From my earlier post on Brussels Museums or if you've been following my other blog, Fashion Panache, you'd know that I recently became a mommy! I moved to Belgium, half way through my pregnancy and gave birth to my Atyudarini here... The number of paperwork that we had to do was a bit overwhelming, being a new place and all! Also since French & Dutch are the national languages here, not knowing those was a severe handicap. Some works got lagged, because we didn't know the exact list of things to do. So here's the step by step if you're planning to deliver your baby in Belgium.....
So, this is the point of view and experience of a married Indian couple in Belgium. This is applicable for most Asian expats in Belgium. Minor variations between different communes can be expected.
1. Get your residence cards asap. If you're in 1000 Brussels commune it would take atleast about 3 months. You need the passports, work permit and rental agreement for it. Annex 15 is given as a temporary id which can be renewed for €10 as it expires till the chip card arrives.
2. Mutuality/Mutuelle is the social security concept of Belgium. Everyone here is a part of some mutuality firm (partena, solidaris, christian etc). You pay a small amount (about €50 quarterly for a family) and mutuality takes care of most hospital expenses. Child birth here costs about €2500-3000. Unless you're covered by some other insurance (or you're super rich) you may want to enroll yourself with some Mutuality.
2. Mutuality/Mutuelle is the social security concept of Belgium. Everyone here is a part of some mutuality firm (partena, solidaris, christian etc). You pay a small amount (about €50 quarterly for a family) and mutuality takes care of most hospital expenses. Child birth here costs about €2500-3000. Unless you're covered by some other insurance (or you're super rich) you may want to enroll yourself with some Mutuality.
3. Unlike India where revealing the gender of the child is a punishable offense (due to preferential abortion in favour of male child which was rampant about 3 decades back), here it isn't. So the doctors will tell you the gender. Decide on baby's name, coz you have to mention it in hospital soon after he/she's born. You'll not be discharged unless you name the child! So if you don't decide prior, you effectively have about 2-3 days to decide post delivery. The child is tagged with the mother's name. Initially, in papers, they'll write her/his given name with mother's surname. (This may sound weird for many, but India is a culturally diverse nation and surname of a child varies from dad's first name to family name to house name to caste name and so many more!).
4. At hospital, after delivery, a sheet is provided for birth registration purposes specifying both parents full names & baby's name (given name & mother's surname).
5. Go to Indian Embassy with that sheet (child need not be present) and get a letter saying that you'd like to name your baby so & so, mentioning the given name and surname. This letter is a necessity, no matter what you name your baby! This is because they have to make sure that the name is legally acceptable in India. You'll have to go twice to the Indian Embassy. Once in the morning (9:30 to 11:30) to request and once in the evening (4:00 to 4:45) to collect the letter. This is priced at €23.
6. Go to a sworn translator and get that letter translated to French. It need not be court attested, just a sworn translator's sign & stamp is enough. This costed me €55. Online translations will not be accepted.
7. With parents passports, residence cards, marriage certificate (all originals), hospital paper, original Embassy letter and sworn translation, go to commune within 15 days for birth declaration. Some hospitals (In Brussels its Brugmann Hospital, Saint-Jean Clinic or St. Pierre Hospital) provide the facility to declare birth in their own premises. You have to be accompanied by someone who knows French, if you don't know the language. All the forms and papers are in French. To even check whether all details are correct, you'll need to know or have someone beside who knows French! If you're lucky they may not ask for the French translation of Marriage Certificate, if you aren't.......
8. You'll get the birth certificate then & there, which is in French. Request for International birth certificate which will have English. That's also given immediately. Along with this 3 other papers are given (details in P.S section below).
9. 3 weeks after this, the baby's ID card called 'Certificat d'identité' can be collected in the commune. This requires a Schengen specification photograph of the baby. Either of the parents' residence card has to be shown to collect this and the baby has to be present. This isn't a smart card but a small thick paper print with photograph and embossed seal. This doesn't have the nationality as of now!
10. In the mean time with the International birth certificate, parents' passport & residence cards you can apply for passport and birth registration cum citizenship at Indian Embassy website (that's 2 different forms). Appointment can be fixed at the end of application form submission. Indian passport size photo of the baby has to be taken. The baby needs to be present while submitting the documents and the baby's thumb impression is taken. For the application of a new passport for a newborn baby, both the parents' passports must have each others names in spouse field. If there isn't, you'll have to apply for your passports renewal too at that time to add spouse name. Parents' and the new born's passport are processed simultaneously. It takes about a month for the passports to get ready, which has to be collected at the embassy and will not be sent to any address. (The child does not get Belgian citizenship through birth. It can be availed only if one of the parent is Belgian citizen or have been residing in Belgium for atleast 5 years in the 10 years prior to child's birth).
11. Once you get the baby's passport take it back to commune and get new ID card. This is exactly the same as old ID card but has the nationality mentioned (till 12 yrs of age, the ID card is like this and not a chip or smart card).
12. Enroll the child with ONE (French) or Kind & Gazen (Dutch) - they will get in touch with you at the hospital soon after delivery. These 2 are childcare organizations in Belgium. If you know any of the 2 language you can proceed with them, otherwise for an outsider there's no difference between the 2. I decided based on which is closer to my place and who can assist with an English speaking doctor in that office. These organizations are free of cost and take care of all vaccinations for the child. Vaccines list is almost similar to India except BCG which is missing here.
P.S.1: Along with birth certificate 3 other papers are given - 1 for Mutuelle (to add child's name in your family mutualle if you have one - refer pt 2), 1 for vaccination (to be shared with ONE or K&G) and 1 for Allocations Familiales (this is the one time maternity benefit (about €1200) and monthly child benefit (about €90). Sounds awesome? But this is applicable only for Belgian citizens and not for expats!).
P.S.2:
Pic 1a - Outfit details, Location: Leuven Beguinage
Pic 1b - Outfit details
Pic 2 - Outfit details, Location: Mini Europe with Atomium in the background
Pic 3 - Outfit details, Location: Cinquantenaire Museum
P.S.1: Along with birth certificate 3 other papers are given - 1 for Mutuelle (to add child's name in your family mutualle if you have one - refer pt 2), 1 for vaccination (to be shared with ONE or K&G) and 1 for Allocations Familiales (this is the one time maternity benefit (about €1200) and monthly child benefit (about €90). Sounds awesome? But this is applicable only for Belgian citizens and not for expats!).
P.S.2:
Pic 1a - Outfit details, Location: Leuven Beguinage
Pic 1b - Outfit details
Pic 2 - Outfit details, Location: Mini Europe with Atomium in the background
Pic 3 - Outfit details, Location: Cinquantenaire Museum