There are different kinds of permit, depending on the job performed and the duration of the employment contract. The procedure for obtaining the necessary documentation will be different. 

The job performed

When to apply?

Your worker doesn’t have a residence permit in Belgium yet ? He must obtain his work permit before arriving in Belgium. 

Your worker already have a residence permit in Belgium but this permit  doesn't allow him to work? He must obtain his work permit before starting work. 

Most often, the request must be made before the worker’s arrival on Belgian territory. 

There are some exceptions for people who already legally stay in Belgium ( authorized stay for more than 90 days) :  

• People legally present in Belgium for other reasons than work (ex: students) 
• Highly qualified workers 
• Workers who already have a work permit in another Region, in the Brussel-Capital Region for example 
• Workers applying for a permit extension  

How to apply? 

Fix-term signle permit must be submitted online. Click here for more information. 

From 1 May 2026, type B must also be submitted online. Click here for more information. 

How does the procedure work?

Once your application is complete, we will inform you via the single permit platform for the single permit or by email for the B permit whether it is complete or not. Any missing documents will be requested from you (or your representative).

From the date the letter is sent, you have fifteen working days to provide the documents relating to the admissibility of the application and fifteen calendar days for the substantive examination of the application.

If the application meets the legal criteria, the work permit is sent to the Immigration Office. If the decision regarding residence is positive, a single permit will be issued by the Immigration Office.

Please note: you or your representative must log in to the ‘Single Permit’ application to access the applications/notifications that have been added (and also to add the requested documents).

How long is the permit valid for?

When you employ a foreign worker, you have certain obligations. You must:

• Hire the foreign worker under the same conditions as a Belgian worker employed in a comparable job and insure the worker in terms of health insurance and industrial accidents. You must therefore comply with the minimum annual gross amounts for each position and the pay scales established by the joint committees. Click here to view the salary thresholds. Salaries may not be lower than the guaranteed average monthly minimum income (RMMMG), regardless of the working arrangements.
• Pay a fee, whose amount is dependent on the situation and your contract with your worker. Click here for more information on the fee.
• Retain a copy of the work permit and the residence permit (which is a single document in the case of the single permit) of the foreign worker;
• Declare any changes in the employment conditions to our services: the worker leaves their job, you make the worker redundant, a change in salary, a change in position, etc.
• Not terminate the contract before its term (except for serious reasons)
• Pay the travel costs from the worker's place of residence to the place of work (unless the worker is already settled in Belgium)

In some cases and to ensure the worker's security, you must, when the worker cannot yet benefit from it:

• Pay compensation in the event of involuntary unemployment if the worker cannot yet benefit from unemployment insurance
• Provide medical and pharmaceutical care and hospitalisation if the worker cannot benefit from the health and disability insurance

In some cases, you will also have to pay the worker's repatriation costs to their domicile/residence abroad (following an industrial accident for example).

You must comply with these obligations at all times. As with all infringements, failure to comply with the legislation leads to sanctions. Infringements can range from simple negligence or errors to undeclared work and human trafficking. This area is monitored and controlled by officials at the Public Service of Wallonia and, if necessary, the Police services. Depending on the situation, sanctions can range from a warning to fines or imprisonment.

For your foreign workers under a Belgian employment contract, you must submit a DIMONA declaration before they begin work. Click here for more information about DIMONA.

For foreign workers who continue to be employed by a foreign employer and are temporarily seconded to Belgium, a LIMOSA declaration must be submitted before they begin work in Belgium. Click here for more information about LIMOSA.

You must also renew the permit when it expires.