top of page
Search

Belgium Streamlines EU Blue Card Rules While Tightening Anti-Fraud Scrutiny

Writer: Xavi
Xavi
1 day ago
3 min read

Updated: 3 hours ago

BRUSSELS, October 15, 2026 — Belgium’s parliamentary home-affairs committee approved a bill on October 14 that reshapes how companies recruit highly skilled non-EU talent. The legislation, championed by Minister for Asylum and Migration Anneleen Van Bossuyt, reduces processing times for EU Blue Card applications from 120 days to a maximum of 90 and eliminates the requirement for legalised paper contracts.

The reform, confirmed in an official announcement from the Minister’s office, also aligns Belgian law with the revised EU Blue Card Directive (2021/1883), a framework the European Commission has noted Belgium had only partially transposed.

Infographic showing Belgium's EU Blue Card reform: 90-day processing, digital contracts, intra-EU mobility, and expanded anti-fraud powers.
Belgium streamlines EU Blue Card rules while tightening fraud controls

What Changes for Employers

Three practical shifts matter most for HR and mobility teams.

Faster decisions. The Immigration Office must now rule on Blue Card applications within 90 days, down from 120. That shorter window compresses onboarding timelines but also places pressure on employers to submit complete files from the outset.

Digital contracts accepted. Regional labour ministries will accept digitally signed employment contracts, removing the legalisation requirement for hard copies. The change is expected to reduce administrative refusals linked to document-upload issues.

EU mobility without extra permits. Blue Card holders gain the right to travel to other member states for business projects of up to 90 days within any 180-day period without applying for an additional work permit. The Erickson Immigration Group confirmed this intra-EU mobility provision as part of the directive’s transposition.

That last change is likely to benefit project-based sectors. Life-sciences and fintech clusters around Leuven, Ghent and Brussels routinely assign staff across EU sites, and the mobility provision removes a recurring permitting step for short-term deployments.

Tougher Fraud Controls

The streamlining comes paired with expanded enforcement powers.

The Immigration Office can now reject applications where there are serious doubts about document authenticity, where a company appears to have been created primarily to facilitate entry into Belgium, or where the actual purpose of the stay differs from the employment stated in the application.

A parallel protection has been added for workers who fall victim to serious employer violations such as systematic non-payment of wages. Those workers now have six months rather than three to find new employment without losing residence status.

The distinction is deliberate. As Van Bossuyt put it in the official release, labour migration “must never become a back door for abuse.”

Eligibility Requirements Remain Strict

Simplification does not mean relaxation. Highly skilled workers must still meet the salary threshold, which for 2026 stands at a gross annual minimum of €68,815 for standard Blue Card applicants, or €55,052 for those with fewer than three years of experience. Qualification and working-hour criteria also remain unchanged.

What Employers Should Do Now

Refresh onboarding checklists. Confirm that employment contracts meet the current minimum salary thresholds and are formatted for digital submission.

Budget for a shorter but more intense 90-day window. While faster processing helps, incomplete applications risk rejection rather than a request for evidence — a function of the expanded fraud-screening powers.

Plan for intra-EU assignments. The 90-day mobility provision can simplify cross-border project staffing, but employers should track the 180-day rolling period to avoid overstays.

Quick Reference Summary

Item

Detail

Approval Date

October 14, 2026 (committee stage)

Processing Time

90 days maximum (down from 120)

Contract Format

Digitally signed accepted; legalised hard copies no longer required

Intra-EU Mobility

Up to 90 days in any 180-day period without additional permit

Salary Threshold

€68,815 (standard); €55,052 (junior)

Anti-Fraud Powers

Rejection for shell companies and inconsistent salary data

Worker Protection

Six months to find new employment after exploitation

Legal Basis

Directive (EU) 2021/1883

Read Also

Comments

bottom of page