How To Get Work Permit In Belgium

You are planning to move to Belgium with a view of gainful employment? And therefore, you are looking forward to getting the Work Permit in Belgium.

It is a known fact that, Belgium is one of the most preferred places in the world for people to go and work. In fact, you’ll be surprised to find how many foreigners live within the country at any given time. A large percentage of this population constitutes of people who are non-EU nationals who are holders of non-EU nationality and are thus required to get a work permit before they can start working within the country.

The first thing a foreigner needs to know when thinking of moving to Belgium is that it is not possible to work in Belgium without a work permit. A lot of people think they can just sign up for unemployment benefits, but this is not true. The only way to get unemployment benefits in Belgium is through an employer.

Getting a work permit in Belgium is an easy process. You only need to determine a few requirements to ensure that you and your job meet these conditions, so let’s get started.

How To Get Work Permit In Belgium

The final thing I want to mention is the issue of getting a work permit in Belgium. This process can seem like a big hassle if you are not familiar with how it works. There are three types of work permits possible:

Who needs a Belgian work permit? Find out which of Belgium’s work permit you need, and the procedures and documents for applying for your Belgian work visa.

To legally live and work in Belgium certain nationalities require a Belgian work permit and, depending on the length of stay in Belgium, a Belgian residence permit may also be required. There are three different types of Belgian work permits, as well as exemptions depending on the employment conditions of your work in Belgium.

The Belgian work visa is closely linked to your residence status in Belgium; this means, in most cases, a job will need to be arranged before you can apply for any kind of permit to live and work in Belgium. It is thus advised to first find a job in Belgium or start a business or as a self-employed worker in Belgium, before you consider applying for either a residence or work permit in Belgium, or see if you qualify for another type of Belgian permit.

This comprehensive guide covers all aspects of work permits in Belgium:

• Latest changes to Belgian work permits
• Who can work in Belgium?
• Which Belgian work visa do I need?
• Do I qualify for a European Blue Card instead?
• Work in Belgium as an au pair
• Work in Belgium as a student
• Volunteering in Belgium
• Working holiday programs: Australia, Canada, New Zealand
• More information and help

Belgium work permit updates

• The Belgian goverment increased the minimum salary requirements in 2017 to qualify for a Belgian work permit B or Blue Card.
• The Belgian government is in the process of transposing an European Union (EU) directive, aimed at providing a single permit for non-EU employees to work in multiple branches of an EU-based multinational company; implementation has already taking longer than the 2016 deadline, however, it is predicted to bring significant change to Belgium’s work permit procedures.
• Previous restrictions on newer EU member Croatia were lifted and citizens no longer require a work permit for Belgium.

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Who can work in Belgium?

EU/EEA and Swiss nationals

Citizens from the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA – EU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and Switzerland can work freely in Belgium without the need for a Belgian work permit.

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals

In principle a Belgian work permit is required for any non-EU/EEA/Swiss national coming to work in Belgium. There are exceptions, however, depending on the nature of activities or residence status of the foreigner. For example, scientific researchers or those holding permanent residence permits entitling indefinite stay in Belgium are exempt from requiring a Belgian work permit.

In many cases, the right to a Belgian work permit will also be granted to family members (such as a spouse or child) of successful applicants who are granted Belgian residency.

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Types of work permit in Belgium

There are three types of work permit in Belgium, and it depends on your situation as to which Belgian work permit is required. Below is an explanation of the different work permit for Belgium.

Belgian work permit A

A work permit A is valid for all employers and paid occupations in Belgium and is valid indefinitely – that is, you can work for any employer in Belgium for any amount of time – and conditions are stricter. Typically the employee must apply themself.

To get a type A Belgian work permit, you must prove you have worked for four years on a type B Belgian work permit within a 10-year, uninterrupted legal stay in Belgium. ‘Uninterrupted’ is defined as not being outside of Belgium for longer than one year between your Belgian residency periods.

It’s only three years to qualify if you’re a national of Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Morocco, Serbia, Tunisia and Turkey. These periods of three and four year can be reduced by one year if your spouse, registered partner or dependant children are living with you in Belgium.

Some types of workers can’t apply for a type A Belgian work permit, including:

• highly skilled workers
• au pairs
• trainees
• workers on temporary assignment
• researchers and guest professors
• specialised technicians
• family members of people who hold type B permits, are self-employed, or who don’t need work permits.

When you apply for this Belgian work permit, you will need to complete the form ‘Application for obtaining a work permit A‘ (Aanvraag tot het bekomen van een arbeidskaart Aan) and provide copies of your type B work permit, payslips and residence permit. You will need to apply at the immigration office in your area, who can also provide more detail about how to get a work permit in Belgium.

If your request is rejected, you will be notified via mail; you can appeal by replying with a registered letter outlining your argument within one month. If your Belgian work permit is approved, you will be notified via the appropriate municipality department to collect your permit A.

Belgian work permit B

A Belgian work permit B is issued for a specific job for a specific employer for a maximum period of up to 12 months, despite the length of your employment contract. However, this permit can be renewed for as long as you still meet the requirements.

The Belgian work permit B requires employer sponsorship; your employer has to apply for your work permit to employ you. This work permit is valid for employment with the sponsoring company only, and for the position indicated in the application. In principle, a foreign worker is only allowed to work in Belgium when a labour market test indicates that no suitable candidate could be found on the Belgian or EEA labour market within a reasonable term.

Various categories of workers can, however, obtain a work permit without the need of a labour market test, for example, researchers, highly qualified workers or technical experts. Employers can also employ long-term residents from other EU states on the type B work permit if the job is listed as one of these shortage occupations.

To qualify for a Belgian work visa, employers must offer above a set wage for highly qualified (at least in possession of a Bachelor) and executive employees in order to qualify, alongside certain other jobs. Salary levels are reviewed yearly; in 2017 the annual minimum salary levels were EUR 40,124 for highly qualified workers and EUR 66,942 for executives and managers.

To calculate a minimum salary, the following elements are considered:

• gross salary (taxable salary)
• taxable end-year bonuses
• any other taxable allowances and benefits for work done that is included under your employment contract.

What is generally not included, however, are so-called COLA’s (Cost Of Living Allowances) or other allowances typically granted to compensate for costs incurred by foreigners working abroad, as well as bonuses based on performance or achievements.

If it is your first employment in Belgium, you must also supply a medical certificate less than three months old. For certain sectors, such as manual workers and clerical staff, you and your employee must also sign a prescribed contract of employment stating mandatory provisions (see the list of forms at the bottom here). See an explanation of the required application documents here. The immigration authority aims to make decisions within 10 days on applications for work visas in Belgium.

A firm condition of the Belgian work permit B, however, is that the employee must still be abroad; if it is discovered an applicant came to Belgium with the intention to work before holding a permit, Belgian immigration reserves the right to refuse an application. This measure is designed to stop foreigners simply entering Belgium to find work, and an appeal against such a decision will not typically be granted.

If a type-B Belgian work visa is issued, you can then contact the Belgian embassy in your home country and apply for a Belgian residence visa to come and work in Belgium for that employer.

If you change employers you’ll need a new work permit and a new residence visa. To renew this work permit, your employer must make an application no later than one month before your work permit expiry date; the process and documents required are similar to the first application. If rejected, an appeal can be made within one month.

Belgian work permit C

A Belgian work permit C is for certain foreign nationals who are staying in Belgium only temporarily, such as students or family members of consular officials, or whose right to stay is not confirmed, such as asylum seekers. It allows holders to take on paid employment in any field and for any job contract type for the validity of their residence permit, providing similar rights of employment as Belgian citizens. The permit is issued for up to one year and can be renewed under certain circumstances.