From 1 January 2027, every Flemish employer that wants to hire a non-EU national under the Single (Combined) Permit will have to pay a new regional handling fee of €180 per application. Employment Minister Zuhal Demir announced the measure on 30 June 2026, stressing that “those who use the migration system must also help finance it.”
![Flanders to Charge €180 Per Application for Hiring Non-EU Talent]()
VisaHQ can assist employers and HR teams in navigating the Belgian Single Permit process, keeping them abreast of new costs like the €180 Flemish surcharge. Through its online portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) and network of visa specialists, the platform streamlines paperwork, tracks application status, and offers compliance guidance that helps organisations control timeline and budget risks.
The Single Permit lets third-country nationals live and work in Belgium on the basis of one combined immigration–work authorisation. Until now, employers only paid the federal retribution of €152 that is levied by the Immigration Office. The extra Flemish charge will therefore raise the upfront cost to €332 per worker—before any relocation, legal or translation expenses are added. Demir argues that the higher cost will discourage companies from defaulting to foreign recruitment while the region still counts more than 200,000 registered job-seekers. She also links the fee to recent fraud cases in Antwerp, where workers on single permits were found to be under-paid and exploited. The proceeds will be earmarked for stricter inspections and for speeding up applications for highly-skilled profiles the region wants to attract. Business federation Voka warns that the decision piles on “rigidities” in a labour market that already suffers from slow processing times—currently up to 15 weeks. Multinationals with Belgian hubs say the surcharge could make neighbouring countries more attractive for regional assignments, given that the Netherlands and Germany do not levy similar regional fees. Global mobility teams should therefore review 2027 budget forecasts for Belgian inbound moves, adjust cost projections in compensation packages, and brief hiring managers on the longer lead-times that may follow if application volumes dip.
VisaHQ can assist employers and HR teams in navigating the Belgian Single Permit process, keeping them abreast of new costs like the €180 Flemish surcharge. Through its online portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) and network of visa specialists, the platform streamlines paperwork, tracks application status, and offers compliance guidance that helps organisations control timeline and budget risks.
The Single Permit lets third-country nationals live and work in Belgium on the basis of one combined immigration–work authorisation. Until now, employers only paid the federal retribution of €152 that is levied by the Immigration Office. The extra Flemish charge will therefore raise the upfront cost to €332 per worker—before any relocation, legal or translation expenses are added. Demir argues that the higher cost will discourage companies from defaulting to foreign recruitment while the region still counts more than 200,000 registered job-seekers. She also links the fee to recent fraud cases in Antwerp, where workers on single permits were found to be under-paid and exploited. The proceeds will be earmarked for stricter inspections and for speeding up applications for highly-skilled profiles the region wants to attract. Business federation Voka warns that the decision piles on “rigidities” in a labour market that already suffers from slow processing times—currently up to 15 weeks. Multinationals with Belgian hubs say the surcharge could make neighbouring countries more attractive for regional assignments, given that the Netherlands and Germany do not levy similar regional fees. Global mobility teams should therefore review 2027 budget forecasts for Belgian inbound moves, adjust cost projections in compensation packages, and brief hiring managers on the longer lead-times that may follow if application volumes dip.
