Flanders to levy €180 regional processing fee on all Single-Permit applications from 1 September 2026

Global immigration law firm Fragomen has alerted employers that the Flemish Region will introduce a €180 administrative charge on every new or renewed Single-Permit application from 1 September 2026. The fee, payable through the ‘Working in Belgium’ portal, comes on top of the federal Immigration Office fee of €152, raising the upfront cost of bringing a non-EU employee to Belgium to €332 before translation, courier or legal expenses. The decree, published on 6 July, is part of a wider Flemish push to recoup the real cost of processing and to nudge companies toward local recruitment where possible. Brussels- and Wallonia-bound permits remain unaffected for now, potentially making inter-regional transfers more attractive for cost-sensitive projects.



For organisations that prefer an outsourced approach to immigration paperwork, VisaHQ can help by providing end-to-end assistance with Belgian work-permit filings, including the new Flemish surcharge. Its platform lets employers track applications, arrange certified translations and handle online payments in one place, giving HR teams a clearer picture of timelines and costs.

For mobility teams the change has immediate budgeting implications: projects that kick off in late summer but for which applications are filed after 1 September will attract the higher fee. Employers should also check whether their relocation vendors have included the surcharge in fixed-price packages. From a policy perspective, the move signals that Belgium’s regions are willing to differentiate on immigration cost structures even within a harmonised Single-Permit framework. Companies with pan-Belgian operations may therefore see an uneven compliance landscape emerge, requiring careful internal communication to avoid perceptions of unequal treatment among employee groups. Fragomen notes that the payment interface will be added to the existing online portal in mid-August; failure to pay will automatically suspend the file, so HR teams should ensure that purchasing cards or deposit accounts are in place well before the deadline.