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I have a residence document for another EU country
There is no residence permit issued by another EU country that gives you automatic access to the Belgian labour market. If you have a residence permit from another EU country, then it is possible for an employer – under certain conditions – to apply for a single permit for you. Once this application has been approved, you can come to work and live in Belgium. If you have a residence permit marked “EU long-term resident”, there are more advantageous conditions, but you still need a single permit issued by the Belgian authorities to be able to work in Belgium.
What is meant by a long-term EU resident?
Only if you hold a residence card that states ‘long-term EU resident’ for another EU country, do you have an advantage over employees who do not have this card when you come to Belgium to live and work. You will find examples of the cards per EU country here . You cannot obtain a residence card stating ‘Long-term EU resident’ in Denmark, Ireland, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. With a residence card from one of these countries, you are not permitted to work in Belgium. This means you will have to follow the standard procedure to get permission to work in Belgium. The procedure is described here.
It’s best to ask in the EU country where you hold a residence card whether you are entitled to a residence card stating ‘Long-term EU resident’ and how to obtain one. No other residence card from another EU country entitles you to come to Belgium to live and work.
Important: it is possible that your residence card, from the country where you had the status of long-term resident, can be revoked. Ask about this in the country where you obtained your card when you renew your residence card. A long period of absence from a country is often reason for refusing the renewal of a residence card.
The conditions for being allowed to work in Belgium differ from one region to the next.
Which region is responsible for your dossier depends on where your former employer’s company is located. If your employer’s address is in Brugge, Flanders has authorisation. If the address is in Luik, Wallonia has authorisation, etc.
In Flanders and Wallonia, there are no advantages when applying for the first time. You must follow the same procedure as if you were applying from your country of origin. You will find the procedure here. Once you have worked for 12 months on this combined permit for a fixed period, it will be easy for you to switch to a combined permit for an indefinite period. This permit is much more advantageous and offers you more scope
In Brussels and the German-Speaking Community, favorable procedures benefit long-term EU citizens. However, this is only possible if you find a job in the shortage profession category. If your job is not included in the list of shortage professions, you will have to follow the normal procedure which you can find here.
Every region has its own list of shortage professions. You will find the list for Brussels here and for the German-Speaking Community here.
If you have found an employer who wants to recruit you in one of these shortage professions, your employer must apply for a combined permit for a fixed period on your behalf. They must provide the relevant authority with the following documents:
- the completed form Long-term resident working in a shortage profession – more than 90 days in Belgium
- a copy of the employment contract
- a copy of your residence card Long-term EU resident from the other EU country
- if you already stay in Belgium, you must also send a copy of your legal residence in Belgium.
Once all documents have been sent, the relevant authority will provide an answer within 5 days. If the answer is positive, you can start work immediately. You will find the procedure for Brussels and the German-speaking Community here.
During employment, you will have an electronic residence card A. This is a combined permit for a fixed period which states that your access to the employment market is ‘Limited’. With this card, you may only work for the employer who requested permission to employ you and you may only carry out the job for the employer that was stated in the application.
After you have worked for 12 months, you can exchange the combined permit for a fixed period for a combined permit for an indefinite period. Be sure to do this. Read more about this. Be sure to do this. Read more about this.
Important: if your employment contract doesn’t cover a year’s work (seasonal work for example), you will not be issued with an electronic residence card A. You must pay the contribution tax (60 euros) and then request an Appendix 41bis from the municipality. The municipality will give you 4 months to provide the necessary documents. If you meet the conditions, you will be issued with a Certificate of Immatriculation (AI) which is valid for 4 months. This can be renewed for an extra 3 months, if necessary. If it is concluded that your income is too low for you to subsist in Belgium, this may be refused.
From combined permit with limited duration to one with unlimited duration.
If you have worked for 12 months, you may apply yourself for a combined permit of unlimited duration. This is the big advantage you gain with a ‘Long-term EU resident’ residence card.
With a combined permit of unlimited duration, you are allowed to work for any employer and in any job. If you change employers or job, you do not have to re-apply with the government.
Do make sure that you apply for your renewal on time, to avoid losing your combined permit for unlimited duration.
What are the conditions?
The conditions vary from one region to another and there are two systems. You must meet the conditions set by the region you live in and you must also submit the application there.
- In Flanders and Wallonia
You must have worked 12 months in the 18 months before you apply for a combined permit of unlimited duration. You must also hold legal residence. If you meet these conditions, you may apply for a combined permit of unlimited duration. You will find more information at the following link. The focus is on Flanders, however Wallonia states the same conditions. You will find contact information for the Wallonian labour migration service here.
- In Brussels and the German-Speaking Community
Before you apply for a combined permit of unlimited duration, you must have worked for 12 consecutive months in one of the bottleneck professions listed by the region where you submit your application. You must also hold legal residence. If you meet these conditions, you may apply for a combined permit of unlimited duration. The focus is on Brussels, however the German-Speaking Community states the same conditions. You will find contact information for the German-speaking community’s labour migration service here.
Am I allowed to work self-employed with a residence card from another EU country?
No. Nor can you with ‘Long-term EU resident’ status either.
You must apply for a professional card, just like anyone from outside the European Union. You can find information about how to apply for a professional card in Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels and the German-speaking community here. It’s best to go for advice to an entrepreneurs helpdesk.
