Deregistration on Emigration from Belgium 2026: Notice of Departure and Model 8

What changes in 2026: model 8 and the digital gemeente/commune

From January 2026, almost every Belgian gemeente (Flanders) and commune (Wallonia/Brussels) requires online appointment booking through the eID-secured citizen portal (mijnburgerprofiel.be / monespacecitoyen.be) before issuing the model 8 (modèle 8) — the official certificate of removal from the Rijksregister/Registre national. Walk-in services have largely disappeared in Antwerp, Ghent, Brussels-City, Liège and Charleroi, with average waiting times for next-available slots ranging from 3 to 7 weeks. The legal basis remains the Royal Decree of 16 July 1992 on population registers and the foreigners’ register, complemented by the 2025 update on cross-border digital identity (eIDAS 2.0).

Belgium’s federal structure means each of the three Regions (Vlaams Gewest / Région wallonne / Région de Bruxelles-Capitale) has its own portal, but the underlying Rijksregister/Registre national is federal. Your rijksregisternummer (national number) follows you to your new country and remains the unique key for FOD Financiën / SPF Finances, FPD/SFP, RIZIV/INAMI, DIV and any future correspondence with Belgian authorities — never delete it from your records.

Step-by-step: from booking to model 8

1. Book the appointment 4-6 weeks ahead via the gemeente/commune website or via mijnburgerprofiel.be / monespacecitoyen.be using itsme or eID. Search for ”vertrek naar het buitenland” / ”depart vers l’etranger” / ”emigration”. Some gemeenten in Flanders (Ghent, Leuven, Mechelen) accept fully digital declarations through the Vlaanderen.be e-counter — no physical visit needed.

2. Submit the declaration of departure (aangifte van vertrek / declaration de depart) at least 8 days before leaving Belgium. This is a legal obligation under Article 7 of the 1992 Royal Decree. The wijkagent / agent de quartier (neighbourhood police officer) will then visit your address within 1-3 weeks to verify you have indeed left — they look for empty letterboxes, deactivated meters and, increasingly, neighbour confirmation.

3. Receive the model 8 (modele 8). After positive police check, the gemeente/commune issues the model 8 by post or via the citizen portal. Standard fee: EUR 0-15 depending on the municipality. If you need it certified for foreign authorities (e.g. Spanish padron, French inscription consulaire), request a multilingual EU standard form under Regulation 2016/1191 — free of charge in EU contexts, no apostille required.

4. Distribute the model 8 to: your mutuality (RIZIV/INAMI affiliate — Christelijke Mutualiteit, Solidaris, Liberale Mutualiteit, see our mutuality guide), FOD Financiën / SPF Finances via MyMinFin (to switch from BNI/NR to non-resident — see our tax emigration guide), FPD/SFP if you draw or accrue Belgian pension, your bank, DIV (vehicle registration) and any other Belgian body.

Special cases: families, students, frontaliers and diplomats

Families with children and the head of household

The hoofd van het gezin / chef de menage declares departure for the entire household. All members listed at the same address are deregistered together. Children’s schoolplicht / obligation scolaire continues until they are formally enrolled abroad — Belgian municipalities cross-check enrolment with FWB (Federation Wallonie-Bruxelles) and Onderwijs Vlaanderen. Failure to enrol can trigger fines under the schoolplichtwet of EUR 50-1,250 per child.

Students Erasmus and short stays

An Erasmus exchange of less than one year does not require model 8 — instead declare a temporary absence (tijdelijke afwezigheid / absence temporaire) at the gemeente/commune. This preserves your mutuality coverage via the EHIC and your residency rights. Doctoral candidates relocating permanently must file the standard model 8.

Cross-border workers and EU posted workers

If you remain employed by a Belgian employer abroad (Posted-Worker status under EU 883/2004), the A1 certificate replaces the deregistration for social-security purposes — but you still file model 8 for tax residency. Confirm with FPS Employment and your sociaal secretariaat / secretariat social (Acerta, SD Worx, Securex, Partena) before deregistering.

Diplomats and Belgian civil servants posted abroad

FPS Foreign Affairs personnel and other federal officials (FOD/SPF) posted through their administration retain Belgian residency under Article 8 of the 1992 RD. Submit the form via your HR department, not the gemeente/commune. Your rijksregisternummer remains active under the consular code.

Common mistakes that delay or invalidate the model 8

What the gemeente/commune does NOT do

The model 8 only updates the Rijksregister/Registre national. It does NOT terminate your rental contract (notice via huurwet/loi sur les baux: 3 months to landlord), close bank accounts (separate written notice to KBC, BNP Paribas Fortis, Belfius or ING Belgium), cancel utility contracts (Engie, Luminus, Mega — each with its own notice rules), end mobile contracts (Proximus, Orange, Telenet/BASE), or affect your Belgian driving licence (still valid abroad — see our licence guide). Build a 30-day pre-departure checklist that includes all of these in addition to the gemeente visit.

Foreign authorities and the model 8

Within the EU/EEA, the model 8 accompanied by an EU multilingual standard form (under Regulation 2016/1191) is accepted without translation or apostille. For Switzerland, UK and overseas destinations, request an apostille from FPS Foreign Affairs (about EUR 20, processing 5-10 working days). Belgian consulates abroad can certify documents but cannot issue apostilles. For destinations such as USA, Canada, Australia, plan EUR 60-150 total for apostille plus sworn translation by a beedigd vertaler / traducteur jure registered with the Belgian Justice Department.

Timeline: ideal 60-day deregistration plan

Day -60: Book gemeente/commune appointment. Notify landlord per huurwet/loi sur les baux (3 months minimum). Order EHIC for transition months.

Day -30: Confirm appointment, gather rijksregisternummer documents, eID, proof of new address abroad. Notify FOD Financien / SPF Finances via MyMinFin. Apply for S1 with mutuality if relevant.

Day -14: Cancel utilities and telecom contracts. Inform sociaal secretariaat / secretariat social. Empty the Belgian letterbox (set up forwarding via bpost, EUR 35 for 12 months).

Day -8 to 0: Submit aangifte van vertrek / declaration de depart at gemeente/commune. Hand over keys to landlord.

Day +14 to +30: Wijkagent/agent de quartier visit. Model 8 issued. Distribute to mutuality, FOD Financien, FPD/SFP, bank, DIV.

Day +90: File belasting niet-inwoners / impot non-residents declaration with FOD Financien for the part of year as Belgian resident.