Employing a foreigner in Flanders: permit for an indefinite term
Has the foreigner already been working and living in Belgium for a long time? Then they may be eligible for a single permit of indefinite duration. This allows the foreign employee to perform any job with any employer. The permit is valid throughout Belgium.
The foreign employee must submit this application themself!
Not considered a work period
The periods below are not eligible for your application for a single permit of indefinite duration.
- You worked without an employment contract, for example as an au pair or trainee.
- You worked on posting and were therefore still employed by your foreign employer.
- You were working with a reason for residence: your right to work resulted from your specific residence situation.
- Periods of “not working because of technical unemployment, authorised absence and the like (this may be voluntary absence)”.
Conditions
If you belong to 1 of the 2 categories below, you are eligible for a single permit of indefinite duration:
Category 1
- You are legally residing in Belgium.
- You have been working for at least 4 years of the 5 years prior to your application.
- You worked on the basis of a work permit and/or a single permit.-
Turkish nationals are subject to more lenient conditions based on the EU-Turkey Association Agreement. They can apply for a single permit of indefinite duration as early as after three years of employment. This period is further reduced by one year, to two years, if the spouse or registered partner or children together with the Turkish national reside legally in Belgium.
Category 2
- You have been granted the status of long-term resident citizen (in Dutch)(opens in new window) in a different Member State of the European Union.
- You legally reside in Belgium.
- You were working in Belgium for at least 12 months in the 18 months prior to your application.
- You worked on the basis of a work permit and/or a single permit.
Note: You must always have an employment contract which is still valid.
Which documents you need for your permit for an indefinite term and how to submit the application
The foreign employee themself applies for a single permit of indefinite duration, via the One-stop shop Working in Belgium(opens in new window).
You must provide the following documents with your online application:
Residence documents
- Belgian residence permit proving legal residence in Belgium.
- A valid international passport.
- Proof that employee has health insurance(opens in new window) which covers all risks for them and their family members. (To be requested from your health insurance fund.)
Employment contract
- An employment contract which is still valid.
Employment documents
- Pay slips from the last six months of current employment.
What qualifies as a work period
Were you incapacitated for work during your employment? Then we also consider this period to be a work period if you meet the following conditions:
- Your incapacity was the result of:
- illness
- a work-related illness
- a work-related accident
- temporary unemployment due to force majeure (for example, corona, bad weather, collective closure, strike, lock-out).
- You became incapacitated at a time when you were regularly employed by your Belgium-based employer.
Note: You must always have an employment contract which is still valid.
Not included: not working because of technical unemployment, authorised absence and the like (this can be both voluntary and involuntary absence) or temporary unemployment for economic reasons.