It is that time for you to apply for a Belgian work permit, eh? But all your friends have left Belgium and you are the only one still in Belgium trying to find work? Don’t fret! There are a few things you can do to make sure you get the Belgian work permit before your friends leave. Federal and local laws in Belgium mandate that all persons wishing to work in the country should be allowed a work permit unless you are from a member state of the European Union. Working without this permit violates the law and exposes you as well as your prospective employer to heavy fines.
How Can I Get Work Permit In Belgium
Are you thinking about moving to Belgium and want to work there? Belgium has a lot of opportunities for expats. The country offers an excellent standard of life. Another reason why many expats would love to work there is that life in the country is affordable. There are many countries where people will try moving to, when they retire. But these countries may be not be affordable. These countries also don’t accept any applications for residence permits. A few of these countries are the United States, Australia, Canada etc. There are a lot of other countries too that are quite expensive to live in and there is no option for obtaining a residence permit either. Hence people may be moving to Belgium because it is affordable and anyone can surely apply for a residence permit over there too. When it comes to free movement within the European Union, many people think of the Schengen agreement, which allows you to move around much of Western Europe without showing entry documents. However, in fact, this is just an aspect of EU citizenship as such. If you’re living outside one of these states and would like to get a residence permit in Belgium, well, you can do that by licensing your right to reside on the territory of Belgium.
Belgium Work Visas & Permits
Is your company planning to expand operations in Belgium? Belgium is a preferred location for international business, due in part to the country’s productive workforce. However, if you plan to relocate employees or hire new workers abroad, it’s important to make sure that all of your company’s team members have the appropriate visas and permits to work there legally.
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Is your company planning to expand operations in Belgium? Belgium is a preferred location for international business, due in part to the country’s productive workforce. However, if you plan to relocate employees or hire new workers abroad, it’s important to make sure that all of your company’s team members have the appropriate visas and permits to work there legally.
Types of Work Visas in Belgium
In Belgium, there are three categories of work permits available to foreign nationals. These categories include:
- Work Permit Type A: To obtain this permit, the applicant must have held a Type B permit for a period of four years during an uninterrupted, ten-year stay in Belgium. Type A permits are valid indefinitely.
- Work Permit Type B: This permit allows foreign nationals to work in positions that cannot be filled by Belgian nationals. It is valid for one year, after which it can be renewed.
- Work Permit Type C: This permit is issued to students and other temporary visitors. It is valid for a maximum of one year.
The most common work permit is Type B, and this is the permit your employees will most likely need. In addition to a work permit, employees will also need a residence visa to stay in Belgium.
Requirements to Obtain Belgium Work Visas
Belgium is a member of the European Union (EU), which means that nationals of other EU member states are free to work there without obtaining a work permit. Citizens from the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland are also exempt. Anyone else will need a permit.
It is up to the employer to obtain a Type B work permit on behalf of foreign workers.
To obtain a visa, employees will need to provide the following documents:
- A valid passport, along with a copy of each page
- Proof of accommodation in Belgium
Evidence of sufficient financial means - A police background check
- A medical certificate of health
- A work permit
Application Process
Foreign employees will need a work permit as well as a visa to live and work in Belgium. It’s the employer’s responsibility to apply for the work permit, but first, they will need to prove that there are no job-seeking Belgian nationals who are eligible to fill the position. After doing so, the application process can begin. The process involves the following steps:
- The employer submits a work permit application to the immigration authorities in Belgium.
- Upon approval, the authorities forward the work permit to the Belgian Embassy in the prospective employee’s country of residence.
- The employee visits the Belgian Embassy in their country to apply for a residence visa.
- After receiving the visa and permit, the employee may travel to Belgium.
- In Belgium, the employee registers their arrival with the appropriate authorities and records their residential address.
- The employee submits an application for an ID card.
- The employee collects the ID card and provides their fingerprints.
After completing these steps, the employee may begin working for your company in Belgium.
Other Important Considerations
To sponsor a work permit for a foreign employee, the company must be registered and incorporated in Belgium. If your company does not have an existing subsidiary in Belgium, you can meet this requirement by partnering with a Global PEO which will act as the Employer of Record, hiring workers and sponsoring permits on your behalf.
After working for four years within a 10-year period in Belgium, employees may be eligible for a Type A work permit. Employees should be aware that they can apply for this permit themselves, unlike their Type B permit.
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At this moment, Globalization Partners does not offer support processing work visas or permits in this particular location.
For any other inquiries about our global employment platform, contact us today.