Rights and obligations of asylum-seekers (applicants for international protection)
As an applicant for international protection in Belgium, you always have the following rights and obligations:
- You have the right to receive information about your application, and your rights and duties in a language you understand.
- You are entitled to basic assistance including accommodation, food, legal, medical and psychosocial assistance.
- You are obliged to cooperate fully with the Belgian authorities.
- You must respect Belgian law.
As soon as you have registered as an applicant of international procedure, you have certain rights and obligations:
- You can legally stay in Belgium until a final decision on your application has been taken.
- Belgian authorities will assign you to a place in a reception centre (for free), which you cannot choose. You are not obliged to stay at the reception location which you have been assigned to and you can move around freely within Belgium. However, you are NOT allowed to travel to another country. After a stay of 4 months at a collective reception centre, you may ask for an individual residence.
- Applicants of international protection do NOT immediately have the right to work in Belgium. Applicants of international protection may obtain the right to work 4 months after they have submitted their application for international protection.
- You can get access to primary health care, but for some advanced services you may have to pay a minimal fee.
- You are entitled to a daily allowance.
- Children between 6 and 18 are obliged to go to school.
- You must inform the Immigration Office and CGRS every time your address changes.
Rights and obligations of recognized refugees and/or beneficiaries of subsidiary protection
Being granted refugee or subsidiary protection status in Belgium comes with the same rights and obligations as for Belgian citizens.
If you experience any difficulties regarding your rights and obligations, please consult a lawyer or a legal service. You can also contact your municipality for questions about how to acquire Belgian nationality and identity documents, or your local CPAS/OCMW about social issues (integration, etc.) or income support. The Immigration Office can advise you about visas, residence permits and family reunification.
If you are granted refugee status in Belgium:
- You must respect Belgian law. If you commit criminal acts, you risk losing your refugee status.
- You have the right to reside in Belgium for a period of five years. After five years, you will be entitled to permanent residence.
- You have the right to work in Belgium.
- You are entitled to the same social security benefits as Belgian nationals.
- You are allowed to travel abroad with the travel document provided to recognized refugees. Note that if you travel to your country of origin, you might lose your refugee status.
- You can apply for family reunification.
- You have the right to obtain the Belgian nationality. Contact your municipality for more information.
- Your refugee status does not allow you to have any contact with the authorities (including the embassy) of your country of origin. You therefore have the right to ask the CGRS (Helpdesk Recognised Refugees and Stateless Persons) to issue documents that you can no longer obtain from the authorities of your country of origin (ex. birth certificates, marriage certificates if both spouses are in Belgium, divorce certificates, certificates of widowhood, refugee certificates, certificates of renunciation of refugee status). More information on how to contact them can be found here.
If you are granted subsidiary protection status in Belgium:
- You must respect Belgian law. If you commit criminal acts, you risk losing your protection status.
- You will receive a residence permit that is valid for one year. After one year, the permit can be renewed for another two years and then again for two years. After five years counting from the date on which your application for international protection was lodged, you will be entitled to permanent residence.
- You have the right to work in Belgium.
- You are entitled to the same social security benefits as Belgian nationals.
- You are allowed to travel abroad if you have a valid passport and the visas required for the countries you wish to visit. If you are unable to obtain a passport, you have to apply for a special travel document at the municipality where you are registered. Note that if you travel to your country of origin, you risk losing your subsidiary protection status.
- You can apply for family reunification.
- You have the right to obtain the Belgian nationality either through a declaration of nationality or naturalization, only after you have received indefinite leave to remain in Belgium.
Two regularly updated brochures on the rights of recognized refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection can be found here (on the bottom of the page).