Legal cohabitation - ending

Legal cohabitation ends in the following cases:

• Automatically by marriage or by the death of one of the cohabitants
• Voluntarily by a joint declaration or a unilateral declaration in writing and delivered against receipt to the civil registrar of the commune of residence

Where both declarants have moved abroad, the termination may be made in writing. The application should take the form of a letter which must be signed by one or both cohabitants. To ensure the identity of the person, the letter should be accompanied by a copy of the identity card.

Competent commune:

• It is the commune of the last residence in Belgium that will record the termination of legal cohabitation.
• If the citizens do not have the same last residence, each commune is competent.
  If one of them last resided in the commune of the common residence, this commune takes precedence.

Payment must be made by transfer to the City's account (BE82 0910 1909 3568) with a communication: "cessation of CL + name of citizens".

When both letters are received + proof of payment, you will receive a confirmation e-mail.

By appointment, at the counter of the Administrative Centre of the City of Brussels, to be taken:

• online
• by e-mail: mariages-huwelijken@brucity.be
• by calling on 02 279 34 40

You must attend:

• Either in pairs: to make a declaration of cessation by mutual agreement, which must be given to the civil registrar of the place of residence of one of the parties
• Or alone: to make a declaration of unilateral cessation, which must be submitted to the civil registrar of the commune of the party making the declaration. The declarant must then contact a bailiff of his choice. The party making the unilateral cessation will have to submit the declaration of unilateral cessation and pay the bailiff's fee for service on the other party.

Valid ID

25 euros (termination by mutual agreement)

In the case of unilateral termination, the cohabitant who makes the declaration must pay the bailiff's fees in addition to the 25 euros.

Immediately (termination by mutual agreement)

Unilateral termination is recorded on return of the registered letter from the bailiff.