Belgium Work Visa 2026: Single Permit, Fees and Timing
To work in Belgium for more than 90 days, a citizen of a country outside the EEA and Switzerland needs a single permit, one document that covers both the right to work and the right to stay. The employer applies for it online, a Region decides on the work and the federal Immigration Office decides on the residence. This guide sets out the procedure, the documents, the fees in force in 2026, the legal deadline and the waiting times published this month, as read on the official pages on 14 October 2026.
Quick answer
Your employer in Belgium applies through the one-stop counter. The federal contribution fee is 152 euro in 2026, and Flanders has charged its own fee of 180 euro per application since 1 September 2026. The Region and the Immigration Office have 4 months to decide once the file is admissible. For October 2026 the Flemish Region estimates 14-15 weeks for a first application at the Immigration Office, and 11-12 weeks for an EU Blue Card. If you are abroad you then apply for a long-stay visa, and you register with your municipality within 8 working days of entering Belgium.
Who needs what
| Your situation | What applies |
|---|---|
| National of the EU, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein or Switzerland | No authorisation to work is needed |
| Third-country national working for more than 90 days | A single permit, applied for by the employer through the one-stop counter |
| Third-country national working for up to 90 days | An authorisation to work valid for a maximum of 90 days, under the older work permit procedure |
| Self-employed third-country national | A professional card, not a work permit |
| Highly qualified worker | A work and residence permit as a highly qualified worker (EU Blue Card), which carries the same federal fee |
The Brussels Region adds that some foreign nationals are exempt because of their residence situation, for example students and people who came through family reunification. They ask their municipality for a residence document, which entitles them to work.
How the single permit procedure works
- The employer applies online through the federal one-stop counter. The application has to be made by an employer based in Belgium. In the Brussels Region, all applications have had to go through this portal since May 4, 2026.
- The file goes to the competent Region, which is the Region of your principal place of work: Brussels-Capital, Flanders, Wallonia or the German Community.
- The Region checks that the file is complete. If it is not, it gives 15 days to complete it, and declares the application inadmissible if that is not done.
- The Region sends a copy to the Immigration Office within 15 days of declaring the application admissible.
- The joint decision. The Region examines whether you can be authorised to work, and the Immigration Office whether you can stay for more than 90 days. Both parts are combined in one decision.
- If you are abroad, you apply for a national long-stay visa at the Belgian diplomatic or consular post for your place of residence, with your passport and the decision.
- Register within 8 working days of entering Belgium in the register of foreign nationals of your municipality. You receive a certificate (Annex 49) that covers your stay for 45 days and can be extended twice by 45 days, and then an A card.
Documents for the residence part
- Proof of payment of the fee.
- A copy of your valid passport or travel document.
- Proof of sufficient means of subsistence, the duration of your employment and, where applicable, the employer's VAT number.
- An extract from the criminal record, or an equivalent document, if you are over 18.
- A medical certificate.
- Proof of health insurance covering all risks in Belgium for you and your family.
The documents for the work part are published by each Region. The Immigration Office may ask for more during its examination.
Fees in 2026
| Fee | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Federal contribution fee, single permit or highly qualified worker | 152 euro | Amount as of 1 January 2026. Adjusted on 1 January each year. |
| Flemish Region fee, single permit | 180 euro | Per application, from 1 September 2026, for first applications and renewals. On top of the federal fee. |
| Federal contribution fee, family members | 218 euro | Foreigners under 18 years of age are free of charge |
- No payment, no processing: the Immigration Office states that an application without the contribution fee is inadmissible.
- No refund: the federal fee is not refunded if the application is rejected or abandoned. The Flemish fee is not refunded either.
- Flemish deadline: the 180 euro is paid through the one-stop counter within 15 days of submission. Without payment the file is closed automatically, and the processing period only starts once the file is complete and the fee has been paid.
- One family, one fee: a family applying jointly on the same legal basis pays one federal contribution fee if the partners are married or legal cohabitants.
How long it takes
| Stage | Time | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Legal deadline for the joint decision | 4 months from the date the Region declares the application admissible | Immigration Office |
| Flemish Region, wait before examination starts: highly skilled, managers, EU Blue Card, researchers | 2 weeks | Flanders, October 2026 |
| Flemish Region, wait before examination starts: medium-skilled and other categories | 6 weeks | Flanders, October 2026 |
| Immigration Office, first application, counted from the start date of the work authorisation | Approximately 14-15 weeks | Flanders, October 2026 |
| Immigration Office, EU Blue Card | Approximately 11-12 weeks | Flanders, October 2026 |
The 4-month deadline can be extended in exceptional circumstances linked to the complexity of the application. If no unfavourable decision is made within the deadline, the Immigration Office states that the residence and work authorisations are considered granted. Renewal is applied for through the employer at the latest 2 months before the A card expires.
Pay conditions
- Regional rules: each Region sets the conditions for the work part. In Flanders, highly skilled workers, managers and EU Blue Card holders must meet a minimum income condition specific to their category.
- Highly skilled in Flanders means at least a bachelor's or master's degree of at least 3 years, or a qualification at level 5.
- Other categories in Flanders: the minimum is the wage set by the relevant joint committee, and never less than the guaranteed average minimum monthly income, which is EUR 2,233.60 since 1 July 2026.
- The salary thresholds themselves are indexed each year and differ by Region. The Flemish page we read still illustrates them with a 2025 figure, so we do not print one. Ask the employer for the current threshold from the regional authority.
If you are from the US or Pakistan
The single permit rules do not vary by nationality: every third-country national working for more than 90 days needs one, and it is the Belgian employer who applies. What varies is the visa. A worker who gave a foreign address in the application must apply for a national long-stay visa at the Belgian post competent for their place of residence, and the post issues it on presentation of a valid passport and the decision. The national marking B34 on the visa means a single permit, and B29 means an EU Blue Card. The official pages we read publish no approval rate by nationality, so we do not quote one for Pakistan or any other country.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Belgium single permit?
It is the permit for third-country nationals who work in Belgium for more than 90 days. One application, made by the employer, covers both the work authorisation and the residence permit. It has applied since 03/01/2019.
How much does a Belgium work visa cost?
The federal contribution fee for a single permit is 152 euro in 2026. In Flanders an additional regional fee of 180 euro per application has applied since 1 September 2026.
How long does a Belgium work permit take?
The legal deadline is 4 months from admissibility. For October 2026, the Flemish Region estimates approximately 14-15 weeks at the Immigration Office for a first application and 11-12 weeks for an EU Blue Card.
Can I apply for a Belgium work visa online myself?
No. The single permit application is made online by an employer based in Belgium, through the one-stop counter. You then apply for the long-stay visa at a Belgian embassy or consulate if you are abroad.
What are the requirements for a Belgium work visa?
An employer in Belgium who applies for you, a job that fits a category the Region admits, and for the residence part a passport, proof of means, a criminal record extract, a medical certificate, health insurance and proof of payment of the fee.
Do US citizens need a work permit for Belgium?
Yes. Nationals of the EU, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland are exempt. Other nationals working for more than 90 days need a single permit applied for by the employer.
What do I do after arriving in Belgium with a single permit?
Apply for registration in the register of foreign nationals at your municipality within 8 working days of entering Belgium. You receive a temporary certificate first and an A card after a positive residence check.
Official sources
- Immigration Office (IBZ) — Single Permit
- Immigration Office (IBZ) — Contribution fee
- Flanders — Fee for the single permit (Dutch)
- Flanders — Estimated waiting time for applications (Dutch)
- Flanders — Employing a foreigner: categories
- Flanders — Wages and allowances (Dutch)
- Brussels Economy and Employment — Authorisations to work for employees
- Working in Belgium — One-stop counter for the single permit
All fees, deadlines and waiting times verified against the official sources above on 14 October 2026. Waiting times are the Flemish Region's estimates for October 2026. Information, not legal advice.