Professional card

 

Professional card

Third-country nationals wishing to carry out self-employed activities in Belgium must have a professional card unless exempted.

Information on the conditions for obtaining a professional card, cases of exemption, submitting and examining the application, the business counter, formalities to be completed before being able to exercise the activity, the card's period of validity, renewal conditions, etc. is published on the websites of the regional administrations.

Authorization to stay

Third-country nationals wishing to work as self-employed in Belgium for more than 90 days must also be authorized to stay for more than 90 days.

As a general rule, they must apply for a D visa (national long-stay visa) at the Belgian embassy or consulate general responsible for their residence and present the following documents:

  • proof of payment of the contribution fee, if subject to this obligation;
  • the decision of the Region to grant the professional card;
  • a medical certificate attesting that they do not suffer from any of the illnesses listed in the appendix to the law of December 15, 1980;
  • an extract from the criminal record or equivalent document, issued by the country of origin or last residence, less than 6 months old, certifying that they have not been convicted of any ordinary crimes or offences.
Company counter

Upon arrival in Belgium, D visa holders must go to the company counter indicated on the business card application form to collect their business card.

Websites of the regional administrations