The Federal Immigration Office has confirmed that, from 1 May 2026, every short-term work-permit application must be backed by a notarised digital mandate filed through Belgium’s online “Working in Belgium” portal. The change covers 90-day ‘B-work permits’ used for technical interventions, training visits and other short assignments by non-EU nationals. Until now employers could attach a simple PDF power of attorney to an e-mail submission. Under the new rules they must first register on the portal, upload corporate proof of signatory authority (articles of association, commercial register extract or board resolution) and then sign a structured electronic mandate with a qualified e-ID or Itsme token. Applications lacking the e-mandate will be rejected as “administratively inadmissible”. The Immigration Office says the reform will cut processing times by eliminating incomplete files and enable real-time status tracking.
![Digital Mandate to Become Mandatory for Short-Term Belgian Work Permits]()
For companies unsure how to navigate these new formalities, VisaHQ’s specialists can step in to register entities on the portal, secure qualified e-signatures and upload compliant e-mandates on their behalf. Full details of our Belgium support services are available at https://www.visahq.com/belgium/
Yet mobility teams face a steep learning curve: each Belgian legal entity that sponsors foreign staff must create its own account, obtain qualified e-signatures for senior managers and re-authorise external service providers. Wallonia will grant a three-month grace period, but Flanders and Brussels will enforce the mandate immediately. Practical implications include earlier document gathering, new internal sign-off workflows and potential bottlenecks when dispatching engineers for urgent repairs. Global employers are advised to audit mandate readiness across Belgian subsidiaries, brief external vendors and schedule test filings before the 1 May go-live date. Failure to adapt could mean costly project delays and stranded travellers.
For companies unsure how to navigate these new formalities, VisaHQ’s specialists can step in to register entities on the portal, secure qualified e-signatures and upload compliant e-mandates on their behalf. Full details of our Belgium support services are available at https://www.visahq.com/belgium/
Yet mobility teams face a steep learning curve: each Belgian legal entity that sponsors foreign staff must create its own account, obtain qualified e-signatures for senior managers and re-authorise external service providers. Wallonia will grant a three-month grace period, but Flanders and Brussels will enforce the mandate immediately. Practical implications include earlier document gathering, new internal sign-off workflows and potential bottlenecks when dispatching engineers for urgent repairs. Global employers are advised to audit mandate readiness across Belgian subsidiaries, brief external vendors and schedule test filings before the 1 May go-live date. Failure to adapt could mean costly project delays and stranded travellers.
