Settling in Belgium as an EU citizen

Question

Is it mandatory, as an EU citizen, to be registered in a Belgian municipality in order to work, get benefits and so on, or is a rent contract or a bill just enough as a proof?

I'm asking this because answers vary from mouth to mouth and from country to country (European ones, of course).

I mean, the easiest thing is just to register at the Belgian municipality of the residing town as it's the safest and most complete option, but I was asking also out of formality, because I don't know whether EU citizens have full rights in an other EU country, which is not theirs, whether they are registered at a municipality or not, and more broadly whether they are resident in that country or not.

Answer 1

Yes, as a EU Citizen you are required to fulfill local registration laws (where they exist) that applies to all residents.

• see also answer to Having multiple residences at law.stackexchange

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In the European Union, Residence Laws are national laws

• only for periods up to 3 months are there generel EU Laws

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Belgium:

Moving to Belgium | Belgium.be

Belgians who are returning home
If you were registered at an embassy or consulate, and are now definitively returning to Belgium, it is in your interests to notify them before you leave.

In principle, you should report to your new municipality within eight working days of your arrival in Belgium. After confirming your main place of residence you are recorded in the national register. Your new municipality will notify the municipality where you had your main residence before you moved abroad. If this municipality still holds your administrative records, they will forward them to your new municipality.

As soon as you have been registered the procedure starts for issuing a new identity card.

Foreign nationals

The free movement of persons applies within the European Union, making the residence rules for EU citizens much more flexible than those for the citizens of other countries. "Free movement" also applies to countries in the European Economic Area (EEA): in addition to the EU states, these are Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein. However, there are transitional rules for certain new EU Member States.

Registering with the municipal authorities
If as a foreign national you wish to stay in Belgium for longer than three months, you must report to the municipality in which you are staying within eight days of your arrival. You must be registered on the National Register; and for that you must have an actual place of residence in this municipality.

• both Belgians and Foreigners share the common procedure of registering with the municipal authorities

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