The Flemish Government has confirmed sweeping changes to its ‘bottleneck’ or shortage-occupation list, the cornerstone of Belgium’s accelerated economic-migration procedure. From 1 January 2026 the list will shrink by more than a third: everyday roles such as bus and truck drivers, bakers and butchers disappear, while niche trades such as diamond cutters and asbestos-removal technicians are added. Employers that still wish to recruit non-EU nationals for deleted jobs must now prove at least nine weeks of fruitless advertising across Belgium and the wider EU before submitting a single-permit application.
Employment Minister Zuhal Demir (N-VA) says the reform “refocuses economic migration on genuine skills gaps” and combats what she calls an over-reliance on low-wage third-country labour. Industry groups are split: the Flemish Transport & Logistics Association warns the move will worsen an acute driver shortage and hit supply-chain resilience, while Antwerp’s diamond sector welcomes the new specialised categories.
![Flanders slashes shortage-occupation list, tightening work-permit fast track from 1 January]()
For companies that suddenly need expert assistance with the new rules, VisaHQ can bridge the gap. Through its Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) the provider supplies current checklists, timeline forecasts and application tracking tools for single permits and other Belgian visa types, helping HR teams keep cross-border assignments on schedule despite the tighter labour-market controls.
For multinational HR teams the impact is largely procedural but time-critical. Work-permit renewals filed after 31 December will be assessed under the tougher criteria, extending processing times by four to six weeks. Immigration lawyers urge companies to submit renewal dossiers immediately and to document domestic-recruitment efforts for new hires in 2026.
Practically, global-mobility managers should update Belgian project timelines, alert hiring managers to the longer lead times and ensure salary budgets remain compliant with the single-permit wage thresholds. Firms dependent on rotational drivers or food-production staff may need to hedge with temporary agency labour or intra-EU postings while the domestic talent pipeline stabilises.
Employment Minister Zuhal Demir (N-VA) says the reform “refocuses economic migration on genuine skills gaps” and combats what she calls an over-reliance on low-wage third-country labour. Industry groups are split: the Flemish Transport & Logistics Association warns the move will worsen an acute driver shortage and hit supply-chain resilience, while Antwerp’s diamond sector welcomes the new specialised categories.
For companies that suddenly need expert assistance with the new rules, VisaHQ can bridge the gap. Through its Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) the provider supplies current checklists, timeline forecasts and application tracking tools for single permits and other Belgian visa types, helping HR teams keep cross-border assignments on schedule despite the tighter labour-market controls.
For multinational HR teams the impact is largely procedural but time-critical. Work-permit renewals filed after 31 December will be assessed under the tougher criteria, extending processing times by four to six weeks. Immigration lawyers urge companies to submit renewal dossiers immediately and to document domestic-recruitment efforts for new hires in 2026.
Practically, global-mobility managers should update Belgian project timelines, alert hiring managers to the longer lead times and ensure salary budgets remain compliant with the single-permit wage thresholds. Firms dependent on rotational drivers or food-production staff may need to hedge with temporary agency labour or intra-EU postings while the domestic talent pipeline stabilises.
