Invest in Belgium - Work permit & immigration

Work permit & immigration

Visas and other documents

Foreign nationals (from outside the European Union, Iceland, Monaco, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland) wishing to settle in Belgium for longer than three months must possess a visa. Applications must be presented to a Belgian embassy or consulate.

The following documents are also required:

• a passport
• an extract from your judicial record
• a medical certificate from a doctor approved by the embassy
• an employer permit

Upon arriving in Belgium, the foreign worker must officially register with the municipal authorities.

Work permits

Foreign workers wishing to work in Belgium must be in possession of a work permit. This does not apply to citizens of European Economic Area Member States .

There are three types of work permit:

• a type A work permit, valid for all salaried professions with all employers and for an unlimited period.
• a type B work permit, valid with a single employer and limited to one year.
• a type C work permit, valid for all salaried professions with all employers for a limited period (one year, and renewable).

Each region has its own work permit application procedure. Click here for more information on work permits in Flanders, Wallonia (in French) and Brussels.

Posting workers to Belgium

A foreign employer can also post workers to Belgium for a limited period. The formalities are very simple: the employer must submit a simple electronic declaration known as Limosa .