Belgium Civil Registration

Online Collections
Index only (partially indexed):
 * 1560-1890 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1563-1890 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1564-1900 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Browsable images, partially indexed (organized by province):
 * 1588-1913, at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1582-1914 ,at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1541-1914, at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1600-1913, at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1798-1906, at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1621-1914, at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1580-1920, at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1800-1912, at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1582-1910, at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1795-1910 Belgium, Civil Registration, 1795-1910 at My Heritage ($) - index
 * Belgium National Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records
 * at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

State Archives Digital Images
Civil registration digital images are also online from the State Archives of Belgium (Rijksarchief in België/Les Archives de l'Etat en Belgique) has images and some indexes for records at least 100 years old. Free registration is required to view the records. The site comes in English, French, German or Dutch.


 * Some Browsable Images
 * Search by Person - Incomplete Indexes
 * Search by Location - Incomplete Indexes

Arrangement and Indexes
Many smaller towns put births, marriages and deaths all together in chronological order, while later records and those from larger towns and cities usually divide the records into births, marriages and deaths separately. There should be a handwritten index at the end of each year for each record type. Additionally, a ten-year index (tienjarige tafel / table décennale) was created indexing all births, marriages, and deaths in the municipality in either strict alphabetical order or organized by beginning letter then chronologically. The index provides the year, then either the act number, the date of the event, or the date of the registration of the event. You can then use these indexes to locate the original record. These indexes can be found at the State Archives or FamilySearch.

GeneaKnowHow
Geneaknowhow is a site that provides links to various local genealogical sites for Belgium and the Netherlands, including many containing civil registration records.

Offices to Contact
For the more recent records (after 1915), the locality keeps one copy and the other copies are turned over to the State Archives (Algemeen Rijksarchief/Archives Générales du Royaume in Brussels, or Rijksarchief in de Provinciën/Archives de l'État in the provinces). Researchers can access them by contacting: The National Archives Algemeen Rijksarchief Ruisbroekstraat 2 Brussels 1000 BELGIUM Telephone: 32 2 513 76 80 Fax: 32 2 513 76 81 Website

Historical Background
In 1795-1796 what is now Belgium was conquered by the Napoleonic regime, who introduced a system of civil registration throughout their territories. The first records were written in French and used the French Revolutionary Calendar. In 1815, Belgium was merged with what is now the Netherlands, creating the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Netherlands had also been conquered by Napoleon and from 1811 had a Civil Registration system. Both countries continued with this system. In 1830 Belgium became independent, but continued to keep civil registration records in a manner very similar to the Dutch system.

Access to records in Belgium is unrestricted to for the following record types and years:
 * Births: 100 years
 * Marriages: 75 years
 * Deaths: 50 years

Records later than these time periods are not open to the general public.

Coverage and Compliance
"Vital records are on file from 1796, and the current registration is considered to be comprehensive."

Births
A typical Belgium birth record contains:


 * The child's name
 * The birth place and date
 * The names of the parents, their residence, occupations, sometimes ages
 * The name of the informant, their occupation and sometimes age and relationship to the child



Marriages
A typical Belgium marriage record contains:
 * Names of the bride and groom
 * Place and Date of the marriage
 * Their ages, residences, occupations and birthplaces.
 * The names of their parents, their occupations and sometimes ages or whether still alive, sometimes marriage information, residences, and occupations
 * Any former spouses
 * Witnesses, and their occupations, and who performed the ceremony

Marriage Supplements may contain
 * Names of bride and groom
 * Documents of birth or baptism records of the bride and groom
 * Documents proving parents
 * Documents of the deaths of the parents of the bride and groom
 * Deaths of or divorces from former spouses
 * Consent from the parents

Marriage proclamations may contain:
 * Names of prospective marriage partners
 * Their residence, age, occupation
 * Their intended date of marriage
 * Their parents



Deaths
A typical Belgium death record contains;


 * Name of deceased,
 * Their death date and place
 * Their age, birthplace, occupation
 * Their current and former spouses
 * Cause of death
 * Names of their parents, if known
 * Children's names
 * Name of the informant and their residence



Divorces
Divorces are listed on the back of the marriage registers in the municipality where the marriage took place. Includes names, ages, dates and places, occupations, residences.

Language and Terminology
The major languages of records in Belgium are Flemish (Dutch) in the North, and Walloon (French) in the South, and German in the East. To understand the records, you only need to know a few typical words such as those for mother, father, born, name, bride, groom, married, etc. Translation of these words are found under Online Digital Records for Civil Registration below and also on word lists for: Dutch, French and German.

Dutch Terms:
 * Geboorten = births
 * Huwelijken = marriages
 * Overlijden = deaths
 * Huwelijksafkondigingen = marriage proclamations
 * Huwelijksbijlagen = marriage supplements
 * Tienjarige tafels = 10-year indexes.

French Terms:
 * Naissances = births
 * Mariages = marriages
 * Décès = deaths
 * Publications de mariage = marriage proclamations
 * Pièces de mariage = marriage supplements
 * Tables décennales = ten-year indexes

German Terms:
 * Geburten = births
 * Heiraten = marriages
 * Toten = deaths