Non-EEA+ nationals will need a single permit to work and reside in Belgium for a period more than three months. This concerns a combined permit for both residence and employment. The single permit is applicable to ZAP, AAP, ATP, BAP and unremunerated BAP staff members.
Please be aware that the single permit needs to be approved before the staff member can apply for a visa type D at the Belgian embassy!
There are some categories that are exempt of the single permit, please see the overview below. If you are unsure whether a certain exemption is applicable, please contact the International Staff Office for further information.
Exceptions
There are some general exceptions to this rule:
- Doctoral scholarship holders who are enrolled at the University of Antwerp as students. They are considered students for the purposes of residence regulations.
- Non-EEA+ nationals who have a B, C, D, L, F or F+ residence permit.
- Non-EEA+ nationals who are staying in Belgium based on family reunification with a staff member. The right to work will be mentioned automatically on their residence card.
- Staff members with an employment contract of less than three months are exempt from the single permit.
- Cross-border workers will need a work permit (as they will only work and will not reside in Belgium).
If none of these exemptions are applicable, the staff member will need a single permit, before starting the employment at the University of Antwerp and travelling to Belgium. The single permit procedure is also applicable to:
- Non-EEA+ nationals already residing in Belgium and working for another employer
- PhD students with an employment contract & enrolled as PhD student
- Non-EEA+ nationals with residency in another EU country
The International Staff Office will contact the new staff member to request the necessary documents for the application of the single permit and will apply for the single permit on the applicant’s behalf.
Required documents
Following documents are needed for the single permit application:
- Coloured copy of the passport
- Medical certificate: needs to be completed by a doctor appointed by the Belgian embassy at your official place of residence. The certificate must not be older than six months at the time of submission of the single permit application.
- An extract from the criminal record in English, Dutch, German or French (sworn translation if issued in another language) and legalized if required. The extract cannot be older than six months at the time of submission of the single permit application and must cover the previous 12 months.
- Proof of payment of the contribution fee. The exact amount and payment details can be found on the website of the Immigration Office.
- Copy of your contract, scholarship agreement or appointment letter (signed by both parties)
Depending on your type of appointment, additional documents may be required.
The single permit application can take up to four and a half months (or two and a half months for researchers with a host agreement) as soon as the complete application has been submitted, and will be issued for the maximum period of three years or until the end of the employment period.
Please note that visiting staff members (who receive a grant or salary from their home university) with non-EEA nationality also need a single permit. The list of documents required for an application for this category of single permit is more extensive than the above. The International Staff Office will inform you about the required documents. The single permit application for this category can take up to 6 months.
Once your single permit application is approved by the Economic Migration Department and the Immigration Office, a document called 'annex 46' will be sent to the university and the consular post and you can apply for your visa. If you already reside in Belgium, the annex 46 will be sent to the city or municipality where you are living.
More information about the single permit procedure and the needed documents can be found on the website of Vlaaderen.be.