Work permit or professional card
To work in Belgium, non-European citizens need a work permit (single or work permit) to work as employees and a professional card if they want to work as self-employed professionals.
Since the Sixth State Reform, regulating foreign workers has been the responsibility of the Regions.
For more information about the employment of foreign workers, you can consult the following websites of the regional administrations:
- Flemish Region: https://www.vlaanderen.be/werken/in-vlaanderen-komen-werken
- Brussels-Capital Region: http://www.bruxelles.irisnet.be
- Walloon Region http://emploi.wallonie.be (http://emploi.wallonie.be/home/travailleurs-etrangers/permis-de-travail.html)
- German-speaking Community: http://www.dglive.be
Residence permits
Third-country nationals who have obtained a work permit (single or work permit) must also apply for authorisation to stay in Belgium for more than 90 days.
Workers residing abroad must apply for a D visa (national long-stay visa) from the Belgian embassy or consulate general with jurisdiction over their residence.
Workers who are legally residing in Belgium can apply for a residence permit at the municipal administration of their residence.
Since 3 January 2019, all residence permits issued by Belgium feature a statement regarding access to the labour market: "Labour market: limited", "Labour market: unlimited", or "Labour market: no".
Family reunification
A third-country national authorised to work and reside in Belgium may be accompanied or joined by their spouse, registered partner and children. The conditions and modalities for applying for a visa or residence permit are explained in the section on family reunification.