Single Permit in Flanders: What is New
Each year, the month of January brings several developments in the field of immigration law. Particular attention should be paid to the indexation of minimum salary thresholds that must be complied with when submitting single permit applications.
With regard to economic migration, the Flemish Region has introduced significant changes applicable to applications submitted from 1 January 2026.
For instance, access to the “highly skilled worker” category has been restricted. The Region will no longer verify only the salary threshold, but will also require that the position genuinely qualifies as highly skilled, necessitating a qualification of at least VKS level 5.https://www.vlaanderen.be/onderwijsprofessionals/lesgeven-en-begeleiden/opleidingsinhouden/de-vlaamse-kwalificatiestructuur-vks).
There are also changes regarding shortage occupations. As a reminder, unlike Wallonia and Brussels, Flanders has been operating for several years with a system based on two distinct lists of shortage occupations. In Brussels and Wallonia, the lists established by Actiris and Forem determine whether the application for a single permit falls into the category of "shortage occupation" and is therefore exempt from a labour market analysis. In Flanders, there is the ministerial list of shortage occupations and the list established by the VDAB. The ministerial list, updated every two years, will determine whether an application for a single permit falls under the category called "middengeschoolde functie" ("medium skilled"). If the sought occupation is not on this list, it is necessary to check if it is included on the shortage occupations list established by the VDAB. If so, an application for a single permit can be submitted, for which a labour market analysis will be conducted. However, if the occupation is not listed on either the ministerial list or the VDAB list, and unless it falls under another specific category of workers, the application for a single permit will be refused. Thus, in Flanders, the VDAB shortage occupations category constitutes the "residual" category ("overige categorie").
Regarding the ministerial list of shortage occupations, the Flemish Region has made changes to the method of determining which occupations can be included on this list. Notably, bus drivers, butchers, and bakers are no longer included, but other occupations have been added, such as diamond workers and roofers.
From 1 January 2026, in Flanders, it will no longer be possible to submit an application for a single permit for low-skilled positions (level VKS 1 and 2) that have been removed from the list of shortage occupations established by the VDAB, except for seasonal workers. Furthermore, for applications falling under the "residual" category, the regional authority will be stricter in its analysis of the labour market. The Region will particularly check whether the job offer published on VDAB for 9 weeks did not contain disproportionate qualifications or experiences compared to the position, or whether the labour market tension indicator for the position in question was above 12 during the 4 months preceding the application, or whether the employer has made additional efforts to find a candidate already present in the Belgian labour market.
For the category of seasonal workers, there will be no analysis of the labour market, but applications can only concern shortage occupations in the agriculture, horticulture, and hospitality sectors for a maximum period of five months out of twelve. The minister may exclude certain positions that are not in serious shortage.
From April 2026, the Flemish Region will also require the payment of an administrative fee to cover the processing by the region (around €200, amount to be specified when the ministerial decree is adopted). This means that when submitting an application for a single permit in Flanders, an administrative fee will need to be paid for the Office of Foreigners and an administrative fee for the Flemish Region.
Finally, the Flemish Region has expanded the reasons for refusing or withdrawing a single permit in order to more strictly sanction fraud. The single permit may be refused or withdrawn particularly when the employer hires more than 80% of their staff with a single permit, or when there has been fraud or use of false documents in the three years preceding the application.
On the side of the Walloon Region, the list of shortage occupations has decreased from 73 to 56 professions since October 2025, reflecting a gradual tightening of access to the labour market for foreign workers. It will therefore be necessary to closely monitor developments in Brussels and Wallonia, and see if these two Regions will also move towards a more restrictive policy, similar to that of Flanders.
If you have any questions about the procedure for obtaining a single permit in Flanders, Brussels or Wallonia, our lawyers are availableto answer your questions and assist you with your complete procedures.