Since August 18, 2025, the law of July 18, 2025 amending the law of December 15, 1980 has entered into force. It introduces new conditions for family reunification (Law of July 18, 2025 amending the law of December 15, 1980 on access to the territory, residence, establishment and removal of foreigners concerning the conditions for family reunification, M.B., August 18, 2025, p. 64920).

The publication of the Law of 18 July 2025 in Belgium marks the entry into force of a measure already well known to the general public.

In 2024, Belgium had introduced a major step forward in family reunification law. The reform extended the right to reunification to parents of minor children with international protection, to families of stateless persons, and to relatives of beneficiaries of temporary protection. The goal was clear: to provide stronger legal protection and to avoid lengthy and uncertain humanitarian regularisation procedures.

Since 4 July 2025, an amendment to Article 50 of the Belgian Law of 15 December 1980 on Foreign Nationals provides that any application for international protection lodged by a person already recognized as a refugee in another Member State of the European Union is to be treated as a “subsequent” application. In parallel, an amendment to the Reception Act of 12 January 2007 allows for the limitation or withdrawal of the right to material assistance if an applicant already benefits from international protection in another Member State of the European Union.

The Law of 15 December 1980 on the access to the territory, residence, settlement and removal of foreigners establishes the legal framework for the residence of Union citizens and their families. The Royal Decree of 8 October 1981 specifies the procedures for implementing this law – particularly Articles 42 and following, relating to the registration certificate (known as 'Annex 19' for EU citizens, Swiss nationals, and their family members).

The procedure for acquiring Belgian nationality is expected to become significantly more expensive. The current administrative fee of €150 will be raised to €1,000, with annual indexation to follow. While this increase was initially announced for July 1, 2025, the measure is part of a draft programme law submitted on May 27, which still needs to be approved and published in the Belgian Official Gazette before it takes effect.

Since the re-election of Donald Trump, the United States has experienced an increasingly politically polarized climate, with decrees, regulations and laws gradually limiting many individual freedoms. This situation has led many Americans, including environmentalists, researchers, Democrats and members of the LGBTQ+ community, to consider moving to Europe.

Transmission of the family name has long been perceived as the indisputable legacy of the father. The Belgian Civil Code thus restricted the choices as to transmission of the surname, making transmission of the father's name the rule, and transmission of the mother's name the exception (mainly when there was no legal father). In response to modern society's quest for better gender equality and greater international mobility in regard to the transmission of names, people's rights to naming children have evolved.

The loss of Belgian citizenship often feels like a real injustice, with former Belgians feeling dispossessed of part of their identity. These former Belgians can try to get their nationality back via the recovery procedure. However, the impact of such a procedure is limited since it only applies to the individual person and, for the moment, does not have an automatic retroactive effect, which can have significant consequences, especially for the nationality of any children.

Before the reforms of the Belgian Nationality Code in 2000 and 2012, obtaining nationality included a morality and personality investigation. These investigations, conducted by police officers, intended to assess the integration of candidates for Belgian nationality. Among the criteria assessed were language proficiency, participation in social life, but also more personal, sometimes intrusive aspects, including questions about knowledge of traditional Belgian dishes. These investigations, perceived as disconnected from genuine integration efforts, were widely criticized for their excessive and inappropriate subjective nature.