While the spotlight was on Belgium’s nationwide pension protest, a parallel labour action by public-sector unions paralysed key administrative services in Brussels on 25 June 2026. According to the World Socialist Web Site, some 1 300 civil servants, hospital staff and municipal employees walked off the job, demanding an end to austerity-driven budget cuts. Among the hardest-hit offices were the Brussels-Capital Immigration Desk, where walk-outs delayed the issuance of Annex 46 cards and eID pickups, and several commune town halls that process EU residence registrations. The federal Foreigners’ Office shifted urgent submissions to an online ‘drop-box’, but applicants reported error messages and phone lines going unanswered.
![One-day public-sector strike in Brussels disrupts visas, welfare offices and urban transport]()
Amid these frustrations, VisaHQ can ease some of the pressure. Through its Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/), the agency pre-checks documentation, books the earliest available appointment slots and tracks status updates on behalf of travellers and employers, helping them steer around service disruptions without adding yet another queue to their day.
Transport knock-on effects included slower tram frequencies on STIB lines 7 and 25 and reduced staffing at metro ticket offices, intensifying congestion already aggravated by the general strike. Hospitals operated weekend schedules, postponing some occupational-health checks required for single-permit applications. Although limited to 24 hours, the action showcased how targeted stoppages in public administration can have an outsized impact on mobility compliance timelines. Relocation providers are advising clients to build extra lead time into visa appointments through mid-July, when unions plan further coordination with the larger pension-reform campaign. The strike also adds momentum to calls for a fully digital end-to-end residence-permit workflow; officials concede that the hybrid paper/e-platform now in use leaves the system vulnerable to labour disputes.
Amid these frustrations, VisaHQ can ease some of the pressure. Through its Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/), the agency pre-checks documentation, books the earliest available appointment slots and tracks status updates on behalf of travellers and employers, helping them steer around service disruptions without adding yet another queue to their day.
Transport knock-on effects included slower tram frequencies on STIB lines 7 and 25 and reduced staffing at metro ticket offices, intensifying congestion already aggravated by the general strike. Hospitals operated weekend schedules, postponing some occupational-health checks required for single-permit applications. Although limited to 24 hours, the action showcased how targeted stoppages in public administration can have an outsized impact on mobility compliance timelines. Relocation providers are advising clients to build extra lead time into visa appointments through mid-July, when unions plan further coordination with the larger pension-reform campaign. The strike also adds momentum to calls for a fully digital end-to-end residence-permit workflow; officials concede that the hybrid paper/e-platform now in use leaves the system vulnerable to labour disputes.
