Single work permit and Type B in Belgium

Researched from official sources · May 27, 2026

Non-EU, non-EEA and non-Swiss workers need a single permit — permis unique / gecombineerde vergunning / kombinierte Erlaubnis — for stays over ninety days.

It combines work and residence authorization in one electronic document; the Type B short-stay permit covers stays under ninety days and cross-border workers. Four regional authorities issue them — Flemish, Walloon, Brussels-Capital, and German-speaking — and the employer applies through the federal Working in Belgium portal before the worker arrives.

Estimated time

Federal-regional ceiling four months from the date the regional authority confirms the file complete, per Article 5(2) of EU Directive 2011/98/EU; the Walloon SPW publishes an internal target of fifteen working days for the completeness review plus fifteen calendar days for substantive examination; total realistic timeline from employer submission to final residence-card delivery typically runs three to six months once consular visa issuance and commune registration are added

Cost

Federal residence-side fee (redevance) is set by federal arrêté royal and depends on worker category — the binding schedule is published at dofi.ibz.be and is not duplicated here; regional handling fees, sworn-translation costs, consular visa fees, and the commune residence-card issuance fee are additional

What You Need

Tap to check off items as you gather them

Additional Items

  • Online submission becomes mandatory for Type B applications under the Walloon route from 1 May 2026; a derogation allowing paper submissions runs until 31 August 2026 [STATUTE-ENACTED-OPERATIVE]. Published by the Service Public de Wallonie at https://emploi.wallonie.be/demandes/3230_permis-de-travail-employeur.html — confirm the equivalent transposition date with the regional authority of the place of work for files filed under the Flemish, Brussels-Capital or German-speaking Community routes.
  • EU, EEA and Swiss carve-out: nationals of EU member states, of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, and of Switzerland do not require a work permit to take up paid employment in Belgium. They register at the commune of residence on arrival under the EU free-movement rules. This carve-out is the most common source of misapplication and is encoded explicitly here to prevent it.
  • Forem, Actiris and VDAB are labour-market matching services for the Walloon region, Brussels-Capital region and Flemish region respectively. They are not the issuing authorities for the single permit or the Type B short-stay permit. The issuing authorities are the Service Public de Wallonie (Walloon), Bruxelles Économie et Emploi (Brussels-Capital), the Departement Werk en Sociale Economie (Flemish) and the Arbeitsamt der Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft (German-speaking). The Arbeitsamt der Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft can be reached via the German-speaking Community parent portal; the federal Working in Belgium portal routes the application to the regional authority of the place of work.
  • Federal residence-side fee (redevance) — the exact route-by-route figure is set by federal arrêté royal / koninklijk besluit and is published at dofi.ibz.be. The figure was not directly fetchable from the Walloon SPW employer-application page, which references the federal schedule without reproducing the amounts; consult dofi.ibz.be for the current rate by worker category before paying.
  • Region-specific transposition statutes: Décret du 2 février 2017 relatif à l'occupation des travailleurs étrangers (Walloon); Decreet van 2 december 2018 houdende invoeging in titel IV van het decreet van 7 mei 2004 (Flemish); Ordonnance du 26 juillet 2007 (Brussels-Capital); Dekret vom 25. März 2019 (German-speaking Community, which received this competence by inter-federal transfer from the Walloon Region in 2019). Federal coordination is governed by the Cooperation Agreement of 2 February 2018 between the Federal State and the four regional or community authorities.
  • Annex 19 / Annex 19ter / Annex 49 / Annex 8 are the standard procedural forms referenced by the federal Aliens Office at successive stages of the residence-side decision (registration, provisional residence certificate, electronic card issuance). Each annex carries a fixed format set by the federal Loi du 15 décembre 1980 sur l'accès au territoire.

Step-by-Step

  1. 1

    Employer prepares the application dossier

    New Arrival Expat
    1. (Employer) Assemble the dossier — signed (or ready-to-execute) employment contract, detailed job description, ONSS / RSZ good-standing attestation, BCE / KBO extract, the worker's passport copy, diploma evidence with sworn translations as needed, curriculum vitae, medical certificate and police-clearance from the worker's country of residence
    2. (Employer) Confirm the route — general route (subject to a labour-market test) or one of the exempt categories (shortage occupation, EU Blue Card, intra-corporate transferee, researcher, highly qualified worker)
    3. (Employer outside Belgium) Designate a Belgian representative and create the mandate via the federal online service Mahis

    💡 Tip: The Walloon SPW page states that the employer initiates the file and that a Belgian representative may also do so. Where the employer is outside Belgium, the Mahis mandate is required before the federal portal submission.

    ⚠️ Watch out: If the prospective worker contacts the regional authority directly, the authority routes back to the employer and the file does not progress. The employer must be the filer.

    SPW employer guide (emploi.wallonie.be ↗)
  2. 2

    Submit via the federal Working in Belgium portal

    New Arrival Expat
    1. (Employer) Submit the dossier online via the federal Working in Belgium portal — the SPW employer-application page states that applications must be submitted online via the federal portal
    2. (Federal portal) The submission routes to the regional authority of the declared place of work — SPW (Walloon), Departement Werk en Sociale Economie (Flemish), Bruxelles Économie et Emploi (Brussels-Capital) or the Arbeitsamt der Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft (German-speaking)
    3. (Employer) For Type B short-stay applications, plan around the Walloon transition to mandatory online submission with its time-limited paper-derogation window — see the additional items entry for the published dates and confirm the equivalent transition date with the receiving regional authority

    💡 Tip: The single-permit application combines work and residence authorisation; the Type B short-stay application authorises work only. Confirm the correct regime with the regional authority before submission.

    ⚠️ Watch out: Filing in the region of the worker's residence rather than the region of the work address sends the file to a non-competent authority. Withdraw and re-file in the correct region.

    SPW employer guide (emploi.wallonie.be ↗)
  3. 3

    Regional examination — completeness review and substantive review

    New Arrival Expat
    1. (Regional authority) Completeness review — the Walloon SPW publishes an internal target of fifteen working days; an incomplete file triggers a request for additional materials and the clock resets
    2. (Regional authority) Substantive examination — the Walloon SPW publishes an internal target of fifteen calendar days after completeness confirmation. The Walloon SPW notes that current volumes can extend the timeline
    3. (Regional authority) On a positive decision, the file is forwarded to the federal Office des Étrangers / Dienst Vreemdelingenzaken for the residence-side examination

    💡 Tip: The federal-regional ceiling is four months from the date the regional authority confirms the file complete, per Article 5(2) of EU Directive 2011/98/EU as transposed by the Cooperation Agreement of 2 February 2018. The internal Walloon targets sit inside this ceiling.

    ⚠️ Watch out: Refusal at the regional stage is appealable. The Walloon SPW grants an appeal window of one month from the date of notification of the refusal; other regions publish their own appeal windows.

    SPW employer guide — processing times and appeal window (emploi.wallonie.be ↗)
  4. 4

    Federal residence-side examination by the Office des Étrangers

    New Arrival Expat
    1. (Office des Étrangers / Dienst Vreemdelingenzaken) Evaluate residence-side conditions — entry-ban screening, medical certificate, police-clearance, public order, public health
    2. (Office des Étrangers) Confirm payment of the federal residence-side fee (redevance) under the schedule published at dofi.ibz.be — the current per-category amount is set there
    3. (Office des Étrangers) On approval, issue an annexe 46 or equivalent decision document and notify the consular post and the regional authority

    💡 Tip: The total of the regional and federal examinations must complete within four months from the date the regional authority confirmed the file complete, per the Cooperation Agreement of 2 February 2018 transposing Article 5(2) of EU Directive 2011/98/EU.

    Office des Étrangers (IBZ) (ibz.be ↗)
  5. 5

    Apply for the long-stay visa at the Belgian mission

    New Arrival Expat
    1. (Worker) Apply for the long-stay visa (Type D) at the Belgian embassy or consulate of the country of residence, presenting the approved decision
    2. (Belgian mission) Decide the visa application and place the visa-D sticker in the passport; mission practice on processing time and accepted payment methods varies
    3. (Worker) Use the visa-D to enter Belgium within its validity window

    💡 Tip: The Walloon SPW employer-application page states that authorisation must be obtained before the worker's arrival on Belgian territory, unless the worker already legally resides in Belgium (for example as a student). Plan the consular step accordingly.

    ⚠️ Watch out: If the consular post refuses the visa-D, address the underlying refusal ground and reapply, or file an administrative appeal under the procedures published by the mission.

  6. 6

    Report to the commune on arrival and obtain the residence card

    New Arrival Expat
    1. (Worker) On arrival, report to the commune of the registered residence within eight working days to begin the residence-card issuance procedure
    2. (Commune) Verify identity, residence and the federal decision; issue an annexe 49 (provisional residence certificate) pending production of the electronic residence card
    3. (Commune + federal card-printer) Issue the carte A (single-permit electronic card) — or the carte H for EU Blue Card holders — combining the work authorisation and residence authorisation in a single document

    💡 Tip: The single-permit electronic card replaces the historic separate paper arbeidskaart / permis de travail for stays over ninety days. The work authorisation is recorded on the card itself.

    ⚠️ Watch out: Delays at the commune stage typically reflect document gaps. Bring the passport with the visa-D, the federal decision letter, the employment contract and any sworn translations to the first commune appointment.

  7. 7

    Employer files the Dimona declaration before work begins

    New Arrival Expat
    1. (Employer) File the federal Dimona declaration declaring the start of the employment relationship before work begins
    2. (Employer) Verify that the single-permit electronic card has been issued or that the annexe 49 provisional certificate is in hand before allowing work to start
    3. (Worker) Confirm that the work authorisation on the card matches the actual position and place of work

    💡 Tip: Dimona is independent of the single-permit file but is mandatory for every employment relationship. The Office National de Sécurité Sociale / Rijksdienst voor Sociale Zekerheid enforces compliance.

    ⚠️ Watch out: Allowing work to start without a Dimona declaration exposes the employer to inspection penalties under federal social-security law. Where work has already started without it, file the corrective declaration immediately and consult the federal social-security office on the applicable penalty.

Local Tips from the Community

  • The federal Working in Belgium portal is the single submission channel for all four regional jurisdictions. The federal routing logic chooses the receiving regional authority from the declared place of work in the contract.
  • Forem in the Walloon region, Actiris in Brussels-Capital and VDAB in the Flemish region are matching services — they help match jobseekers with employers and do not issue work permits. The Arbeitsamt der Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft is the German-speaking Community authority issuing the permit on its own territory.
  • Where the regional authority's online surface is intermittently unreachable, the Walloon SPW employer-application page is the most consistently substantive public reference for the cross-regional procedural baseline.

What Could Go Wrong

Worker initiates the application directly: The work-authorization branch is employer-initiated. Workers contacting the regional authority on their own behalf are routed back to the employer and the file does not progress.

Recovery: Ask the prospective Belgian employer (or the Belgian representative under a Mahis mandate) to file the application via the federal Working in Belgium portal. Provide the worker-side documents to the employer for inclusion in the dossier.

Wrong region selected: The application is filed in the region of the worker's residence address rather than the region of the work address. The receiving region is not competent.

Recovery: Withdraw the file and re-file in the region of the work address. The federal Working in Belgium portal routes to the regional authority based on the declared place of work — confirm the address before submission.

Untranslated foreign documents: Documents not in the administrative language of the region of work are rejected as incomplete. The clock resets and the dossier returns to the completeness review.

Recovery: Have all foreign-language documents translated by a sworn translator (traducteur juré / beëdigd vertaler) registered with a Belgian court of first instance. Re-submit the dossier with the translations.

Late Dimona declaration by the employer: The employer must declare the employment via the federal Dimona system before work begins. A worker arriving with a valid permit but without a Dimona declaration exposes the employer to inspection penalties under federal social-security law.

Recovery: The employer files the Dimona declaration immediately. Where work has already started without it, the employer should consult the federal social-security office (ONSS / RSZ) on the corrective declaration and the applicable penalty.

Refusal at the regional or federal stage: The regional authority refuses on labour-market or admissibility grounds, or the federal Office des Étrangers refuses on residence-side grounds.

Recovery: Regional refusals — file an appeal within one month of notification per the Walloon SPW employer-application page (other regions publish their own appeal windows). Federal residence-side refusals — file an appeal before the Conseil du Contentieux des Étrangers within the deadline stated in the refusal letter.

FAQ

General

Can I apply on my own behalf as a worker?

No. The work-authorization branch is employer-initiated. The Belgian employer (or, where the employer is outside Belgium, a Belgian representative under a Mahis mandate) submits the application via the federal Working in Belgium portal. The worker provides worker-side documents (passport, diplomas, curriculum vitae, medical certificate, police-clearance) and the consular long-stay visa application after the positive decision. The Service Public de Wallonie published page confirms this allocation of responsibilities. Workers contacting the regional authority directly are routed back to the employer.

How long does the procedure take?

The federal-regional ceiling is four months from the date the regional authority confirms the file complete, per Article 5(2) of EU Directive 2011/98/EU as transposed by the Cooperation Agreement of 2 February 2018. The Walloon SPW publishes an internal target of fifteen working days for completeness review plus fifteen calendar days for substantive examination, with the caveat that current volumes can extend the timeline. After regional approval, federal residence-side examination plus consular long-stay visa issuance (typically two to four weeks) plus arrival-side commune registration (typically one to four weeks) add a further one to three months. Realistic end-to-end timing from employer submission to final residence card runs three to six months.

Do EU, EEA or Swiss nationals need a single permit?

No. EU, EEA and Swiss nationals take up employment in Belgium under the EU free-movement rules. They register at the commune of residence on arrival. The single permit and the Type B short-stay permit apply only to non-EU, non-EEA and non-Swiss workers.

Which region issues my permit if my employer has offices in multiple regions?

The application goes to the region of the work address declared in the employment contract. Work in Antwerp routes to the Departement Werk en Sociale Economie; work in Liège routes to the Service Public de Wallonie; work in Brussels routes to Bruxelles Économie et Emploi; work in Eupen routes to the Arbeitsamt der Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft. A change of work address to a different region during the validity of the permit triggers a renewal in the receiving region, not a transferred file.

What is the difference between Type B and the single permit?

Type B is the short-stay work permit for stays under ninety days, and for cross-border workers regardless of duration. It authorizes work only. The single permit applies for stays over ninety days and combines the work and residence authorizations in a single procedure and a single electronic document. The Walloon SPW employer-application page states both regimes explicitly.

I am a researcher — do I follow this procedure?

Researchers admitted under EU Directive 2016/801 follow a separate residence route based on a hosting agreement with an accredited Belgian research organisation, and are typically exempt from the regional labour-market test and from the federal residence-side fee under the implementing transposition. Highly qualified workers who are not researchers still apply for a single permit on the standard route, with a salary threshold set by each region.

Can my permit become unlimited after multiple renewals?

Yes. The Walloon SPW employer-application page confirms that after multiple renewals the authorization may become unlimited. The number of renewals and the qualifying conditions for the unlimited authorization are set per region and per worker category. The renewal is filed by the employer in advance of the expiry of the current permit.

Can my single permit be refused, and can I appeal?

Yes. The regional authority can refuse on labour-market or admissibility grounds; the federal Office des Étrangers can refuse on residence-side grounds. The Walloon SPW employer-application page grants an appeal window of one month from the date of notification of the refusal. Federal residence-side refusals are appealable before the Conseil du Contentieux des Étrangers under federal procedural rules.

What happens if my employment ends during the validity of my permit?

The single permit is employer-bound. Where the employment relationship ends, the worker has a limited period — set per region and per worker category — to find new qualifying employment, with the new employer initiating a renewal application before residence rights can be challenged. The regional employment authority and the federal Office des Étrangers should be informed promptly to avoid an interruption of lawful stay.

My family wants to join me — what is the procedure?

Spouse and dependent children apply through the federal family-reunification procedure under the Loi du 15 décembre 1980 sur l'accès au territoire. The single-permit holder's continued residence and qualifying income are preconditions. The family-reunification application is filed separately from the single-permit file and is decided by the federal Office des Étrangers.

After This Process

  • → Track the expiry date of the single permit and start the renewal procedure with the employer well in advance — late renewals can trigger an interruption of lawful stay
  • → If a change of employer is planned, brief the new employer that they must file a renewal application in the same region — the file is employer-bound and not transferable
  • → If a change of region of work is planned, expect a fresh application in the receiving region; the single permit is region-specific
  • → Family reunification — file the federal family-reunification application under the Loi du 15 décembre 1980 once the single permit is issued and the qualifying income is in place
  • → Long-term residence — after a qualifying period under the single-permit route, holders may apply for the EU long-term residence permit on the basis of stable and sufficient resources and integration conditions

Sources

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More in Belgium

6 sources cited last accessed 2026-05-27

T1 official portal · T2 embassy/consulate · T3 news · T4 community — higher tier wins on conflict. methodology →

  1. T1
    Service Public de Wallonie (SPW) — Direction de l'Emploi et des Permis de travail 2026-05-27

    SPW confirms the employer initiates the application via the federal Working in Belgium portal; the procedure must be completed before the worker's arrival on Belgian territory unless already legally resident; the regional examination splits into a fifteen-working-day completeness review and a fifteen-calendar-day substantive examination after completeness confirmation; the federal residence-side fee (redevance) is paid to the Office des Étrangers and depends on the worker category; refusal decisions can be appealed within one month of notification; after multiple renewals the authorization may become unlimited.

    emploi.wallonie.be
  2. T1
    Service Public de Wallonie (SPW) — Direction de l'Emploi 2026-05-27

    SPW landing page confirms the worker-category split (shortage occupations, researchers under EU Directive 2016/801, post-doctoral researchers, highly qualified workers, trainees, au pairs, specialised technicians, seasonal workers) and the duration split between the Type B short-stay permit (under ninety days, and cross-border workers regardless of duration) and the single permit for stays over ninety days.

    emploi.wallonie.be
  3. T1
    Service Public Fédéral Intérieur (IBZ) — Office des Étrangers 2026-05-27

    The federal IBZ portal identifies the Office des Étrangers (Dienst Vreemdelingenzaken) as the body responsible for any decision relating to access of foreigners to territory, residence, establishment, and removal, and provides the contact [email protected] and telephone 02 488 80 00. The fee schedule for the residence-side decision is administered through the operational portal dofi.ibz.be.

    ibz.be
  4. T1
    Vlaamse Dienst voor Arbeidsbemiddeling en Beroepsopleiding (VDAB) 2026-05-27

    VDAB describes its scope as the Flemish public employment service for jobseeker matching, vocational training, and labour-market mediation. Issuance of the Flemish single permit and the Type B short-stay permit is the competence of the Departement Werk en Sociale Economie, not of VDAB.

    vdab.be
  5. T1
    Actiris — Office Régional Bruxellois de l'Emploi 2026-05-27

    Actiris describes its scope as the Brussels-Capital regional employment service for jobseeker matching and employer recruitment support. Issuance of the Brussels-Capital single permit and the Type B short-stay permit is the competence of Bruxelles Économie et Emploi (Brussel Economie en Werkgelegenheid), not of Actiris.

    actiris.brussels
  6. T1
    Le Forem — Service public wallon de l'Emploi et de la Formation 2026-05-27

    Forem describes its scope as the Walloon public employment service for jobseeker matching and vocational training. Issuance of the Walloon single permit and the Type B short-stay permit is the competence of the Service Public de Wallonie, Direction de l'Emploi et des Permis de travail, not of Forem.

    leforem.be
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