civil registry vs foreign registry ( b card / l card)

bluespark123 · 2023-02-17T00:14:46+01:00

Explore the differences between B and L cards in Belgium, focusing on visa benefits, employment sponsorship, and registry access for expats.

bluespark123 New member

Member since 04 December 2019

bluespark123New member16 February 2023 22:14:46

Hello. There have been lots of discussions on B card vs L card already.

applying for B card SEEMS safer cause they might accept it a bit more readily than the聽聽L card (as I was on onsite assignment for couple years).

but I see that B card grants access to foreign registry but L card gives access to civil registry. What does this mean actually?

if I have PR (B or L).. I don鈥檛 need an employer sponsor to get a job anymore right? Or does it depend on which type of card I have ?

I see this was not answered earlier. thanks for your useful insight. huge thanks.

anindya17 Member

Member since 04 June 2022

anindya17Member17 February 2023 07:34:59

The B and L cards both grant you permanent residence in Belgium. So you will not need a sponsor anymore to access the job market. However, the L card has much better advantages. The L card is valid for 10 years vs 5 years for a B card. You can deregister from Belgium while still maintaining your permanent resident status for double the amount of time on a L card (i think it was upto 2 years). And most importantly, the L card is transferrable to other EU countries that allow it.

Peterjohn123 Contributor

Member since 19 August 2020

Peterjohn123Contributor18 February 2023 00:23:39

172

B card has no deadline to be approved and its upto the ministry to decide. While L card has clear deadline and clear criterias.

richeekdey3 Active member

Member since 11 January 2022

richeekdey3Active member19 February 2023 19:18:41

@anindya17 L card doesn't grant you permanent residence across the EU. Some countries grant you relaxed work permit requirements but you still need a work permit! For instance, Netherlands grants you unlimited work authorization after 12 months of being on a work permit.

And non EU countries (EFTA countries) don't recognise the L card either. For instance, you cannot work/reside in Switzerland based on L card of Belgium.