All nationals of any EU member state are EU citizens, and all EU citizens living in Belgium can vote here in the European elections. It’s useful to distinguish four groups based on their nationality and their age on the day of the election:
| Registration | Voting | |
| Belgians 18+ | Automatic | Obligatory |
| Belgians aged 16 and 17 | Automatic | Obligatory* |
| EU citizens 18+ | Optional and proactive | Obligatory (once registered) |
| EU citizens aged 16 and 17 | Optional and proactive | Obligatory (once registered)* |
If you are not an EU citizen, you cannot vote in the European elections in Belgium. This restriction also applies to citizens of the EEA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland) and to citizens of the UK, who have now lost their EU citizenship.
* NOTE (21 MARCH 2024): The Belgian Constitution Court has overturned the previous rules for voters aged 16 and 17. Young voters were previously told that they would have the choice whether or not to go vote on election day, even once registered for the electoral list. The Court has now decreed that Belgium's obligatory voting rule should apply to voters aged 16 and 17 in the same way it does to adults. This ruling also affects young EU citizens, so voting will now be obligatory for any 16 and 17 year old EU citizens who have registered to vote.
If you are an EU citizen living in Belgium and you want to vote here, you need to sign up for the electoral list before 31 March 2024.
There are two ways to do this:
The 2024 elections bring a huge innovation for democracy in Belgium : online registration for non-Belgians! EU citizens who want to sign up to the electoral list can visit this site and sign up immediately: www.inscription.elections.fgov.be
Your request will be passed to your municipality (commune/gemeente), and they will send you a letter to confirm once you are on the list. In the very rare case your request is rejected, you can appeal.
To use the online electoral registration system you need a Belgian residence card with a chip, so that you can login to the system with itsme® or an eID card reader. You can also login using an electronic ID card from the following EU member states:
If you do not have any of those cards and the relevant app or reader, you will not be able to use the online registration system. Unfortunately, the “digital key” used by many holders of a Special ID Card to access public services in Belgium is not valid to access the online electoral registration platform. If you hold a Special ID Card and you do not have a national ID card from one of the 15 states above, you will need to register using a paper form.
If you cannot access the online system, or prefer not to, you can use the paper form ‘C/1b’. Complete the form, sign it and put it in an envelope along with a copy of your Belgian residence card.
You can get a local version of the form ‘C/1b’ from your municipality in person or sometimes on their website. You can also download the federal government’s generic version of the form in French and in Dutch. Once you have filled in and signed the form, send it and the copy of your identity document to your municipality (see the addresses here). Or you can drop it off in person. Note that you cannot send the form by email or fax.
If you hold a Special Identity Card (SIC) through your employer, you still need to send or deliver the form to your local municipaitiy. This also applies to your spouse or any children who themselves hold an SIS.
Your request will be assessed by your municipality (commune/gemeente), and they will send you a letter to confirm once you are on the list. In the very rare case your request is rejected, you can appeal.
If you are on the electoral list, you will receive an official “convocation” by post a short time before election day. This will tell you where you need to go to vote: your polling station (bureau de vote/ stembureau). On the day itself (Sunday 9 June) you go to the polling station with your convocation and your identity document, and then follow the instructions to sign in and cast your vote. You will need to leave your identity document and convocation with the people who manage the polling station, but you will get them back once you have voted!
The exact method of voting depends on where you live.
Polling stations with electronic voting are open from 08.00 until 16.00. Those with paper voting are open from 08.00 until 14.00. Remember that voting is obligatory for all adults who are registered, so make sure to plan your Sunday around your trip to the polling station!
Whether on screen or on paper, the voting system is the same.
We are a government-funded organisation, so we are strictly neutral and cannot guide you in choosing which parties and/or candidates to vote for in the European elections. However, we can offer some general information.
The Belgian party political landscape can seem complex at first glance, especially in bilingual Brussels where both Francophone and Dutch-speaking parties stand for election. However, this should not intimidate you or stop you voting! Once you start to explore the parties’ positions and proposals, it is likely that you will find an option which matches your own values and opinions.
For an introduction in English, check out these articles from Brussels Times, Politico and Belga. In April 2024, several major Belgian media will release an “Election Test”. This quiz will ask you to answer a series of questions, then match you with the parties that most closely align with your views. We will add a link to this page once the test is released.
You should also remember that the European elections select Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) who will make EU laws. Belgian MEPs do not sit together or vote as a block. Like all MEPs, they sit in cross-country groups according to their political ideology. These groups are looser than traditional parties at national level, but you should still consider which group’s agenda you want to boost with your vote. You will find more information on elections.europa.
You can only vote for the European elections in one country. If you want to vote for the parties and candidates in your home country, you will need to follow your country’s dates, rules and procedures for voters who live abroad. You can find information for every country on elections.europa.
If you take part in the European elections in Belgium in 2024, you cannot vote nor stand in your home country this year. However, if you wish to take part in future European elections in your home country, you can deregister from the Belgian electoral list. Contact your municipality after 9 June 2024.
On the other hand, registering to vote in the European elections in Belgium has no impact on your right to vote in other elections in your home country: national, regional and local elections, as well as referendums and other votes. For those elections, your home country decides the rules and processes for citizens living abroad. Voting in Belgium for the European elections will not affect those rights, and you will not be automatically de-registered from any electoral lists back home.
Voting is indeed a legal obligation for everyone* who is registered on the electoral list, including those aged 16 and 17.* Once your registration on the electoral list has been approved, you are legally bound to vote on 9 June 2024. If you do not vote, you can technically face a formal reprimand or a fine of €40 to €80.
However, you do have the right to deregister before 31 March or after 9 June 2024, via the municipality where you live. If you finally decide you do not want to support any candidate or party, you can vote blank or spoil your ballot, but you need to go to the polling station and cast a vote.
* NOTE (21 MARCH 2024): The Belgian Constitution Court has overturned the previous rules for voters aged 16 and 17. Young voters were previously told that they would have the choice whether or not to go vote on election day, even once registered for the electoral list. The Court has now decreed that Belgium's obligatory voting rule should apply to voters aged 16 and 17 in the same way it does to adults. This ruling also affects young EU citizens, so voting will now be obligatory for any 16 and 17 year old EU citizens who have registered to vote.
Of course, there are plenty of reasons why you might not be able to vote on the day itself. Don’t worry, there’s a simple solution! You can give a friend or family member your “procuration” (proxy vote). They will then vote on your behalf, and you will not face any risk of sanctions or fines.
You can give your proxy vote for the European elections to any other Belgian or EU citizen who is also registered to vote in the European elections in Belgium. They will need to vote for themselves first, then go to your polling station with their stamped convocation proving they have voted. Each voter can only receive one procuration, so if your whole family is going on holiday you will each need to find someone different.
You give your proxy vote by using a specific form. This needs to be completed and signed by both you (mandant/volmachtgever) and the person to whom you give your proxy vote (mandataire/volmachtkrijger).
You can activate the proxy vote system for various reasons. However, you always need to get the form signed and stamped by a relevant professional who will confirm that your reason is valid.
If you already know you will not be able to vote, try to sort out your proxy vote in advance. Of course, if you are suddenly ill or injured, you can arrange this on the day itself.
You can find more information about proxy voting, an explanatory video and the relevant forms on this website (only in Dutch, French or German).
If you have registered for the electoral list, but you will not be able to vote for one of the valid reasons above, you are expected to find and nominate someone for a proxy vote. However, if you truly cannot find another voter to vote on your behalf, you can contact your local “judge of the peace” (juge de paix/vrederechter) and explain the reasons for the situation. They will then decide if your case is valid and, if it is, release you from the risk of prosecution and sanctions for this election.
You can find the contact details of all judges of the peace in this directory. Some communes in Brussels are divided into several “cantons”, which each have their own judge of the peace. Sometimes several communes are combined into a single canton, with just one judge of the peace. If you are not sure which judge of the peace covers your home address, check the definitions.
You need to take your convocation letter with you on the day when you go to vote, so keep it safe and try not lose it! However, if you do misplace you convocation, don't worry. You can get a duplicate copy from your municipality (commune/gemeente). The municipality is open on election day until the polling stations close.
Some municipalities in Flanders offer a digital duplicate via the eBox. If you need to vote by proxy, the person acting as your proxy will need your paper convocation letter. So if you are giving a proxy and you access the duplicate via the eBox, you will need to print it out and give it to your proxy.
No. So long as you have remained resident in Belgium, you will still be registered – even if you have moved to another municipality in the meantime. If you have spent time living outside of Belgium and then returned, you will need to re-register. If you want to check whether you are indeed on the electoral list, contact your municipality (commune/gemeente).
Yes. There are separate electoral lists for the European and municipal elections. This gives you the flexibility to sign up for one, both, or neither of the lists. But if you want to vote, you need to make sure you are on the right list!
On this page we are explaining how to register for the European elections, which are taking place on Sunday 9 June 2024. The deadline to register is 31 March 2024.
Belgium is also holding municipal elections on Sunday 13 October. EU citizens and some non-EU citizens have the right to vote in those. The deadline to register for the municipal elections is 31 July 2024, but you can already sign up now using the same online platform or with the paper form which you will find on elections.brussels.
In Belgium, the polling stations and other offices set up for election day are largely managed by Belgian nationals who are selected amongst those registered to vote. If you have been selected for this role, if is very important that you attend at the place and time stated in the letter. Otherwise, you risk prosecution and a substantial fine. If you cannot fulfil this role for valid personal reasons, reach out the contact person on the letter as soon as possible.
Absolutely! EU citizens can stand on a Belgian list of candidates approved by the principal electoral office. You’ll find more info on europeanelections.belgium.be.
