RESIDENCE · 5 OCTOBER 2026
What the new orange card means for your residence
Since 28 September 2026, Belgium has been gradually introducing a new registration certificate, known as the attestation d’immatriculation or orange card. The new model resembles a small passport booklet. This may raise questions: do you need to replace your current card, can you travel with it, and does your right to work change?
The Immigration Office confirms that this modernisation does not change the conditions for issuing the document or the rights attached to it. Your particular residence procedure therefore remains decisive. The following checks can help you understand your position. [1, 2]
A provisional document during your procedure
In the procedures where it is provided for, a registration certificate shows that you may provisionally remain in Belgium while your application is being examined. It may be issued in connection with an application for international protection, certain family reunification applications or medical regularisation. Submitting a residence application does not automatically entitle everyone to this certificate. The relevant procedure and the stage reached in the case must allow it. [4, 5]
The document does not itself mean that your application has been finally approved. Two people holding the same model may have different legal situations. Keep your application receipt, any annexes and decisions alongside your certificate. Together, these documents clarify the basis of your residence and the next step requiring attention.
What changes in the document
The Royal Decree of 24 June 2026 establishes the new model: a secure twelve-page booklet. It records, among other things, your personal details, the expiry date, the reason for issue and information about access to the labour market. Separate pages are provided for extensions and changes to the labour-market entry. [3]
When you receive it, check your details and its validity date. Ask the municipality for clarification if the reason for issue or the information about work does not match your case. A familiar cover alone is not enough to establish your rights.
Your current orange card remains usable for now
If you already hold a valid certificate, the introduction of the new model does not require you to request a replacement immediately. This applies both to the traditional orange card and to the temporary A4 version. The Immigration Office confirms that these existing documents remain valid until their expiry date. [1]
The transitional provision also allows an old certificate to be extended while there is space to record the extension. You must, of course, still qualify for an extension under your procedure. The new model is issued, among other cases, to first-time holders and when an extension is possible but the space on the old document has been used up. The minister may later set a general end date for old models. [3]
Pay particular attention to the validity of your document and any municipal instructions. Someone else receiving a new orange card does not automatically invalidate your own valid card.
Extensions still require follow-up
The new format does not create one validity period for every case. For a first application for international protection, for example, the Immigration Office describes a certificate valid for four months from the application date. Extensions of eight months are then possible, unless the Office advises otherwise. These periods must not simply be applied to other procedures. [4]
Contact your municipality before the expiry date and ask which documents are required. Keep your current certificate and procedural documents available. Continue to follow up invitations, requests for additional evidence and decisions. An appointment to obtain a new document is no reason to postpone correspondence about the substance of your application.
Working depends on the basis of your residence
A registration certificate does not give the same access to employment in every situation. Read the labour-market entry together with the legal rules applicable to your procedure. A new orange card does not automatically authorise you to start working.
According to Fedasil, applicants for international protection may work four months after submitting their application if the CGRS has not yet made a decision. The municipality updates the labour-market entry accordingly. This is a specific rule for that group, not a general waiting period for everyone holding a certificate. [6]
If an employer is unsure, checking both the valid document and the progress of the procedure can avoid misunderstandings. Have any missing or incorrect entry clarified before assuming that work is either permitted or prohibited.
The orange card does not itself confer a right to travel
Its appearance can be misleading: the registration certificate remains a provisional residence document and does not become a passport because of its new format. It does not itself allow free travel within the Schengen area. Even a short visit to a neighbouring country therefore requires attention. [5, 7, 8]
Before planning a journey, have the required travel documents and any visas checked, establish whether you can return to Belgium, and consider the possible effects of departure on your pending procedure. A valid national passport together with the certificate is not automatically sufficient.
Particular care is needed during an asylum procedure. Fedasil expressly states that applicants may not travel abroad during that procedure and that the certificate is not an authorisation to travel in Europe. Do not assume you have the same options as someone with a different residence card. [7]
Preparing for your municipal appointment
Practical arrangements vary between municipalities. Ask about the appointment, the photograph or photo-taking arrangements, the documents to bring, the fee and when the certificate can be collected. The City of Bruges, for example, states that the new certificate is not handed over immediately. One municipality’s timing or fee does not necessarily apply elsewhere. [8, 9]
For your own records, make a short list of the expiry date, the pending procedure, missing documents and questions about employment or a planned journey. Keep a legible copy of the certificate and all extensions. If there is uncertainty about the basis of your residence or a negative decision, the complete case should receive timely legal assessment.
Further information
Discuss your situation at the office in Mechelen or online from Belgium or abroad. Request an appointment.
General information based on the sources consulted on 5 October 2026. This article does not constitute individual legal advice.