Immigration update: Belgium | New salary thresholds for select regions 2023

Belgium’s new salary thresholds are made public applicable for 2023 immigration applications. They are specified per region below.

Who will be affected?

Inbound immigration procedures to Belgium.

Background

Every year Belgium establishes the new salary thresholds for inbound immigration.

Impact

The new threshold is applicable to all applications submitted on or after 1 January 2023. Employers who require obtainment or extension of a work authorization on or after 1 January 2023 must increase the salary to comply with the new provided threshold. Failure to comply to the new thresholds will automatically result in rejection of the application.

Should an employer have a pending application, as of 1 January 2023 they also must increase the salary in order to comply with the new threshold and must inform the regional authorities.

Also the salary of foreign employees already working in the Region need to comply with the new thresholds as of 1 January 2023, the employers are responsible to adjust accordingly to ensure compliance.

The new salary thresholds are specified in the three regions below:

Brussels

Flanders

Wallonia

Amounts to be confirmed by publication of the Walloon budget decree 2023.

As a reminder, anyone with the nationality of a country outside the European Economic Area (EEA) who wishes to come and work in Belgium must obtain a work permit or a B work permit.

The agreed gross salary must be clearly mentioned in the employment contract or the letter of secondment when applying for the first work permit or work permit B. In the event of a request for extension of the work permit or permit of work B, governmental departments will also check whether the agreed amount has actually been paid.

Good to know:

• These are gross annual salary amounts, assessed solely based on the gross salary or the gross salary components which constitute the counterpart of the work services, and which are known with certainty prior to the work services.
• The guaranteed average monthly minimum income applies to workers who are not covered by any joint committee. It must be reached, even in the case of part-time employment. For more information on the average monthly minimum income, see the website of the Federal Public Service Employment, Labor and Social Dialogue .

Implementation date

1 January 2023

Santa Fe recommendation

We recommend you contact your immigration consultant in Belgium, per the contact details below, to get your case specific assessment done.

Kevin van Hove
Immigration Consultant – BeNeLux
Santa Fe Relocation
Brussels, Belgium
D: +32 2758 0413
M: +32 485 433 064
E: BEimmigration@santaferelo.com

Anique Borchert
Immigration Manager BeNeLux
Santa Fe Relocation
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
D: +31 172 447971
E: anique.borchert@santaferelo.com

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