Belgium is a popular destination for international talent, and if you’re hiring workers who aren’t EU nationals, you’ll need to navigate a permit system that operates at the regional level. This guide covers what you need to know as a sponsoring employer: who needs a permit, how the process works, what the 2026 salary thresholds look like by region, and how to stay compliant once your hire is in the country.
Who doesn’t need a work permit
If you’re hiring an EU, EEA, or Swiss national, you don’t need to arrange a work permit. These workers have free movement rights and can work in Belgium without any authorisation from your side. The same applies to their family members in certain circumstances, though those cases are worth reviewing with a local advisor.
Nationals from countries outside the EU, EEA, and Switzerland need a work permit before they can start employment in Belgium.
The single permit explained
Belgium’s main route for non-EU workers is the Single Permit (Gecombineerde vergunning in Dutch, Permis unique in French). As the name suggests, it combines the work authorisation and the residence permit into one document, which simplifies the process compared to systems that handle the two separately.
How the application works
The Single Permit application involves both you and your employee. You, as the employer, apply for the work authorisation component through the relevant regional authority. Your employee applies for the residence component through the Belgian diplomatic post in their country of residence.
Permits are ultimately issued by the Immigration Office (Dienst Vreemdelingenzaken / Office des Étrangers), but only after the regional authority has given its approval. That regional approval stage is where the salary threshold checks happen, so getting the compensation structure right from the start is important.
Regional variations
Belgium’s immigration system is decentralised, and work authorisation is handled at the regional level. Which authority you deal with depends on where the employee will be working:
- Flanders: VDAB
- Wallonia: SPW (Service public de Wallonie)
- Brussels-Capital Region: Actiris
Each region has its own salary thresholds and processing timelines. If your employee will work across multiple regions, you’ll need to establish which region is the primary place of work.
2026 Salary thresholds by region
The salary thresholds determine whether a worker qualifies for a Single Permit under a specific category. Only fixed, guaranteed gross salary counts toward the threshold. Discretionary bonuses, commissions, and variable pay don’t factor in, so you’ll want to make sure the base salary alone clears the relevant figure.
Wallonia
The following thresholds are effective from 1 January 2026:
- Highly skilled employees: €53,220/year
- Management personnel: €88,790/year
- Workers under 30 or trainees: €42,576/year
- EU Blue Card: €68,815/year
Brussels-capital region
Brussels is retaining its 2025 rates as of early 2026. Thresholds are expressed monthly:
- Highly skilled: €3,703.44/month
- Management: €6,647.20/month
- EU Blue Card: €4,748/month
Flanders
Flanders is also carrying forward its 2025 rates while an update is pending:
- Highly skilled: €48,912/year
- Management: €78,259/year
- Workers under 30: €39,129.60/year
- EU Blue Card: €63,586/year
The EU blue card
The EU Blue Card is an option for highly qualified workers from outside the EU. It’s designed for roles requiring advanced qualifications, and it comes with a higher salary threshold than the standard highly skilled category in each region. You can see the Blue Card thresholds in the regional breakdowns above.
One practical advantage of the Blue Card is that it’s recognised across the EU, which can matter to candidates who are weighing relocation options or may want future mobility within Europe. For employers, the application route runs through the same regional authorities as the standard Single Permit.
The expat tax regime
Belgium offers a special tax regime for qualifying expatriates, which can make a package more attractive to senior international hires. From 2026, the minimum gross salary threshold to qualify for this regime is €70,000. This is a threshold your employee needs to meet, but since it affects the net value of the compensation you’re offering, it’s worth factoring in during offer negotiations.
The regime provides tax-free allowances on certain costs and exemptions on some foreign-source income. Your payroll provider or tax advisor can confirm whether a specific hire qualifies and how to structure reporting correctly.
Employer obligations during and after the permit
Once your hire is in the country and working, you have ongoing compliance obligations.
You’re required to file a Dimona declaration for every worker, including those on Single Permits. Dimona IN must be filed when the employee starts, and Dimona OUT must be filed when employment ends. These are mandatory regardless of nationality or permit type.
If the employment relationship ends for any reason, the foreign worker has a 90-day grace period to find new employment or arrange an alternative legal status. You don’t control what they do in that window, but you are responsible for filing Dimona OUT promptly and accurately so that the relevant authorities have correct records.
It’s also worth keeping an eye on permit expiry dates. A Single Permit is tied to a specific employer, so if the employee moves roles within your organisation in a way that changes the terms of their authorisation, you may need to initiate a new application.
Hiring foreign talent through an Employer of Record
If you’re a foreign company without a legal entity in Belgium, sponsoring a Single Permit directly isn’t straightforward. Belgian immigration law requires an established local employer to make the application and take on the employment relationship. That’s where an Employer of Record (EOR) becomes useful.
An EOR acts as the legal employer in Belgium, handling the permit application, payroll, Dimona filings, and ongoing compliance on your behalf. You manage the day-to-day work, and the EOR manages the legal infrastructure. When you’re assessing your options, the quality of EOR services varies significantly, so it’s worth evaluating providers on their in-country expertise and their ability to handle regional permit complexity.
Book a demo to see how RemotePass supports compliant hiring in Belgium.
Frequently asked questions
Do EU nationals need any paperwork to work in belgium?
No. EU, EEA, and Swiss nationals have free movement rights and don’t need a work permit to take up employment in Belgium. You don’t need to sponsor or apply for anything on their behalf.
Who applies for the single permit: the employer or the employee?
Both parties are involved. You, as the employer, apply for the work authorisation component through the regional authority in the region where the employee will work. The employee applies for the residence component through a Belgian diplomatic post. The permit is only issued after both components are approved.
Can discretionary bonuses count toward the salary threshold?
No. Only fixed, guaranteed gross salary counts toward the Single Permit salary thresholds. Variable pay, discretionary bonuses, and commissions are excluded from the calculation. The base salary alone needs to meet the regional threshold for the relevant permit category.
What happens if a permit holder’s employment ends?
If employment ends, you’re required to file a Dimona OUT declaration immediately. The worker then has a 90-day grace period to secure new employment in Belgium or arrange another legal status. Their permit doesn’t automatically become invalid the moment employment ends, but they do need to resolve their situation within that window.
