Type-A work permit

General principle of the type-A work permit

The type-A work permit is issued to foreign nationals who can prove they have worked for four years within a maximum period of ten years’ uninterrupted legal stay in Belgium. Those four years’ employment must have been on the basis of a type-B work permit.

In the event of residence in the Brussels-Capital Region, applicants apply directly to the Ministry of the Brussels-Capital Region, enclosing the following documents required for an apply for type-A work permit (.pdf) (43K).

International employment accords

Nationals of states that have signed an international employment accord with Belgium have to prove only three years’ employment (on the basis of a type-B work permit):

• Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, FYR Macedonia, Morocco, Montenegro, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey
• the two new member states of the European Union (Bulgaria and Romania).

Family situation

This minimum three- or four-year qualifying period (during which a type-B work permit is required) can also be reduced by one year if the spouse, registered partner or dependent children of the foreign national are legally staying in the same household.

Invalid periods of work

Years of work performed in the following capacities are not taken into account when deciding eligibility for the type-A work permit, even if the foreign national held a type-B work permit at the time (Royal Decree of 9 June 1999 (FR/NL)):

• Trainees
• Highly qualified staff
• Employees on temporary assignment
• Researchers and guest professors
• Technical experts
• Young au pairs
• Spouse, registered partners and dependent children of a foreign national holding a type-B work permit or registered as self-employed (Art. 9.16)
• Spouse, registered partners and dependent children of a foreign national exempt from the work permit obligation (Art. 9.17).

Years of work on the basis of a work permit issued in Belgium when the foreign national remained under contract at a foreign employer are also not taken into account.

Permission to stay for an unlimited period or permanent residence permit

Foreign nationals with a permanent residence permit for Belgium for an unlimited period are automatically exempt from the work permit obligation (Art. 2.3, Royal Decree of 9 June 1999).