What is the Single Permit and do I need it?

Since 2019, most non-EU nationals who want to work in Belgium for more than 90 days need a single permit, which merges work and residence authorisation into one application instead of two separate documents. Your employer submits it through the one-stop counter, the region of your workplace assesses the job, and the federal Immigration Office assesses residence in parallel. The legal target for a joint decision is four months once your file is complete, though it can be extended for complex cases. Specialised categories — such as highly skilled workers, EU Blue Card holders and intra-company transferees — sit within or alongside this framework.