The law of 10 March 2024 amending the law of 15 December 1980 on access to the territory, stay, establishment and removal of foreigners concerning the application for admission to stay for statelessness (in French or Dutch) comes into force on 1 September 2024. 

Applications submitted by registered mail will be assessed by the Immigration Office according to the conditions for consideration as set out in the law of 15 December 1980. If the Immigration Office decides to take the application into consideration, an opinion is then requested from the Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGRS). On the basis of this opinion, the Immigration Office will take a decision on the stay:

• In the event of a positive decision, admission to stay for a limited period is granted. After a period of 5 years, the foreigner is in principle admitted to stay for an unlimited period.
• In the event of a negative decision, an appeal can be lodged with the Council for Alien Law Litigation.

For further information, please visit the website of the Immigration Office and of the Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons. If you have any questions about this procedure, please contact the International Protection Follow-up Unit at the following e-mail address: stateless@ibz.be.