The order to leave the Belgian territory

If your application for international protection is rejected, you will receive an order to leave the Belgian territory. You must leave Belgium.

The Immigration Office will send you the order to leave the Belgian territory (BGV/OQT) by registered letter, or by a member of staff. The municipality will then summon you for a first appointment. Bring your identity documents and 3 passport photos to the appointment.

When do you need to leave Belgium?

The BGV/OQT specifies a certain period during which you can leave the territory voluntarily. The municipality will summon you for a second appointment. At the second appointment, you have to explain the steps you are taking to voluntarily return to your country of origin.

What if you do not respond to the summons from the municipality?

The municipality will then investigate as to your place of residence. The fact that you do not show up can be considered as a risk of absconding. You run the risk of detention.

You do not leave Belgium within the indicated period

The Immigration office can, in certain circumstances, detain you in a detention centre and have you forcibly deported from Belgian territory.

After the expiry of the deadline for leaving the territory, the police will check your address to see if you have left. This is called the address check.

The police can only enter your home:

with a search warrant or
if you consent to the police entering

You cannot leave Belgium within the indicated period

In exceptional circumstances, you may apply for an extension of the period to leave the territory, for example because you are too ill to leave Belgium voluntarily.

You can also ask for an extension of the deadline in order to further organise your voluntary return to your country of origin.

Appealing against the BGV/OQT

You can appeal against this decision with the CALL (RvV/CCE). During this appeal, you can be removed from the territory. Ask a lawyer for legal advice before starting the appeal procedure.