Work Visas in Belgium
How to get a work permit and which routes actually exist
Most non-EU employees now enter through the single permit, one application that decides both employment and residence, filed by the employer. The employment half of that decision is taken by the region where the work will be performed, and Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels apply different salary thresholds and different shortage occupation lists. Alongside it sit the EU Blue Card for qualified professionals and the professional card for the self-employed.
| Main route | Single permit combining work and residence authorisation source |
| Who applies | The employer, in the region where the work is performed source |
| Typical decision time | Commonly around four months in total |
| Qualified route | EU Blue Card, salary threshold set regionally source |
| Self-employed route | Professional card, issued regionally source |
How the single permit works
The employer submits one file to the competent regional employment authority. The region assesses whether the employment may be authorised, and the federal Immigration Office assesses residence. One decision covers both, and the resulting electronic residence card carries the annotation showing that work is permitted.
Where the applicant is abroad, an approved file leads to a type D long-stay visa at the Belgian diplomatic post, after which the person travels, registers at the commune of residence, and collects the card.
The permit is commonly issued for up to a year at a time and renewed, and for most categories it remains linked to the employer named in the application. Changing employer generally requires a fresh authorisation rather than a simple notification.
Why the region matters so much
Belgium transferred competence for economic migration to the regions, and they have used it differently. Flanders operates a system built around a salary threshold with a separate, lower threshold for younger workers and a defined list of shortage occupations. Wallonia and the Brussels-Capital Region publish their own thresholds and their own lists, which are revised on their own timetables.
The consequence is practical rather than theoretical: an offer of a given salary can clear the highly skilled threshold in one region and fall short in another, and an occupation can appear on one region's shortage list and not on the next. The German-speaking Community applies its own rules again.
The region is determined by where the work is actually performed, not by where the company has its registered office — a distinction that matters for employers headquartered in Brussels with sites in Flanders.
The main employee categories
- Highly skilled employee. The standard route for qualified professionals, gated by a regional gross salary threshold and normally a relevant diploma.
- EU Blue Card. For higher education graduates or equivalent experience, with a higher salary threshold and, in principle, better mobility to other EU member states after a qualifying period.
- Shortage occupations. Roles on a region's list face a lighter labour market test, and this is the most useful category for people whose salary sits below the highly skilled threshold.
- Intra-corporate transfer. Managers, specialists and trainees moved within an international group under the EU transfer directive.
- Researchers. Hosted by an approved research organisation under a hosting agreement, with a lighter procedure than ordinary employment.
- Seasonal and short-stay work. Separate, time-limited authorisations with their own conditions.
Self-employment and the professional card
Non-EU nationals who intend to work for their own account, including company directors, generally need a professional card in addition to residence. It is issued by the region and assessed on the economic interest of the activity, the viability of the plan and the applicant's ability to meet Belgian business obligations.
Applicants also have to satisfy the ordinary requirements imposed on any Belgian business: registration in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises, affiliation with a social insurance fund for the self-employed, and VAT registration where applicable. Social contributions for the self-employed are calculated on income and are commonly settled through provisional payments with a later adjustment, which is a frequent source of second-year cash-flow surprises.
Approximate costs
| Item | Approximate cost (EUR) |
|---|---|
| Federal administrative fee for a single permit application | Commonly around 150–200 |
| Long-stay type D visa fee at the post | Commonly around 180 |
| Commune registration and identity card issue | Roughly 20–35 |
| Legalisation and sworn translation of documents | Commonly 300–800 in total |
| Professional card fee, self-employed | Roughly 140 for the application, plus an annual charge |
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Official sources
- Immigration Office — work
- Federal Public Service Employment (NL)
- Federal Public Service Employment (FR)
Checked against these pages in September 2026. Fees and processing times change without notice — confirm before you act.