Work permits – middle-skilled shortage occupations

Foreign nationals who come to work in Flanders must first receive permission to work. This obligation applies to everyone apart from a few well-defined categories of foreign workers.

A foreign worker who works in a shortage occupation and does not belong to one of these well-defined categories does need a work permit. They can work in Flanders if they:

• have a Belgian employer;
• perform a function that appears on the list of middle-skilled shortage occupations (in Dutch)(PDF file opens in new window).
• Middle-skilled shortage professions are classified as middle-skilled positions. This means that an employee employed in a middle-skilled shortage occupation should be paid in the minimum ‘skilled’ category according to the competent Paritair Comité.

Does the occupation of the future employee appear on this list of middle-skilled shortage occupations? Then there is no need for the employer to prove that there is a structural shortage of suitable employees in the labour market.

The minister updates the list of middle-skilled shortage occupations every two years. It is based on the (mid-skilled) functions for which a shortage in the workforce was recognised at the time of update. The mid-skilled functions for which level 3 and 4 qualifications are required are based on experience or training.

Take a look at the overview and the list of shortage occupations which include the most important skills and tasks for each function.

Would the employee who performs a function on the middle-skilled shortage occupation list like to work via secondment? Or would they like to work with a foreign organisation, possibly even an organisation with a Belgian company number? Then the employee will not qualify for a so-called single permit.