EU citizens who have resided in Belgium for an uninterrupted period of five years, starting from their registration in the waiting list register, can request a document proving the permanence of their stay from the municipal authority of their place of residence. [Annex 22 to the Royal Decree of 08/10/1981]
The municipal authority declares the application of the EU citizen inadmissible if he/she has not resided in Belgium for at least five years since his/her registration in the waiting list register and if he/she does not submit the documents which prove that he/she can benefit from one of the derogations described in article 55, second paragraph, of the Royal Decree of 08/10/1981. [Annex 23 to the Royal Decree of 08/10/1981]
The municipal authority forwards the application for permanent residence of an EU citizen who has resided in Belgium for at least five years from the date of registration in the waiting list register to the Immigration Office. The Immigration Office shall take a decision within five months from the date of submission of annex 22.
If the Immigration Office does not recognize the right of permanent residence, it notifies the EU citizen. [Annex 24 to the Royal Decree of 08/10/1981]
If the Immigration Office recognizes the right of residence, the municipality gives the EU citizen a provisional document proving permanent residence [annex 8quater to the Royal Decree of 08/10/1981]. Subsequently, the municipality issues a document proving his permanent residence to the EU citizen [EU+ card].
If the EU citizen's residence document expires during the examination of his/her application for permanent residence, the municipal authority will give him/her a provisional residence document, the duration of which corresponds to the remaining time of the five-month period granted to the Immigration Office to make its decision. [Annex 8ter to the Royal Decree of 08/10/1981]
The continuity of residence is not affected by temporary absences not exceeding a total of six months per year, nor by longer absences for the fulfilment of military obligations or by one absence of up to twelve consecutive months for important reasons, such as pregnancy and childbirth, serious illness, study or vocational training, or secondment for professional reasons outside the Kingdom.
Once acquired, the right of permanent residence can only be lost by an absence from Belgium of more than two consecutive years.