Search Q&A
Regarding Belgian Citizenship
I have a question for those who became Belgian citizen in recent years. How fluent are you in Dutch?
Is it important to have a really good( maybe native level ) fluency to be a citizen, considering the possibility of interacting with town hall or other government related services in Dutch.
I am from India, and I am qualified to apply for Belgian citizenship through marriage to a Belgian but I am not sure whether my Dutch is good enough to communicate in the above mentioned situation.
( Though I can get the help from my husband, I do think once you become the citizen you are expected to ONLY speak in Dutch.)
There are some routes to citizenship that don't need you to prove your language skills. For others, the language requirement is not very advanced.
You absolutely do not have to ONLY speak in Dutch except in odd exceptional circumstances such as in the Gemeentehuis.
Most Dutch-speaking Belgians - certainly those under 40 - speak English. In my experience they will automatically do so once they realise that you are an English-speaker no matter how good your Dutch is.
I suggest that you visit your Gemeentehuis with your husband and find out exactly what the language requirments are when applying for Belgian nationality there - not all communes apply the rules identically.
Good luck.
If you have been resident for 5 years you can demonstrate proof of a national language through one of the criteria for social integration (Belgian diploma, 400h training, integration course or 5 years of uninterrupted work). Otherwise you will need to take a test. For French the level is A2. Not sure if it's the same in Dutch. Most communes have good lists telling you what you need to do.
