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Pathway

Belgium Combined Work Residence for Employees

Belgium Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

If you are a non-EU citizen taking a Belgian job lasting more than 90 days, the Single Permit usually combines work and residence approval. Your Belgian employer applies through the Working in Belgium portal. The region reviews the job, and the federal Immigration Office reviews residence.

Job offer required?
Yes, for work mainly in Belgium lasting more than 90 days; the employer files the application
Job requirements
The role, pay, and qualifications must fit an accepted category in the region where you will work
Permission to start
Filing an application does not by itself authorize work

Summary

The Single Permit is Belgium's usual process for a non-EU employee taking a job lasting more than ninety days. It brings together two decisions: the responsible region assesses the employment, while the federal Immigration Office assesses residence. The employer submits the application through Working in Belgium.

There is no universal job or salary rule across all regions and categories. The employer must identify the appropriate occupation, pay and recruitment requirements and provide the corresponding records. An application receipt alone does not necessarily permit work, and the approved permission is not an open authorization for any employer.

One employer filing covers two separate assessments
  1. Identify the regional work category Match the job, pay, qualifications, and main workplace to the region responsible for the application.
  2. Employer prepares the combined file Include regional employment documents and federal residence evidence.
  3. Submit through the one-stop portal Respond promptly to any request for missing documents.
  4. Complete entry and registration If approved Follow the visa and commune steps and begin work only with permission.

The region assesses work and the federal authority assesses residence. A job contract alone is not authorization to start.

Could this pathway work for you?

Eligibility

A standard application requires:

An incomplete file triggers a 15-day opportunity to supply missing items before it may be declared inadmissible. Documents and thresholds change, so the employer should build the file from the live regional checklist.

More about this route

There is no single job, salary, or qualification rule for every Single Permit. Brussels, Flanders, Wallonia, and the German-speaking Community each administer employment categories such as shortage occupations, highly qualified staff, managers, and other admitted workers. The offer must satisfy the relevant region's current rules and the applicable Belgian employment and wage standards.

Once a complete application is declared admissible, the ordinary joint decision period is four months, with a possible extension for exceptional complexity. The employee should not start work merely because an application was filed.

What This Route Allows

Approval combines permission to reside and permission to work in the authorized job. A worker applying from abroad uses the Annex 46 or 47 decision to obtain a D visa. The person then registers with the commune within eight working days; after the address check, the commune issues an A card showing labor-market access.

The permit may be renewed while work and residence conditions continue. The employer should file a limited-permit renewal no later than two months before the A card expires. Lawful employment residence may later contribute to unlimited residence, EU long-term resident status, or nationality, but none is automatic.

What This Route Is Not

This is not a Belgian jobseeker visa, an employee's self-filed permit, or authorization to work for any employer. A professional card is generally the relevant work authorization for self-employment.

Filing or holding an expired-card renewal receipt does not always authorize work. The labor-market notation on Annex 49 depends on whether the region has renewed the work authorization.

Next Steps

  1. Identify the principal place of work and therefore the region responsible for the application.
  2. Match the role to a current regional category and verify the 2026 wage, qualification, and contract rules.
  3. Have the employer collect both regional work documents and federal residence documents.
  4. Submit through the Working in Belgium one-stop portal and respond within any 15-day completion deadline.
  5. Do not begin work until the authorization or a document explicitly permitting work has been issued.
  6. If abroad, obtain the D visa after Annex 46 or 47; after arrival, register with the commune within eight working days.
  7. Start renewal early, normally no later than two months before expiry, and obtain a new authorization before changing employer or role unless the current status expressly allows the change.

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