Due to Belgium’s membership of the European Union,
foreign nationals from a European Union member state or Iceland,
Monaco, Norway, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, may travel to
Belgium without a visa, and stay for a period of up to 90
days; after this period a temporary residence visa must be
obtained, followed by a permanent residence permit .
A citizen of a European Union Member State is granted a temporary
residence permit valid for (usually) three months, which may
then be renewed. EU nationals must then register with the
Belgian Social Security system to work and stay long-term.
Nationals of non-EU or EEA nations must usually obtain a
visa, but residence permits are not required for stays of
less than three months (although a temporary residence permit
is necessary for those intending to remain in the country
for longer than 90 days). Applications must be presented to
a Belgian embassy or consulate, and the following documents
are required:
Passport;
Police certificate;
Medical certificate from a doctor approved by the embassy;
and
(in the majority of cases) a work permit, or proof of
an application.
Upon arriving in Belgium, the foreign worker must officially
register with the municipal authorities.
An identity card (and registration of the population register)
is likely to be required in all cases, but the timeframe for
this will vary according to your specific circumstances; the
Belgian Consulate in your country of residence should be able
to advise.
Additional documents may be required for self-employed individuals
(if coming from outside the European Economic Area), who must
apply for a professional card (carte professionale/beroepskaart),
and depending on their field of work, may be required to provide
proof of their trade qualifications, among other evidence.
Professional cards must be applied for (whilst still in the
country of origin) at the Belgian consulate in the country
in question, or in writing from the Ministry for the Federal
Public Service Economy, SMEs, the Self-Employed, and Energy.
Those coming from outside of the EU and European Economic
Area and wanting to work in Belgium must obtain a work permit,
of which there are three types:
Type A work permit, which is valid in all sectors, with
all employers and for an unlimited period. These are usually
granted when the worker has been employed in the country
for four years under a ‘B’ permit;
Type B work permit, which is valid for use with a single
employer, and for one year only (and are only granted if
there is no suitable Belgian or EU resident available to
take the position). B permits are renewable, but a new permit
must be sought if the employer changes. This is the standard
type of work permit granted to foreign workers.;
Type C work permit, which is valid for all professions
(but is in practice usually granted to students and agricultural
and domestic workers, and other groups with employment situations
that are likely to change at fairly short notice), and is
granted for a one year period.
I am facing a dilemma and would like to invite any reader to advise me.
I am a Brit who has lived outside UK since 1993- initially in Belgium (5 years) & subsequently in 4 African countries. After a year outside UK, the UK Inland Revenue confirmed my status as ‘non-resident’ for tax purposes and as I have had no income in UK, I have not completed a UK tax return for many years. I visit UK very rarely, normally for one or two weeks per year.
In May 2011, I was made redundent by my employers, who were downsizing. This coincided with a move to retire in the Netherlands, where I now have official residency (my wife is Dutch). I thought that, at 63 years of age, I would be unlikely to find suitable employment; in fact, I have not tried hard and had resigned myself to permanent (but slightly premature) retirement.
However, to my surprise, I have recently been approached (through a mutual acquaintance) by a company that wishes to use my skills on a project in the Isle of Man. The role, if & when confirmed, would see me working for about 10 days a month in Isle of Man, with about 5-7 additional days per month, working from home. Contract will be for about two years. The firm has asked me to confirm if I would prefer to be paid (and therefore be taxed) in Netherlands or Isle of Man, the idea being that I create a self-employment entity for this employment. I have no data on which to base a response. Given Isle of Man's traditional ‘low tax ‘environment, are there any benefits to declaring an income in IOM? Are there any Isle of Man residency implications? Netherlands takes a tax cut on total world wide income, and, as I have never had any contact with the Dutch authorities, I am reluctant to start such a relationship now. Do I have to declare income in both countries, with a breakdown prorata to the time spent in each jurisdiction? Should I declare income to UK Inland revenue?
If anyone has pertinent advice on these points, I’d be grateful to hear them.
Hi, I live in South Africa, and along with 2 business partners (one in South Africa and one in Ireland - all South African citizens though) are setting up a company that designs Smart phone applications. As they will be sold on the various platforms (none of which operate out of South Africa)we have to list our company as operating out of Ireland anyway. As such, we have decided to set up our company in the best tax country and are wanting info on whether Jersey or Malta is best? If anyone has some inside info we would really appreciate it!! Thanks!Mary
Just wondering if anyone 'on the ground', as it were, might be reading and able to help me...I was considering relocating my hairdressing business from the UK to Ireland before the economy started to go properly belly-up...now, not so much.
Are things as bad as they seem over there, or is it being over-hyped by the media? And is the government still keen to support small business people? Cos if not, I'll look elsewhere...
I am moving full time to France in Jan 2012 where I will be working as a freelance contract engineer to a number of Australian based companies. It is my choice to move to France not a work requirement. I will be renting my house out in Austrlalia and renting a house while I am in France. I hold both EU & Austrlain citizenshiip. I am married with 2 young children. Approx total family income $100k AUD. Do I pay tax in France or Australia or both ? Any help or guidance would be much appreciated.France move
Cyprus
Full Guide
Previous 
Next 
