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EU Blue Card in Belgium: Salary, Conditions and Procedure

EU Blue Card (H card) for highly qualified workers

In short

The EU Blue Card is a special single permit for highly qualified employees with a higher salary. In Flanders it requires a gross annual salary of at least EUR 63,586, a degree of at least three years (or three years of experience for ICT managers and specialists) and a contract of at least six months; holders receive an H card and faster family reunification.

Apply on Working in Belgium – single permit one-stop counter checked 23 October 2026

Key facts

Maximum stay
For the contract period; after 24 months of Blue Card employment a three-year card is issued
Validity
H card linked to the contract (at least six months)
Fee
€152Immigration Office contribution fee for a highly qualified worker application (2026).
Funds required
€63,586 per yearFlemish minimum gross annual salary (130% of the average gross annual wage, 2025 basis) for contracts starting after 1 May 2024. Brussels and Wallonia publish their own figures.
Processing time
Flanders (October 2026): about 2 weeks before the regional examination starts, then about 11–12 weeks at the Immigration Office. Holders moving from another EU Blue Card: decision within 30 days, extendable by 30.
Work
Yes, in the highly qualified job; after 12 months for any employer, with notification of a change during the first 12 months
Family
Spouse, registered partner and children can join; the Immigration Office decides within four months (extendable once by three months) when the sponsor holds an H card.
Path to permanent residence
EU long-term resident status after five years; Blue Card periods in other EU states can be combined if the last two years were in Belgium, and absences of up to 12 consecutive months (18 in total) do not break the period.
Where to apply
Employer applies online through the Working in Belgium one-stop counter, choosing the EU Blue Card category; the worker then obtains a D visa marked B29 from the Belgian mission responsible for their country of residence.

Conditions in Flanders

You need a higher education diploma of at least level 6 of the qualifications framework, from a programme of at least three years. ICT managers and specialists can instead prove three years of relevant professional experience within the seven years before applying. The contract may be fixed-term (at least six months) or open-ended, must be with a Belgian employer (no posting) and drafted in the language of the region. The salary must reach EUR 63,586 gross a year.

Procedure

The employer starts the procedure on the Working in Belgium one-stop counter. Required documents include identity documents, the paid contribution fee, a legalised and translated criminal record for those over 18, a medical certificate and proof of health insurance, none older than six months. An incomplete file is not accepted and cannot be supplemented later. The region assesses employment first, then the Immigration Office residence.

  1. Confirm with your employer that salary and diploma meet the Blue Card rules of the region where you will work.
  2. Gather passport, diploma, medical certificate and apostilled criminal record, all under six months old, and pay the EUR 152 fee.
  3. The employer submits the complete EU Blue Card application on the one-stop counter.
  4. After approval, apply for the D visa (B29) through Visa on Web and lodge it at the competent Belgian mission or its service provider.
  5. Register within eight working days at the municipality and collect the H card.

After arrival in Belgium

Report to the municipality of your place of residence within eight days of arrival to register in the foreigners' register. After a positive residence check (a local officer verifies that you live at the address) you receive an H card (European Blue Card). Book the municipal appointment early, as waiting times can be long.

Renewal and job change

Apply for renewal through the one-stop counter between four and two months before expiry; copies of documents suffice, plus a resignation letter if you changed employer. During the first 12 months a change of employer must be notified to the regional economic migration service and the new job may start only after approval (within 30 days).

Family members

Family members of an H card holder apply for a family reunification D visa; the Immigration Office must decide within four months of the complete application, extendable once by three months, which is faster than the nine-month standard for other workers' families.

Refusal and appeal

Refusals by the Immigration Office can be challenged before the Council for Alien Law Litigation (CCE/RvV), as a rule within 30 days of notification, by the person concerned or their lawyer. Decisions of the regional employment authority on the work component have their own appeal route stated in the decision. A new application with the missing evidence is also possible.

Documents

Required documents

Identity

  • Criminal record extract issued within six months, apostilled or legalised depending on the issuing country, with sworn translation if not in Dutch, French, German or English
  • Visa on Web long-stay (D) application form, printed and signed

Travel

  • Valid passport and copy of the data page

Money

  • Proof of payment of the Immigration Office contribution fee (bank transfer with name, nationality and date of birth in the reference), unless exempt

Work

  • Employment contract of at least six months with a Belgian employer, meeting the salary threshold

Study

  • Higher education diploma (at least level 6, three-year programme), or proof of three years of ICT experience

Insurance

  • Proof of health insurance or the employer's commitment

Other

  • Medical certificate on the official Belgian form, issued within six months by a doctor accredited by the Belgian mission (otherwise with legalised signature), in Dutch, French or English

Frequently asked questions

What is the Belgian Blue Card salary in 2026?

Flanders applies EUR 63,586 gross per year, set at 130% of the average gross annual wage on the 2025 basis. Brussels and Wallonia publish their own thresholds.

Can I get a Blue Card without a degree?

Only as an ICT manager or ICT specialist with three years of relevant experience in the last seven years.

What happens if I lose my job?

The Blue Card is kept during a period of unemployment of three to six months, unlike the ordinary single permit, which in principle ends with the contract.

Is a Blue Card better than a single permit for family reunification?

It is faster: the decision deadline is four months (plus three) instead of nine months (plus up to six).

Official sources

Summarised from the official sources above. Rules, fees and processing times change: confirm with the embassy or the official portal before you apply.

Other visa types for Belgium

Visits and short stays

  • Tourist visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the Schengen area
  • Family and friends visit visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the Schengen area
  • Transit visa Maximum stay: Transit only: the days needed to cross the Schengen area to the next destination
  • Medical treatment visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the Schengen area
  • Culture, sports and events visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the Schengen area

Business and self-employment

Study and training

  • Student visa Maximum stay: Residence for the length of studies, renewed yearly
  • Researcher visa Maximum stay: For the duration of the research project
  • Internship and trainee visa Maximum stay: Up to six months, renewable once, in the Flemish "trainee in or after training" category
  • Au pair visa Maximum stay: One year at most, including a single possible renewal

Work

Family

Residence

Protection

  • Asylum and international protection Maximum stay: Right to stay during the procedure; recognised refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection receive residence permits

Belgium visa guide