Is it possible to apply for a long-stay visa in Belgium while you are there on short-stay?

Question

I'm a Belgian citizen. My American girlfriend comes to visit me for three months at a time but the plan is for her to eventually stay here permanently. When the time comes that she meets the requirements for a cohabitation visa, can she request the necessary documents/procedures and submit the visa application here during her visit?

I ask simply because it seems like an unnecessary annoyance for her to have to travel to a different state to visit a Belgian consulate in the US in person when she's legally staying here for extended periods of time anyway.

Answer 1

According to Expatica:

If you’re already in Belgium – perhaps because you don't need an entry visa for less than three months, or you have a residence card for another purpose – you should apply at the local Belgian municipal administration offices/town hall (maison communale/gemeentehuis).

You’ll need to complete an application form for a long-stay visa in Belgium, and also supply originals and copies of other documents, which may include:

• a valid passport/travel ID document;
• a work permit, proof of registration at an educational institution, marriage/civil partnership or birth certificates (if applicable);
• proof that you can support yourself during your stay; proof of accommodation;
• a medical certificate to prove that you don’t have any disease which could endanger public health;
• a certificate to show you don’t have a criminal record.

The visa takes the form of a sticker in your passport/travel ID.

The information, in English, references Agentschap Integratie & Inburgering.