Changing your residence status
This is your situation:
- You do not have the nationality of an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland
- You reside in Leuven.
- One of the following situations applies to you:
- You arrived in Belgium without a type D visa. You have already been here for less than 3 months and you wish to stay longer in Belgium (e.g. as a student, for family reunification …).
- You hold a Belgian residence card. You want to change your residence status, e.g. from student to self-employed.
Read below what you need to do.
Step 1: Gather the documents
For each application
- National passport
Biodata page. - Residence card or declaration of arrival (‘annex 3’)
- Front and back of your residence card
- This is not necessary if you have not reported a stay of less than 3 months and are applying for family reunification with a relative who has the nationality of an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland.
- Residence card of another Schengen country
If you have one.
Documents for your specific application
This depends on the change you are applying for.
Contact us to ask which documents you need to submit.
Step 2: Apply for a change of status
You can do so online or at the city office.
Online
What you need to know before you start
- Are you requesting the change of status for several family members? Complete the form for each family member separately.
Exception: you may complete 1 form for yourself and your minor children. - Attach the documents in colour.
- Preferably attach the documents in pdf (not applicable for photos).
- Make a single file of documents consisting of several pages or belonging together
E.g.- Several pay slips as 1 proof of financial means
- Original marriage certificate with accompanying translation and legalisation as 1 proof of the relationship
- A document or photo may not exceed 10 MB in size.
- Has one of your documents been signed digitally?
- E.g. a marriage certificate with translation or legalisation, or a work contract.
- Add the original document itself, not a photo. We must be able to verify the digital signature.
- The documents you had legalised by the Belgian embassy can be found at LegalWeb.
At the city office
Make an appointment
You can do so online or by phone.
Do you want to submit a change of status application for several persons? They must all come along. Therefore, indicate online the correct number of persons for the appointment, or mention this when you call.
Online
If you are not in Belgium, you can only make an appointment by phone.
Call us
Leuven Info
What do you need to bring?
Bring the original documents. You may not present them digitally.
What happens during your appointment?
You will receive proof of your application.
Step 3: Collect the proof of your application (only for online application)
Did you submit the application online? If so, no more than 2 weeks later you will receive an invitation to come to the city office to collect proof of your change of status application. You make an appointment.
Did you submit your application at the city office?
Then you already received this proof during your appointment.
What do you need to bring?
- National passport
- Invitation from the city
- The documents mentioned in your invitation
How to make an appointment?
You can do so online or by phone.
Online
If you are not in Belgium, you can only make an appointment by phone.
Call us
Leuven Info
Step 4: You will receive a decision
When you receive a decision depends on the change you are applying for. In most cases, we have to wait for a decision from the Immigration Office of the federal authorities. The city will invite you as soon as one has been made.
Price
- Adults
You pay an administrative fee to the Immigration Office of the federal authorities. The amount depends on the change you are applying for. - Minors
No fee.
Do you have a question?
Contact us. We are happy to help you.