The Belgian federal government has published a Royal Decree creating a brand-new “digital nomad visa”, giving non-EU remote workers the right to live and work from anywhere in Belgium for up to 12 months (renewable once). Announced on 2 August 2026 by State Secretary for Digitalisation Mathieu Michel, the scheme is modelled on similar programmes in Portugal and Estonia but is the first of its kind in the Benelux. Applicants must prove a gross annual income of €42,000, hold private health insurance and show an employment contract – or company ownership – allowing them to work fully online. The visa is aimed squarely at the booming cohort of highly-skilled professionals who no longer need to be tied to a physical office. Officials estimate Belgium loses out on between €60 and €80 million a year in local spending by “foot-loose” tech and creative workers who base themselves elsewhere in Europe. By letting remote staff settle temporarily in Brussels, Antwerp or Ghent, the government hopes to bolster co-working hubs and plug short-term gaps in the country’s tight residential rental market. Under the decree, holders of the new residence sticker (code DNV-BE) are exempt from the standard single-permit process, although they will be required to register their address with the local commune within eight calendar days. They may not take up salaried employment with a Belgian entity unless they convert to a single permit. Dependants can apply for a derivative stay permit, but they will not receive automatic access to the Belgian labour market. Legal advisers warn that the short processing window – files must be decided within 30 days – will put pressure on Belgian consulates already coping with high demand for student visas. Employers hosting digital nomads should also review permanent-establishment risks and wage-withholding obligations, tax specialists say. Nevertheless, the business community has largely welcomed the measure; Agoria and AmCham Belgium have both called it “a pragmatic step to keep Belgium competitive in the global war for talent.”
Source: FPS Interior – Official Gazette
