To work in Belgium for more than 90 days, a non-EU citizen needs a Single Permit, which combines work authorization and residence rights into one card. Belgium’s work visa requirements are set jointly by the federal government and the region where you’ll be employed: your employer files the application, your salary must meet a regional minimum for your job category, and both the regional authority and the federal Immigration Office must approve the file within four months. Highly skilled workers in Brussels, for example, must earn at least €3,703.44 gross per month in 2026.
Which Permit Applies to You
The right authorization depends on how long you’ll stay, whether you’re employed or self-employed, and how your qualifications are classified.
The Single Permit is the standard route for non-EU workers hired by a Belgian employer for more than 90 days. It replaced the older system of separate work and residence permits.1Immigration Office. Single Permit For most applications, the region first checks whether a suitable worker already exists on the local labor market. Highly skilled workers, management personnel, and certain other categories are exempt from that labor market test.2Brussels Economy and Employment. Other Case (Labour Market Analysis)
The EU Blue Card is aimed at highly qualified professionals and offers easier mobility to other EU member states once you’ve held it for a qualifying period. The original framework under Directive 2009/50/EC was repealed in November 2023 and replaced by Directive (EU) 2021/1883, which broadened eligibility.3EUR-Lex. Directive (EU) 2021/1883 Under the revised rules, professional experience equivalent to a university degree now qualifies in certain sectors, including information and communications technology.4European Commission. EU Blue Card: Attracting Highly Qualified Talent to the EU Blue Card salary thresholds sit above standard Single Permit thresholds and vary by region.
Short assignments under 90 days, such as business meetings, training, or brief technical work, are covered by a Type C short-stay visa and do not require a full work permit.5Immigration Office. Short Stay If you plan to work for yourself instead of for an employer, you need a Professional Card. The regional authority evaluates whether your proposed business will benefit the Belgian economy before granting one.6Immigration Office. Professional Card
Salary You Must Be Paid in 2026
Belgium’s three regions and the German-speaking Community each set their own minimum salary requirements, and they update the numbers periodically. The threshold that applied last year won’t automatically apply to your application.
In Brussels, the minimum gross monthly salary for highly skilled employees is €3,703.44 in 2026, unchanged from 2025. The EU Blue Card threshold is €4,748.00 per month, and management personnel must earn at least €6,647.20 monthly.7Brussels Economy and Employment. Minimum Remuneration
In Flanders, the highly skilled annual threshold is €48,912, dropping to €39,129.60 for workers under 30. The EU Blue Card requires at least €55,052 per year. Flanders may adjust these figures once Statbel publishes new reference data.
In Wallonia, the highly skilled threshold is €53,220 per year, with a reduced figure of €42,576 for workers under 30. The EU Blue Card threshold is €68,815. The German-speaking Community handles applications as a fourth competent authority, and its thresholds generally track Wallonia’s.
Your employment contract must reflect a salary at or above the applicable figure for your job category. This is the single most common reason files are refused before anyone gets to the substance.
Documents Your File Must Contain
Gathering paperwork is where most applicants underestimate the timeline. Several items take weeks to obtain and must be recent at the moment your employer files.
- A valid passport covering the full duration of your intended stay. Some consulates require additional validity beyond the permit period, so check with the specific Belgian embassy or consulate handling your application.
- A signed employment contract showing a salary at or above the regional minimum threshold for your job category. This is the central document in the file.
- A criminal record certificate from your home country covering the last five years, recent at the time of filing.
- A medical certificate issued by a doctor approved by the Belgian embassy or consulate, confirming you don’t have conditions that pose a public health risk.
- Proof of payment of the administrative contribution fee. Without this, the application is inadmissible and will not be processed.8Immigration Office. Contribution Fee
- Diplomas and qualifications, particularly for the EU Blue Card or highly skilled worker categories.
Documents issued outside Belgium must be legalized or carry an apostille, depending on the issuing country. If the country is party to the Hague Apostille Convention, an apostille is sufficient. Documents not in French, Dutch, or German must be translated by a sworn translator. Small discrepancies between the name on your passport and the name on supporting documents are a common reason applications stall.
Belgium has moved D visa applications online. You create an account on the visaonweb.diplomatie.be platform, start your file, and upload documents digitally. The system generates a checklist based on your visa category.9FPS Foreign Affairs – Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation. National Visa (D-visa)
How the Application Is Filed and Decided
The process is employer-driven. Your employer submits the Single Permit application to the economic migration department of the region where you’ll primarily work: Flanders, Wallonia, the Brussels-Capital Region, or the German-speaking Community.10European Commission. Employed Worker in Belgium You cannot file the application yourself; your employer or their authorized representative must initiate it.11Brussels Economy and Employment. Authorisations to Work for Employees
Once the application is declared admissible, two reviews run in parallel. The regional authority evaluates the work component: whether the salary meets minimums, whether the labor market test is satisfied or waived, and whether the job is genuine. The federal Immigration Office evaluates the residence component: security screening, public order, and immigration history. Both must approve for the application to succeed.
Authorities must decide within four months of declaring the application admissible. Approval comes as an Annex 46 notification from the Immigration Office. If they fail to decide within the four-month window, you receive an Annex 47 certificate, which effectively grants the permit by default.10European Commission. Employed Worker in Belgium With approval in hand, you visit your nearest Belgian consulate or embassy to receive the D visa sticker in your passport, which allows you to enter Belgium and begin working.
After You Arrive
You must register with the municipal administration of your place of residence within eight working days of arriving in Belgium. Missing that deadline creates problems for the rest of your stay.1Immigration Office. Single Permit The municipality is called the commune in French-speaking areas and the gemeente in Dutch-speaking ones. Bring your passport with the D visa sticker, your employment contract, and your approval letter.
After registration, a local police officer visits your declared address to verify that you actually live there. Once the residence check clears, the municipality issues your electronic residence permit, called an A card. This card is your day-to-day proof that you’re authorized to live and work in Belgium, and it references your labor market access.1Immigration Office. Single Permit
If You Lose Your Job
Your Single Permit is tied to your employment, so losing the job puts your right to stay on a countdown. When the regional authority terminates your work permit, your residence permit automatically ends 90 days later. During those 90 days, you hold temporary legal residence, but the Annex 51 document issued in that period does not give you access to the labor market.1Immigration Office. Single Permit
You have roughly three months to find a new employer willing to file a fresh Single Permit application. A notice period paid by your old employer still counts as active employment and does not trigger the 90-day clock. Once the employment relationship formally ends and the region is notified, the countdown begins. If you don’t secure a new position in time, you’re expected to leave Belgium.
Renewals and the Five-Year Mark
The A card is initially granted for a limited period, typically matching your employment contract. Your employer must apply for renewal with the regional authority at least two months before the card expires. The same dual review applies: the region reassesses the work authorization, and the Immigration Office reassesses residence.1Immigration Office. Single Permit While the renewal is pending, the municipality issues an Annex 50 certificate confirming the application is in progress. Don’t let the card expire without filing; operating on an expired permit creates legal exposure even if you’re still employed.
If the region eventually grants your work permit for an unlimited duration, the region drops out of future renewals, and you only need to renew the residence portion through your municipality. After five years of continuous legal residence, the Immigration Office can grant your residence permit for an unlimited period, provided you haven’t become dependent on Belgium’s social welfare system and you’re still residing in Belgium for the authorized purpose.1Immigration Office. Single Permit