialties. The project manager is responsible for handling all aspects of the case and with checking in with researchers, libraries, archives, government agencies, and other resources needed for completion of the case.

Why do records need to be certified?

Official copies of records would be needed for your citizenship case, which means that these records must be paper copies (not photocopies or digital copies) with the proper certifications or embossed seals as proof of official certification. For example, you can't print out copies of vital records, passenger lists, or census records from websites like FamilySearch or Ancestry.com and present them to your new country's consulate as evidence for your case. For these types of records, you would need to either official copies from repositories like the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, local or state health departments, or county courthouses, if doing research in the United States, for example. In addition, for records originating outside of Europe in places like the U.S., Canada, and Australia, you will also need to get a separate certification, or apostille, for all of these records, which is an internationally recognized certification, as defined by the Hague Treaty.

What is an apostille?

An apostille is an internationally recognized certification as defined by the Hague Treaty of 1961. Countries like Belgium, Italy, and Spain require that records found outside their jurisdiction have this additional certification outside of what was already officially by your local health departments, government archives, and other agencies.

I now have all of the records required for my citizenship application. Which Belgian consulate do I need to contact for submission of my application?

You will need to visit the consulate closest to your place of residence.

Do my documents need to be translated into Dutch, French, or German for my citizenship application?

Yes. Any records found outside of Belgium will need to be translated into one of the three official languages of Belgium.

Do I need an attorney to help with my case?

You may need the help of an attorney or law firm with your case if you are going before a court to apply for citizenship in Belgium. However, if you submitting your documentation to a consulate and were able to gather all of your required records by yourself or through the help of a genealogist, this might be unnecessary. For example, the consulate through which you're applying will be reviewing a checklist of documents needed for your case, so if you have everything needed as required by the Belgian nationality law, you will be granted citizenship based upon whether or not you provided everything needed for your case. Citizenship cases are generally handled by a country's respective consulates, and not handled in court.

Can I live anywhere in Europe after acquiring my Belgian passport?

Yes. If you acquire second citizenship in Belgium, you can not only live there, but also in countries like Germany, Spain, France, or elsewhere. As a Belgian and EU citizen, you have the rights and privileges to live, work, attend university, and enjoy travel and healthcare in all of the 27 EU member states.

How many countries are there in the European Union?

There are 27 member countries of the European Union.

What is the Schengen-Area?

The Schengen Area is associated with the European Union but not under its jurisdiction. The Schengen Treaty allows visa-free travel and residency in EU member states and the Schengen countries of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

Can I also live, work, or study in other countries in the Schengen Area but outside of the EU?

Yes, as a European citizen you would have all the rights and privileges to live, work, travel, and study in Schengen countries outside of the European Union. These countries include Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, so you have access to 31 countries total with your passport issued by an EU member state.

Can I live, work, or study in the UK after getting my European citizenship?

No, after the United Kingdom left the European Union in 2018, colloquially known as Brexit (the “British Exit” from the EU), there are no rights or privileges for residing, working, or studying an EU member state. The exception to this would be Ireland, which has a reciprocal arrangement with the UK.

Can my children or grandchildren attend university in the European Union after getting my second citizenship there?

Yes, unlike the United States where premier universities like NYU, Harvard, or Princeton charge upwards of $50,000-$60,000 per year in tuition, European institutions of a similar pedigree often charge much less or are even free for qualified individuals.

Am I eligible for healthcare in the European Union after getting citizenship in a member country?

Yes. Health care in Europe is considered a human right, unlike countries like the United States, where people often go into bankruptcy because of high medical expenses.

Can I buy property in the EU after getting second citizenship there?

Yes, as a European citizen you can acquire property in any of the 27 member states. However, there generally aren't any restrictions on foreigners buying property in Europe anyway, as, for example, Americans, Canadians, Australians, and other nationalities can purchase property in places like Spain, Italy, France, and elsewhere. However, having rights to ownership differ from rights to residency, so if you plan on living in new your new property purchase, you will need to get a residency permit, or visa, or second citizenship in your country of choice.