Belgium Single Permit / Work Permit

Belgium’s single permit is the main route for non-EU employment lasting more than 90 days. It combines regional work authorisation with federal residence approval. The competent region depends on where the worker will mainly be employed.

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Need	Best page
Compare with the EU Blue Card by region	Belgium work permit vs EU Blue Card by region
Check regional salary thresholds	Regional salary thresholds
Plan filing and documents	Timeline and documents
Review family, mobility, and changes	Family, mobility, and job changes

Programme Snapshot

Item	Current Rule
Main audience	Non-EU employees working in Belgium for more than 90 days
Competent authority	Region for work; federal Immigration Office for residence
Regions	Flanders, Brussels-Capital Region, Wallonia, German-speaking Community
Application	Employer or agent files through the relevant regional/Working in Belgium process
Highly qualified contract	European Commission page states at least 1 year
Salary	Regional threshold; highly qualified and executive thresholds differ by region
Standard decision period	National law foresees 90 days for single permit decisions
Arrival step	Register with municipality within 8 working days after arrival
First validity signal	Highly qualified single permit can be valid up to 3 years
Family	Family reunification may be available under Belgian residence rules

Good Fit

This route is strongest for Belgian employment where the salary meets the relevant regional category threshold and the job does not need the EU Blue Card’s higher salary and qualification architecture.

Poor Fit

It is usually a poor fit for self-employment, foreign remote employment with no Belgian employment route, roles below the regional threshold, or cases where the employer is not ready to manage regional filing and federal residence steps.