Authorisation to stay (9bis, 9ter)

As a general rule, foreign nationals who wish to stay in Belgium for more than 90 days must apply for a D

an authorisation issued by a Member State or a decision taken by such State which is required with a view to entry for an intended stay in that Member State or in several Member States, or for transit through the territory of that Member State or several Member States.

(national long-stay visa) to the Belgian diplomatic or consular post responsible for the place where they usually reside abroad. _{[Article 9 of the law of 15 December 1980]}

_{Exceptionally, they may submit their application in Belgium in the following cases:}

• _{when there are exceptional circumstances that justify the application being made in Belgium (Article 9bis of the Law);}
• _{for medical reasons (Article 9ter of the Law);}
• _{when they are already legally resident in Belgium (article 25/2 of the Royal Decree of 8 October 1981).}

As a general rule, permission to stay in Belgium for more than 90 days is granted for a limited period and the foreign national receives a residence permit (A card).

As a rule, the application to renew the residence permit must be submitted to the municipal authorities of the place of residence between the 60^th and 30^th day before the expiry date. _{[Article 32, §1 of the Royal Decree of 8 October 1981, amended by the Royal Decree of 12 December 2023]}

Foreign nationals admitted or authorised to stay for a limited period must submit documents proving that they still meet the conditions for residence.

Read more: Extension of stay