Workforce Mobility & Immigration in Belgium
Single Permit and EU Blue Card applications, region-specific salary threshold compliance, and coordination for internationally mobile employees.
BelgiumCurrency
EUR
EU/EEA/Swiss nationals
No visa or work permit required
Main non-EU route
EU Blue Card — €55,052/year (Flanders) · €68,815/year (Wallonia) · €4,748/month (Brussels) — varies by region
Registration deadline
Typically within 1–2 weeks of arrival
Housing — single employee
~€850–1,300/month (1-bed, central)
Housing — family of four
~€1,700–2,400/month (3-bed)
Moving workforce into Belgium
Belgium applies a flat 25% corporate tax rate, with a reduced 20% rate on the first €100,000 of profit for qualifying small companies — a federal framework applied uniformly regardless of region. The more material regional variable for employers is not tax but immigration: Belgium's three regions (Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels) and the German-speaking Community each set their own salary thresholds for non-EU work permits, revised independently and on different schedules.
Discuss your Belgium relocation planFreedom of movement, and the route for everyone else
Nationals of EU and EEA member states, and Switzerland, have full freedom of movement into Belgium: no visa and no work permit are required, though address and tax registration is still expected shortly after arrival.
For third-country nationals, The Single Permit procedure and EU Blue Card are the main routes for non-EU hires, with region-specific salary thresholds (Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels) The EU Blue Card salary threshold is €55,052/year (Flanders) · €68,815/year (Wallonia) · €4,748/month (Brussels) — varies by region.
Confirm the right route for a hireWhat sits with the company
Once the right to work is confirmed, payroll registration follows — see our Payroll & Workforce Management in Belgium guide for the employer registration steps that come next.
Set up a relocation processWhat it costs to house a relocating employee
Figures below are indicative for Brussels, Belgium's primary market for relocating employees — a company relocating multiple staff should budget by destination city, not a single national number.
| Item | Single employee | Family of four |
|---|---|---|
| Typical apartment | 1-bedroom | 3-bedroom |
| Rent (Brussels) | ~€850–1,300/month (1-bed, central) | ~€1,700–2,400/month (3-bed) |
| Security deposit | Up to 3 months' rent, held in a blocked bank account or bank guarantee | Up to 3 months' rent, held in a blocked bank account or bank guarantee |
Frequently asked questions
Talk to a Belgium mobility expert
The regional fragmentation of Belgium's work permit system is frequently underestimated by companies that treat Belgium as a single labour market. A salary that clears the Brussels threshold may fall short in Wallonia, and vice versa — the correct region-specific figure must be confirmed before any non-EU offer is finalised.