Belgium multiplies citizenship fee and tightens family-reunification rules
Brussels Airport urges travellers to rebook as 12 March general strike threatens total shutdown
EU lets Schengen states – including Belgium – pause EES biometrics to ease summer queues
Latest News
Foreign Affairs confirms 505 Belgians detained abroad, straining consular resources
Belgium now tracks 505 of its citizens in prisons abroad, up from 489 in August 2025, according to new Foreign Affairs data. The rise is stretching consular workloads and underscores the importance of robust duty-of-care protocols for Belgian business travellers and expatriates.
Belgium multiplies citizenship fee nearly seven-fold and tightens family-reunification rules
Legislation published on 19 February increases Belgium’s citizenship application fee to €1,000 and introduces stricter income and age criteria for family reunification. The reforms will raise the cost of long-term talent retention and could delay dependent visas for expatriate employees, requiring companies to review relocation budgets and timelines.
Nation-wide 12 March strike set to paralyse Brussels Airport and rail links
Belgium’s union confederations have called a 24-hour general strike for 12 March, prompting Brussels Airport to warn of mass flight cancellations and rail operators to scale back service. The walk-out, linked to pension and wage disputes, threatens to strand travellers at the end of Europe’s school-holiday period. Businesses are already rerouting staff and shipments, underscoring the importance of robust contingency planning.