Professional card for foreign entrepreneurs
If you are a foreign national and want to work in Belgium as a self-employed person, you will need a professional card. This gives you permission to perform a self-employed activity.
Certain categories of foreign nationals are exempt from that obligation, such as nationals of an EU Member State or Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein or Switzerland.
Through this simulator, you can check whether you may need a professional card to start and pursue your self-employed activity in Belgium as a foreign national or not.
New economic migration policy for foreign self-employed persons since January 1, 2022
The Flemish Parliament Decree of 15 October 2021 on the performance of self-employed professional activities by foreign nationals has been published in the Belgian Official Journal (in Dutch)(opens in new window). The decree came into force on January 1, 2022. This means that, since that date admission conditions apply. New professional cards must be applied for digitally since February 1, 2022 via the WSE online service counter.
The new policy also means that the website pages on vlaanderen.be will be translated into English as soon as possible.
