Corporate Immigration update — (Upcoming) changes affecting economic migration to Belgium for 2026 – 11 February 2026

Background

Labour migration to Belgium requires involvement of the Employment Ministries at the regional level (Flanders, Brussels Capital or Wallonia) for authorizations up to max. 90 days within 180 days and of the Employment Ministries at the regional level + the Immigration Office (national level) for authorizations beyond 90 days. The Belgian expat tax regime derives from policy domains at the national level.

Updates in the policy of each of these institutions thus require special attention to employers and recruiters, wishing to hire and retain non-EU employees to/ within Belgium.

The following ones were selected as the most relevant ones, as announced/ observed already in 2026.

• Belgian Expat Tax regime (for inbound employees and researchers)
  • Maximum cost allowance up from 30 to 35%
  • Minimum salary threshold down from 75,000 to 70,000 EUR
  • Abolition of the 90,000K ceiling
• Salary tresholds:
  • Flanders and Brussels Capital; updates pending
  • Wallonia; Highly qualified up to 53,220 EUR gross/ month and 42,576 EUR gross/ month <30 years old.
• Retribution fees
  • Immigration Office; Single permits/ Blue card/ Researcher permits up to 152 EUR ; family reunion to 218 EUR, Belgian citizenship 1,030 EUR
  • Flanders; Extra retribution fee to be implemented for single permit applications of 180-200 EUR as per Q2 (exact timeline/ instructions yet to be confirmed)
• Average processing times
  • Single permit; close to the max. 120 days
  • Blue cards (max. 90 days) much more quickly processed by the Immigration Office
  • Family reunification visa D applications:
    • possibility for simultaneous processing times for dependents with principals of most employee permit categories
    • for dependents of professional card strong differences between Belgian embassies/ consulates.
• Extras:
  • Immigration office:
    • New A cards for temporary protection for Ukrainians up to 4 March 2027 (via town halls)
    • More integration requirements for family members expected for renewal applications, in addition to civic integration requirements at regional level
  • Flanders;
    • No longer possible for max. secondary education diploma holders to obtain work permit/ single permit
    • Highly qualified: Diploma holder needs to carry out a ‘highly qualified function’ + possible additional request for authentication of diploma
    • Compulsory civic integration for labour migrants (implementation date tbc)
    • More inspections announced
  • Brussels Capital;
    • no more separate frontier worker permit, but included in another employee category (e.g. highly qualified)
    • no more work permit B cards issued (work permit decision letters suffice)

Impact

Above mentioned changes may affect recruitment/ retainment strategies towards non-EU employees.

Santa Fe recommendation

If you have any questions regarding these updates for non-EU employees that you have hired or intend to hire, do reach out to your trusted Santa Fe Relocation contact from our Immigration Team.

Contact us

Please get in touch with us for further information or clarification:

Kevin Van Hove
Senior Immigration Consultant BeNeLux
Santa Fe Relocation
kevin.vanhove@santaferelo.com

William Haesendonck
Country Manager Belgium
Santa Fe Relocation
william.haesendonck@santaferelo.com

About our Immigration Services

Our distinguished immigration services oversee a substantial volume of visa applications annually, catering to a diverse array of international corporations. Our seasoned team of immigration experts and accredited migration agents are entrusted with the meticulous management of the entire immigration process on your behalf. We are committed to delivering streamlined reporting and offering comprehensive guidance on all immigration-related affairs, ensuring a smooth and efficient experience for our valued clients.