Belgium Self-employed professional card

Every non-Belgian running a self-employed activity, alone or in a company or partnership, needs a professional card from the region where the activity will be based; the D visa is then requested with the decision granting the card. This is the route for founders and for self-employed or freelance work in Belgium. Flanders also runs a fast-track Innovation & Startup Permit for innovative entrepreneurs from 1 September 2026. ^{1 2 3 4}

What you must show and pay

• Savings of at least EUR 22,838 (≈ $25,500) · Minimum amount held in a financial account in the applicant's name for self-employed activities that generate economic added value (indexed from 1 January 2026, Flanders). ²
• Income of at least EUR 2,456.96 a month (≈ $2,740) · Stable, sufficient and regular net means of subsistence from the day the card is granted: at least 110% of the guaranteed average minimum monthly income set by collective labour agreement no. 43, EUR (≈ $48) 2,456.96 a month from July 2026 (Flanders, Dutch-language page). The English version of the page still shows older figures (EUR 26,086.66 (≈ $29,100) as of 1 March 2026 and EUR 2,408.79 (≈ $2,690) from April 2026). ^{4 2}
• A fee of EUR 90 a year (≈ $100) · Fee for issuing the professional card, EUR90 (≈ $100) for each year of validity (Flanders). ²
• A fee of EUR 140 (≈ $160) · Application fee for the first professional card, paid when the file is submitted (Flanders). ²
• A fee of EUR 242 (≈ $270) · Administrative fee to the Immigration Office for a D visa for professional card holders, for applications from 1 January 2026. ⁵
• A fee of EUR 250 (≈ $280) · Visa handling fee for a long-stay (D) visa, from 1 July 2026. ⁶

Requirements

• The applicant is a non-Belgian running a self-employed activity, alone or in a company or partnership. ^{1 2 3}
• Flanders: a diploma of at least qualification level 4 (secondary education). ²
• Flanders: activities with economic added value show jobs created and investments, or a benefit to the existing economic structure. ²
• Flanders: innovative activities show new products, new technologies or collaboration with an incubator or research body. ²
• Flanders: EUR22,838 (≈ $25,500) held in a financial account in the applicant's name for activities creating economic added value. ²
• Flanders: net means of subsistence of at least 110% of the guaranteed average minimum monthly income, EUR 2,456.96 (≈ $2,740) a month from July 2026. ⁴
• Fee: EUR90 (≈ $100) for each year of validity of the professional card (Flanders). ²
• The professional card application fee is EUR140, (≈ $160) the D visa administrative fee EUR242 (≈ $270) and the visa handling fee EUR250 (≈ $280). ^{2 5 6}
• Flanders: a criminal record extract. ²
• Flanders: a full business plan with target market, market size, competitive analysis, SWOT and marketing plan. ²
• The professional card is requested from the region where the activity will be based (Flanders, Wallonia or Brussels-Capital). ^{1 2 3}
• The region's decision on the professional card comes before the D visa. ^{1 3}
• Flanders gives its decision within 120 days of the application being declared admissible; the period can be extended for a complex file. ²
• The D visa is requested with the decision granting the card. ^{1 2 3}

Stay

• Professional card valid for one to three years, set by the added value of the file (Flanders).
• First stay: 12 to 36 months, decided case by case.
• Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.

Nationality

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals. Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.

Work

Self-employed activity under the professional card.

Fine print

All amounts and deadlines here are those of the Flemish Region. Wallonia and Brussels-Capital issue their own professional cards and their amounts were not read. The English version of the Flemish page still shows older means figures; the Dutch version, checked on 12 October 2026, was used.

Checked 2026-10-12

Official sources

1. Self-employed (professional card) · FPS Foreign Affairs (Belgian Office Taipei) · checked 2026-10-10
2. Applying for your first professional card (Flanders) · Government of Flanders · checked 2026-10-10
3. Professional card for foreign entrepreneurs (Flanders) · Government of Flanders · checked 2026-10-10
4. Voor het eerst een beroepskaart aanvragen (Dutch version of "Applying for your first professional card", Flanders) · Government of Flanders · checked 2026-10-12
5. Administrative fee for long-stay (D) visa applications, amounts from 1 January 2026 · Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs · checked 2026-10-11
6. Visa fees: handling fee for long-stay visas from 1 July 2026 · Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs · checked 2026-10-11
7. Law of 15 December 1980 on access, residence, settlement and removal of foreigners, Articles 10, 10bis and 40ter · Moniteur belge (Justel) · checked 2026-10-11
8. Code of Belgian nationality (Art. 12bis: acquisition by declaration after 5 years of legal residence) · Belgian Official Gazette (Moniteur belge / Federal Public Service Justice) · checked 2026-10-11