Belgium’s Immigration Office (Office des Étrangers / Dienst Vreemdelingenzaken) rang in the new year by quietly increasing the mandatory “contribution fees” that accompany almost every long-stay (D-visa) or status-change application filed in the country. The change, published late on 31 December 2025 and effective 1 January 2026, indexes the fees to last year’s consumer-price inflation: most tariffs rise by €4-€11 per file.
For corporates, the headline figure is the new €377 contribution for highly-skilled employees, EU ICT permit holders and Blue-Card conversions—up from €368. Family-reunification dossiers now cost €251, while certain humanitarian and study categories see proportional increases. Although the absolute amounts remain modest, global-mobility teams typically submit dozens of applications in bulk each January to synchronise assignment start-dates; the cumulative budget impact—and the risk of applications being declared inadmissible for under-payment—can therefore be significant.
From a compliance perspective, proof of payment must be uploaded before Belgium’s Single-Permit portal will accept a file. Employers that wired 2025-level amounts before midnight on 31 December are safe, but any resubmissions or new cases must meet the 2026 index. Immigration advisers are urging companies to double-check wire-transfer templates, purchase-order references and guarantees, noting that back-end banking holidays can delay SEPA confirmations.
![Belgium Indexes Immigration ‘Contribution Fees’ for All Residence Applications]()
Companies looking for an extra layer of assurance can outsource the payment and filing logistics to VisaHQ, whose Belgium desk (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) monitors fee updates in real time, fronts government charges in euros, and uploads the SEPA confirmations directly into the Single-Permit portal. This turnkey service spares HR teams the banking back-and-forth and minimises the risk of a file being bounced for insufficient payment.
Longer term, the fee hike underscores a gradual upward drift in Belgium’s immigration costs despite digitalisation of the Single-Permit process. Multinationals may wish to file early in December 2026 to avoid next year’s automatic uplift, or explore cost-sharing models with assignees. Some are already turning to third-party platforms that pre-fund the contribution and provide real-time receipt uploads, reducing the chance of rejected files and start-date delays.
For mobility managers, the immediate action items are simple: update budget templates, amend employee communication packs, and audit any “work in progress” files sitting in draft mode on the portal. Getting the numbers right today can prevent an expensive restart tomorrow.
For corporates, the headline figure is the new €377 contribution for highly-skilled employees, EU ICT permit holders and Blue-Card conversions—up from €368. Family-reunification dossiers now cost €251, while certain humanitarian and study categories see proportional increases. Although the absolute amounts remain modest, global-mobility teams typically submit dozens of applications in bulk each January to synchronise assignment start-dates; the cumulative budget impact—and the risk of applications being declared inadmissible for under-payment—can therefore be significant.
From a compliance perspective, proof of payment must be uploaded before Belgium’s Single-Permit portal will accept a file. Employers that wired 2025-level amounts before midnight on 31 December are safe, but any resubmissions or new cases must meet the 2026 index. Immigration advisers are urging companies to double-check wire-transfer templates, purchase-order references and guarantees, noting that back-end banking holidays can delay SEPA confirmations.
Companies looking for an extra layer of assurance can outsource the payment and filing logistics to VisaHQ, whose Belgium desk (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) monitors fee updates in real time, fronts government charges in euros, and uploads the SEPA confirmations directly into the Single-Permit portal. This turnkey service spares HR teams the banking back-and-forth and minimises the risk of a file being bounced for insufficient payment.
Longer term, the fee hike underscores a gradual upward drift in Belgium’s immigration costs despite digitalisation of the Single-Permit process. Multinationals may wish to file early in December 2026 to avoid next year’s automatic uplift, or explore cost-sharing models with assignees. Some are already turning to third-party platforms that pre-fund the contribution and provide real-time receipt uploads, reducing the chance of rejected files and start-date delays.
For mobility managers, the immediate action items are simple: update budget templates, amend employee communication packs, and audit any “work in progress” files sitting in draft mode on the portal. Getting the numbers right today can prevent an expensive restart tomorrow.
