Registration of an employment agency

Employment agencies are either legal or natural persons who provide employment services on their own behalf or on behalf of a third party or have a third party provide them on their behalf.

Employment agencies may offer the following services:

• temporary employment service: the agency offers temporary work positions;
• job-search service: the agency looks for a job for workers who request this;
• recruitment and selection service: the agency looks for workers to meet employers' needs;
• integration service: the agency helps workers to find a job themselves;
• outplacement service: the agency provides redundant workers with the tools they need to find another job;
• finding positions for professional athletes;
• finding positions for performance artists.

In Wallonia, employment agencies must register in order to perform their activities.

Employment agencies must be registered in order to perform the following services:

• job-seeking,
• recruitment and selection,
• integration,
• outplacement,
• finding positions for professional athletes;
• finding positions for performance artists.

If the employment agency provides several services, it must be specifically registered for each one.

The obligations of a registered agency:

1° to not provide an employment service for which it is not registered;

2° to not accept or request any payment from workers, or require workers to pay fees of any kind as a condition for the provision of employment services.
 

There are two possible derogations: for the job-seeking service and for finding positions for artists or paid athletes subject to certain conditions.

 3° to not collaborate with an unregistered employment agency;

4° to cancel their registration within 30 days of ceasing operations; and

Employment agencies that do not comply with these obligations will be subject to sanctions. 

The following structures are exempt from submitting a registration application as an employment agency:

1° public employment services
2° the selection offices of the federal or regional public services
3° job-seeking services for seafarers
4° public social welfare centres (CPAS) if they provide integration services
5° universities and colleges, Arts colleges and Architecture colleges if they provide job-seeking services
6° Regional employment missions if they provide job-seeking or integration services
7° integration companies if they provide integration services.

The bodies mentioned in points 4, 5, 6 and 7 must still provide a simplified annual activity report.

Agencies must complete the application form for registration and select within it the service(s) they wish to provide: recruitment and selection, job search, integration, outplacement, placement of artists or athletes.

Submitting the application

The registration application must be submitted online via Mon Espace. To do so, simply click on the “Application for registration as an employment agency” form below and then authenticate yourself using one of the proposed methods.

Access to the Professional Space

Individuals wishing to access their company’s Professional Space on Mon Espace must have a Belgian identity card or a card compatible with an electronic authentication recognised at European level.

The Primary Access Manager (GAP) may complete the form himself. If he wishes to designate another person to do so, he must invite them by following the proper procedure.

All documentation relating to this procedure is available in the Help Centre of Mon Espace.

If the GAP does not have a compatible card

If the GAP does not have an identity card compatible with an authentication recognised at European level, the agency must contact the administration clerks whose details are listed in the Contact section below.

Processing the application

Registration applications are processed directly by the Employment and Work Permit Directorate of the Public Service of Wallonia.

At the end of the process, if the application is accepted, the employment agency receives a registration number with an unlimited duration.

The missions of the Commission are to issue reasoned opinions on:

• the licensing of temporary employment agencies
• the suspension or withdrawal of licences from temporary work agencies
• any matter relating to temporary work
• and to submit an annual activity report to the Government and to the Walloon Parliament

The composition of this Committee:

• a President and a Vice President
• representatives of employer organisations
• representatives of employee organisations
• representatives of the Government

It sits within the Economic, Social and Environmental Council of Wallonia.