From 4 May 2026, every application for a Belgian work authorisation—whether for a short-term B work permit, a single permit or an intra-corporate transfer—must be filed exclusively through the federal “Working in Belgium” one-stop portal. Paper PDF forms and email submissions have been switched off by order of the three regional labour ministries, and Brussels Economy & Employment has confirmed it will reject any files that arrive by other means. The step completes a five-year digitalisation drive that began with Flanders’ pilot in 2021 and was gradually expanded to the Walloon and Brussels Regions. Employers now authenticate with their Belgian e-ID or itsme® account, upload corporate supporting documents, and can track real-time status updates.
![Belgium makes online portal mandatory for all work-authorisation applications]()
For additional support, VisaHQ’s Belgium desk can walk HR teams through the new portal, pre-check electronic documentation and, where needed, serve as the local mandate holder completing the e-ID authentication. Details are at https://www.visahq.com/belgium/ where you’ll also find a full menu of visa and work-authorisation solutions.
Average processing times have already fallen from 10 weeks to just under six for highly-skilled permits, according to preliminary ministry data. For global mobility managers the change eliminates courier costs and lost-in-transit files, but it also forces a rethink of internal workflows. HR teams must ensure that power-of-attorney forms and draft contracts are ready in electronic format before the portal session begins (the system times out after 30 minutes of inactivity). Multi-factor authentication can only be completed by a Belgian legal representative, so overseas headquarters may need to grant local colleagues additional mandate rights. Practical tips: build in extra lead time while the platform experiences a surge of first-time users; encourage assignees to set up their e-Box digital mail account because work permit decisions are now delivered only electronically; and remind hiring managers that any amendments after submission require a brand-new file. Longer term, officials say the portal will integrate directly with the Immigration Office’s residence-permit module, creating a seamless “apply-once” process that could cut overall assignment lead-times by a further 30 %.
For additional support, VisaHQ’s Belgium desk can walk HR teams through the new portal, pre-check electronic documentation and, where needed, serve as the local mandate holder completing the e-ID authentication. Details are at https://www.visahq.com/belgium/ where you’ll also find a full menu of visa and work-authorisation solutions.
Average processing times have already fallen from 10 weeks to just under six for highly-skilled permits, according to preliminary ministry data. For global mobility managers the change eliminates courier costs and lost-in-transit files, but it also forces a rethink of internal workflows. HR teams must ensure that power-of-attorney forms and draft contracts are ready in electronic format before the portal session begins (the system times out after 30 minutes of inactivity). Multi-factor authentication can only be completed by a Belgian legal representative, so overseas headquarters may need to grant local colleagues additional mandate rights. Practical tips: build in extra lead time while the platform experiences a surge of first-time users; encourage assignees to set up their e-Box digital mail account because work permit decisions are now delivered only electronically; and remind hiring managers that any amendments after submission require a brand-new file. Longer term, officials say the portal will integrate directly with the Immigration Office’s residence-permit module, creating a seamless “apply-once” process that could cut overall assignment lead-times by a further 30 %.
