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Recognised refugees


Recognition of refugee status entitles the refugee to unlimited residence in Belgium.
The Documents Service of the CGRS is in charge of providing recognised refugees with the documents they are not able to obtain from their country’s authorities.

Refugee status entails numerous rights, comparable to those of people with Belgian nationality, but also obligations. These rights and obligations are:

  1. complying with Belgian law;
  2. working in Belgium;
  3. travelling abroad;
  4. obtaining refugee status for minor children;
  5. applying for family reunification;
  6. transferring or confirming refugee status;
  7. obtaining Belgian nationality;
  8. ending the refugee status.

Recognised refugees must ask to be registered in the aliens register of the municipality where they are staying. When showing the refugee certificate they were issued by the CGRS they will be issued an identity document by the municipality:

  • In most cases, a certificate of registration in the aliens register, which has to be renewed by the municipal authorities each year. In the case of an electronic card, this is valid for 5 years.
  • An identity card for foreigners, which has to be renewed every 5 years.
    The renewal must be applied for by the recognised refugee. He/she is also under the obligation to check that the document correctly indicates his/her refugee status and his/her country of origin.