Hello everyone, i just want to share my experience about our marriage.
Me and my boyfriend which is my husband now met in Bali on September 2012, and he was traveled there for like 10 months and we spent many times together to know more about each other. After many months being together, we decided to keep being together by have more serious relationship. So we decided that I will follow him to Belgium. We took that decision because it wasn't easy for him to find job in my country, and just with my salary it wouldn't be enough to cover all our cost together for i don't know how long until he get a job there. The salary in my country is really small compared to Belgium. So if I come to Belgium, he can find job and able to cover our cost together while waiting for me to get job. In my side, it was not an easy decision to took, considering the different languages and other difficulty that i will find in Belgium.
Well, we did it, i came to Belgium on November 2013 using the Schengen Visa. Before came to Belgium, we know already the next steps that we gonna take for our long term relationship, which is a marriage. We did many research before take even one simple decision. Before apply for the Schengen visa, we did research for few months to apply for cohabitation or marriage visa, but it is just not possible, because first: our relationship was not even 2 years yet, second: my boyfriend didn't have job or any income on that time, and just by providing the Bank account with the savings is not enough for us to apply for those visa. I came to Belgium sponsored by my boyfriend's parents, and i already prepared all the documents needed for the wedding.
The first step that we took once i arrived in Belgium was go to the city hall and declare my arrival. From there, we asked to have appointment with someone there who knows better information about how to apply for marriage. All the rules for the city hall are similar but sometimes slightly different for all the required documents. so, on that time I had to wait for one additional documents that i didn't have to be processed. after all the documents ready, we applied for the wedding, and we received the approval 2 weeks after the application. here we go, we got married just 1 day before my Schengen visa expired. Apparently after the wedding, i am fine to stay in Belgium. Few days after the wedding we went to the city hall to apply for the ID, and 1 week after that a police came and did the interrogation by asked some questions and check our bedroom. 2 weeks after the the police came, i received a letter from the city hall in order to make an appointment with an administrative staff and to bring two passport photos for my orange ID. the Orange ID issued one day after the meeting with the commune, and will be valid for 6 months. Since i am married to Belgian citizen, it is fine for me to find job here with the orange card without providing the working permit letter. but during that 6 months i can't go out of Belgium.
what i said about the orange ID card here is Belgium temporary ID card. 3 months after that card given, my husband need to provide some documents which is His salary slip or bank statement, company certificate, and proof that he has place to live (could be proof of renting apartment or own a house). Based on my husband documents, then after another 3 months they will decide if i can stay longer in Belgium or not and if yes they will issue the real ID card. cross finger for another 6 months for me.
Good luck for everybody who struggle to gain information about the marriage in Belgium. I know that it's not easy to find just a clear simple information, but complicated one. so i hope my experience will give a little clue or help