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11. Moving to Brussels

Brussels at a Glance

Administrative Issues in Brussels

Planning to move to Brussels? InterNations is here to assist you!

Long-Term Visa

There are several different categories of long-term visas for Belgium. The type of visa depends on the purpose of your stay in Brussels. Processing times may vary, but an administration fee of €180 is due for all types of long-term visa.

Together with 2 completed applications forms, you will need to submit the following standard documents: your passport (valid for at least 1 year), 2 recent passport photographs, a criminal record disclosure covering the year preceding your application, and a medical certificate (if you haven’t already provided one for your work permit). Every Belgian embassy or consulate should provide you with a list of approved doctors for this purpose.

The following overview deals with the main kinds of visas available to people coming to Brussels for work or business.

Visa Categories

• Employee visa: This is only granted together with a work permit (B), which must be obtained separately by your employer. In addition to your passport, you need to submit 2 completed application forms and 2 recent passport photographs, a criminal records disclosure covering the year preceding your application, and a medical certificate.
• Self-employed visa: Before applying for this visa, you need the authorization of the Federal Public Service for Economy, SMEs, Self-Employed and Energy. This authorization comes in form of a “professional card” (carte professionnelle / beroepskaart), which can be requested via the Belgian mission by submitting the following documents: 2 completed applications forms, 3 passport photographs, a project plan, and a criminal records disclosure.
• Manager visa: Managers and high-level executives require a special visa. The documents required for this application are the same as for an employee visa. Two additional documents are

               a)   a certificate drawn up by a chartered auditor, confirming that the company meets the legal requirements necessary to qualify as a company’s headquarters,

               b)   a statement of honor by the employer pledging that those conditions are fulfilled at the time of the executive’s posting and that the yearly salary exceeds the annually adjusted lower limit.

• Research visa: A research visa application must also include a hosting agreement signed by you and your host institution.
• Journalist visa: All journalists, whether from within or outside the EU, require a press card in order to carry out their profession. An application for a Belgian press card can be submitted to the Belgian mission together with the visa application (if applicable). The visa application of non-EU journalists must include a birth certificate, a medical certificate, a certificate of good conduct, an authorization from a foreign employer, and a copy of their press card for working abroad.
• Investor visa: This visa can be issued for up to 8 months. In addition to the standard application documents, investors need to submit the Template I/II “Major Investor”, obtainable from the Foreign Investment Department of FPS Economy.

Foreign Resident Registration

There is a legal obligation for foreign residents to register with their local commune within 8 days of arrival. However, this only applies if your stay exceeds a period of 3 months. You can find the contact details of all municipal authorities on the website of the Association de la Ville et des Communes de la Région de Bruxelles-Captitale.

When showing up to register, you should bring proof of residence in form of a rental agreement and your bank details. Following your registration, a police officer will visit your home to confirm your address. Only then will you receive your residence permit and foreign resident’s identity card (as a third-state national).

A new Europe-wide system of electronic identity cards for foreign residents has recently been implemented in Belgium. It replaces the old carte blanche (certificate of inscription), carte jaune (identity card for Third-state nationals) and carte bleue (identity card for EU nationals).

The new electronic card contains biometrical data in an invisible chip, serving as certificate of inscription, residence permit and foreigner’s identity card for third-state nationals. The new identity card for EU citizens in Belgium is similar to that for Belgian citizens.