Freelancer Visa In Belgium: The Ultimate Guide

Belgium isn’t just about divine chocolates and robust beers; it’s also a haven for freelancers dreaming of a European base. Want to settle as a Freelancer in Belgium? Worry not! We’ve got your back!

If you’re ready to swap your office for a view of the Grand Place, the Belgian Freelancer Visa is your golden ticket. In this article, we’ll unwrap the steps like a fine Belgian praline, revealing the sweet path to your freelance aspirations.

Let’s dive in!

Understanding Freelancer Belgium Visa

Individuals wishing to set up a company in Belgium can benefit largely from the Belgian Freelancer Visa. This will provide them the opportunity to work as independent professionals and contribute to the Belgian economy while earning good sums of money.

You can continue to engage in a variety of independent activities, such as freelance work, consulting services, entrepreneurship, and more with this visa.

The Belgium Freelancer Visa is also known as a Professional Card.

What Is A Professional Card?

You have the right to perform your own work as a foreign national in Belgium, by way of a Professional Card.

The professional card is not needed to be applied for by EU citizens from Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, or Switzerland.

Additional exemptions:

Partners and family members of persons who hold Belgian nationality or EU citizenship at a single address in Belgium.
Some of the people with special residence permits and some of the refugees.
International artists, journalists, sportspersons, and students.
Business trips.
Partners who assist or substitute their husbands and wives.

However, it is needed to be kept in mind that there is a difference between a work permit and a professional card. A work permit is issued to salaried workers and a professional card is issued to workers who wish to engage in their own business.

Required Documents For Belgium Freelancer Visa

You will need to submit a complete set of documents including your valid passport with at least 6 months validity, when applying for the Belgian Freelancer Visa.

Recent passport-sized photographs.
The visa application form has been filled in.
Your proposed business plan shall include a description of the undertaking.
Financial statements and bank statements.
Professional qualifications and certificates.
You must provide evidence of relevant work experience.
Evidence that during your first time in Belgium, you had sufficient resources to be able to provide for yourself.
Criminal record certificate.
Health insurance coverage.

Financial Requirements And Business Plan

Your Belgian self-employed/freelancer visa application shall include a business plan as an essential element. It should set out your business model, market analysis, marketing strategy, financing projections, and more.

Furthermore, in order to be able to support yourself and your business at the start of each phase you need to show adequate financial means.

How To Apply For A Belgian Visa?

You must comply with these steps if you want to end the application procedure and get a short-term residence visa for Belgium.

Find out where you are required to obtain a Belgian visa.
The Schengen visa type for Belgium should be selected. Choose the type of visa that you want to apply for, based on your purpose of travelling to Belgium.
In order to apply for a Belgian visa, you must obtain the necessary documents.
Verify that you have collected the required documents to apply for a Belgium visa type, which will meet the criteria laid down by the Belgian Embassy Consulate in your country of residence.
Visit the Belgian Embassy in your country of residence for a visa appointment or call Belgium’s accredited visa application centre.
Register for a visa interview at the appropriate Belgian Embassy Consulate, VAC.

Where To Apply?

You must apply for a short-stay visa to Belgium in one of the following ways depending on how the Belgian authorities have regulated your country of residence with regard to issuing and processing visas.

A Belgian Embassy in your country of residence.
One of the consulates in Belgium.
The Embassy / Consulate of another Schengen country to which Belgium has outsourced visa submission.
A Visa Application Center to which Belgium has outsourced visa submission.

Who Can Apply?

You can apply at the Belgian Embassy in your country of residence if Belgium is the only country in the Schengen area that you intend to visit.

By contrast, if you intend to visit Belgium or another Schengen State and are applying for a VAC in your country of residence, you should submit an application there at the Embassy of Belgium.

In Belgium, you’ll spend more days than in the rest of the world.
You’ll be spending the same number of days in each country but will go to the Schengen area via Belgium.

Please remember that you must be a citizen of the country where your application is made if you wish to qualify for a Belgium Short Stay Visa.

A foreign national who has been issued a temporary residence permit in the country from which you are applying.
A short-stay Belgian visa may not be applied for from a country in which you are currently issued with a visa.

How Long Does It Take To Get The Visa?

Normally the time taken to process a Belgian Schengen visa may be up to 15 days.

In some cases, due to a large number of applications received by the Belgium Embassy or your particular situation, this period may be extended up to 30 days.
In exceptional cases, in particular when the Belgian Embassy needs to consult the embassy of one or more Schengen members, for up to 60 days.

How Much Does It Cost To Get The Visa?

Visa for adult travellers	80 euros
Visa for children (6 – 12 years)	40 euros
Visa for children (under 6 years)	Free

However, you may be exempted from paying the Belgian visa fee, or at least you may have to pay a reduced fee, depending on the applicant’s age, nationality, and other factors.

Application Process For Freelancer Visa

The following steps shall be taken during the application process for a Belgium Self Employed Visa:

Consulting and drawing up your business ideas and plans.
Compile the necessary documents.
Please apply for a visa in your home country at the Embassy or Consulate of Belgium.
You must pay the applicable visa fee.
If necessary, attend the interview for a visa.
Provide you with biometric data, including fingerprints and photographs. Wait until your visa application is decided.

Interview, Biometrics, Tax And Security Obligations

You may have to undergo a visa interview at the embassy or consulate in some cases. In the course of the interview, the consular officer may ask you questions concerning your business plan, financial resources, and intentions in Belgium.

Biometric data may also be required in the visa application process.

You will have some taxes and social security liabilities when you become a self-employed person in Belgium. These obligations to respect Belgium’s legislation need to be understood and complied with. In order to ensure correct compliance and optimal tax positions, seek professional advice.

Conclusion

And there you have it: your personal roadmap to securing a Belgian Freelancer Visa, as detailed and intricate as a Flemish tapestry.

With this visa, not only can you indulge in the country’s rich history and culture, but you can also craft a professional life as unique as your own skillset. So, go ahead, turn those dreams into reality and let Belgium be the charming backdrop to your freelance story.

Freelance Flourish!

But wait! There’s lot more that you might be interested in following: