Registration/e-Consul

• Why register?
• How to register (e-Consul)?
• How to register (via registration form)?
• Follow-up of your administrative file
   

If you are planning to move abroad for a longer period of time, you must declare this move to your local administration. When notifying your move, please inform them of your new address. If you do not have a new address yet, state the country of your destination. Your local administration will then issue a ‘model 8’ form stating that you have been struck from the population register.

Once you arrive abroad, you may then register in the consular population register of the Consulate general in Pretoria or Cape Town. The registration is free and while it is not mandatory, it is strongly recommended. By registering, we can deliver assistance and provide you with different consular services such as issuing a passport or certificates, helping you with the registry, nationality or notary deeds. As Belgian, you can also take part in the federal legislative elections.

For your information, below you will find the services we are able to provide if you are or are not registered:

Good to know: some citizens may or must remain registered in Belgium, even though they move abroad, i.e. mainly students keeping their domicile at their parents’ house, some civil servants, military staff and international civil servants. If you fall into those categories, you will be considered as “temporarily absent.” You must however notify your temporary absence to your municipality. You may not register at the Consulate general, however, we can add you as “temporarily registered”. This may be useful if we need to contact you in case of emergency.
 

From 01/12/2020, the Consulate general of Belgium in Pretoria and the Consulate general of Belgium in Cape Town offer you the option to register yourself online in the consular population registers.

You have access to this website if you:

• are Belgian;
• are not or no longer registered at a Belgian commune, because you informed the commune about your departure abroad;
• are in the possession of a valid activated Belgian eID;
• know your PIN-code and have a card reader;

You can buy a card reader locally, for example on following website

Via e-Consul (and if you are already registered), you can also request certain attestations free of charge if the attestation needs to be handed in to a Belgian administrative authority or a Belgian social security institution.

Following attestations can be requested:

• civil status certificate
• family composition certificate
• registration certificate
• nationality certificate
• attestation of residence
• attestation of residence with history of past adresses

You can also upload a life certificate for validation, together with supporting documents.
 

You can also register via email. Kindly email the following documents to the competent Consulate general:

• Completed and signed registration form (1 per family member, the form for minors needs to be signed by both parents and accompanied by a copy of their passport or ID document) – see forms
• Model 8 form if you moved from Belgium.
• Copy of the passports/ID cards of all family members.
• Copy of your residence permit.
• Proof of address.
• Completed registration form for future elections – see forms
   

Should your personal situation, civil status, address, etc. change, you must notify the competent Consulate general by submitting the necessary supporting documents.