How does Single Permit (combined work + residence) work in Belgium, and who qualifies?

The Single Permit is the route most non-EU employees in Belgium end up on. Rather than chasing two separate documents, a single application gets you both the right to live in Belgium and the right to work. It's for non-EU nationals with a Belgian job offer who plan to work for more than 90 days and don't fit a more specialised route.

The part that surprises almost everyone is who handles it. Your employer submits the application on your behalf, and it goes to the region of your main workplace — Flanders, Wallonia or the Brussels-Capital Region — which assesses the job, while the federal Immigration Office assesses the residence side in parallel. Because work authorisation is regionalised, the conditions and even the forms can differ between regions for what looks like the same job, and a labour-market test may apply for some roles.

You'll also need a valid passport, health insurance covering all risks in Belgium, proof of sufficient means, a medical certificate, and (if over 18) a criminal-record extract. 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. Decide early which region your job sits in, since that determines the rules — and ACME's free initial consultation can help you work that out.