student_life_leuvenHey all. I am finally almost at the 5 year mark for my own papers so I was wondering how the process works for my partner and kids on family reunification? Can they also get the permanent card if they have been here for 5 years too or is it a different thing? Just gotta make sure we all get our papers sorted at the same time so we dont have to worry about renewals anymore!!
Accepted answer
garden_teacher_70You need to be here for 5 years legally without any gaps and you must show you have enough money so you dont rely on the CPAS. You go to the commune to apply for either the B card or the EU long-term resident L card. It is quite a lot of paperwork but it is worth it. Securing a medical residency spot is also very hard here because it usually favors the local graduates in the first rounds !
mister_bxl_77A long process (especially with the paperwork at the commune). Just keep in mind that looking into medical careers, becoming a family doctor is often a much more realistic path in Belgium than trying to get into more specialized roles where the competition is fierce.
flanders_buildsBe aware that there are way too many doctors in Wallonia right now so finding a spot there is tough.
antwerp_sales_proA lot of people think once the commune says yes it is over but that is just an 'admissibility' step. They just forward everything to the DVZ at the federal level for the actual decision. It is not a guaranteed 'win' just because the local office liked your file.
bruges_woodworkThe federal office usually takes about 13 to 17 weeks to make a final call. Hope it goes well for you. Good luck
student_life_leuvenThanks so much for the help everyone!