Since March 2015 migrants who apply for certain residence permits have to pay a fee in order to cover the administrative costs related to the processing of their application. The Belgian Council of Ministers decided on 27 January 2017 on the Executive Decree that the amount for the fee will go up to a maximum of 350 EUR. 

The amount– as it was introduced in 2015 – varied according to the category between 0, 60,160 or 215 EUR (more information here). The payment of the fee is an admissibility criterion for the application.

The press release of the Council of Ministers states that the fee will go up now, for the category paying 160 EUR, this will increase to 200 EUR, and for the category paying 215 EUR, this will increase to 350 EUR.

At the time of writing it was not yet published in the Belgian Official Gazette. However, the State Secretary announced that it would be in force from March 2017 onwards.

This fee differs from the fee that the municipalities will be able to ask to renew, extend or replace a temporary residence permit.