Since Belgium introduced its stringent new requirements for naturalisation (applicants must now demonstrate ‘exceptional merits’ in order to qualify) this year the number of applications drastically fell. According to a recent press report there were only 508 applications from the beginning of 2013 till the end of November. This is in sharp contrast with the figures for the previous years, when more than 18,000 applications had been filed and 4,838 applications granted in 2012 alone.