Gemeente / Commune letter explained in English
Town hall. Your local town hall. It handles your registration (domicile), identity card, residence cards for foreigners, local taxes and local fines.
Letters you may get
- Uitnodiging / convocation — come to the town hall, for example for your identity card or residence card
- Woonstcontrole / enquête de domicile — the police check that you really live at your address
- Gemeentebelasting / taxe communale — a local tax bill
What to do
- Tell the town hall when you move. A wrong address can make you miss important letters.
- For a residence card, go to the appointment — missing it can delay your residence rights.
- Find the deadline. Look for “termijn”, “uiterlijk op”, “délai”, “au plus tard le”.
- Write the reference number from the letter on everything you send back, and keep copies.
- If you disagree with a decision, object in writing before the deadline (“bezwaarschrift”, “beroep”, “verzet”, “bezwaar”). See the template.
Questions
What is the Gemeente / Commune?
Town hall. Your local town hall. It handles your registration (domicile), identity card, residence cards for foreigners, local taxes and local fines.
How long do I have to answer a letter from the Gemeente / Commune?
It depends on the letter. Look for words like “termijn”, “uiterlijk op”, “délai”, “au plus tard le” — they mark the deadline. In Belgium, a letter sent by post is usually treated as received on the third working day after the date it was sent. Many deadlines, for example 6 months to object to a tax bill, start from that day. To object, the letter usually names the way to do it (“bezwaarschrift”, “beroep”, “verzet”, “bezwaar”).
Can I read a Gemeente / Commune letter in English?
Yes. Take a photo of the letter with Briefly. It explains the letter in plain English, finds the deadline and the amount, and gives you ready-made replies in Dutch or French. Your letter never leaves your device.
Other offices in Belgium
FOD Financiën / SPF Finances · Vlaamse Belastingdienst / Brussel Fiscaliteit / SPW Fiscalité · OCMW / CPAS · RVA / ONEM · VDAB / Actiris / Le Forem · Ziekenfonds / Mutualité · Groeipakket / Allocations familiales · Dienst Vreemdelingenzaken / Office des Étrangers