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Birth of a child abroad: act, nationality, passport

Your child is born outside Belgium. Here is how to have the birth recognised, secure Belgian nationality — pay close attention to the 5-year deadline — and obtain the child's first travel document.

Before you start

  • The birth certificate issued by the hospital or maternity.
  • Belgian identity cards and passports of both parents.
  • Your marriage certificate or any document establishing filiation, legalized if the country so requires.
  • Proof of your residence in the country: lease, invoice, local certificate, residence permit.
  • A clear answer to this question: Was the Belgian parent born in Belgium or abroad? Everything else depends on it.

The steps, in order

  1. Declare birth to local authorities

    The birth must be declared to the country's civil registry, which draws up the birth certificate. Observe the local deadline, which is often very short; ask the maternity unit what it is. A certificate drawn up in the country's usual form is recognised in Belgium. Outside the European Union, if the local authority does not issue a certificate, a Belgian career consulate can do so within 30 days of the birth. Notify the diplomatic post immediately.

  2. What to know firstIf you hesitate about your child's nationality, do not guess: Ask the consulate in writing, and keep the answer.

    Check how your child becomes Belgian

    Article 8 of the Belgian Nationality Code provides for 3 situations. First, if the Belgian parent was born in Belgium, the child is automatically Belgian from birth and no action is required. Second, if the Belgian parent was also born abroad, a declaration is required; see the next step. Third, without that declaration, the child is still Belgian if they have no other nationality, but loses this protection if they acquire another nationality before turning 18.

  3. Belgian parent born abroad: make the declaration within 5 years

    Make the declaration granting Belgian nationality at the Belgian consulate, or at the municipality if you are in Belgium, within 5 years after the birth. The child becomes Belgian on the date of the declaration. After this deadline, Belgian nationality can no longer be granted in this way. This is the most important step in the guide, so do not postpone it.

  4. Legalise or apostille the certificate, then have it translated

    Depending on the country, the local birth certificate must be legalised or apostilled and then translated into French, Dutch or German by a sworn translator. Check the rules for the country at https://diplomatie.belgium.be/fr/legalisation-de-documents/criteres-de-recherche-legalisation and use https://elegalisation.cloud.diplomatie.be. Allow about 25 € per document at the rate in force on 1 August 2026.

  5. Register the document with the Belgian civil register

    The Belgian consulate or competent Belgian municipality enters the legalised and translated certificate in the Database of Civil Status Records (BAEC). This gives your child an administrative record in Belgium; without it, obtaining an identity card or allowances and registering at school after returning are much harder.

  6. Register the child in the consular register

    Complete the registration form for a minor at https://diplomatie.belgium.be/sites/default/files/2022-01/form_inscription_mineur.pdf and attach proof of residence and copies of the parents' documents. Once registered, the child can obtain Belgian documents from the consulate as they would from a municipality.

  7. What to know firstThe announced rates (passport for minor around 35 €, Kids-ID 10 €) are orders of magnitude: consular rates changed again in August 2026. Check on https://diplomatie.belgium.be/fr/pour-les-belges-letranger/tarifs-consulaires and call the post to confirm the exact amount and list of documents, which varies by country.

    Ask for his first travel document

    A Kids-ID costs about 10 € and is for children under 12; it is sufficient for travel within the European Union and about 50 countries. A passport is required for the rest of the world. Form for children under 6: https://diplomatie.belgium.be/sites/default/files/2024-07/2024-FR-Demande-de-passeport-formulaire-pour-enfants-de-moins-de-6-ans.pdf. Form from age 6: https://diplomatie.belgium.be/sites/default/files/2024-07/2024-FR-Demande-de-passeport-formulaire-pour-adultes-et-enfants-à-partir-de-6-ans.pdf. Both parents sign. Before age 6, the application can often be posted with a photograph; from age 6, the child must attend; fingerprints are taken from age 12.

This guide offers guidance, never legal advice. Practice differs from one commune to another: call before you go. If you are in immediate danger, call 112.