Family reunification with a foreigner authorised to stay for a limited period
Residency route facts
Identity
| Official name (local) | Gezinshereniging met een vreemdeling met beperkt verblijf / Regroupement familial avec un etranger en sejour limite as of 2026-06-24[1] |
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| Official name (English) | Family reunification with a foreigner authorised to stay for a limited period as of 2026-08-13[2] The Immigration Office's own wording on the fee schedule: 'residence permit of more than 90 days for the family members of a foreigner authorised to stay in Belgium for a limited period of time – Article 10bis, para 2'. |
| Legal basis | Loi du 15 decembre 1980, art. 10bis, para 2 (and para 1 where the sponsor is a student), read with art. 10, para 1, al. 1, 6 and art. 10, para 5; art. 12bis for the procedure; Law of 18 July 2025 as of 2026-06-24[1][4] |
| Instrument type | residence permit as of 2026-08-13[3] |
Who can apply
| Nationals not served by this route | EU, EEA, EFTA as of 2026-06-24[1] Family members of Union citizens and of Belgians use arts. 40bis and 40ter instead; this route is for family members of third-country nationals. |
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| Minimum age | 21 as of 2026-06-24[1] Art. 10, para 1, al. 1, 6, a) and b): the spouse or registered partner and the sponsor must both be over 21. No minimum age applies to the child limbs. |
| Criminal-record condition | Yes as of 2026-06-24[1] Art. 12bis, para 2: an application lodged at a Belgian diplomatic or consular post must carry a criminal-record extract or equivalent for an applicant over 18, together with a medical certificate. |
Permit terms
| Initial duration | Not established from a qualifying source |
|---|---|
| Renewable | Yes as of 2026-08-13[3] The Immigration Office states that the conditions for residence and for renewing the residence permit are communicated when the title is issued, and that the stay may be terminated if they cease to be met, with a right to be heard first. |
| Work rights | Not established from a qualifying source |
Permanent residence and citizenship
| Counts toward permanent residence | Yes as of 2026-08-13[3] 'After having stayed in Belgium for a certain period of time, the family member can apply for settlement or permanent residence.' The Immigration Office does not state the period on this page; the country-level default of five years applies. |
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Requirements
| Who can sponsor | temporary permit holder as of 2026-06-24[1] Art. 10bis, para 2 covers a foreigner admitted or authorised to stay for a limited period fixed by the Act or by circumstances particular to him or to the nature or duration of his activities in Belgium – in practice single-permit, Blue Card, ICT and researcher holders. Para 1 covers the family of a student on the same conditions, and is recorded on be-student-higher-education rather than duplicated as a route. |
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| Eligible relations | spouse, registered partner, minor child, adult dependent child as of 2026-06-24[1] By reference to art. 10, para 1, al. 1, 6, a) to e): the spouse; the registered partner, subject to the durable-and-stable-relationship test of art. 10, para 1, al. 2 – one year's lawful uninterrupted cohabitation, or two years' acquaintance with regular contact and three meetings totalling 45 days, or a common child; their common minor unmarried children; the minor unmarried children of either where parental authority including custody is held and, if shared, the other holder consents; and an unmarried disabled child over 18 with a certificate from a doctor approved by the Belgian post. adult_dependent_child carries that last limb. Parents are not eligible on this limb. |
| Sponsor income requirement | 1.10 × guaranteed average minimum monthly income per month as of 2026-06-24[1][4] |
| Sponsor accommodation requirement | Yes as of 2026-06-24[1] Art. 10bis, para 2, 2: sufficient housing considered normal for a family of comparable size and meeting the legal criteria in force on safety and health. The King sets the criteria and the manner of proof. |
| Sponsor waiting period | 0 months as of 2026-06-24[1] |
| Pre-entry language test | No as of 2026-06-24[1][4] |
| Sponsor and relation matrix |
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Process
| Where to apply from | either as of 2026-08-13[3] As a rule the application is made abroad; in certain situations it may be made in Belgium. The Immigration Office states both without enumerating the domestic cases on the hub page. |
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| Statutory processing time | 9 months as of 2026-06-24[1] Art. 12bis, para 2: the decision is taken and notified as soon as possible and at the latest within nine months of the date the complete application was lodged, extendable twice by three months in exceptional cases linked to the complexity of the examination or to an investigation into a sham marriage or partnership – a fifteen-month ceiling. Positive silence: if no decision is taken within the nine months as extended, admission to residence must be recognised. Nine months is itself recent; the figure was raised by the Law of 18 July 2025. |
| Fees |
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| Quota |
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Physical presence
| none stated | to keep the permit as of 2026-08-13[3] No day-count rule was found. What conditions the stay is the continued existence of the family relationship and of the sponsor's means, housing and insurance, which the Immigration Office may re-verify. |
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Family inclusion
| Family members may be included | No as of 2026-06-24[1] This route is itself the family route; it does not carry a further derivative right. Art. 10, para 3 restricts onward reunification: a third-country national himself admitted as a spouse or unmarried partner may only be joined on a marriage or partnership after two years' regular residence. |
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| Eligible relations | Not established from a qualifying source as of 2026-06-24[1] Empty by construction; see above. |
| Family may apply at the same time | Not established from a qualifying source Not applicable in the ordinary sense; recorded unknown rather than forced. |
| Family members' work rights | Not established from a qualifying source Not applicable; see above. |
Your next step
Read the requirements above considering your own situation: the income multiple, the absence limits, who you can bring. Check the country record for the reference figure those amounts are calculated from, and for anything that has changed recently.
The next step is your own case. That assessment is legal work. Create profile for our assistance in this.
Profile benefits
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Verification
| Sources cited | 5 |
|---|---|
| of which official (tier 1) | 5 |
| Oldest as-of date | 2026-06-24 |
| Newest as-of date | 2026-08-13 |
| Reviewed on | 2026-08-17 |
| Schema version | 1.1 |
Sources
- [1] Loi du 15 décembre 1980 sur l'accès au territoire, le séjour, l'établissement et l'éloignement des étrangers — consolidated text (Justel), updated to 24 June 2026
Service public fédéral Justice (Moniteur belge / Justel) · statute · Tier 1 · Published 2026-06-24 · Accessed 2026-08-13 - [2] Contribution fee
Immigration Office (Office des Etrangers / Dienst Vreemdelingenzaken), FPS Home Affairs · fee schedule · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-13 - [3] Family reunification
Immigration Office (Office des Etrangers / Dienst Vreemdelingenzaken), FPS Home Affairs · official portal · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-13 - [4] Stable, regular and adequate means of subsistence
Immigration Office (Office des Etrangers / Dienst Vreemdelingenzaken), FPS Home Affairs · official guidance · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-13 - [5] Contribution fee indexation
Immigration Office (Office des Etrangers / Dienst Vreemdelingenzaken), FPS Home Affairs · official guidance · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-13