How to apply for temporary protection in Belgium: entry conditions, appendix 15 and card A
The European Union will continue to grant temporary protection status to Ukrainians until March 2024. Belgium is no exception, where 55,000 Ukrainians currently live. The country provides refugees with financial, social and legal support. About the rules of entry, processing of documents and rights of Ukrainians further.
Rules of entry
As with all EU countries, a foreign passport is required to enter Belgium. If you do not have a passport, you can provide any other identity document. However, without a biometric passport, Ukrainians are allowed to enter only through the land border, the rule does not apply to Belgian airports and seaports.
Entry restrictions to Belgium due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been lifted.
If you are traveling with a pet (cat, dog), it must have a chip, a certificate of a safe rabies titer and be provided with an appropriate international passport. Details at the link.
You can stay in the country under visa-free conditions for up to 90 days, or obtain temporary protection status. It is also possible to apply for refugee status. About the features of applying for asylum in the EU here.
You can purchase a "Green Card" insurance policy for traveling abroad in your own car by following the link.
Ukrainians can also exchange hryvnias for euros in Belgium without additional fees.
Where to apply for protection?
The Federal Migration Service of Belgium has created a Registration Center for citizens of Ukraine, it is located in Brussels, at the address: 40 Place Victor Horta, 1060 Bruxelles. It is open from Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Registration is not available on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. If you arrive in the country at a time when the center is not open, there is an official representative of the Red Cross center at the train station in Brussels who will help you register.
You can legally live and work in Belgium if you have an Annexe 15/Bijlage 15 (Annex 15) and a temporary residence permit in a type A country:
• Appendix 15 is a confirmation of arrival in the country and registration in the state municipality. It is issued for the waiting time of card A. It can be issued at the Registration Center for citizens of Ukraine. The Annexe 15/Bijlage 15 service can cost up to €17 per person. It is sent to the e-mail address you specified within 2-5 days from the moment of submitting the application.
• Type A card is issued by local municipalities in Belgium. The service costs 17-25 euros per person + the cost of a photo (5-7 euros). Registration takes from several weeks to 2-3 months. You will receive a letter in the mail with the pin code for the card, after which you need to come to the municipality to activate and receive the A card.
A type A temporary residence permit in Belgium is issued for a period of one year and provides access to social protection (medical insurance, cash payments for maintenance, education of children in schools, psychological assistance, etc.).
Free travel
On the day of arrival in Belgium, Ukrainians can use the right to travel for free on the SNCB train network. To do this, you need to present your DB "Helpukraine" ticket or your Ukrainian passport, ID card, or other identification.
You will also be issued a universal Fedasil Bulk Ticket at the Registration Office, which will allow you to move to your future place of residence in Belgium for free.
Financial assistance
The amount of financial aid in Belgium depends on the composition of the family, the number of children and their age.
The amount of payments is:
• €1,100 per person living alone;
• family members will receive €750 each;
• for each child, depending on their number, additionally from 100 to €200.
However, the total monthly payment cannot exceed €1,560 per family.
To apply, go to the nearest OCMW/CPAS social security center with your passport and a certificate of protection (card A or certificate Annexe 15/ Bijlage 15). More details at the link.
Dwelling
In Belgium, Ukrainians can live with a Belgian family or in social housing. The Federal Agency for the Reception of Ukrainian Refugees (FEDASIL) will direct you to a municipality with available accommodation.
More details about the accommodation offered by Belgian citizens can be found at the link.
We draw your attention to the fact that social services first check the living conditions offered to refugees. You and the landlord can also sign an agreement on the temporary provision of housing, which defines the rights and obligations of everyone.
Ukrainians who plan to rent housing in Belgium on their own can search for housing by following the link. In addition, the country recently announced the construction of a village for Ukrainian refugees.
Where to look for work?
Ukrainians have the right to work legally in Belgium, however, to work you need:
• have an A card (or Appendix 15 to the issuance of an A card) with unlimited access to the labor market;
• register with the state employment and vocational training service (Le Forem).
The employment center can match you with vacancies, provide access to French language courses or provide you with a new profession.
The IFAPME organization offers many careers of the future, courses are available for people over 15 years old.
You can also look for a job on your own.
Education
Ukrainian children can go to kindergartens and schools in Belgium after registering in municipalities.
Kindergarten accepts children under the age of 3. They are paid, but the cost is calculated according to the income of each individual family.
Children go to school in Belgium at the age of 2.5-3, it is free. Schools offer integration programs designed specifically for foreign-speaking children.
Medical services
Only Ukrainians who have issued Appendix 15 or an A card can receive free medical care in Belgium, so we advise you to take care of an insurance policy before traveling to Belgium, because this is a guarantee of your safety and a peaceful stay in the country until you receive all the necessary permits.
For those who receive temporary protection status, health insurance will cover all necessary medical care.
In the event that you need urgent medical assistance, you can contact any doctor or the reception department of the nearest hospital. Procedures will be provided free of charge.
For non-urgent medical care, contact your city's OCMW/CPAS.
More detailed information about temporary protection in Belgium is available at the link.
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Transport
The simultaneous stay of visitors in the hotel lobby not more than one person per 10 square meters of serviceable area is allowed.
Persons can visit hotels and stay there (outside hotel room) only if they wear respirator or face mask (including homemade mask), so that the nose and mouth are covered.
Hotel guests are obliged to keep the 1.5 meters distance.
Online check-in making in advance is recommended to avoid queues at check-in to hotel.
Meals in hotels are provided through meals delivery service to rooms upon prior order or at hotel restaurants situated inside or in open areas, provided the distance of at least 1.5 meters between seats at adjacent tables.
Not more than 4 clients are allowed to stay at the table (excluding children under 14 years old). Unless these tables are separated by a special partition;
Self-serve is not allowed.