Digital platform “Working in Belgium” available
Foreign nationals (persons from outside the European Economic Area +Switzerland) who want to work in Belgium for more than 90 days as employees need a combined permit, the so-called ‘single permit’. This permit provides both the authorization to work and to live in Belgium.
Until last month, Belgian employers (or their Belgian representative) had to take into account the requirements of each Belgian region. However as of May 31, 2021 it has become more straightforward to submit an application for a combined permit through the central platform “Working in Belgium”.
Through this digital platform, Belgian employers (or their Belgian representative) can submit the application for a single permit online, check the status of each application and receive the decision/approval via the aforementioned platform. For the employer, it is therefore no longer an issue of finding out which requirements and which region is responsible for processing the application.
Currently, the digital counter is only available for combined permits of limited duration.
Until July 1, 2021, there will be a transitional phase during which applications may still be submitted by e-mail. However, a justification as to why the application could not be submitted via the digital office must be included.
Later this year, the Belgian government plans to introduce more user-friendly applications as well as the possibility to apply for work permits (up to a maximum of 90 days) and combined permits of indefinite duration through this platform.