Child born in Belgium

[nsenada]

If our child is born in Belgium(Belgium father/Indonesian mother), than the child will have the Belgian nationality. Now, if we, after the child is born decide to come and live in Indonesia what nationality will the child have? Belgian, Indonesian or both??? We can't find an answer anywhere.

Thanks a lot.

[jstar]

Well, (under initiative PS/Milquet I think) Belgium recently (2007?) allowed permanent double nationality so no problem there.

Indonesia does too, but only until the child reaches 18. Then he/she needs to choose. And at age 21 it is fixed/written in stone.

Definitely visit Indonesian embassy/consulate in Brussels. Btw: Is your marriage registered? Do you have a prenup (no, not a Belgian one)? Read this forum about procedures and consequences....

[naughtygab]

@jstar, is 21 really the final age for the kid to decide? when i was 25, i was called by the Belgium embassy , and i was informed that until the age 28, i can still switch my nationality to belgium . i was even invited to the embassy to read some requirements that need to be fulfiiled. but that was years ago .. way years ago.

[jstar]

That 28 year old age rule is a different case Gaby, it's mainly about keeping the Belgian nationality for adults (born outside Belgium) who have lived outside Belgium for 10 years in a row, when they were between 18 and 28 years old. They can keep the Belgian nationality by applying before their 28th birthday.


.....verliest het kind de Belgische nationaliteit niet zolang ..... een Belgische meerderjarige, geboren in het buitenland (met uitzondering van de voormalige Belgische koloniën), die van 18 tot 28 jaar onafgebroken zijn hoofdverblijf in het buitenland heeft gehad. Hij/zij verliest de Belgische nationaliteit niet, indien:
...
...
...
hij/zij, vóór de leeftijd van 28 jaar, een verklaring tot behoud van de Belgische nationaliteit aflegt voor de ambtenaar van de Burgerlijke Stand van zijn/haar hoofdverblijfplaats of in het buitenland voor de Belgische diplomatieke zending of consulaire post.


The father is Belgian and the child will be born in Belgium; the father will register the child at the civil registry after birth and automatically the child will have the Belgian nationality. For ever, unless he/she would renunciate (give it up) of course. And that would be necessary if the young adult would choose the Indonesian nationality which is definitely at age 18 with a confirmation at 21.

Quite a lot of countries allow multiple (some even more than double) nationalities btw, these are the ones in green.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2a/Dual_Citizenship.svg/800px-Dual_Citizenship.svg.png
You know what's weird? Some countries won't allow you to give up their nationality. So what would happen if the father in the OP was Greek? The child could never become Indonesian then.

[naughtygab]

thank you Jstar for the explanation... ( i just wish i had not given up my belgium nationality... but things were just so different that it is now)
they won't let someone give up their nationality? that's super weird.. do they do that because afraid of losing their best people, or just because it will mean less tax income? but very interesting to know

[nsenada]

Thank you for the info! It was just a question to see what the best options would be for me and my girlfriend(not married yet) And I still have to get into stuff like prenup... lot's of things to do!

Thanks again,

Frank

Well, (under initiative PS/Milquet I think) Belgium recently (2007?) allowed permanent double nationality so no problem there.

Indonesia does too, but only until the child reaches 18. Then he/she needs to choose. And at age 21 it is fixed/written in stone.

Definitely visit Indonesian embassy/consulate in Brussels. Btw: Is your marriage registered? Do you have a prenup (no, not a Belgian one)? Read this forum about procedures and consequences....