Middle East conflict forces wave of flight cancellations at Brussels Airport
Belgian Foreign Ministry issues urgent advisory after Middle East airspace closure
Belgium keeps national threat level at ‘serious’ amid escalating Middle East tensions
Latest News
Brussels convenes emergency Security Council to gauge Iran conflict fallout for the capital
Reacting to the Iran crisis, Brussels’ Minister-President called an emergency Regional Security Council meeting for 4 March to examine how a broader conflict could affect the capital’s airports, rail hubs and international institutions. The review will shape security deployments and provide guidance to companies and travellers in Europe’s most international city.
EU moves to fund reskilling for 507 displaced Liberty Steel workers in Belgium
On 2 March the European Commission proposed €2 million in EGF aid to help 507 ex-Liberty Steel employees in Belgium retrain and potentially relocate for new jobs. The money will finance counselling, up-skilling and start-up support, and can cover allowances for workers who accept positions in other EU states—an example of EU policy linking reskilling with labour mobility.
Regions publish 2026 minimum-salary thresholds for Belgian work and single permits
From 1 March 2026 Wallonia, Brussels and Flanders are applying new (or, in Brussels’ case, temporarily unchanged) salary thresholds that employers must meet when sponsoring foreign nationals for Belgian work permits, Single Permits and EU Blue Cards. Failure to meet the indexed amounts will lead to application refusals and possible sanctions, so mobility teams need to update compensation packages and policy guidance immediately.
New high-speed rail link will connect Brussels Airport with Cologne from September 2026
Announced on 1 March 2026, Deutsche Bahn and Brussels Airlines will launch a high-speed train linking Brussels Airport and Cologne from September 2026. The rail-air codeshare will allow through-ticketing, mileage earning and protected connections, giving business travellers a low-carbon, time-efficient route to a major German economic hub. Companies with sustainability targets are expected to favour the service over short-haul flights or car journeys.
Belgium doubles VAT on hotel and campsite stays from 1 March 2026
Belgium has raised the VAT rate on hotel, B&B and campsite stays from 6 % to 12 % with effect from 1 March 2026. The increase will push up accommodation costs for the millions of business travellers and conference delegates who visit Belgium each year, prompting companies to adjust budgets and VAT-recovery processes. Hoteliers warn the hike could dent the country’s competitiveness in the regional meetings-and-events market.
Belgium caps unemployment benefits at 24 months from 1 March 2026, impacting resident expats
Belgium has implemented sweeping unemployment-benefit reforms effective 1 March 2026, limiting payments to a maximum of 24 months and phasing out older entitlements. The change reduces the social-security safety net for resident expatriates and may affect their ability to maintain residence status if they become long-term unemployed. Employers and mobility managers must review redundancy and immigration-support policies accordingly.