Belgian weddings: engaged and getting married in Belgium

Belgian weddings: engaged and getting married in Belgium

If you’re likely to get married in Belgium, this guide explains the documents and papers you’ll want to prepare a marriage in Belgium.

Even though the nation is well-known for its bureaucracy, engaged and getting married in Belgium is relatively simple. Both heterosexual and same-sex partners in Belgium will get married, take a subscribed cohabitation or live together with no status that is legal.

Only civil marriages are legitimately recognised in Belgium. Following the ceremony that is civil which has to take spot at a registry office, partners usually have a spiritual or secular ceremony as an element of their event but it is not needed.

Belgium ended up being the country that is second legalise same-sex marriage, in 2003. The procedures, ceremonies and legal rights for same-sex partners are almost just like those for heterosexual couples, so unless otherwise stated the given information below relates to both. Usually the one critical exclusion is parental legal rights, which use immediately up to a birth-mother’s partner if he’s male not if this woman is feminine.

Throughout this document, translations are listed in the after format: English (Dutch/French).

Could I get hitched in Belgium?

To obtain married in Belgium, either you or your own future partner needs to be A belgian resident or were resident in Belgium for at the least 3 months. In line with the Belgian federal government, atmosphere seats and leasing agreements may be used as evidence of residence.

During the time of writing, an informal reading regarding the English website when it comes to Belgian division of immigration shows that foreigners will get hitched in Belgium by having a ‘class C’ Schengen visa. Nonetheless, this really is a misunderstanding brought on by the website being under construction, and it is maybe not sustained by the French texts.

You both should be over 18 rather than currently hitched. Those over 16 could get hitched because of the authorization of these moms and dads additionally the courts. Foreigners must meet the requirements for wedding inside their house nation, including age restrictions. Nevertheless, it will always be, although not always feasible for same-sex partners to obtain hitched in Belgium, regardless of if their brand new status will maybe not be recognised inside their house nation.

Would a registered cohabitation be better for me?

Authorized cohabitation (wettelijk samenwonen / cohabitation legale) in Belgium is notably uncommon. Whilst in other countries comparable terms can be used to explain couples residing together or same-sex wedding (as an example, ‘registered partnership’), in Belgium this implies a provided residence and obligations, certainly not a relationship that is sexual. Consequently, along with partners, additionally, it is feasible to possess a appropriate cohabitation with an user of the family members that you might perhaps maybe not marry (a moms and dad or adult sibling, as an example). But, you simply cannot come right into a subscribed cohabitation if you should be married or currently in a cohabitation that is registered.

In a subscribed cohabitation, both events have actually the best to reside in your family house, together with responsibility to keep up it, including spending costs. They’re also jointly responsible for debts associated with household help while the grouped home, latin brides such as for example a home loan or vehicle payment, even in the event these are generally just held in a single title.

Pre-wedding preparations

You need to alert the registrar of the intention to marry at the least a couple of weeks in before your wedding. Be prepared to offer detailed information regarding your self along with your future partner. A summary of documents you will likely need is below.

The registrar will likely then issue an ‘act of intent to marry’ (akte van aangifte van het huwelijk / acte de declaration de mariage) which will be exhibited publicly. So long as there are not any objections, your wedding are able to proceed between fourteen days and 6 months later on.

Documentation for a wedding that is belgian

Have a much to deliver:

  • ID (eg passport);
  • Birth certification;
  • Prenuptial contract (if needed);
  • Evidence of target (eg. rental contract, current bills);
  • Evidence of nationality;
  • Proofs of civil status (eg. a death or divorce certification, when you have been married formerly);
  • Evidence of residence authorities that are– belgian expect this to become a certification, as described below, but, in case the host to residence is certainly not Belgium, and doesn’t issue these certificates, other evidence will soon be required.

One or more partner must create proof residence in Belgium. The neighborhood authority should manage to issue a (bewijs van woonst voor huwelijksdoeleinden / certificat de domicile pour mariage) literally a ‘certificate of residence for marriage’. You will have to show your status that is residential to authority, eg. by bringing your leasing contract.

International papers may need to be authorised having an Apostille stamp, also called ‘Apostillisation‘legalisation’ or’, or an equivalent. The issuing federal government stamps a document with a distinctive ID, showing it is a real and accurate content for recognition abroad. Any papers perhaps maybe not granted in Dutch or French needs to be translated with a ‘sworn translator’. In the event that interpretation is certainly not done in Belgium, it too needs to be authenticated by an Apostille stamp, or comparable.

Belgian marriage ceremonies

The lawfully binding ceremony has to take spot at a registry workplace, that will be typically into the neighborhood city hallway (stadhuis / mairie). Several of city halls are gorgeous structures, usually 200–600 yrs . old. Area might be limited, however it is typically feasible to carry 20 or more visitors.

The civil registrar / council officer (ambtenaar van de burgerlijke / l’officier de l’etat civil) will conduct the ceremony, which include reading out specific sections regarding the Belgian appropriate rule within the legal rights and duties of a married few. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the few will undoubtedly be released with a family group record guide (trouwboekje / livret de mariage), which will act as your content of the wedding enrollment.

The few might provide as much as four witnesses, who should all be over 18 and bring ID. You should supply a translator if you, your partner or your witnesses are not fluent in the local language. The translator doesn’t have become a expert professional but should really be competent.

The civil ceremony typically costs EUR 250–300, though the cost for a Saturday afternoon in a favorite area might be double this.

Prenuptial agreements

To be binding in Belgium, a prenuptial contract must certanly be used by way of a notary and registered during the time of the wedding. Couples may select one of three home ownership policies, or produce unique unique arrangement with a prenuptial agreement (huwelijkscontract / contrat de mariage).

The standard choice is het wettelijk stelsel / le regime legal, by which each spouse retains their particular home, and has now joint liability/ownership just for joint debts/assets obtained through the wedding or particularly designated as such.

Getting Belgian citizenship

Marrying a Belgian resident will not immediately give you Belgian citizenship. The standard application procedures use. Typically, you really need to have been resident in Belgium for 36 months before you apply. But, in the event that you have the right to remain in the country for more than three months) or three years (if you don’t) if you are applying for citizenship on the basis of your relationship, you must have cohabited with your partner, in Belgium, for at least six months (. Learn about obtaining Belgian citizenship.

Which title?

Under Belgian legislation, both partners retain their initial title. Options could be permitted for members of EU states along with other standards.

In cases where a married girl in a heterosexual relationship has a kid, her partner is immediately regarded as being a moms and dad, and provided parental liberties. If she’s in a same-sex relationship, her partner must follow the kid to own parental legal rights.

Kids just simply just take their mother’s surname unless the daddy is registered because their moms and dad during the time of their delivery. This does occur immediately in the event that father and mother are hitched. More info can be acquired regarding more uncommon circumstances, such as for instance in the event that dad is hitched to a female that is maybe perhaps not the caretaker.