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Belgian residence termination for an EU citizen
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Does anybody know what to do in my situation? I have been living in Belgium working continuously for 12 years and have an E card (I am a UK citizen). Today I tried to apply for Belgian nationality and got a response that my E card (residence) was actually terminated in October last year because some "agents" rang my doorbell several times and nobody answered! I have always lived in my apartment but I leave for work around 6:30 - 7:00. There was no note, no letter, nothing. I am in a state of a total shock. What shall I do in this situation?
Just to chime in about the "upgrade" to the + card.
I have an F card and when my was due to be renewed this past January, for once I got a knowledgeable agent. As I was paying my dues to get the card, he asked me if I was interested in getting the F+ card. I told him I had no idea what that was, so he said, same as the F card, but permanent residence. I said, sure, why not?
He said I would receive a letter in the mail with details. However, if the letter never came he precisely wrote a date for me of June 20th, and he said. If the letter never arrives in the mail, come to the commune on this date or thereafter, and tell them you're here to ask for the F+ card.
I never ever got the letter in the mail, but did go to the commune on June 26th to enquire about the F+ card, and after being given the wrong information multiple times, finally got the card on my third visit.
As you can imagine, they kept asking me to show them my F+ card convocation letter, which I never received, and then the useless agent said nothing could be done, unless I had that letter.
On my 2nd visit, I told the lady at the accueil window that I didn't have a letter because never received one, and I was told to come after June 20th. She for my ID, she checked something and said, yea you can "demand" your F + card. Gave me a number, waited 2 hours, was finally called, and this time I got an older guy. I told him I was there to demand the F+ card, gave him my current ID, he checked something, and did his magic on the computer and told me to go to the 2nd floor to pay for it. So yea, welcome to 1000 Bruxelles.
If you didn't get your convocation letter for the + card, maybe swing by the commune and see if you're eligible for it, if you never got the letter in the mail.
BECASSE, thanks a lot! Actually, I did not move home, the apartment fully belongs to me (I am the sole owner and bought it in 2007) and my name is on the doorbell and on the post box (inside the building). There was no calling card left by the police officer, nothing at all.
I pay electricity and internet bills every month as well as all syndic charges (lifts, cleaning, etc.) so here everything is in order.
Today I went to the local "cartier agent' at the police station and he said that his colleague came and left a note. But there was no note! He said I should go to the commune and get the card renewed. Then he comes and visits me again and if I am not there - he will leave a note. He even said that my residence will be uninterrupted but I do not believe him. I made an appointment with the commune for 10 August (the earliest date possible).
Not sure what else I could do now....
WPBREPS, Yes, I will go to the commune and yes, 1000 Bxl seems to be a real mess!
You must have used a notaire when you purchased your apartment. I would go back to that notaire urgently for "advice" - advice is free. Explain the situation and ask what action he recommends that you take to remedy it urgently. You may well find that he will contact the commune on your behalf, mine certainly would.
I should add that there is another nasty "sting in the tail" to all this and that is, assuming that no one at all was registered as living in your apartment as at 1 January 2017, you will have become liable to pay second residence tax on it for this year and that will take a lot of undoing. Of course, without an official address in Belgium, it could be argued that you are not liable for IPP since October of last year, but I suspect that you wouldn't find it easy to convince the fisc that that was the case - and, if you did, you would probably find your bank accounts frozen.
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