In a sweeping overhaul of its integration regime, the Belgian federal government has raised the fee for acquiring Belgian nationality from €150 to €1,000, with automatic annual indexation. The measure, published in the Moniteur Belge on 19 February and effective immediately, forms part of a 2025 programme law aimed at making newcomers “take greater personal responsibility” for integration costs.
The law also overhauls family-reunification criteria. Sponsors must now prove a net monthly income of at least 110 % of Belgium’s guaranteed minimum wage (about €2,000) plus 10 % per dependent. The grace period during which recognised refugees could reunite family members without meeting the income threshold falls from twelve to six months, while beneficiaries of subsidiary protection must now wait two years. In addition, the minimum age for sponsoring a partner rises from 18 to 21.
For those trying to determine how these revised thresholds change their eligibility, VisaHQ can be an efficient ally. The platform’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) offers step-by-step application tools, fee calculators and live support, helping both private applicants and corporate mobility teams compile the correct documentation for citizenship, visas or family-reunification filings.
![Belgium multiplies citizenship fee nearly seven-fold and tightens family-reunification rules]()
Regional integration pathways are likewise extended: Wallonia lengthens its mandatory civic-integration trajectory from 18 months to three years, though language-test exemptions have been relaxed by accepting an overall A2 average. Integration centres will receive earmarked subsidies to couple language learning with employability coaching.
For employers, the headline is cost. Naturalisation has long been used as a retention tool for key non-EU staff who wish to take Belgian assignments without future work-permit renewals. The jump to €1,000 may prompt multinationals to shoulder the fee as part of relocation packages. HR departments should also adjust family-support budgets: higher salary thresholds could delay dependent-visa issuance, affecting school-year planning and spousal work authorisation.
Immigration advisers recommend lodging any pending citizenship or family-reunification applications under the old rules if a filing receipt (annex 12bis) can still be stamped before municipal offices update their payment software in the coming days.
The law also overhauls family-reunification criteria. Sponsors must now prove a net monthly income of at least 110 % of Belgium’s guaranteed minimum wage (about €2,000) plus 10 % per dependent. The grace period during which recognised refugees could reunite family members without meeting the income threshold falls from twelve to six months, while beneficiaries of subsidiary protection must now wait two years. In addition, the minimum age for sponsoring a partner rises from 18 to 21.
For those trying to determine how these revised thresholds change their eligibility, VisaHQ can be an efficient ally. The platform’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) offers step-by-step application tools, fee calculators and live support, helping both private applicants and corporate mobility teams compile the correct documentation for citizenship, visas or family-reunification filings.
Regional integration pathways are likewise extended: Wallonia lengthens its mandatory civic-integration trajectory from 18 months to three years, though language-test exemptions have been relaxed by accepting an overall A2 average. Integration centres will receive earmarked subsidies to couple language learning with employability coaching.
For employers, the headline is cost. Naturalisation has long been used as a retention tool for key non-EU staff who wish to take Belgian assignments without future work-permit renewals. The jump to €1,000 may prompt multinationals to shoulder the fee as part of relocation packages. HR departments should also adjust family-support budgets: higher salary thresholds could delay dependent-visa issuance, affecting school-year planning and spousal work authorisation.
Immigration advisers recommend lodging any pending citizenship or family-reunification applications under the old rules if a filing receipt (annex 12bis) can still be stamped before municipal offices update their payment software in the coming days.
