Japan, Australia, Canada, etc… can enter Belgium on the basis of their national passport in case of short stay. Nationals of e.g China, India, etc.. have to apply for a C type schengen visa. In case of stay in Belgium for more than 90 days within any given period of 6 months (can be interrupted), every non-EEA national has to be in possession of a visa D (work visa, family reunification etc.) in order to enter Belgium and to obtain a Belgian residence permit (electronic residence card A), which is a necessary formality (see further). This application for the visa D has to be filed at the Belgian Embassy or Consulate in the home country or last country of residence and can only be filed after delivery of the work permit and prior to the arrival in Belgium. The most important documents needed are: • a medical certificate issued by a doctor recognized by the Belgian Embassy/Consulate and legalized; • a certificate of good moral conduct covering the last 5 years duly legalized and translated; Gravensteen castle in Ghent 22 Guide for foreign employees working in Belgium
• visa application forms; • a national passport; • a work permit. Note: Every Embassy/Consulate has its own requirements and might ask additional documents. Depending on the Embassy or Consulate concerned and on the nationality of the employee concerned (e.g. some Embassies or Consulates are not authorized to issue automatically such a visa and must apply first for approval from the relevant Belgian Ministry), the visa D can mostly be obtained within one working week. 1.5 Registration with the relevant Belgian municipality A Declaration of arrival - Short stay In case of stay in Belgium for less than 90 days within any given period of 6 months, the non-EEA nationals have to be in possession of a declaration of arrival (annex 3 ter) delivered by the local municipality. This declaration of arrival will be delivered on the basis of the visa C or national passport (depending on the nationality) and has to be applied for within 3 days after the arrival in Belgium. In case of stay in a hotel, this declaration of arrival will be replaced by the hotel register. B Obtaining a Belgian residence permit - Long stay In case of long stay in Belgium (i.e. more than 90 days within any given period of 6 months), a Belgian residence permit (‘electronic card A’) has to be applied for. Within 8 days after the arrival in Belgium, the employee has to register with the municipality of the place where he intends to reside. As each municipality may have its own specific requirements, it is advisable to check what they are before going to the town hall. The following documents should normally be presented, and a fee is payable: • the employee’s original work permit; • a copy of the rental agreement; Immigration - Tax - Social Security - Law - Social Formalities 23