Professional card exemptions

Some foreign workers do not need a professional card.

The reasons for this exemption may be related to:

• The nature of their professional activities
• The nature of their residency in Belgium
• Certain international treaties

Here is a list of people who should not apply for professional cards:

• Foreign nationals who hold a valid alien's identity card or indefinite CIRE (Certificate of registration in the aliens' register);

• Nationals of a member state of the European Economic Area (European Union, Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein) and, provided that they live with that person:
  • their spouse;
  • their descendants or those of their spouse, aged under 21 years or dependent on them;
  • their ascendants or those of their spouse, dependent on them, with the exception of the ascendants of a student or those of their spouse;
  • the spouse of those persons referred to in points 2 and 3.

• The spouse of a Belgian national and, provided that they live with that person:
  • their descendants or those of their spouse, aged under 21 years or dependent on them;
  • their ascendants or those of their spouse, are dependent on them;
  • the spouse of those persons referred to in 1 and 2.

• Recognised refugees in Belgium;

• Spouses who help or stand in for their spouse, when performing their self-employed activity;

• Foreign nationals who make business trips, provided that the duration of the stay does not exceed three consecutive months.  The trip must be taken in Belgium by a foreign national who does not reside in Belgium. The person is taking this trip on their own behalf or on behalf of their company, for the purpose of:
  • visiting professional partners;
  • looking for and developing professional contacts;
  • negotiating and signing contracts;
  • participating in trade shows, fairs and exhibitions in order to present and sell their products or those of the company;
  • attending company management board meetings or general assemblies.

• Foreign nationals whose main residence is not in Belgium and who come to present lectures, provided that the duration of the stay does not exceed three consecutive months;

• Foreign journalists, provided that the duration of the stay does not exceed three consecutive months;

• Foreign athletes, as well as their self-employed support staff, provided that the duration of the stay required for these services does not exceed three consecutive months;

• Foreign artists, as well as their self-employed support staff, provided that the duration of the stay required for these services does not exceed three consecutive months;

• Foreign students authorised to stay in Belgium to complete an internship as part of their studies;

• Foreign nationals who come to Belgium to attend a course approved by the competent authority within the framework of development cooperation or exchange programmes;

• Self-employed professionals and researchers for the coordination centres referred to by Royal Decree no. 187 of 30 December 1982 relating to the creation of coordination centres;

• The beneficiaries of the Agreement on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community (2019/C 384 I/01, OJ, 2020, L 29/7) referred to in Article 1, § 1, 31 of the Law of 15 December 1980, on access to the territory, residence, settlement and removal of foreign nationals who meet the conditions set forth in Article 47/5 of the same law.

• Persons authorised to reside as beneficiaries of the temporary protection referred to in Article 57/29 of the Law of 15 December 1980, as well as persons authorised to reside pursuant to Article 57/34 of the same law, by the Minister responsible for matters related to access to the territory, residence, settlement, and removal of foreign nationals.