Belgium

Professional Card for Entrepreneur

Belgium's Professional Card (Carte Professionnelle / Beroepskaart) is the official authorization allowing non-EU/EEA nationals to carry out self-employed professional activities in Belgium, including founding and operating a business, working as a freelancer, or serving as a managing director or company partner. Since the 2015 state reform, the three Belgian regions — Brussels-Capital, Wallonia, and Flanders — each administer their own procedures, though the federal Immigration Office (IBZ) handles the subsequent D-visa and residence permit. The professional card is personal and non-transferable and serves as the gateway document: once approved by the relevant regional authority, the applicant may obtain a Type D long-stay visa and then a residence permit (A-card) upon registration with the local municipality.

• Non-EU/EEA/Swiss national wishing to engage in self-employed activity in Belgium
• Business plan demonstrating economic, innovative, social, cultural, or artistic added value to the region
• Flanders uses a formal category system:
  • Economic added value: minimum initial capital of €22,838 (effective 1 January 2026), stable annual income of at least €25,575 (120% of income support level, indexed February 2025), and a minimum secondary education diploma (qualification level 4)
  • Innovative added value: no capital requirement; must demonstrate genuine innovation
  • Sporting/cultural/artistic added value: for relevant professionals in those fields
• Brussels-Capital: business plan assessed for contribution to regional prosperity; no fixed capital or income threshold
• Wallonia: business plan evaluated for economic usefulness including job creation, exports, and innovation; financial projections and documentation required
• Clean criminal record from country of origin or last residence (not older than 6 months)
• No threat to Belgian public order or national security

• Completed professional card application form (signed and dated)
• Business plan (max 20 pages in Brussels; comprehensive with financial projections and market analysis in all regions)
• Criminal record extract or certificate of good conduct (less than 6 months old)
• Proof of financial resources and/or initial capital
• CV and diplomas (minimum secondary education diploma for Flanders economic category)
• Proof of any sector-specific licenses or authorizations
• Identity card or passport copy
• Two passport-size photographs
• D-visa application (via VisaOnWeb), valid passport (less than 10 years old, at least 2 blank pages)
• Medical certificate (less than 6 months old, issued by an embassy-approved doctor)
• Proof of contribution fee payment (€242 D-visa contribution fee; €140 professional card application fee; €90 per year of card validity for the issuance fee)

The professional card is initially granted for a probationary period of up to 2 years (up to 3 years in Flanders for the innovative added value category), with a maximum validity of 5 years. The A-card residence permit is tied to the card's validity period. Renewal applications must be submitted 2–3 months before expiry (2 months in Brussels, 3 months in Wallonia and Flanders). Renewal requires demonstrating continued regulatory compliance, fiscal and social obligation fulfilment, and ongoing economic viability, supported by 2 years of tax declarations, certified balance sheets, and social security attestations. After 5 years of continuous legal residence, holders may apply for EU long-term resident status.

Spouse or registered/cohabiting partner and dependent children may apply for family reunification once the primary applicant holds a Belgian residence permit valid for more than 3 months. The sponsor must demonstrate stable income of at least 120% of the social integration income, adequate accommodation, and sickness insurance for the family. Family members receive their own residence permit. Spouses may work in Belgium without a separate work permit.

Belgian residents are subject to progressive personal income tax (25%–50%) on worldwide income. Self-employed professionals must register for VAT if annual turnover exceeds €25,000. Mandatory quarterly social security contributions are payable to an approved self-employed social insurance fund, covering pensions, healthcare, family benefits, and disability insurance.

The process has two main tracks:

From abroad: Submit the professional card application and D-visa application simultaneously at the Belgian embassy or consulate in your country of legal residence. The consulate forwards the professional card dossier to the competent regional authority based on where the business will operate. The regional authority assesses: (1) right of residence, (2) regulatory compliance, and (3) economic/innovative added value. Processing takes approximately 3 months in Brussels-Capital, up to 120 days in Flanders, and with no fixed deadline in Wallonia. Upon approval, the embassy issues the D-visa.

Already in Belgium: Applicants with a valid Belgian residence document apply directly to an accredited enterprise counter (guichet d'entreprise / ondernemingsloket). In Flanders, digital applications via the WSE online service counter are mandatory since 1 February 2022.

Upon arrival in Belgium, holders must register at the municipal administration (commune/gemeente) within 8 working days. After residence verification, the municipality issues the A-card. Holders must then: collect the professional card from an accredited enterprise counter; register with the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (BCE/KBO); register for VAT (if applicable); and affiliate with a self-employed social insurance fund.

Note: a refused applicant must generally wait 2 years before reapplying, unless new evidence is available or the refusal was procedural.

Links

• https://dofi.ibz.be/en/themes/ressortissants-dun-pays-tiers/travail/professional-card
• https://economie-emploi.brussels/carte-professionnelle
• https://www.vlaanderen.be/en/working-enterprise-and-investment/working/professional-card-for-foreign-entrepreneurs/categories-conditions-and-documents-required-for-the-application-of-your-first-professional-card
• https://emploi.wallonie.be/home/travailleurs-etrangers/carte-professionnelle.html

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