Belgium is a convenient country for labor emigration. Industry, commercial sea and land communications are developed here. For residents of other countries there will always be a job. But one of the conditions for official employment is a work visa to Belgium, which you can apply for yourself. But for this you need to know the regulations, the list of documents and places for their submission.
Types of work visa to Belgium
Before registration, you need to decide on the type of labor activity in the country. The main factor is the length of the employment contract. Depending on this, Belgian law offers four types of visas for citizens of other countries. Additionally, the specialty, the level of wages is taken into account. These issues are considered comprehensively, so before applying for a work visa to Belgium, you need to study all the nuances.
Types of work permits in Belgium for foreigners by category:
- _ Relevant for seasonal work, gives permission to work for a period not exceeding 90 days within six months. Cannot be renewed, registration of a new one is required.
- _ The duration of this document is 12 months. Cannot be used for long-term contracts, not renewable.
- It is issued only for one place of work, you need an agreement between the employer and the employee. Valid for 1 year, but renewable.
- _ It has no expiration date, but a number of conditions must be met: there was a job in the issued category B, a confirmed working guard time of 4 years. At the same time, the applicant did not travel outside the country for 5 years.
An entry permit for tourists is not an analogue of a work visa in Belgium, work without registration of one of the categories is a violation of labor laws. If this is discovered, the employer will be fined, and the employee will no longer be able to apply for employment. Possible criminal prosecution for violation of labor laws.
Important: you need to learn one of the official languages of the country, for categories A – B this is a prerequisite for obtaining a permit.
Steps for applying for a visa
All stages of official employment in Belgium for a foreigner must be done by the applicant himself. He collects documents, fills out questionnaires, chooses a place for their submission to the official state bodies of the country. This work cannot be done by third parties – agencies, intermediaries or travel companies. Even lawyers are prohibited from doing this kind of activity. Therefore, you need to think over each stage of obtaining a work visa to Belgium for a foreigner, eliminating the possibility of error.
Documents for registration
The first stage is the collection of documents. In addition to the standard set – a passport, a medical book, you need to take extracts, fill out a questionnaire. Be sure to check the validity of all permits and extracts. They must not end earlier than the term of the employment contract with the Belgian employer. The quality must comply with local legislation – all inscriptions are freely readable, the photo is flawless, up-to-date.
List of documents:
- International passport. Valid for at least 6 months from the date of termination of the employment contract or permit.
- Photo 3.5×4.5 – 2 pcs.
- Medical insurance. The minimum sum insured is 30,000 Euros. It is issued for the entire period of stay in Belgium.
- Sanitary book on the Belgian model. Needed for employment in medical institutions or food companies, food manufacturing. A blood test for AIDS, syphilis and other diseases is given, an x-ray is taken.
- Confirmation of no criminal record. It is taken from the local authority, a certified translation into one of the official languages of Belgium is required.
- Job invitation. It is drawn up by the employer, indicating the specialty, position, employment contract.
Recently, the country’s authorities require biometric data of the applicant. To do this, you need to provide fingerprints, this is done already in the country after the official receipt of a work permit in Belgium.
Important: for some positions and specialties, a bank statement of cash flow for the last 6 months will be required.
Filling out the questionnaire
The current questionnaire can be downloaded on the official website of the Belgian Federal Service for Employment, Labor and Social Dialogue – https://werk.belgie.be/. The latest news about changes in the labor legislation of the country, features of emigration are also posted there. After downloading the questionnaire, you need to fill it out with a pen with black or blue ink. The total number of pages in a document of format A 4 – 5 pcs. Errors are not allowed, so you are advised to check the correctness of filling out the questionnaire with specialists. The same goes for translation.
Features of filling out the questionnaire:
- Personal information is indicated in the first 7 sections – full name, date and year of birth, maiden name, country of permanent residence, address.
- 8 point – the gender of the applicant.
- 9 – marital status. Be sure to register your children.
- 10 is filled out only for applicants who take minor children with them. For them, you need to make separate children’s profiles. This is done by the guardian or parent.
- The taxpayer identification number is written in section 11 of the questionnaire.
- The type of work visa to Belgium is indicated in paragraphs 12-18. Here you need to correctly register the category and current contact information – phone number, address, email.
- Information about the employer and a link to the employment contract must be entered in sections 19 and 20 of the questionnaire.
- In 21-26 paragraphs, the purpose of visiting the country is prescribed, in our case, official employment.
Be sure to include the details of relatives who live in the Schengen area. Additionally, you need to provide information about the financial situation – sources of income, bank accounts. This data may be subject to additional verification. Inconsistency of information with reality or lies is the reason for the rejection of obtaining a work visa to Belgium, regardless of the applicant.
Important: the size of the consular fee depends on the category. For C it is 35 Euro, for D it is 180 Euro. In case of refusal, the consular fee is not refundable.
Places for filing documents
You can provide all the necessary information to the nearest Belgian embassy or consulate in your country. Only through this government agency can you get a work visa in Belgium. For some categories of applicants, it is allowed to submit documents in representative offices of other countries. To do this, you need to give a reason, confirming the document that you cannot start the procedure in your country of residence.
The employer must apply to a representative of one of the three federal districts of the country to obtain a work permit. This is done according to the standard procedure, the difference is only in the category. The time of consideration of the application and the amount of the state fee depend on it. The employer assumes responsibility for the fulfillment of the employment contract, control of the actions of his employee during the performance of work.
Tips for employment in Belgium
If you are a resident of one of the EEC countries, you do not need to apply for a work permit in Belgium. For entrepreneurial activity, it is necessary to submit a package of documents to local governments. After their consideration, a “professional card” is issued. It is obligatory for non-residents of the EU countries, it is issued at the consulate or embassy of Belgium at the place of residence of the applicant.
Additional tips for obtaining a Belgian work visa:
- Knowledge of one of the state languages of the country – Dutch, German or French. If the level is low, it is recommended to hire an interpreter to complete the questionnaire.
- The questionnaire can be filled out in English.
- All documents issued in your country of residence must be translated into one of the Belgian languages.
- Be sure to study the labor legislation of the country – payment for overtime hours, provision of vacation, features of health insurance.
- To extend the visa, you need to contact the local employment center.
The correct approach to obtaining a work visa to Belgium is a guarantee of obtaining a permit. But on each you need to check all the information, if necessary, contact the specialists.
