Belgium has taken another stride towards fully-digital immigration administration. A newly-published notice confirms that, as of 1 May 2026, employers must lodge every application for a short-term Work Permit B and for so-called "commuter" work permits exclusively through the federal "Working in Belgium" portal. The change – which was highlighted on 27 May 2026 by mobility advisory firm TerraTern – completes the country’s transition away from fragmented e-mail filing that differed between the Brussels-Capital, Flanders and Wallonia regions. For corporate mobility managers the headline advantage is speed: the online wizard conducts real-time validation of mandatory fields and supporting documents, reducing the back-and-forth that previously delayed approvals by several weeks. Each submission automatically receives a traceable dossier number that can be monitored by both HR teams and the regional authorities, erasing the “black-box” uncertainty that characterised the e-mail system.
![Belgium Moves All Short-Term Work Permit Applications Online from 1 May 2026]()
For employers looking for hands-on assistance during this transition, VisaHQ’s Belgium team can help set up company accounts, pre-check document packs and even serve as the mandated local proxy when overseas entities lack a Belgian presence. Their dedicated portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) offers a straightforward onboarding path and direct access to specialists who track every application in real time, ensuring HR departments keep pace with the new digital workflows.
Regional officials likewise gain instant access to uniform data sets that feed directly into labour-market analytics, tightening oversight of quota-restricted occupations. The launch also marks a rare moment of procedural harmonisation in a country where immigration competences are split between three governments. Flanders and Brussels digitised single-permit filings in 2024; Wallonia followed last year for Permis Unique cases, but Work Permit B – needed for assignments under 90 days – remained stubbornly analogue. From this week, all three regions will apply identical digital workflows, although each retains authority to grant or refuse permits on local economic-needs grounds. In practice, Belgian entities that rely on frequent short-term technical visits should review their internal processes immediately. Companies must create an organisational account on the Working in Belgium portal and assign at least one “trusted person” with a Belgium-issued digital ID or itsme profile. Overseas service providers without a local legal presence will have to mandate a Belgian proxy or lawyer to file on their behalf. The authorities have promised a short grace period during which e-mail applications will still be accepted, but warned that files received after 15 May may simply be rejected. Beyond administrative efficiency, officials say the digital pivot is designed to dovetail with the EU’s forthcoming Talent Pool platform – due to launch in 2027 – and with new labour-market dashboards that match permit data to regional skills shortages. Employers who master the new system early should therefore find future compliance and reporting obligations markedly lighter.
For employers looking for hands-on assistance during this transition, VisaHQ’s Belgium team can help set up company accounts, pre-check document packs and even serve as the mandated local proxy when overseas entities lack a Belgian presence. Their dedicated portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) offers a straightforward onboarding path and direct access to specialists who track every application in real time, ensuring HR departments keep pace with the new digital workflows.
Regional officials likewise gain instant access to uniform data sets that feed directly into labour-market analytics, tightening oversight of quota-restricted occupations. The launch also marks a rare moment of procedural harmonisation in a country where immigration competences are split between three governments. Flanders and Brussels digitised single-permit filings in 2024; Wallonia followed last year for Permis Unique cases, but Work Permit B – needed for assignments under 90 days – remained stubbornly analogue. From this week, all three regions will apply identical digital workflows, although each retains authority to grant or refuse permits on local economic-needs grounds. In practice, Belgian entities that rely on frequent short-term technical visits should review their internal processes immediately. Companies must create an organisational account on the Working in Belgium portal and assign at least one “trusted person” with a Belgium-issued digital ID or itsme profile. Overseas service providers without a local legal presence will have to mandate a Belgian proxy or lawyer to file on their behalf. The authorities have promised a short grace period during which e-mail applications will still be accepted, but warned that files received after 15 May may simply be rejected. Beyond administrative efficiency, officials say the digital pivot is designed to dovetail with the EU’s forthcoming Talent Pool platform – due to launch in 2027 – and with new labour-market dashboards that match permit data to regional skills shortages. Employers who master the new system early should therefore find future compliance and reporting obligations markedly lighter.
