Any foreign national who wishes to take up employment in Belgium as an employee must carry a valid work permit issued by the Belgian immigration authority. Such work permit renders you the right of residence in Belgium.
The Belgian legislation on employment of foreign nationals provides for a broad range of work permit types that apply to different kinds of employment in Belgium. The most common type is Type-B work permit for (i) highly qualified foreign employees and (ii) managerial staff respectively.
To qualify for Type-B work permit, the following criteria must be fulfilled:
Highly qualified foreign employees: the applicant must hold at least a bachelor degree, and must receive an annual gross taxable salary of EUR 40,972 or above (amount for 2018); or
Managerial staff: the applicant must perform a managerial function (such as manager, director, etc.), and must receive an annual gross taxable salary of EUR 68,356 or above (amount 2018); and
- The foreign national should either be hired as an employee of a Belgian employer, or on the basis of an assignment to Belgium on behalf of a foreign company.
After 5 years of legal and continuous residence in Belgium, the foreign national will be entitled to permanent residency and subject to satisfying other legal and procedural requirements, he/she may also apply for the Belgian citizenship.