Employing a foreigner in Flanders: highly skilled

Which region is competent?

The region in which the branch unit where the foreign worker is employed is located is competent. If the employer owns several business units, the region where the worker is mainly employed is competent.

If the main place of employment cannot be determined, for example because the employee is employed 50% in one region and 50% in the other region, the region where the company has its registered office and is therefore registered in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (CBE) is competent.

If the employer does not own any social unit or business unit in Belgium, the region where the employee is to perform his activities is competent.

If the place of employment changes, the employer must apply for a new work permit.

Other regions

Please contact the competent region below if you do not need to apply for a permit in Flanders:

Competent service in the Brussels-Capital Region
Brussel Economie en Werkgelegenheid
Directie Economische Migratie
Sint-Lazarusplein 2
1035 Brussel
Tel: 02 204 13 99 (9 am to 12 pm)
Website of the competent service in Brussels(opens in new window)

Competent service in Wallonia
Direction générale de l’Economie, de l’Emploi et de la Recherche 
Direction de l’Emploi et des Permis de travail
Place de la Wallonie 1
5100 Jambes
Tel 081 33 43 62
E-mail: permisdetravail@spw.wallonie.be(opens in your email application)
Website of the competent service in Wallonia(opens in new window)

Competent service for the German-speaking Community:
Ministerium der Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft
Abteilung Beschäftigung, Gesundheit und Soziales,
Gospertstrasse, 1
4700 EUPEN
Tel 087 59 64 86
Website of the competent service for the German-speaking Community

To apply for a permit in Flanders, download the form “application for fixed-term
employment with a work card and work permit”: Word (in Dutch)(Word file opens in new window) or pdf (in Dutch)(PDF file opens in new window).
The application form asks you to enter the employee’s national register or BIS number.

• If your employee is not registered in the national register, the employer must request a BIS number. The employer requests the BIS number via BelgianIDpro(opens in new window) and completes the application form.

A BIS number is a unique identification number which, like the national registry number, consists of 11 digits. The first 6 digits are based on the date of birth: 00.00.00-000-.00.

Non-Belgians working in Belgium but not living in Belgium are automatically registered in the BIS register of the Crossroads Bank for Social Security (KSZ) and have a BIS number.

• Employee ID
  • Employee is not in Belgium at the time of application:
    • International passport.
  • Employee is in Belgium at the time of application:
    • International passport and Belgian residence permit showing legal residence in Belgium
• Your (as the employer) identity document or that of your proxy holder.
• An employment contract, dated and signed by both parties.
  (Another document may be required instead of an employment contract for the category to which the foreigner’s work belongs, see below on this page.)

Collect the required documents in the following fixed order in one application.

1. Application form

The form completed by the employer for a fixed-term permit:
(“application for fixed-term employment with a work card and work permit”: Word (in Dutch)(Word file opens in new window) or pdf (in Dutch)(PDF file opens in new window))

2. Residence documents

• Employee identity document, a valid passport or equivalent travel document (only specific personal data, no stamp pages, whether blank or filled in). Choose which situation is applicable:
  • Employee is not in Belgium at the time of application
    • Foreign identity card or personal data in an international passport.
  • Employee is in Belgium at the time of application
    • Foreign identity card or personal data in an international passport
    • and Belgian residence permit showing legal residence in Belgium.
• Proof(opens in new window) that the employee has a health insurance which covers all risks for them and their family members.

3. Employment contract

If there is an employment contract with a foreign employer, the translated version thereof in Dutch, French, German or English.
If there is no employment contract: proof of another income.

4. Employer identity document

Or of their proxy/agent.

5. Documents in case of posting

• One of the following documents:
  • A statement that the social security legislation of the employee’s country continues to apply while working in Belgium
  • If there is no international agreement on this: a statement from the National Social Security Office that the employee is not subject to the Belgian scheme for employed persons because conditions for this have not been met.

• A certificate signed by you (the employer) with:
  • The duration of the posting
  • The work and pay conditions during the posting.

Proof of registration in the Limosa(opens in new window) Registry as an employee working on posting within the scope of Title IV, Chapter 8 of the Programme Act (I) of 27 December 2006

• Scan the full application, with all associated documents in the required order.
• Group everything into a single file in PDF format.
• Give the PDF a name as follows:
  [surnames in capital letters] underscore [first names in capital letters] underscore
  [country of nationality] and, if known, underscore [INSZ number, integral in digits – BIS- or national registry number].​​​​​​Example: SURNAME_First name1 First name2_Country_XXXXXXXXXXX.pdf

E-mail address

Submit your scanned file via e-mail: aanvraag.arbeidskaart@vlaanderen.be

Please use that e-mail address only for filing applications.
All other communication is via the e-mail address provided by the case handler or via arbeidskaart@vlaanderen.be Do not include any other names as (co-)addressees, either directly or in Cc or Bcc.

PDF attachment

Send 1 e-mail with 1 PDF attachment for each employee for whom you are applying for a work permit. Include the application form and all the documents in the correct order in this PDF attachment.
The maximum file size is 20 megabytes (MB). If your application is more than 20 MB, compress it into a zip file of 20 MB maximum.

E-mail subject

In the subject line include the full name of the PDF file, followed by the specific category for which you are applying for a work permit (for example, highly skilled, executive or training multinational group, as indicated on the application form), followed by the type of application (‘first application’ or ‘renewal/extension’).

Fictitious example: MOHAMMED_AHMED YOUSSEF_Morocco_95470115388.pdf – highly skilled - first application;

E-mail text

Always include the following in the e-mail message itself:

• Employee (surnames and first names)
• Belgian company involved (employer or user in case of posting, company name and company number)
• In case of au pair: host family
• In case of posting: the foreign company involved(company name and address)
• Job title.

In addition to the required information, you can, if you wish, also provide additional information about the actual employment.

Fictitious example: MOHAMMED Ahmed Youssef, Janssen Pharmaceutica (0403.834.160), Marrakech Consultants (Avenue Ibn Sina, Marrakech), senior consultant.

Agent

Are you based abroad? Then authorise an agent who regularly resides in Belgium to submit the application. In that case, please also attach a copy of the agent’s identity document.

Confirmation of receipt

After you have e-mailed your application, you will receive an automatic confirmation of receipt, including your original message (without an attachment). The Economic Migration Department will then process the applications in chronological order of receipt.

The Economic Migration Department examines the “employment” section of your application. Upon approval, we automatically forward the application to the Immigration Department, which examines the “residence” section of your application.

The application is approved

The employee receives a work card and the employer receives a work permit. Both documents include the same information:

• The work permit is the document (in letter form) for the employer, authorising him to employ a specific foreign employee, in a specific position or job, and for a specific period of time. The work permit is always sent directly to the (applicant) employer (or to his agent who submitted the application)
• The work card is the document (in card form with photo) for the foreign employee, authorising him to work for a specific employer in a specific position or job and for a specific period of time.

The work card can be delivered in two ways, depending on the situation:

• The employee is still abroad: the original work card is sent to the municipality where the employer is established. The employer collects the work card and sends it to the employee abroad. The employee abroad must present himself/herself with the work card at the Belgian embassy to obtain a short-stay visa (visa type C – not required for people who can travel visa-free). The employee can then travel to Belgium and register in a Belgian municipality.
• The employee is in Belgium: the original work card is sent to the municipality where the employee lives, the employee collects it himself or herself. Sending the work card by post to the municipal administration can take up to 3 weeks. If the card has not been received after this period, the municipality must contact the Economic Migration Department to request and send a duplicate.

The employee in possession of the work card can only work for the employer who applied for the permit.

The work permit for a maximum of 90 days cannot be renewed/extended. You must then apply for a fixed-term work permit for more than 90 days.

The application is not approved

You will receive a refusal decision.

If you do not agree with the refusal decision, you have the following options:

• You can submit a new application, complete and/or with new elements, which will then be re-examined.
• As an employee, you can look for a new employer who will submit a new application for a fixed-term work permit.
• You can appeal the refusal decision or the withdrawal decision.

Which region is competent?

The region in which the branch unit where the foreign worker is employed is located is competent. If the employer owns several business units, the region where the worker is mainly employed is competent.

If the main place of employment cannot be determined, for example because the employee is employed 50% in one region and 50% in the other region, the region where the company has its registered office and is therefore registered in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (CBE) is competent.

If the employer does not own any social unit or business unit in Belgium, the region where the employee is to perform his activities is competent.

If the place of employment changes, the employer must apply for a new work permit.

Other regions

Please contact the competent region below if you do not need to apply for a permit in Flanders:

Competent service in the Brussels-Capital Region
Brussel Economie en Werkgelegenheid
Directie Economische Migratie
Sint-Lazarusplein 2
1035 Brussel
Tel: 02 204 13 99 (9 am to 12 pm)
Website of the competent service in Brussels(opens in new window)

Competent service in Wallonia
Direction générale de l’Economie, de l’Emploi et de la Recherche 
Direction de l’Emploi et des Permis de travail
Place de la Wallonie 1
5100 Jambes
Tel 081 33 43 62
E-mail: permisdetravail@spw.wallonie.be(opens in your email application)
Website of the competent service in Wallonia(opens in new window)

Competent service for the German-speaking Community:
Ministerium der Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft
Abteilung Beschäftigung, Gesundheit und Soziales,
Gospertstrasse, 1
4700 EUPEN
Tel 087 59 64 86
Website of the competent service for the German-speaking Community

To apply for a permit in Flanders, download the form “application for fixed-term
employment with a work card and work permit”: Word (in Dutch)(Word file opens in new window) or pdf (in Dutch)(PDF file opens in new window).
The application form asks you to enter the employee’s national register or BIS number.

• If your employee is not registered in the national register, the employer must request a BIS number. The employer requests the BIS number via BelgianIDpro(opens in new window) and completes the application form.

A BIS number is a unique identification number which, like the national registry number, consists of 11 digits. The first 6 digits are based on the date of birth: 00.00.00-000-.00.

Non-Belgians working in Belgium but not living in Belgium are automatically registered in the BIS register of the Crossroads Bank for Social Security (KSZ) and have a BIS number.

• Employee ID
  • Employee is not in Belgium at the time of application:
    • International passport.
  • Employee is in Belgium at the time of application:
    • International passport and Belgian residence permit showing legal residence in Belgium
• Your (as the employer) identity document or that of your proxy holder.
• An employment contract, dated and signed by both parties.
  (Another document may be required instead of an employment contract for the category to which the foreigner’s work belongs, see below on this page.)

Collect the required documents in the following fixed order in one application.

1. Application form

The form completed by the employer for a fixed-term permit:
(“application for fixed-term employment with a work card and work permit”: Word (in Dutch)(Word file opens in new window) or pdf (in Dutch)(PDF file opens in new window))

2. Residence documents

• Employee identity document, a valid passport or equivalent travel document (only specific personal data, no stamp pages, whether blank or filled in). Choose which situation is applicable:
  • Employee is not in Belgium at the time of application
    • Foreign identity card or personal data in an international passport.
  • Employee is in Belgium at the time of application
    • Foreign identity card or personal data in an international passport
    • and Belgian residence permit showing legal residence in Belgium.
• Proof(opens in new window) that the employee has a health insurance which covers all risks for them and their family members.

3. Employment contract

If there is an employment contract with a foreign employer, the translated version thereof in Dutch, French, German or English.
If there is no employment contract: proof of another income.

4. Employer identity document

Or of their proxy/agent.

5. Documents in case of posting

• One of the following documents:
  • A statement that the social security legislation of the employee’s country continues to apply while working in Belgium
  • If there is no international agreement on this: a statement from the National Social Security Office that the employee is not subject to the Belgian scheme for employed persons because conditions for this have not been met.

• A certificate signed by you (the employer) with:
  • The duration of the posting
  • The work and pay conditions during the posting.

Proof of registration in the Limosa(opens in new window) Registry as an employee working on posting within the scope of Title IV, Chapter 8 of the Programme Act (I) of 27 December 2006

• Scan the full application, with all associated documents in the required order.
• Group everything into a single file in PDF format.
• Give the PDF a name as follows:
  [surnames in capital letters] underscore [first names in capital letters] underscore
  [country of nationality] and, if known, underscore [INSZ number, integral in digits – BIS- or national registry number].​​​​​​Example: SURNAME_First name1 First name2_Country_XXXXXXXXXXX.pdf

E-mail address

Submit your scanned file via e-mail: aanvraag.arbeidskaart@vlaanderen.be

Please use that e-mail address only for filing applications.
All other communication is via the e-mail address provided by the case handler or via arbeidskaart@vlaanderen.be Do not include any other names as (co-)addressees, either directly or in Cc or Bcc.

PDF attachment

Send 1 e-mail with 1 PDF attachment for each employee for whom you are applying for a work permit. Include the application form and all the documents in the correct order in this PDF attachment.
The maximum file size is 20 megabytes (MB). If your application is more than 20 MB, compress it into a zip file of 20 MB maximum.

E-mail subject

In the subject line include the full name of the PDF file, followed by the specific category for which you are applying for a work permit (for example, highly skilled, executive or training multinational group, as indicated on the application form), followed by the type of application (‘first application’ or ‘renewal/extension’).

Fictitious example: MOHAMMED_AHMED YOUSSEF_Morocco_95470115388.pdf – highly skilled - first application;

E-mail text

Always include the following in the e-mail message itself:

• Employee (surnames and first names)
• Belgian company involved (employer or user in case of posting, company name and company number)
• In case of au pair: host family
• In case of posting: the foreign company involved(company name and address)
• Job title.

In addition to the required information, you can, if you wish, also provide additional information about the actual employment.

Fictitious example: MOHAMMED Ahmed Youssef, Janssen Pharmaceutica (0403.834.160), Marrakech Consultants (Avenue Ibn Sina, Marrakech), senior consultant.

Agent

Are you based abroad? Then authorise an agent who regularly resides in Belgium to submit the application. In that case, please also attach a copy of the agent’s identity document.

Confirmation of receipt

After you have e-mailed your application, you will receive an automatic confirmation of receipt, including your original message (without an attachment). The Economic Migration Department will then process the applications in chronological order of receipt.

The Economic Migration Department examines the “employment” section of your application. Upon approval, we will automatically forward the application to the Immigration Department, which will examine the “residence” section of your application.

How the employee with a Schengen visa can work and reside in the Flemish Region.

The foreign employee who holds a Schengen visa and for whom a work permit is awarded and issued will be allowed to work and reside in the Flemish Region for a maximum of 90 days during the period of validity of their Schengen visa (valid for at least 180 days).

These 90 days of work and residence are completely ‘free to choose’ over the entire period of validity of the Schengen visa. So, they may be completely separate days, over one completely continuous period or over several periods of separate or continuous days. However, the duration of the work permit must be respected, as must the “90 days of each period of 180 days” for the entire duration of the Schengen visa.

A work permit with a work card and permit of 90/180 days is granted and issued with a validity of those 180 days (six months). This therefore means that the foreign employee concerned must meet the pay conditions of the category in which the work permit was granted for the full 180 days (six months). And thus, not only meet those pay conditions on the actual (maximum) 90 days.

The employee can only work for the employer who previously obtained the work permit.

Here you will find a tool for calculating the number of travel days remaining(opens in new window) under the Schengen short-stay visa.

More info about the renewal of a work permit for 90/180 days with a Schengen visa.

1. Employee identity document
   • Employee is not in Belgium at the time of application:
     • Personal data in an international passport.
   • Employee is in Belgium at the time of application:
     • Personal data in an international passport
     • And a Belgian residence permit.
2. Proof(opens in new window) that the requested administrative costs (fees) have been paid
3. Extract from the criminal register(opens in new window), if the applicant is over 18 years of age. Legalised(opens in new window) and translated (Dutch, French or English)
4. The standard medical certificate(opens in new window) showing that the employee is not suffering from a disease which is a threat to public health, as referred to in the annex to the law of 15 December 1980
5. Proof that the employee has health insurance(opens in new window) or a declaration of commitment (in Dutch)(PDF file opens in new window)

These documents must be no more than 6 months old at the time of submitting your application.

An ​​​​employment contract signed and dated by both parties.

The employment contract must be drawn up in the language of the region where the employer concerned is established.

Employment through service vouchers or as a community worker is excluded for work permits.

If so, please also include:

• One of the following documents:
  • Declaration that the social security legislation(opens in new window) of the employee’s country will continue to apply during employment in Belgium
  • If there is no international agreement(opens in new window) on this: a declaration from the National Social Security Office that the employee is not subject to the Belgian scheme for employees because the conditions for this have not been met.

• A certificate signed by you (employer) with:
  • The duration of the posting
  • The work and pay conditions during the posting
• For an employment contract with a foreign employer: the translated version thereof in Dutch, French, German or English.

Only submit a complete application. It is not possible to email documents afterwards to add them to a file which has already been submitted.

• If the file has been processed, but you want to cancel/stop the application, you can do so via the ‘stop’ button. The Economic Migration Department will then process the cancellation/stop request.
• If the employment contract with the employee has been terminated early, you must press the ‘stop early’ button in the employee’s file.

After you have submitted the complete application via the one-stop shop(opens in new window), it is automatically forwarded digitally to the competent region. The competent regions, besides Flanders, are:

Brussels-Capital Region
Brussel Economie en Werkgelegenheid
Directie Economische Migratie
Sint-Lazarusplein 2
1035 Brussels
02 204 13 99 (from 9 to 12)
Website of the competent service in Brussels(opens in new window)

Walloon Region
Direction générale de l’Economie, de l’Emploi et de la Recherche 
Direction de l’Emploi et des Permis de travail
Place de la Wallonie 1
5100 Jambes
081 33 43 62
permisdetravail@spw.wallonie.be(opens in your email application)
Website of the competent service in Wallonia(opens in new window)

German-speaking Community
Ministerium der Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft
Abteilung Beschäftigung, Gesundheit und Soziales,
Gospertstrasse, 1
4700 Eupen
087 59 64 86
Website of the competent service for the German-speaking Community(opens in new window)

The competent region will examine the “employment” section of your file.

After you have submitted the complete application, you can follow up the status of your application in the one-stop shop(opens in new window). For each change of status of your file, you will receive a notification and a digital letter via your eBox (in Dutch)(opens in new window).

These statuses are possible:

• The file has been submitted
• Additional information requested by the region
• Admissibility
• Inadmissibility
• Positive decision concerning work or negative position concerning work

After a ‘positive decision concerning work’, the file is automatically forwarded to the Immigration Department of the federal government, which will examine the “residence” section of your application. The following stages are possible:

• Being processed by the Immigration Department
• Additional information requested by the Immigration Department
• Positive decision concerning residence (Annex 46/47) or negative decision concerning residence (Annex 48).

In case of a positive decision on both work and residence (single permit), the Immigration Department will communicate this decision to the employee, the employer and the municipal council or the Belgian diplomatic and consular post specified in the application.

If the employee is in Belgium, the Immigration Department will issue an electronic single permit via the municipality. This permit contains both the work permit and the residence permit.

If the employee is abroad, the employee, who has provided a foreign address in their application for a work permit, must apply for a visa D (national long-stay visa) at the Belgian diplomatic or consular post competent for their place of residence.
That post will issue the visa, upon presentation of a valid passport and the decision to grant a single permit (Annex 46 or 47), provided that the decision presented by the employee is fully consistent with the decision communicated to the post by the Immigration Department.

The national entry B34 made on the visa D means that the employee has received a single permit. The entry B29 means that the employee is a highly qualified employee (EU Blue Card).

If the employee has arrived in Belgium

Then, within 8 working days, the employee must register in the aliens’ register (in Dutch)(opens in new window) of the place of residence and apply for the issue of a single permit.