Companies│Non-EU citizens: single permit (more than 90 days)
HIRING NON-EU CITIZENS │ MORE THAN 90 DAYS. SINGLE PERMIT
A single permit or a combined permit is a document that allows a non-European employee to work and stay in Belgium for longer than 90 days. This document combines two permits into one application procedure, namely:
A work permit
A residence permit
With this one document, the foreign employee is allowed to live and work in Belgium for longer than 90 months.
Do you want to hire a non-European employee to work in Belgium for longer than 90 days? Then, as an employer, you are responsible for submitting the application for a combined permit or single permit.
You submit this application via the digital platform: Working in Belgium.
- The employee may not work in Belgium during the processing of the application.
ON THIS PAGE. Go quickly to
2 types of combined permits
Combined permit = Single permit = Electronic residence card A.
1. Combined permit of limited duration
- You can work for one employer and one specific position.
- Must be renewed every year by the employer.
2. Combined permit of indefinite duration
- You can work for any employer in any position.
- You must apply as an employee & renew every year.
- Is renewed every year, if you have worked enough.
- This card must be applied for by you as an employee yourself. This can only be done once you have worked in Belgium for 5-10 years.
APPLICATION. Which documents are required?
Documents for employee residence
Valid ID card or passport
Proof of payment of fee > 148 euro
Medical certificate
Copy of a clean criminal record
Proof of health insurance for oneself and possibly other family members
Documents for employment
Valid ID card of the employer
Employment contract
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Other specific employment documents
See here which specific documents are still required for the Flemish Region.
You will also find all additional information here to apply for a combined permit.
YOU ARE APPLYING FOR THIS WORK CARD. PROCEDURE SINGLE PERMIT
As an employer, it is important to meet the following conditions to hire an employee through a single permit:
✓ It is impossible to find a worker in Belgium who can perform the job.
✓ The employment contract complies with Belgian law.
✓ The employee undergoes a medical examination in the country where they reside. The doctor fills out a specific document.
✓ The foreign employee must not yet be residing in Belgium at the time of application.
Click on the titles to view the full procedure.
You need to submit an application through the digital portal
Surf to the website ‘Working in Belgium’ to submit an application.
Admissibility check by Flanders
When you submit an application for a combined permit, the Flemish government first checks whether your file is complete and meets all the requirements. If everything is in order, you will receive a confirmation of this.
Are documents missing?
Then you will receive a written request to provide these missing documents within 15 days.
If you do not do this within this period, your application will no longer be processed and will not be approved. You will be informed of this by registered letter.
Once your file has been declared complete and admissible, a decision is normally made within four months.
Substantive decision
As soon as a positive decision has been made regarding the authorization of the employment, you will be informed of this. Note: this is for informational purposes and does not mean that the foreign worker is yet authorized to work.
Immigration Office decides on the stay
After the above decision, the file is sent to the Immigration Office (DVZ). This office decides whether the employee may remain in Belgium.
Upon approval you will receive:
An official letter for the employee ('attachment 46 or 47' if the decision period took too long).
You as the employer, as well as the embassy and municipality, will be notified by email.
If refused, you will receive an 'attachment 48'.
You will receive the combined permit
If the employee is staying abroad and has received an 'attachment 46 or 47' (the approval of the application), they must first register at the Belgian embassy. There they will receive a Visa type D (= national long-stay visa) to travel to Belgium.
After arriving in Belgium, the employee must register with the municipality within 10 days. Then they will receive an attachment 49, which allows them to start working immediately. The electronic residence card A will follow later.
Is the employee already staying in Belgium?
This is only possible if the person has been staying in Belgium for more than 5 years with a combined permit. They must then register with the municipality where they reside. Upon registration, they will receive an 'attachment 49', which allows them to start working immediately. The municipality then issues the combined permit in the form of an electronic residence card A.
Minimum wages
For foreign workers starting work in Belgium through a combined permit, minimum wage conditions apply. As an employer, you must be able to demonstrate that your international employee will earn the minimum wage applicable to this category.