May 3, 2024 – The Belgian House of Representatives, the lower house of the federal parliament, has adopted a legislative proposal to amend the Belgian Nationality Code. This amendment will enable foreign spouses of diplomatic and consular staff to obtain Belgian nationality.
The legislative amendment aims to “put an end to a discrimination against the foreign partners of Belgian diplomats, who, in the current legal framework, cannot obtain Belgian nationality,” according to the statement.
Under the current administrative procedure for obtaining Belgian nationality, it is necessary to prove that one has actually lived in Belgium for at least 5 years. However, due to their professional obligations, Belgian diplomats generally only live in Belgium for 3 years between two assignments at diplomatic or consular posts, most of which are abroad. The amendment allows for the legal timeframe to continue when there is a move towards a third country while still in the service of the Belgian State.
The new legal framework now puts the foreign spouse of a Belgian diplomat on an equal footing with the foreign spouse of a Belgian who resides in Belgium. It is important to emphasize that “the applicant must be actually residing on Belgian territory at the time the application is submitted, and that all other conditions remain applicable,” as per the statement.
This legislative amendment is a sign of recognition of the involvement of the partners of Belgian diplomats in promoting the image of Belgium abroad. It is part of the strengthening of the family policy of the FPS Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation.
