Good afternoon. It’s Katie Westwood holding the pen on Belgium in Brief today.
If, like me, you are an immigrant living in Belgium, you will have been through the delightful experience of registering at the commune shortly after arriving in the country.
As an EU citizen, I was surprised by the number of hoops I was expected to jump through to live here. Not only did I have to invite a police officer to my home to carry out identity checks (not the best use of police resources, IMHO), but I also had to get a Belgian ID card and – before all that – demonstrate I was employed.
There are obviously good reasons for all this. The Belgian government is keen to ensure people don’t take advantage of its generous welfare system. Furthermore, it is politically useful for the government to be able to demonstrate to citizens that it is keeping tabs on immigration. (Perhaps if the British government had taken a similar approach pre-2016, Brexit might never have happened.)
But now, Belgium’s Federal Government is clamping down harder on EU citizens entering the country.
As Political Editor Maïthé Chini explains, the government is tightening checks on EU citizens looking for work, with residency rights potentially being withdrawn after six months if applicants cannot demonstrate they are trying to find employment. This is all within the letter of EU law on freedom of movement – though whether it is within the spirit of the law is up for debate.
Doing pesky immigration paperwork is mere child’s play compared to the mental fortitude needed for the ultimate Belgian bureaucratic challenge: acquiring citizenship.
Last year, 69,017 brave souls acquired Belgian nationality – a 13% increase on the previous year. As reporter Christopher Richards explains, changes to registration rules for acquiring Belgian citizenship, combined with higher asylum and immigration in preceding years, drove the increase. Read Christopher’s full report here.
Once you are properly settled in Belgium, of course, the rewards can be great. Recent figures from Eurostat suggest that workers in Belgium spend fewer hours on the job than most of their European neighbours.
As reporter Léa Huppe writes, people in Belgium worked an average of 34.3 hours per week in 2025, placing the country among the six shortest working weeks in the EU. Read all about it here.
Elsewhere, regular contributor Reza Farsi Madan gives a handy overview of what kind of help you can count on from the Belgian state should your unemployment benefits be withdrawn.
I’ll leave you with a reminder that the Red Devils will be in action tonight against Egypt. Belgium are favourites going into the match, which kicks off at 21:00. If you want to watch it with a crowd, there are plenty of great options in Brussels.
As always, if you have any comments, tips or suggestions to improve our coverage, please feel free to drop me an email at k.westwood@brusselstimes.com.
Bye for now!
Belgium in Brief is a free daily roundup of the top stories to get you through your coffee break conversations. To receive it straight to your inbox every day, sign up below:
1. Belgium imposes stricter checks on EU citizens seeking work
EU citizens who cannot show that they are close to getting a job after six months will see their right of residence withdrawn. Read more.
2. Why a record number of people became Belgian in 2025
Aside from a blip in 2020, the number of people becoming Belgian nationals each year has been steadily climbing since 2014. Read more.
3. My unemployment benefits have ended in Belgium – what now?
In Belgium, losing unemployment benefits does not necessarily mean losing every form of support. It pays to know your rights. Read more.
4. Early morning strike disrupts check-in and boarding at Brussels Airport
A wildcat strike at Aviapartner has delayed 15 flights at Brussels Airport for the moment. Read more.
5. Clocking on: How long is Belgium’s working week compared with other EU countries?
Between 2014 and 2024, the average work week in Belgium fell by around 2.5 hours – one of the largest decreases recorded in Europe. Read more.
6. Why the son of a major Hollywood star brought his first European art show to Brussels
There are more obvious places than Brussels for the European debut of Ronan Day-Lewis. Read more.
7. Belgium v Egypt: Where to watch the Red Devils in Brussels tonight
Whether it's in a packed fan village, a neighbourhood sports hall or a local bar, Brussels looks set to spend tonight's game united by a familiar refrain: "Allez les Diables." Read more.
