On Tuesday 14 November, from noon, the Expat Welcome Desk of the Commissioner.brussels will be holding a webinar on Belgian nationality. Every year, many UK citizens become eligible for Belgian nationality. This opportunity is all the more relevant post-Brexit, as becoming Belgian not only offers a route to unconditional residence and democratic rights in Belgium, but also restores your rights as an EU citizen — including freedom of movement within the rest of the EU. But what is the process?

This webinar will address the practical details of preparing and submitting an application for Belgian nationality. The aim will be to help potential applicants to better understand the process and the documentation needed to be present a competent case to the Belgian authorities.

Topics to be addressed include:

• Which documents will I need and where can I find them?
• How and where do I submit my application for Belgian nationality?
• How long will the process take?
• What are my options if I get a negative response?

After the presentations by legal experts, there will be an open a Q&A session for participants.

The speakers at the webinar will be Amélie Bovy, Legal Adviser Expat Welcome Desk, commissioner.brussels (the meeting Chair), and Wout Van Doren and Jana Schellemans, Senior Associates at Fragomen Brussels.

Earlier this year a webinar presenting the rules around Belgian nationality was held and a newsletter published exploring the consequences of becoming Belgian. There is also a chapter of the Brexit Helpdesk dedicated to nationality.

You can register for the webinar by email here. A link to access the webinar will be sent in advance of the meeting.

Belgium is still your home

The two-year project around the Brexit Helpdesk funded by the citizens’ rights pillar of the EU’s Brexit Adjustment Reserve will soon come to an end. A report ‘Brexit Impact Scan for UK Citizens in Brussels’ will summarise the key lessons learnt and how information and guidance offered by the Expat Welcome Desk has been updated.

To launch the report, and mark the end of the project, an in-person event will take place on 29 November from 18h00 at the Commissioner. Brussels/ Commissioner for Europe and International Organizations offices in Avenue d'Auderghem.

All are welcome to join a panel discussion and reception to launch the report, with the participation of the UK Ambassador to Belgium and also BBCA representatives. The event promises to be a celebratory evening full of interesting data and practical advice for anyone interested in the British community in Belgium.

A full invitation will be available soon but you can already register for the event today!