What are the main immigration pathways to Belgium?

Belgium's central work route is the Single Permit, which combines work and residence into one application for non-EU employees staying more than 90 days. Within and alongside it sit specialised routes: the Highly Skilled Worker fast lane (which skips the standard labour-market test), the EU Blue Card for highly qualified professionals, the Professional Card for self-employed people and freelancers, and the Intra-Corporate Transferee permit for staff moved within their company from outside the EU.

Beyond work, the main routes are the Student Residence Permit, Family Reunification for spouses, partners and minor children, and EU Long-Term Residence after five years of continuous legal residence.

The one feature that shapes everything is regionalisation. The federal Immigration Office decides whether you can live in Belgium, but the right to work is granted by one of the regions — Flanders, Wallonia or Brussels-Capital (with the German-speaking Community as a fourth, smaller authority) — based on where your main workplace is. That means rules, salary thresholds and even forms can differ between regions for the same job, and language differs too.

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens enjoy free movement and don't need any of these permits. Because thresholds and conditions vary by region and change over time, confirm current figures with the relevant official authority — or let ACME's free consultation help you find the right route.