Belgium Emigration and Immigration

Online Records
These sources cover multiple countries.
 * 1840-1930 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images. Also at MyHeritage; index & images ($). Also at Ancestry.com; index and images ($)
 * 1890-1960 Passenger Lists Leaving UK 1890-1960 at FindMyPast; index & images ($); includes those with Destination of Belgium
 * 1901-1919 Belgium, Antwerp Police Immigration, 1901-1919 - Ancestry, images only ($)
 * 1904-1914 Germany, Bremen Passenger Departure Lists, 1904-1914 at MyHeritage; index & images ($); includes those with Destination of Belgium
 * 1921-1939 Reseñas de pasaportes de varios consulados, 1921-1939; images only - includes those in Belgium
 * 1946-1971 Free Access: Africa, Asia and Europe, Passenger Lists of Displaced Persons, 1946-1971 Ancestry, free. Index and images. Passenger lists of immigrants leaving Germany and other European ports and airports between 1946-1971. The majority of the immigrants listed in this collection are displaced persons - Holocaust survivors, former concentration camp inmates and Nazi forced laborers, as well as refugees from Central and Eastern European countries and some non-European countries.
 * Free Access: USC Shoah Foundation, Holocaust – Jewish Survivor Interviews
 * Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild Choose a volume and then choose Belgium under "Listed by Port of Departure" or "Listed by Port of Arrival".

Finding the Town of Origin in Belgium
If you are using emigration/immigration records to find the name of your ancestors' town in Belgium, see Belgium Finding Town of Origin for additional research strategies.

Belgium Emigration and Immigration
"Emigration" means moving out of a country. "Immigration" means moving into a country. (See Immigration into Belgium.) Emigration and immigration sources list the names of people leaving (emigrating) or arriving (immigrating) in the country. These sources may be passenger lists, permissions to emigrate, or records of passports issued. The information in these records may include the emigrants’ names, ages, occupations, destinations, and places of origin or birthplaces. Sometimes they also show family groups.

Canada Online Sources

 * Canada Emigration and Immigration – Wiki page with additional larger databases which also include Belgians

United States Online Sources

 * Aux Wallons qui fondèrent New-York : éphérides pour le troisième centenaire (To the Walloons who founded New York) e-book, in French. This is a chronology of the founding of New York state and highlights the contributions made by the Walloons. The primary source of information was the log of Jessé de Forest, the founder of Neuf-Avesnes which was later named New York. Includes an incomplete list of Walloon emigrants.
 * United States Emigration and Immigration – Wiki page with additional larger databases which also include Belgians

United States Background

 * According to the 2019 US census, there are 339,512 Americans who identify themselves as partially or fully of Belgian ancestry.
 * During the 17th century, colonists from the Southern Netherlands (the area of modern-day Belgium) lived in several of the Thirteen Colonies of North America. Settlements already existed in New York — in Wallabout (Brooklyn), on Long Island and Staten Island—and New Jersey (Hoboken, Jersey City, Pavonia, Communipaw, and Wallkill).
 * Later, other settlers moved into the Middle States.
 * There were also Southern Netherlands colonies in Connecticut, Delaware, and Pennsylvania established primarily by Walloons, many of whom arrived with the Dutch West India Company (founded by Willem Usselincx, a Fleming).
 * The first major wave of people from Belgium arrived to the United States during the 19th century, looking better economic and social conditions for their families. Belgian immigrants were first registered in 1820; from then to 1910, 104,000 Belgians entered the U.S. and from 1910 to 1950, the number dropped to 62,000.
 * Between 1847 and 1849 (when Belgium was plagued with disease and economic hardship), 6,000–7,000 Belgians a year arrived in the United States.
 * During this era, most Belgians coming to the U.S. were farmers, farm workers or miners; craftsmen (such as masons, cabinetmakers or carpenters) or other persons engaged in commerce (such as lace-makers or glass blowers).
 * During the 20th century many Belgians arrived in the United States to work in spaces such as universities, laboratories and industry. This is especially true after the world wars ended.
 * From 1820 to 1970, about 200,000 Belgians emigrated to the United States. Since 1950, about 1,350 Belgians migrate to the United States each year.

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Walloons
Walloons are a Romance ethnic group native to Belgium, principally its southern region of Wallonia.

Emigration to Sweden
A large group of emigrants left Wallonia to work in promoting mining and industry in Sweden. For more, see: Vallons in Sweden.

Emigration records (Emigratie registers, Registres des émigrés)
Research use: Very valuable for making proper connections to place of origin and residence in Belgium. Many researchers do not know their ancestor's place of origin.

Record type: Lists of emigrants and immigrants, and permissions for those moving within Belgium.

Time Period: 1500-present.

Content: Emigrants’ names, ages, occupations, birth dates and places, residences, destination; wife’s and childrens’ given names and ages or number of children; reasons for emigration; taxes paid; religion, military service, etc.

Location: Provincial and municipal archives.

Population coverage: 5-10%.

For an extensive article with many resources, click here.