The Registration Certificate is a temporary residence document issued to third-country nationals who have applied for residence in Belgium but have not yet received a decision, in cases and at stages of the procedure where Belgian legislation provides for its issuance. It may, for example, be issued to applicants for international protection, applicants for family reunification in certain circumstances, and applicants for medical regularisation whose application has been declared admissible. Depending on the procedure, the Registration Certificate may be renewed while the application is pending.

The previous model had been in use for more than 40 years. The new model consists of a 12-page booklet and incorporates the holder’s identity details, including their photograph, name, date of birth and signature, during production. It also contains a unique document number and is linked to the National Register. These features are intended to strengthen document security and make the certificate more difficult to falsify. The modernisation concerns the document and its administrative management and does not change the conditions for issuing the Registration Certificate or the residence right and associated rights evidenced by it.

The new model is being introduced gradually. From 28 September 2026, municipalities issue it to persons receiving a Registration Certificate for the first time and when an existing certificate needs to be extended but no space remains on the document. During the transition period, the new booklet, the existing orange card and the temporary A4 model will therefore coexist. Existing paper certificates remain valid until they expire or can no longer be extended.

The introduction of the new model also simplifies its administrative management. Municipalities no longer need to maintain a separate register for the issuance of new Registration Certificates. A central database records the data of newly issued certificates, while the new model is integrated into Checkdoc, enabling services and institutions with access to the application to verify whether a certificate is valid.

For further information, please read the press release from the Immigration Office, from VVSG (in Dutch) or from SudInfo (in French).