Large Families Card

Dependent parents with 3 children* under 25 can apply for the discount card for themselves and their children under 25.
If your family situation is special, please consult the information on special cases.
there are 4 types of discount card, depending on their valid term.

* their own children: children from a marriage, legal cohabitation, legally adopted, dependent, by automatic parentage or parentage by court order.

When applying for the card(s) for the first time, you can submit your application at any time to a station, in which your language is spoken.

• fill in and sign an application form (pdf) to obtain 1 or more cards
• get your form legally approved by the local authority* and/or by the body paying any family allowances for children over the age of 18
• submit the signed document (within no more than 3 months), to the ticket office together with an ID photo or the electronic identity card (e-ID) for each person
• provide the fee of € 6 per application form, however many cards you are applying for

*In fields I and II, certification of family members can be attached (issued by the Local Authority or over the internet).

Parents with 3 children* under 25 entitling them to family allowances can apply for the card for themselves and their children under 25:

• parents with (have had) at least 3 children are entitled to a discound card (code 040) for life. The mother's card must be renewed every ten years. The authorised tickets are created for a valid term of maximum 5 years
• Their children under 12 are issued with a discount card, which is valid until the end of the year in which they reach the age of 12 (code 039)
• Their children between the ages of 12 and 18 are issued with a discount card, which is valid until the end of the year in which they reach the age of 18 (code 042)
• Where their children between the ages of 18 and 25 are entitled to family allowances, the discount card must be renewed every year (code 041)

Cohabitants with at least 3 children under 25, who are entitled to family allowances, may apply for the discount card for themselves and their children:

• Parents are entitled to the discount card (code 041) provided the family includes one child providing entitlement to family allowances. The card must be renewed annually
• Their children are issued with a discount card, which must be renewed annually (code 041), if they are entitled to family allowances.

* their own children: children from a marriage, legal cohabitation, legally adopted, dependent, by automatic parentage or parentage by court order.

You can renew an existing discount card for the next calendar year in your station. 
Hand in an application form following the steps to obtain your card, at a station, where your language is spoken:

• as from the 1st November, if the card is intended for children or adults with temporary entitlement to a discount card (the card is valid for 1 year = code 041)
• as from the 1st July, if the card is intended for parents with a lifetime entitlement to a discount card (the card is valid for maximum 5 years = code 040)

Renewing the discount card depends on your situation:

• parents with a lifetime reduction: automatic renewal every 5 years, providing payment of the processing fee, in other words, once registered, you no longer have to prove that you meet the conditions
• children between the ages of 18 and 25 and parents with temporary entitlement: annual renewal
• children under 12: no renewal required

Have you lost your Large Families discount card? Not a problem. You can request a duplicate at the ticket office of a station of your choice.
Your duplicate will be issued:

• in return for payment of the processing fee of € 6
• upon submitting an ID photo (or a download of the photo on your electronic ID card)
• If your card has expired or a duplicate has already been issued, you will have to get a new card (check 'How do you obtain the card?' for more information).

Revocation of parental authority
Parents whose parental authority has been revoked are no longer entitled to the discount.

Divorced parents
Parents, who have a lifetime entitlement to the reduction, retain this entitlement. Standard conditions apply to children entitled to the discount.

Separated parents
The parents and children retain their entitlement to the discount according to normal conditions.
If the parents do not live in the same locality, it may, however, prove necessary to make two separate applications (one per municipal administration) in order to substantiate the full composition of the family. The two applications must be carefully attached to one another when submitted. Where this is the case, the processing fee is only payable once.

Rights of custody of the children
In case of joint custody by court ruling or notarial deed, both parents retain their entitlement to the discount.
In the absence of a court ruling or notarial deed in respect of custody of the children, the children are considered as being entrusted to the care of the parent with whom they reside.

Blended families (cohabitation, remarriage) 
If the new family has at least three children meeting the required conditions, the children are entitled to the discount. Depending on the number of their own children, the parents may be entitled to an annual card or to a lifetime discount.
The children entrusted to the care of one of the parties are no longer included in the calculation to determine the lifetime entitlement to the discount on the part of the new partner of the other party. Only the court ruling or the notarial deed governing joint custody of the children shall be taken into consideration and may be attached, where applicable.

Automatic parentage or by judgement
In case of automatic parentage or parentage by a cohabitation judgement, the unmarried father or mother with less than three of their own children shall enjoy lifetime entitlement to the discount. The children are entitled to the discount according to the standard conditions.
In all instances, the form must state the name, parentage, civil status, date of birth and address of each child.

Orphans
Orphans retain entitlement to the discount according to the standard conditions.

Looked after children
Children, who have been placed in a family by an official body (justice of the peace, juvenile judge, Public Prosecutor or Public Social Action Centre prosecutor, etc.) temporarily give rise to entitlement to the discount for themselves, the guardians and their children entitled to family allowances, provided that the family made up in this way meets the required conditions.

Deceased children
Deceased children, who had been registered by name in the population register, are included in the calculation to determine the entitlement to the discount of the parents or partners and of the other children.
Stillborn children and children who were not registered by name in the population register, are included in the calculation to determine entitlement to a discount provided that attached to the application form is a copy of the child's certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth or a certificate issued by the obstetrician.

Nationality
On the one hand, for members of Belgian families residing abroad and those temporarily residing in Belgium and, otherwise, for recognised political refugees, it is always necessary to take account of the nationality of the members of the family if members of the family do not hold Belgian nationality.
In the case of the latter, awarding the discount depends in particular on the fact that they are obliged to reside in Belgium.
For parents with Belgian nationality or those holding nationality of another country that has ratified the Council of Europe's Social Charter, who are entitled to an annual card, it is permitted that they continue to be entitled to this provided that one of the children continues to qualify.

Belgian members of the family residing abroad and those temporarily residing in Belgium
Applications, accompanied by a civil status extract setting out the composition of the family, may be submitted on paper.
The civil status extract must be drawn up, either by a competent Belgian civil servant in situ (consular agent, military authority for military personnel stationed abroad, the Federal Public Service for Foreign Affairs, Development and Foreign Business Joint Venture), or by the local authority in the place of residence.

Recognised politicial refugees
Temporary entitlement to the discount is granted to the parents and to their children under 25, who are recognised as being political refugees residing in Belgium and entered in the register of foreign nationals.
If a family no longer has three children meeting the required conditions, the children still qualifying for family allowances temporarily retain entitlement to the discount until their 25th birthday.
The parents retain temporary entitlement to the discount provided that one of the children is entitled to family allowances.
Upon the first application, it is necessary to attach a photocopy of the special identity card, which is issued to the head of the family by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. When making a renewal application, the head of the family shall submit the said identity card to determine whether his family is still able to claim the discount cards.

Children with a disability
By definition, a child who is permanently recognised as being a person with a disability greater than 66%, counts as two.

No. If your ticket with Large Families discount has Brussels Airport-Zaventem as departure or arrival station, the Brussels Airport Supplement is already included in the price of your ticket. You don't need to buy a supplement separately.

You can open the gates at Brussels Airport-Zaventem station with the QR code that appears on your ticket.