Belgium’s Council of Ministers on 15 June 2026 approved draft legislation that will make it significantly harder for unemployed EU citizens to obtain—and retain—a right of residence while looking for work in the country. Under the bill, applicants for an EU residence card based on job-seeking status must now supply evidence of both active job applications and registration with a regional employment agency such as Actiris or VDAB. Six months later they will face a second check: only those who can show a “realistic chance” of being hired—through qualifications, training or concrete interview invitations—will keep their permit. Asylum and Migration Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt (N-VA) said the new standard closes loopholes that allowed some migrants to access municipal social assistance without ever entering the labour market. The Immigration Office issued 1,266 such permits in 2025 but also recorded 705 refusals and 202 terminations for non-compliance.
![Belgium tightens residence rules for EU jobseekers, adding two-stage proof-of-search requirement]()
In this context, travellers and HR departments may find it useful to enlist professional help. VisaHQ, for instance, offers a dedicated Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) that tracks the latest residence-permit rules and assembles customised document checklists—ranging from employment contracts to proof of active job search—greatly reducing the risk of refusal or sudden termination of status.
Particular scrutiny will fall on applicants from Romania and Bulgaria, where authorities discovered several cases involving Western Balkan nationals using falsified EU documents. The measure forms part of a broader package aligned with the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, which entered into application last week. Belgium is concurrently piloting a fast-track asylum procedure aimed at resolving low-merit claims within three months. Together, the initiatives reflect a political shift towards stricter conditionality—offering protection and free movement only to those who demonstrably qualify. For employers, the tightening means less administrative limbo but more front-loaded paperwork. Multinationals that routinely relocate graduates or intra-EU hires to Brussels will need to provide robust employment contracts or training attestations at the very start of the transfer process. HR teams should audit onboarding timelines to ensure new arrivals can meet the six-month proof threshold; failure could lead to sudden loss of residence rights and compulsory departure. Legal observers expect the bill to pass Parliament before the summer recess, with a transition period of three months. Companies are therefore advised to review pending EU-intra transfer cases immediately. Municipal authorities, who bear the brunt of residence administration, welcome the clearer rules, arguing they will reduce backlogs and curb fraudulent welfare claims. Critics, including migrant-rights NGOs, warn the policy risks penalising genuine jobseekers during a period of slowing euro-zone growth.
In this context, travellers and HR departments may find it useful to enlist professional help. VisaHQ, for instance, offers a dedicated Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) that tracks the latest residence-permit rules and assembles customised document checklists—ranging from employment contracts to proof of active job search—greatly reducing the risk of refusal or sudden termination of status.
Particular scrutiny will fall on applicants from Romania and Bulgaria, where authorities discovered several cases involving Western Balkan nationals using falsified EU documents. The measure forms part of a broader package aligned with the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, which entered into application last week. Belgium is concurrently piloting a fast-track asylum procedure aimed at resolving low-merit claims within three months. Together, the initiatives reflect a political shift towards stricter conditionality—offering protection and free movement only to those who demonstrably qualify. For employers, the tightening means less administrative limbo but more front-loaded paperwork. Multinationals that routinely relocate graduates or intra-EU hires to Brussels will need to provide robust employment contracts or training attestations at the very start of the transfer process. HR teams should audit onboarding timelines to ensure new arrivals can meet the six-month proof threshold; failure could lead to sudden loss of residence rights and compulsory departure. Legal observers expect the bill to pass Parliament before the summer recess, with a transition period of three months. Companies are therefore advised to review pending EU-intra transfer cases immediately. Municipal authorities, who bear the brunt of residence administration, welcome the clearer rules, arguing they will reduce backlogs and curb fraudulent welfare claims. Critics, including migrant-rights NGOs, warn the policy risks penalising genuine jobseekers during a period of slowing euro-zone growth.
