A Guide To The European Blue Card In Belgium: All You Need To Know For 2022

Published date24 May 2022
Subject MatterEmployment and HR, Immigration, Contract of Employment, General Immigration, Work Visas
Law FirmInnovation Park
AuthorMs Julia Vorontsova

If you're a non-EU foreign professional wanting to live and work in Belgium, you can apply for a work permit. If you're also highly qualified, a European Blue Card may be for you.

But how do you get one? Are you eligible? How long does it take?

Find out about the eligibility criteria, requirements, and application process below.

The EU Blue Card: What is it Exactly?

A European Blue Card is a type of work permit available to highly-qualified professionals from outside the EU. It allows such individuals to live, work, enter, and re-enter an EU country (excluding Ireland and Denmark).

The permit also entitles the holder and their family members to move freely within the European Union.

In Belgium, the validity period of an EU Blue Card is one to three years, depending on the duration of the employment contract. Furthermore, the labor market test doesn't apply to EU Blue Card applications.

This means national workers, EU and EEA citizens, and legally residing third-country nationals aren't prioritized over EU Blue Card applicants.

Of course, an EU Blue Card is only issued to those meeting the eligibility requirements. While the criteria are largely the same across EU member states, each country has its own rules.

Let's look at Belgium's EU Blue Card requirements and criteria.

Eligibility Criteria For an EU Blue Card in Belgium

You need the following to apply for a Blue Card in Belgium:

  • A valid employment contract or legally binding job offer with a minimum duration of one year
  • A gross annual salary specified in such an employment offer or contract of at least 57,019 Euros in Brussels and Wallonia, and 54,115 Euros in Flanders
  • A formal higher education qualification or degree necessitates at least three years of study. It must be recognized and formally acknowledged by a competent authority in Belgium
  • Proof of fulfilling:
  • The legal requirements of a regulated profession
  • OR
  • The higher professional qualification of an unregulated profession
  • A valid visa or application for a visa (if required)
  • Proof of health insurance (or proof of applying for it)
  • A commitment from the employer to have the applicant (and family members) join a recognized mutual insurance fund once in Belgium

Who Can't Apply for an EU Blue Card in Belgium?

In Belgium, certain categories of highly qualified persons may not apply for an EU Blue Card, including:

  • "Posted workers" fall within the scope of the EU's Directive 96/71/EC
  • Long-term residence permit holders exercising economic activities...

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