If you’re a foreign student enrolled at a Belgian educational institution and have a valid residence permit, you can work during term time up to 20 hours a week, provided your work doesn’t interfere with your studies. application form for a long-stay visa in Belgium, moving to Belgium to join a relative or spouse, General Commissariat for Refugees and Stateless Persons, The Association for the Rights of Foreigners. As a precaution against the coronavirus, the application procedures have been adapted. You do have to meet the conditions which that country has for the residence permit. All third-country nationals wanting to visit Belgium for tourist purposes need this visa unless they are one of the 61 exempt countries. A full list of the 61 countries this applies to is available here. When you arrive in Belgium you have three days to register your arrival at the municipal administration offices. There are three temporary Belgian work visas.   24 Dec 15, BELGIUM You will also need to factor in application fees, which can be as high as €400,000. Apply at the Belgian embassy or consulate of your home country a minimum of 15 days prior to your visit. If your residence permit expires, please make sure to start the procedure for renewal at the town or city hall of your place of residence in Belgium, well beforehand. This visa is necessary for short-term business-related trips to Belgium lasting less than 90 days. The estimated time is 30 minutes at the counter while the eID registration process takes place. Apply links: Apply for a Blue Card in Flanders; Apply for a Blue Card in Wallonia To find the details of your local town hall, you’ll need to contact the commune in which you’re living; click here for a full list of communes. As a result, the future surrounding Belgian visa or entry requirements for UK citizens after Brexit is still uncertain; for the time being, the UK continues to enjoy full benefits of EU membership. For more information, see these guides for moving to Belgium to join a relative or spouse and getting married in Belgium. You can also always ask for information at the local Belgian embassy … Legislation in the works for a single work... Work permit applicants experiencing processing delays, Fees increase for work permit holders, dependents. The Single Permit combines work and residence authorization into a single document, issued through a single … Current processing times: Four to six weeks for regional authorities to make a decision on employment authorization.   19 Mar 14, BELGIUM   23 Nov 16, BELGIUM   14 Feb 17, BELGIUM The third-country national must apply for registration in the aliens’ register of his place of residence and the issue of a single permit within 8 working days of his entry into Belgium. What is the update? IMPACT – MEDIUM What is the change? For more information, see our guide to Belgian citizenship. How to apply for renewal? If you’re planning a move to Belgium, find out if you need a Belgian visa or permit to visit, live, work or study in Belgium. The following non-immigrant Belgian visas are available. If they are granted refugee status, they will be given residency in Belgium for an unlimited period of time. For the time being, an overall processing time of up to four months should still be expected. Under certain circumstances, EU/EEA/Swiss citizens need to register at the local town hall (maison communale/gemeentehuis) when they arrive in Belgium. You can apply for the professional card at the same time as making your Belgian visa application. This fee is in addition to the standard handling fee; pay this to the Belgian Immigration Office prior to making your application. What does the update mean? Belgium is experiencing delays in work permit processing. You may change your settings at any time. This guide to visas in Belgium includes the following sections: Expat Management Group are immigration specialists with a global network of lawyers who will assist you with all your expatriation needs, whether you are a company bringing employees, would like your family to join you, or are considering getting a Belgian passport. Background: In January, all three regions of Belgium introduced a single work-and-residence permit system under the European Union directive. But for me it's all depended on how fast the Arbeitsamt takes to process my work permit… This is a visa for those wanting to receive medical treatment in Belgium and not stay longer than three months.   25 Mar 20, BELGIUM It is crucial to know for those who are planning to travel out of Belgium immediately after they have a confirmed appointment date for their eID. The single permit is then issued by the commune to authorize both work and residence and will be valid for up to three years, depending on the employment contract or assignment letter. After your arrival in Belgium, you need to register at the municipality of your place of residence within 8 working days. Under the new process, employers may submit a completed application with all supporting documentation to regional authorities, who issue a conditional work authorization.   28 Oct 13. Around 150,000 people move to the country each year and approximately 25% of Belgian residents were foreign-born. Residence permit. All the information about visas for Belgium can be found on the web site of the FPS Foreign Affairs. Source: Deloitte LLP. Holiday and family visit; Business visit; Stopover in the Netherlands; Costs; Forms and Brochures; Asylum. Employers with inquiries for our services may contact us on 0344 991 The time we need to serve you the decision and deliver a residence permit card to you are not included in the expected processing time. If you’re trying to apply for a work permit online in one of the below categories, you may have problems getting the right result. Anyone who plans to stay in Belgium for more than three months will be classified as a resident. Whereas the single permit is required for working and residence periods exceeding 90 days, work permit B can still be used for short working periods of up to 90 days. This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience. What does the change mean? You will need to apply for a long-stay category D Belgian visa via the Belgian embassy or consulate in your home country (or from the local municipal administration offices if already in Belgium), submitting an application form along with the necessary accompanying documents.   25 Mar 16, BELGIUM This visa covers visits for artists, athletes, or religious leaders attending events and competitions in Belgium. working under an employment contract) must hold a work permit. Jeremy Fudge, Managing Partner. Residency requirements vary according to nationality, profession and reasons for residing in Belgium. You are advised to make your application at least four weeks before you plan to travel. If you come to Finland from outside the EU for more than 90 days, you must apply for a residence permit. You can of course change your mind and withdraw your consent at any time, by returning to this site after clearing the cookies on your computer or device. You cannot leave the airport and enter Belgium. The UK is currently an EU member but is due to leave very soon after the Brexit referendum vote in 2016. A long-term resident in the European Union is a person who is not a citizen of an EU country but has resided legally and continuously within its territory for five years with a means of support (i.e. Check application processing times – Immigration and citizenship. Eight to 10 weeks for the federal immigration authorities to approve issuance of the visa. You’ll be issued with a Certificate of Registration, and either an A residence card if you are staying for a specific amount of time, or a B residence card if you are allowed to stay in Belgium indefinitely. Expatica helps make your expat journey the experience you've always wanted. Anyone who plans to stay in Belgium for more than three months will be classified as a resident. This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience. The following types of immigrant Belgian visa are available. For the 2018/19 academic year, this is €654 per month net; there are no outstanding criminal charges against your name. In the Walloon region, the single permit can only be issued for a maximum period of one year, for the time being. If you fall into one of these categories, please feel free to contact us for advice, although you may find that this guide answers many of your questions. They will give you a document specifying when you have to leave Belgium. See the Expatica guide to moving to Belgium to join a relative or partner for more information. All nationals who wish to stay for more than 90 days in Belgium, need to apply for a visa D, unless if you are either a citizen of the European Union or a citizen of one of the following countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway and Switzerland. Requirements, processes, and costs are similar to the tourist visa. You have to be able to prove your relationship, have suitable accommodation in Belgium, and there must be sufficient funds to support the family’s living and health insurance costs. As of June, the Brussels region will also be able to grant a single permit for a period of three years if proper supporting documents are provided. You must also provide the letter of invitation along with other required documents.   17 Oct 18, BELGIUM Which visa you apply for depends on the purpose for moving to Belgium. See the necessary steps in our checklist for after you move to Belgium. In January 2019, Belgium implemented the Single Permit scheme for foreign nationals seeking to work in Belgium for over 90 days. It should be noted that it is not possible to obtain citizenship in Belgium by proving independent means. Here, they receive lodging, meals, and medical support. You should make the application at the Belgian embassy or consulate in your home country. BELGIUM I just applied for my residence permit at the German embassy in Singapore about 3 weeks ago and the administrator there told me that it will take up to 8 weeks for processing. Citizens of the European Union (EU) and the European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland) can travel freely to Belgium without a visa. EU and EEA nationals don't need to apply for residence permits in Belgium. Having a residence permit as a long-term resident EC allows you to apply more easily for a residence permit in one of the other EU countries that also have this residence permit. These are: More information on these visas can be found in this guide to work visas in Belgium. Make sure to present the municipality with the following documents: a valid passport with the D visa issued by … Belgium has seen an increase in the size of its migrant population over the last two decades. A tourist Belgian visa allows visitors to stay in the country for a maximum of 90 days in a six-month period. This can be done by providing bank statements, pension statements or proof of income from real estate for the last six months. As well as the standard short-stay visa requirements, applicants need to provide event information and evidence of skills or qualifications. Economic migration for more than 90 days The Single Permit process specifically applies to employees coming to work and reside in Belgium for a period exceeding 90 days. The Federal Immigration Office in Belgium has announced a plan to reduce processing times of applications for single permits. The system unifies work-and-residence permit procedures for non-EU/EEA workers across the EU. Non-Belgians who do not or no longer reside in Leuven must request renewal of their residence permit in the town or city hall of their municipality.   22 Mar 16, BELGIUM   5 Oct 17, BELGIUM Hello, I am a non-EU citizen and I have been living in East Flanders, Belgium for 5 and half years now. It is expected that the ICT permit will be implemented in the Flemish and Brussels regions during the next few months. Analysis & Comments: Employers need to take these increased processing times into account when planning new assignments and dealing with renewal applications. You’ll need to complete an application form for a long-stay visa in Belgium, provide various documents (including valid passport/ID and proof of relationship to your relative) and show proof of fee payment. If you are relocating to Belgium or planning to come for a significant period of time (longer than a year), you will need to apply for a category D long-stay Belgian visa.   20 Nov 15, BELGIUM A person may apply for Belgian citizenship or long-term residence in Belgium if he / she has lived in Belgium for five continuous years.After this period of time of living in Belgium, EU/EEA/Swiss nationals acquire permanent residence automatically, whereas the non-EU/EEA citizens should apply for it. Belgian short-stay visas: less than three months in Belgium, Federal Public Service for Foreign Affairs, EU/EEA and Swiss nationals moving to Belgium, moving to Belgium to join a relative or partner, local Belgian municipal administration offices. Children also must provide a declaration of consent from parents as well as from their school. The main difference is that you also must provide a letter of invitation along with proof of family relationship for relatives. 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