The Walloon Public Service (SPW) quietly updated its official guidance on how non-EU nationals can obtain authorisation to work in Wallonia on 29 October 2025, streamlining several procedural steps and clarifying document templates that employers must use.
Key changes include explicit permission for applicants already legally resident in Belgium (for example on a student visa) to file for a work permit in-country, and a new checklist of exemptions that now mirrors Brussels and Flanders, reducing regional fragmentation. The portal also confirms that once a long-stay “single permit” is approved, foreign staff can collect their residence card directly from the local commune, while employers retrieve Type B permits (≤90 days) on the worker’s behalf.
The update matters for mobility managers finalising 2026 talent-deployment plans: Wallonia remains attractive for life-sciences and logistics firms clustered around Liège Airport, but compliance errors can delay start dates by months. The revised site consolidates all legal references (1999, 2018 and new 2024 work-permit laws) and embeds links to salary-scale tables so HR teams can verify remuneration thresholds in real time.
Employers are reminded that, unless exempt, candidates must stay outside Belgium while the permit is processed—a point often overlooked in fast-track assignments. Failure to follow the new templates may lead to inadmissible files and restart the eight-to-twelve-week clock.
Practically, companies should download the updated forms immediately, audit any pipelines using outdated checklists, and brief recruiters on the possibility for in-country switching, which could shorten lead times for graduates already on the Belgian labour market.
Key changes include explicit permission for applicants already legally resident in Belgium (for example on a student visa) to file for a work permit in-country, and a new checklist of exemptions that now mirrors Brussels and Flanders, reducing regional fragmentation. The portal also confirms that once a long-stay “single permit” is approved, foreign staff can collect their residence card directly from the local commune, while employers retrieve Type B permits (≤90 days) on the worker’s behalf.
The update matters for mobility managers finalising 2026 talent-deployment plans: Wallonia remains attractive for life-sciences and logistics firms clustered around Liège Airport, but compliance errors can delay start dates by months. The revised site consolidates all legal references (1999, 2018 and new 2024 work-permit laws) and embeds links to salary-scale tables so HR teams can verify remuneration thresholds in real time.
Employers are reminded that, unless exempt, candidates must stay outside Belgium while the permit is processed—a point often overlooked in fast-track assignments. Failure to follow the new templates may lead to inadmissible files and restart the eight-to-twelve-week clock.
Practically, companies should download the updated forms immediately, audit any pipelines using outdated checklists, and brief recruiters on the possibility for in-country switching, which could shorten lead times for graduates already on the Belgian labour market.
