Share

Do you require authorisation for your employee?

Share

Do you want to hire a foreign worker in Wallonia? 

You are: 

  • An employer in Belgium who wants to hire a non-European national in their company. 

  • An employer based abroad who is asking one of their workers to provide services in Belgium. 

First and foremost, check whether the person you wish to hire requires a work permit.

A work permit : why and for who?

As an employer, you can hire foreign workers to fill certain positions in your company. 

Depending on the position held, the worker's country of origin and the contract term, the procedure for obtaining the necessary documentation will be different. 

This authorisation is issued by the Direction of Employment and Work Permits of the Public Service of Wallonia.

The worker must be authorised to stay AND to work in Belgium :

  • Residence permit is issued by the Immigration Office
  • Work permit is issued by the Public Service of Wallonia  

The work permit application is primarily an application for economic migration. A person is needed to fill the position, but cannot be found in the local labour market and in principle, this is unrelated to the person's identity.

 

Les cas les plus fréquents pour lesquels une demande d'autorisation de travail est acceptée:

Le personnel hautement qualifié, avec qualification de l’enseignement supérieur de niveau Bachelier / Graduate au minimum et condition de salaire minimum. Exemples : chercheurs, informaticiens, personnel d'encadrement, responsables financiers.

Des personnes avec des qualifications de niveau moyen. Parmi celles-ci, une majorité de personnel médical.

Des sportifs de haut niveau.

 

Les refus portent principalement sur :

  • Les emplois peu qualifiés (car ce type de profil est déjà très présent sur le marché de l'emploi local).
  • La demande elle-même (la personne proposée peut ne pas correspondre à une fonction qui doit être occupée).
  • Les demandes effectuées en vue d’un regroupement familial, avec une personne d’une même communauté, pour régulariser une situation de séjour ou en vue d’occuper une personne à des conditions inférieures à celle du marché belge.
profile-pic (48).png

"Je cherchais depuis longtemps un ingénieur électromécanicien mais il est difficile actuellement de trouver ce type de profil très recherché dans les bases de données. On m'a recommandé Wael, résidant en Afrique du Nord. Le personnel y est généralement très bien formé pour cette discipline".

"Je souhaitais engager Inès car je manquais d'infirmière. Elle a fait ses études en Belgique et y a obtenu d'excellents résultats. Elle a par ailleurs donné toute satisfaction auprès d’une maison de repos partenaire, où elle a travaillé plusieurs années comme aide-soignante pendant ses études." profile-pic (49).png

 

Is a permit always needed?

In some cases, you don’t need to apply for a work permit from the Region because the foreign national is exempt from applying a work permit.

This depends on the worker's residence situation and the duration of the work in Belgium.  

If the worker is exempt, the employer can hire them without any action with Wallonia and the worker can start working in the company immediately. 

Please note: Even if the worker is exempt from a permit, some procedures must be completed: 

  • The worker must apply for a residence permit from the municipal administration where he resides. 

  • The employer must make a DIMONA declaration, as for any other worker 

 

There are two kinds of exemptions :

Exceptions related to nationality or the residence situation

Workers are exempt from requiring a work permit if they are: 

  • Nationals from the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, along with their spouse and child(ren) living with them in Belgium; 

  • British nationals, along with their spouse and child(ren) living with them in Belgium, resident in Belgium before 1 January 2021 and beneficiaries of the withdrawal agreement. Click here for more information regarding British nationals; 

  • They have indefinite leave to remain (they have an identity card valid for a period of 5 or 10 years); 

  • Recognised refugees; 

  • Asylum seekers; 

  • Foreign students residing in Belgium and studying in Belgium (max 20 hours of work per week); 

  • Foreigners whose application for family reunification has been accepted, as well as during the family reunification application or appeal procedures. 

For more information view the full list of exceptions related to nationality or residence situation by clicking here. 

 

Exceptions related to the work situation

Workers are exempt from requiring a work permit if they are: 

  • Foreign workers, from the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland or other, seconded from a European company in application of the "Services Directive"; 

  • Seconded workers, not requiring a prior LIMOSA declaration, provided that their stay in Belgium does not exceed 3 consecutive months. In particular:  

  • Driver or pilot for international transport 

  • Member of a diplomatic or consular delegation 

  • In Belgium for a scientific conference or a meeting in a limited circle 

  • sportsmen , coach or referee or their companion, coming to participate in an international event 

  • Seconded workers subject to a prior LIMOSA declaration in certain cases. In particular:  

  • Seconded ICT personnel exercising their right to short-term mobility 

  • Foreign journalists currently seconded to Belgium for less than three months 

  • Foreign sales representatives seconded to Belgium for less than three months 

  • Seconded foreign workers in training (in certain cases) 

  • Seconded foreign workers who come to take delivery in Belgium for less than three months