The Belgian migration service has provided clarification regarding the procedure for obtaining temporary protection for Ukrainian children born after February 24, 2022 – the date marking the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Updated Rules for Newborn Ukrainian Children
Starting from August 2025 and in accordance with new migration legislation, Belgium will not grant temporary protection status to Ukrainian children born after the onset of the war. This is explained by the fact that such children do not meet a key requirement – they did not reside in Ukraine before the start of large-scale hostilities.
The Belgian migration service emphasized that the parents of such children can utilize other procedures to legalize their children’s stay in the country. The procedure depends primarily on the child’s place of birth and the parents’ status at the time of the child’s birth.
Specifics of Procedures for Different Cases
As noted by the agency, if a child is born in Belgium after at least one parent has received temporary protection status, there is no need to undergo a separate family reunification procedure. A simplified administrative procedure applies to such children.
“Municipalities automatically grant residence permits,” the service noted, provided that three conditions are met: one parent is legally residing in Belgium under temporary protection; paternity is legally established at the time of birth; the child has a Belgian birth certificate.
If a child is born outside Belgium to parents who have temporary protection, different rules apply. In this case, the standard family reunification procedure must be followed. For this, parents submit an application to the municipality where they reside.
The migration service indicated that the basic requirements for family reunification apply here – having housing, health insurance, and sufficient financial means. However, there is an exception: if it concerns only the child’s relocation (without the partner accompanying), the income requirement does not apply.
Previously, there were numerous reports of Ukrainian children under the age of four not receiving temporary protection in Belgium. As a result, families had to undergo a lengthy and complicated reunification process, which sometimes stretched for months. Some families also pointed out difficulties in proving sufficient income, while children remained without documents and access to health insurance during the waiting period for a final decision.