For a second consecutive day, industrial action at state-owned postal operator **Bpost** kept two of Brussels’ three distribution centres fully closed, halting the movement of hundreds of thousands of letters and parcels. While the strike is centred on plans to shift working hours to match e-commerce demand, the backlog hits international mobility programmes in an unexpected way: **many residence cards, passport renewals and biometric enrolment kits are dispatched by registered post**. Belgian immigration advisers report delays of up to a week for the delivery of work-permit stickers (Annex 46) and blue-card endorsements that must reach employees before travel.
![Bpost strike blocks parcel depots in Brussels, delaying passport and permit deliveries]()
In the meantime, VisaHQ’s local team can provide a practical workaround: through its online portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) the company arranges embassy pick-ups, expedited appointment scheduling and same-day courier alternatives that bypass the Bpost network, allowing HR managers and travellers to keep residence permits, visas and passport renewals moving despite the strike.
Wallonia has largely cleared blockades and Flanders has remained strike-free, but the Brussels North and Schaerbeek depots handle a disproportionate share of diplomatic mail and courier hand-offs for express operators. Employers waiting for passport return from consular visa services should track files closely and, where timing is critical, switch to in-person collection. Negotiations between unions and management have stalled; no joint talks are scheduled this week, raising the risk that backlogs could extend into early May – coinciding with peak seasonal mobility moves and school-holiday travel.
In the meantime, VisaHQ’s local team can provide a practical workaround: through its online portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) the company arranges embassy pick-ups, expedited appointment scheduling and same-day courier alternatives that bypass the Bpost network, allowing HR managers and travellers to keep residence permits, visas and passport renewals moving despite the strike.
Wallonia has largely cleared blockades and Flanders has remained strike-free, but the Brussels North and Schaerbeek depots handle a disproportionate share of diplomatic mail and courier hand-offs for express operators. Employers waiting for passport return from consular visa services should track files closely and, where timing is critical, switch to in-person collection. Negotiations between unions and management have stalled; no joint talks are scheduled this week, raising the risk that backlogs could extend into early May – coinciding with peak seasonal mobility moves and school-holiday travel.
