Belgium hosts more than 93,000 Ukrainians under the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive (TPD), but a Brussels Times investigation published on 12 November highlights the legal labyrinth they face once the scheme expires in March 2027. While the Council of the EU issued recommendations in September on how member states can help beneficiaries transition to regular status, Belgian law offers no automatic pathway to permanent residence.
Immigration lawyers interviewed warn that years spent under temporary protection do not count towards the five-year residence required for long-term stay permits or citizenship. Once the TPD lapses, Ukrainians will have to secure a job, enrol in higher education or qualify via family reunification—processes that involve regional salary thresholds and labour-market tests.
![Uncertain future for 93,000 Ukrainians as Belgium prepares to phase out Temporary Protection]()
The article also underscores administrative bottlenecks: single-permit applications currently take up to six months in Wallonia and Brussels. For employers, this means that highly skilled Ukrainians already on Belgian payrolls may need sponsorship well ahead of 2027 to avoid gaps in legal stay.
NGOs have urged the federal government to create a ‘bridging status’ that would allow TPD holders with work history or studies in Belgium to count those years toward long-term residence—a proposal so far met with political caution. Interior Minister Bernard Quintin told reporters the government is “examining options,” but no draft legislation has been tabled.
Mobility teams should map out affected employees and start dossier preparation early—especially for family reunification, where new income-threshold rules require sponsors to earn at least €5,000 gross per month for fast-track visas. Employers may also explore the EU Blue Card route, which exempts holders from the recently introduced income requirement for fast-track family visas.
Immigration lawyers interviewed warn that years spent under temporary protection do not count towards the five-year residence required for long-term stay permits or citizenship. Once the TPD lapses, Ukrainians will have to secure a job, enrol in higher education or qualify via family reunification—processes that involve regional salary thresholds and labour-market tests.
The article also underscores administrative bottlenecks: single-permit applications currently take up to six months in Wallonia and Brussels. For employers, this means that highly skilled Ukrainians already on Belgian payrolls may need sponsorship well ahead of 2027 to avoid gaps in legal stay.
NGOs have urged the federal government to create a ‘bridging status’ that would allow TPD holders with work history or studies in Belgium to count those years toward long-term residence—a proposal so far met with political caution. Interior Minister Bernard Quintin told reporters the government is “examining options,” but no draft legislation has been tabled.
Mobility teams should map out affected employees and start dossier preparation early—especially for family reunification, where new income-threshold rules require sponsors to earn at least €5,000 gross per month for fast-track visas. Employers may also explore the EU Blue Card route, which exempts holders from the recently introduced income requirement for fast-track family visas.
