Belgium is facing another day of industrial unrest as public-sector unions stage a 24-hour strike across Brussels and Wallonia on Monday, 15 December 2025. Demonstrators gathered on Place du Luxembourg at 10:00 before marching through the EU quarter to protest austerity measures in the 2026 budget of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, which funds French-language schools, nurseries and cultural programmes.
Although the action is confined to the French-speaking community, mobility managers should expect knock-on effects for international assignees and business travellers. Schools, child-care facilities and many municipal offices are closed, forcing expatriate families to make last-minute care arrangements. Consular services are working with reduced staff, raising the prospect of appointment cancellations for visa issuances, residence-permit renewals and emergency passports. While Brussels public-transport operator STIB confirmed it is not joining the strike, road traffic around the European Parliament and Rue du Congrès is heavily congested and several streets have been temporally closed by police to secure the march route.
![General strike hits Brussels & Wallonia, disrupting travel and public services]()
If an urgent visa, passport or residence-permit application risks being derailed by today’s industrial action, VisaHQ can help keep plans on track. Through its digital portal for Belgium (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/), the service lets users complete forms online, arrange courier collection and receive real-time status alerts, often avoiding the need to visit an understaffed consulate in person. Its advisers can also suggest alternative consulates or fast-track options when local offices are hampered by strikes.
Employers with inbound travellers today are advised to alert employees to possible delays between the airport or rail stations and downtown offices, and to allow extra time for security queues should airport-police unions decide to stage secondary actions. Companies with relocation moves scheduled this week should review back-up plans for moving companies and temporary-housing check-ins, as some municipal registration desks may remain understaffed on Tuesday while work backlogs are cleared.
The unions warn that further actions are likely in January if the regional government does not reverse planned cuts to early-childhood education and youth-support services. Mobility teams should therefore prepare for intermittent strikes as Belgium heads into its 2026 budget debate season.
Although the action is confined to the French-speaking community, mobility managers should expect knock-on effects for international assignees and business travellers. Schools, child-care facilities and many municipal offices are closed, forcing expatriate families to make last-minute care arrangements. Consular services are working with reduced staff, raising the prospect of appointment cancellations for visa issuances, residence-permit renewals and emergency passports. While Brussels public-transport operator STIB confirmed it is not joining the strike, road traffic around the European Parliament and Rue du Congrès is heavily congested and several streets have been temporally closed by police to secure the march route.
If an urgent visa, passport or residence-permit application risks being derailed by today’s industrial action, VisaHQ can help keep plans on track. Through its digital portal for Belgium (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/), the service lets users complete forms online, arrange courier collection and receive real-time status alerts, often avoiding the need to visit an understaffed consulate in person. Its advisers can also suggest alternative consulates or fast-track options when local offices are hampered by strikes.
Employers with inbound travellers today are advised to alert employees to possible delays between the airport or rail stations and downtown offices, and to allow extra time for security queues should airport-police unions decide to stage secondary actions. Companies with relocation moves scheduled this week should review back-up plans for moving companies and temporary-housing check-ins, as some municipal registration desks may remain understaffed on Tuesday while work backlogs are cleared.
The unions warn that further actions are likely in January if the regional government does not reverse planned cuts to early-childhood education and youth-support services. Mobility teams should therefore prepare for intermittent strikes as Belgium heads into its 2026 budget debate season.
