Come to the reading room: practical information

Open to the public

The Archives of the City of Brussels reading room is open:

Tuesdays from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Thursdays from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Access to the reading room is by appointment only (free), at least three days in advance.

Making an appointment

Until 19/08/2024: book an appointment by sending an email to archives@brucity.be

From 20/08/2024: NEW! online appointment booking

Not completely at ease with digital technology? You can still make an appointment by phone on 02/279.53.20

Do you live abroad and can't get to the reading room? Please contact us by email at archives@brucity.be

For practical reasons, we ask you to respect the appointment time and to inform us in case of lateness or impediment (either by sending an email to archives@brucity.be or by calling 02/279.53.20).

On your first visit, you will be asked to fill in a registration form.

Archives to order

Before coming to the reading room, you should prepare your working session, i.e.:

carry out your search in advance:
- via our online catalogue
and reserve your documents in advance:
- by providing us with the archive numbers of the desired files when you request an appointment in the reading room ( How do I find the reference code of a file in the online catalogue?)
- (please note that some documents are directly consultable online)

! Please note that any request to reserve files sent by email less than 3 days before your appointment will not be taken into account

! Please note that any new request for a search in the reading room different from the one made when booking the appointment, may be refused by the staff

[Specific procedure for consultation of planning files]

! WARNING!

Consultation of PLANNING FILES is subject to a specific procedure

All the information here

Closed periods 2023

Monday 10^th April 2023;
Monday 1^st May 2023;
from Thursday 18^th May to Friday 19^th May 2023;
Monday 29^th May 2023;
from Friday 21^st July to Friday 18^th August 2023 included;
from Monday 9^th October to Friday 13^th October 2023;
from Wednesday 1^st November to Thursday 2^nd November 2023;
Wednesday 15^th November 2023;
from Monday 25^th December 2023 to Friday 5^th January 2024 included.

Location

Archives of the City of Brussels
Rue des Tanneurs, 65
1000 Brussels
32 (0)2 279 53 20
archives@brucity.be

Reproduction

Authorisations

Reproduction

Replication options:

photographs without flash in the reading room: permitted;
scanning: : any reproduction (with or without commercial use), for private or professional purposes, must be covered by a reproduction contract (PDF). This will be carried out by the archive’s replication team;
printing: printing can be ordered from the computers in the reading room (€0.25/print).

Photocopies and flash photographs in the reading room are not permitted.

! reproduction of building plans is subjected to a specific procedure

! press contracts should be filled in on the attached document (PDF).

Authorisations

Authorisations to consult public archives

A large proportion of the public archives held by the Brussels City Archives are freely open to the public. However, access to certain collections is subject to closure periods to protect privacy and personal data. Once the closure period has ended, the archives become freely available for consultation. The table below lists the public archive collections held by the City of Brussels Archives that are subject to closure periods. However, as part of historical and/or genealogical research, it is possible to make a request to consult public archives before the end of the closure period, and to obtain authorisation to do so. All requests for authorisation must be submitted to archives@brucity.be.

If you like to request copies of archives which you have been authorised to consult before the end of the closure period, please contact the reading room staff directly.

Public archives collections	Closure period	To consult a record before the end of the closure period, an authorisation must be issued by
Local authority properties	50 years (from the date the file was opened) ! please note that certain files are subject to restricted access for public safety reasons (see conditions)	Chief Archivist or his/her delegate
Burial plot registers	50 years (from the date of death)	Chief Archivist or his/her delegate
Electoral lists	100 years (from the election date)	Chief Archivist or his/her delegate
Birth certificates	101 years	Management Committee for the Civil Status Records Database (BAEC) Request via etatcivil.dem@brucity.be
Marriage certificates	76 years
Death certificates	51 years
Other certificates	101 years
City of Brussels staff records	100 years (from the person's date of birth)	have proof of death or written authorisation from the person concerned failing this: Alderman for Staff
Police personnel files		have proof of death or written authorisation from the person concerned failing this: The Mayor
Public education staff files (teachers and administrative staff in schools)		have proof of death or written authorisation from the person concerned failing this: Alderman for Public Education
Personnel files of City of Brussels councillors		have proof of death or written authorisation from the person concerned failing this: Chief Archivist or his/her delegate
Naturalisation and choice of homeland	100 years	have proof of death or written authorisation from the person concerned failing this: Archivist of the City of Brussels or his/her delegate
Legitimisations and acknowledgements	100 years
Population Registers	120 years	have written authorisation from the person concerned/their spouse/one of their children failing this: College of the Mayor and Aldermen
Arrival Registers		have proof of death or written authorisation from the person concerned failing this: Archivist of the City of Brussels or his/her delegate
Transfer Registers		have proof of death or written authorisation from the person concerned failing this: Archivist of the City of Brussels or his/her delegate
Departure Registers		have proof of death or written authorisation from the person concerned failing this: Archivist of the City of Brussels or his/her delegate
Foreign nationals' files	100 years (from the date the file was opened)	have proof of death or written authorisation from the person concerned failing this: The Mayor
Orders to leave the territory (OLT)		have proof of death or written authorisation from the person concerned failing this: Archivist of the City of Brussels or his/her delegate
Applications for authorisation to employ a foreign worker		have proof of death or written authorisation from the person concerned failing this: Archivist of the City of Brussels or his/her delegate
Police Archives		The Mayor
Registers of student rolls	100 years (from date of birth)	have proof of death or written authorisation from the person concerned failing this: The Archivist of the City of Brussels or his/her delegate authorises the issue of certificates, not consultation
Personal files of pupils in City schools	100 years (from date of birth)	have proof of death or written authorisation from the person concerned failing this: Archivist of the City of Brussels or his/her delegate
Local Council secret committee meetings	100 years	have proof of death or written authorisation from the person concerned failing this: The Mayor
Minutes of the meetings of the Conference of Mayors	50 years	Conference of Mayors
Mayor's Office	50 years	Chief Archivist or his/her delegate
Closed court cases	100 years (from the date of the judgement)	Alderman for Legal Affairs
Collocation files	100 years (from the date of birth of the person concerned)	have proof of death or written authorisation from the person concerned failing this: The Mayor
Annual militia census registers	100 years (from the person's date of birth)	have proof of death or written authorisation from the person concerned failing this: Archivist of the City of Brussels or his/her delegate
Decrees prohibiting habitation	50 years (from the date of issue of the ban)	have proof of death or written authorisation from the person concerned failing this: The Mayor
Requisition files: inventories of premises carried out by experts appointed by the owners of the premises (1940-1945)	100 years	Chief Archivist or his/her delegate
Files on buildings requisitioned by the Allied armies (1940-1945)
Files on buildings requisitioned by the German army (1940-1945)

BRUSSELS ARCHIVES

Come to the reading room: practical information

Open to the public

Making an appointment

Archives to order

Closed periods 2023

Location