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just arrived:: how to get started

fotorebelion

hello
i just arrived to belgum q few days ago plan to live here a while:: right now i am in ghent but will probably move to the french part.. im from to the USA married to a person from SPAIN and we want to start on our way to get the belgan cards and get set up propaly:: we where told first we have to regester in a place to live.. can people advise how to do this:: which citites are the easist to go through with the paperwork?

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tervurener

There is only one place to avoid, unless you like lines, that's Ville de Bruxelles, but I certainly wouldn't choose where to live based on a couple of hours pain standing in a line. Choose to live where you want to live. You have 8 days to register from arrival.

hannahhadman

Yeah gHents geogous and just in time for the Ghent Feesten but im sure you have your reasons for moving odd you choose ghent first

fotorebelion

thanx but my main concer  is to get our belgian cards we need to be registared in a house.. but friends told us it can take months for the interview to aprove the registration.. also we need a job contract?!?!? what if we want to be autonmos works?

fotorebelion

also if yo know of any asocsition that help people get started or oriented?

tervurener

yes there are relocation agents who will help you for a fee. You need to google "relocation agent belgium"

hannahhadman

Yes the above stuff is true about regiesteration and yes you need a job contract to get your id card. Or be leiving with a Belgium partner saman woonen. However I have no idea what this autonmos works So cant help there

tervurener

It should take you 15 minutes to register as EEA family reunification, then you'll wait 5 or so months before it's approved (waiting to check you do not claim benefits). Your wife can work immediately. You must wait until your application is approved, unless you want to go through applying for a work permit and not under EEA family reunification.

To have your registration approved, you need a proof of address and proof of income. Income is any money, doesn't need to be a job. So if you have no money and no job, neither of your will have your registration approved. If you have income and can proved it - if I were a commune official faced with a couple who don't yet have jobs, I'd want to see about 10k in the bank minimum, as the amount to cover 6 months here paying rent and bills.

So apart from proof of address and income, you'll need passports and marriage certificate. A pain in the neck commune official will require you to have a certified translation of the marriage certificate, a reasonable one (or a commune registration office with reasonable rules) would accept and English marriage certificate, honestly the wording isn't so different to French or Dutch that someone wouldn't be able to understand it!