Belgium’s three regions have published the remuneration levels that foreign employees must earn if they want to obtain or renew a Work Permit B, Single Permit or EU Blue Card from 1 January 2026—and the bar is noticeably higher than in 2025.
• Brussels-Capital now requires a gross monthly wage of €3,703.44 for “highly-qualified” profiles (≈ €44,441 per year), €6,647.20 for executive functions and €4,748 for the EU Blue Card.
• Wallonia opted for annual figures: €53,220 for highly-skilled workers, €42,576 for juniors under 30 and €88,790 for executives.
• Flanders is expected to publish its own amounts in the coming days but normally follows the same automatic indexation formula, so HR teams should plan on a similar 6-7 % uplift.
![Belgium hikes 2026 salary thresholds for Work Permit B and EU Blue Card]()
Why the jump? Belgium automatically indexes salary thresholds to inflation and average wage growth, but officials also want to make the country more attractive for senior talent while discouraging low-wage immigration. Employers must cite the new numbers in contracts filed with permit applications; authorities can—and already do—reject files that still mention 2025 rates.
Practical implications for companies
1. Budget impact: relocating junior assignees will cost more; consider alternative permit categories (e.g., EU ICT permit or Professional Card).
2. Renewals: existing permit holders are grandfathered, yet any renewal lodged after 1 January must meet the 2026 floor.
3. Payroll systems: update gross-to-net models and shadow-payroll instructions; some regions have not yet updated their portals, so practitioners recommend uploading a signed addendum that quotes the 2026 salary to avoid “additional-information” requests.
4. Timing: because the Single-Permit process still takes 3-4 months, employers with Q2 starts should file now, attaching the new salary figures.
For multinational mobility programmes the message is clear: review 2026 assignment budgets immediately, communicate the changes to line managers and talent-acquisition teams, and keep an eye on the imminent Flemish publication to ensure full country-wide compliance.
• Brussels-Capital now requires a gross monthly wage of €3,703.44 for “highly-qualified” profiles (≈ €44,441 per year), €6,647.20 for executive functions and €4,748 for the EU Blue Card.
• Wallonia opted for annual figures: €53,220 for highly-skilled workers, €42,576 for juniors under 30 and €88,790 for executives.
• Flanders is expected to publish its own amounts in the coming days but normally follows the same automatic indexation formula, so HR teams should plan on a similar 6-7 % uplift.
Why the jump? Belgium automatically indexes salary thresholds to inflation and average wage growth, but officials also want to make the country more attractive for senior talent while discouraging low-wage immigration. Employers must cite the new numbers in contracts filed with permit applications; authorities can—and already do—reject files that still mention 2025 rates.
Practical implications for companies
1. Budget impact: relocating junior assignees will cost more; consider alternative permit categories (e.g., EU ICT permit or Professional Card).
2. Renewals: existing permit holders are grandfathered, yet any renewal lodged after 1 January must meet the 2026 floor.
3. Payroll systems: update gross-to-net models and shadow-payroll instructions; some regions have not yet updated their portals, so practitioners recommend uploading a signed addendum that quotes the 2026 salary to avoid “additional-information” requests.
4. Timing: because the Single-Permit process still takes 3-4 months, employers with Q2 starts should file now, attaching the new salary figures.
For multinational mobility programmes the message is clear: review 2026 assignment budgets immediately, communicate the changes to line managers and talent-acquisition teams, and keep an eye on the imminent Flemish publication to ensure full country-wide compliance.
Source: VisaHQ – Global Mobility News
