The Belgian government has approved an extension to the “Working in Belgium” portal to accelerate hiring foreign workers, aimed at helping businesses struggling with labour shortages find suitable candidates overseas.
The move follows concern by the Belgian government over the discouragement faced by willing workers and potential candidates due to lengthy processing time which shortchanges Belgian businesses.
The platform eases the process foreign employers or their agents go through to post one or more workers to Belgium. Applicants receive a ‘single permit’ permitting them to reside in Belgium for work for more than 90 days.
The single permit is a residence permit granted in connection to employment. With a single permit, non-European citizens, including Nigerians who have received employment offers from Belgian employers are allowed to stay in Belgium for work for more than 90 days.
Successful employees can only start working after receiving all required documents. This means both the application to work and the application to reside in Belgium have to be approved. All documents can be collected at the municipality office in the place of residence.
Employers will still need to submit a Dimona – an electronic declaration system which contains information on any employee entering or exiting the workforce in Belgium, and a Limosa – declaration for posted workers not subject to Belgian social security who come to work in Belgium on a temporary and/or part-time basis.
