Apply for Belgium Identification card

Belgium Identification card

The full list of cards in issuance is as follows:

Belgium Identification cards issued to citizens

• eID for adult Belgian citizens
• Kids-ID Belgium Identification card for 12 years old

 Resident Cards issued to foreigners

Third country nationals

The following cards are issued to third country nationals (i.e. foreigners who are not EU/EEA/Swiss citizens):

• A – temporary right of residence (1 year)
• B – permanent right of residence
• C – right of establishment – affording slightly improved legal rights compared to the B card
• D – long-term residents – allowing residence in other EU countries
• H – European blue card- for highly-qualified temporary workers (valid for 13 months in the first two years, then for 3 years)

The exact distinctions between B, C and D cards are not widely understood and subject to significant confusion.

EU/EEA/Swiss citizens

• E – temporary right of residence (5 years)
• E+ – permanent right of residence

Family members of EU/EEA/Swiss citizens.

• F – temporary right of residence (5 years)
• F+ – permanent right of residence

Former EU citizens

The following cards have been created for British nationals resident in Belgium prior to 31 December 2020 and therefore benefiting from the Brexit withdrawal agreement:

• M – residents
• N – cross-border workers

Special identity cards

• Diplomatic
• Consular
• Special (red or blue)
• Special (children)
  

  Physical format

  Belgian identity cards are formatted in a credit card manner (ID1) and contain a 3-line machine-readable strip on the back starting with IDBEL. The cards conform to ISO/IEC 7816.

  It is possible that some Belgian consulates still issue old-style ID cards (105 x 75 mm).

  Languages

  Identity cards carry a heading of “Belgium / Identity card” written in all four national languages (English, Flemish, French and German). Resident cards bear a heading of “Belgium” and the type of card, such as “E+ Card”.

  All remaining fields are bilingual – English in combination with either Dutch, French or German – depending on the official language of the place of residence of the subject. If the place of residence is a Brussels municipality, the holder may choose between French or Dutch. If the place of residence is a municipality with language facilities, the holder may choose between French or Dutch, or French or German, depending on the local language facilities.

  Printed information

  Identity/resident cards are printed with the following information relating to the subject:

  • card type
  • photograph of the bearer’s face
  • names (surname and the first two given names)
  • nobility title (where applicable)
  • place and date of birth
  • sex (i.e. gender)
  • nationality (BELG/BELGE for a Belgian citizen)
  • card number (12 digits in the form xxx-xxxxxxx-yy) not to be confused with the person’s National Register number
  • validity period of the card (start date and end date)
  • signature of the person
  • National Register number (11 digits of the form yy.mm.dd-xxx.cd where yy.mm.dd is the birth date, xxx is a sequential number (odd for males and even for females) and cd a check-digit)
  • place of issue (i.e. the name of the municipality or embassy)
  • marital status (optional)
  • residential address (for cards issued before 2005)

  Digital information for

  Identity cards issued since 2005 contain a chip, which includes additional information, including:

  • a digital certificate
  • residential address
  • up to two fingerprints (since 2000)