Belgium’s long-anticipated migration reform package formally entered into force this week, ushering in the steepest rise in naturalisation costs – and the strictest family-reunification conditions – seen in two decades. As of 19 February 2026, anyone applying for Belgian nationality must pay an administrative fee of €1,000, up from €150.
The amount will be indexed annually and is now the highest such charge in the Benelux. According to the Interior Ministry, the higher fee is meant to "reflect the real cost of case-handling and encourage better-prepared files." Critics, including migrant-rights NGOs and several opposition MPs, argue that the move prices lower-income residents out of citizenship and risks creating “a two-tier pathway where only the affluent can afford the Belgian passport.”
Lawyers have already flagged an uptick in incomplete applications as families scramble to update civil-status documents that must now be less than six months old at filing.
![Belgium Tightens Naturalisation and Family-Reunification Rules, Hikes Application Fee to €1,000]()
Amid these shifting requirements, international residents may wish to seek guidance from professional visa facilitation services. VisaHQ, for example, maintains an up-to-date portal on Belgian entry and residence rules (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) and can coordinate document renewal, apostille, and submission logistics for both naturalisation and family-reunification filings, helping applicants avoid costly delays.
Family-reunification sponsors face similarly tougher hurdles. They must now demonstrate proven earnings equivalent to 120 % of Belgium’s minimum wage and show evidence of suitable housing before visas are issued to spouses, partners or children. Dependants over 15 must enrol in a Belgian school within 60 days of arrival, while adult partners have one year to pass a civic-integration test or risk losing their residence permit.
For global employers, the financial and compliance impact is immediate. Multinationals relocating staff to Brussels or Antwerp will have to budget for the higher naturalisation fee when drawing up long-term assignment packages and allow for longer lead-times as documents are refreshed. Mobility managers warn that accompanying-family moves may be deferred or converted to commuter assignments, particularly for middle-management staff whose salaries hover close to the new income threshold.
Politically, the government insists the measures are essential to curb so-called "chain migration" ahead of the 2027 federal elections. Yet early indications suggest appeals are already being prepared, and Belgium’s Constitutional Court could be asked to rule on the proportionality of the new charges later this year. Companies are therefore advised to track litigation timelines closely and build contingencies into their workforce-planning models.
The amount will be indexed annually and is now the highest such charge in the Benelux. According to the Interior Ministry, the higher fee is meant to "reflect the real cost of case-handling and encourage better-prepared files." Critics, including migrant-rights NGOs and several opposition MPs, argue that the move prices lower-income residents out of citizenship and risks creating “a two-tier pathway where only the affluent can afford the Belgian passport.”
Lawyers have already flagged an uptick in incomplete applications as families scramble to update civil-status documents that must now be less than six months old at filing.
Amid these shifting requirements, international residents may wish to seek guidance from professional visa facilitation services. VisaHQ, for example, maintains an up-to-date portal on Belgian entry and residence rules (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) and can coordinate document renewal, apostille, and submission logistics for both naturalisation and family-reunification filings, helping applicants avoid costly delays.
Family-reunification sponsors face similarly tougher hurdles. They must now demonstrate proven earnings equivalent to 120 % of Belgium’s minimum wage and show evidence of suitable housing before visas are issued to spouses, partners or children. Dependants over 15 must enrol in a Belgian school within 60 days of arrival, while adult partners have one year to pass a civic-integration test or risk losing their residence permit.
For global employers, the financial and compliance impact is immediate. Multinationals relocating staff to Brussels or Antwerp will have to budget for the higher naturalisation fee when drawing up long-term assignment packages and allow for longer lead-times as documents are refreshed. Mobility managers warn that accompanying-family moves may be deferred or converted to commuter assignments, particularly for middle-management staff whose salaries hover close to the new income threshold.
Politically, the government insists the measures are essential to curb so-called "chain migration" ahead of the 2027 federal elections. Yet early indications suggest appeals are already being prepared, and Belgium’s Constitutional Court could be asked to rule on the proportionality of the new charges later this year. Companies are therefore advised to track litigation timelines closely and build contingencies into their workforce-planning models.
