Belgium’s three regions have published the remuneration levels that foreign employees must earn if they want to obtain or renew a Work Permit B, Single Permit or EU Blue Card from 1 January 2026—and the bar is noticeably higher than in 2025.
• Brussels-Capital now requires a gross monthly wage of €3,703.44 for “highly-qualified” profiles (≈ €44,441 per year), €6,647.20 for executive functions and €4,748 for the EU Blue Card.
• Wallonia opted for annual figures: €53,220 for highly-skilled workers, €42,576 for juniors under 30 and €88,790 for executives.
• Flanders is expected to publish its own amounts in the coming days but normally follows the same automatic indexation formula, so HR teams should plan on a similar 6-7 % uplift.
Employers and mobile professionals who’d rather not wrestle with Belgium’s shifting regional rules can lean on VisaHQ’s specialised service (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/). The platform keeps the latest salary thresholds and permit checklists in one place and offers end-to-end filing support, helping companies submit error-free applications and avoid costly rejections.
![Belgium hikes 2026 salary thresholds for Work Permit B and EU Blue Card]()
Why the jump? Belgium automatically indexes salary thresholds to inflation and average wage growth, but officials also want to make the country more attractive for senior talent while discouraging low-wage immigration. Employers must cite the new numbers in contracts filed with permit applications; authorities can—and already do—reject files that still mention 2025 rates.
Practical implications for companies
1. Budget impact: relocating junior assignees will cost more; consider alternative permit categories (e.g., EU ICT permit or Professional Card).
2. Renewals: existing permit holders are grandfathered, yet any renewal lodged after 1 January must meet the 2026 floor.
3. Payroll systems: update gross-to-net models and shadow-payroll instructions; some regions have not yet updated their portals, so practitioners recommend uploading a signed addendum that quotes the 2026 salary to avoid “additional-information” requests.
4. Timing: because the Single-Permit process still takes 3-4 months, employers with Q2 starts should file now, attaching the new salary figures.
For multinational mobility programmes the message is clear: review 2026 assignment budgets immediately, communicate the changes to line managers and talent-acquisition teams, and keep an eye on the imminent Flemish publication to ensure full country-wide compliance.
• Brussels-Capital now requires a gross monthly wage of €3,703.44 for “highly-qualified” profiles (≈ €44,441 per year), €6,647.20 for executive functions and €4,748 for the EU Blue Card.
• Wallonia opted for annual figures: €53,220 for highly-skilled workers, €42,576 for juniors under 30 and €88,790 for executives.
• Flanders is expected to publish its own amounts in the coming days but normally follows the same automatic indexation formula, so HR teams should plan on a similar 6-7 % uplift.
Employers and mobile professionals who’d rather not wrestle with Belgium’s shifting regional rules can lean on VisaHQ’s specialised service (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/). The platform keeps the latest salary thresholds and permit checklists in one place and offers end-to-end filing support, helping companies submit error-free applications and avoid costly rejections.
Why the jump? Belgium automatically indexes salary thresholds to inflation and average wage growth, but officials also want to make the country more attractive for senior talent while discouraging low-wage immigration. Employers must cite the new numbers in contracts filed with permit applications; authorities can—and already do—reject files that still mention 2025 rates.
Practical implications for companies
1. Budget impact: relocating junior assignees will cost more; consider alternative permit categories (e.g., EU ICT permit or Professional Card).
2. Renewals: existing permit holders are grandfathered, yet any renewal lodged after 1 January must meet the 2026 floor.
3. Payroll systems: update gross-to-net models and shadow-payroll instructions; some regions have not yet updated their portals, so practitioners recommend uploading a signed addendum that quotes the 2026 salary to avoid “additional-information” requests.
4. Timing: because the Single-Permit process still takes 3-4 months, employers with Q2 starts should file now, attaching the new salary figures.
For multinational mobility programmes the message is clear: review 2026 assignment budgets immediately, communicate the changes to line managers and talent-acquisition teams, and keep an eye on the imminent Flemish publication to ensure full country-wide compliance.
