Working and living in Belgium.

Take action before the expiry date. A change in circumstances, such as a separation, loss of employment or a new employer, may affect the basis of your residence. We will identify the status that corresponds to your current situation, gather the required evidence and prepare the application to be submitted to your municipality within the deadline.

These depend on your own status, but generally rest on three elements: stable, sufficient and regular means of support; adequate accommodation; and health insurance covering the family. In addition, you’ll need civil status documents – legalised or apostilled depending on the country – and proof of the family relationship. Most refusals are due to a missing document or poorly documented income: we check every detail before submitting the application.

You should allow several months between submitting the visa application to the embassy and the decision being made. The Immigration Office generally has six months to process the application, a period which may be extended. This period only begins once the application is complete: an incomplete application at the time of initial submission is the most common cause of delay.

It may be. During the first few years, a residence permit granted on the basis of family reunification may be called into question if the couple cease to live together. However, there are certain circumstances in which you may retain it, particularly if you are in work and have your own health insurance. We will analyse your situation and prepare the application to demonstrate that you meet the conditions.

The single permit is the standard procedure for non-European workers: a single application, submitted by the employer, covers both the work permit and the residence permit. The European Blue Card is aimed at highly skilled workers who hold a higher education qualification or have equivalent experience, and whose remuneration exceeds a threshold set annually. It subsequently facilitates mobility to other Member States. We will advise you on the most suitable route based on your profile and the region where you will be working.

The ICT permit enables an international group to bring to Belgium a manager, an expert or a trainee employee who works for a group company based outside the European Union. The worker remains under contract with the parent company during their posting. The duration is limited, in principle, to three years for executives and experts and to one year for trainee employees, and the permit facilitates assignments in other Member States. We prepare the application, the letter of assignment and the evidence of length of service within the group.

No. Employing a foreign national without a valid work or residence permit is one of the most severely penalised offences under the Social Criminal Code, with fines multiplied by the number of workers concerned. Before any recruitment, the employer must check the residence permit and keep a copy of it. We provide you with a realistic timeframe for each region, so that you can organise the start date.

Yes. We assist Luxembourg-based companies recruiting from outside the European Union with work residence permits for employees and the European Blue Card. We also advise companies operating on both sides of the border.