Categories, conditions and documents required for the application of your first professional card

You will need a professional card if you, as a foreign national, want to work as a self-employed professional in the Flemish Region. On January 1, 2022, the new decree on professional cards came into force. This means that new conditions apply since then. On this page you will find the three categories of activities for which it is possible to apply for the professional card. For each category, you will also learn about the conditions and the necessary documents.

Three categories

There are 3 categories of self-employed activities for which you can apply for a professional card. To be considered for a professional card, your self-employed activity must fit into one of these categories:

self-employed activity with an economic added value (classic business)
self-employed activity with an innovative added value
self-employed activity with sporting, cultural or artistic added value.

Economic added value

These include self-employed activities that:

create jobs directly or indirectly and give rise to investments
- Specifically, these investments must be recorded as fixed assets of the balance and the monthly depreciation costs via the profit and loss account.
or have a verifiable favourable effect on the existing economic fabric.
- The Economic Migration Department checks whether the project fits within the commercial strategic plan of the region. A foreign national can, for example, contribute with his independent project to the commercial strategic plan of the city of Antwerp with a project in the creative Antwerp industry.
- In cooperation with VLAIO, the Economic Migration Department will evaluate if the type of activity in that specific location has a favourable impact on the regional economic strategy. For example: the start-up of an organic bakery in a remote area where there is a need for basic facilities.

Conditions

In order to receive a professional card for a self-employed activity with an economic added value, you must, as an applicant, fulfil the following conditions:

you have an initial capital of at least 22.208,4 euro (new amount after indexation according to Art 34 decree of 17/12/21), on a financial account in your name
you hold a diploma of at least qualification level 4 (VKS 4 = level of secondary education)
you have stable, sufficient and regular financial resources to cover your own needs and those of your family (as a reference: 120% of the income support - as of 01/04/2024 onwards this amounts is about 25.074,51 euro/year) and this as of the granting of the professional card. Concretely, this applies mainly when renewing an application for a professional card.
you pose no threat to the public order and security of Belgium
you comply with the applicable legal and regulatory obligations. This means, amongst others:
- that, as an entrepreneur starting a business, you must register with the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises(opens in new window) (CBE). For this, you can contact an accredited business counter in the Flemish Region.
- that you comply with tax obligations, social legislation and the code of companies and associations if applicable.
your company is economically viable and has no negative impact on the market economy or employment opportunities.

The standard validity period for your professional card is up to 2 years.

Innovative added value

Sporting, cultural and artistic added value

In order to obtain a professional card for a self-employed activity with a sporting added value, you must, as an applicant, fulfil the following conditions:

be active in an area of sport on the list of sports disciplines (sporttakkenlijst (in Dutch)(opens in new window))
perform the self-employed activity in a sports club that is affiliated with a recognised sports federation in Flanders
perform a self-employed activity consisting of supporting individual athletes or groups of athletes older than 18 (except when regarding identified top sport talents)
the support results in a sustainable improvement in the athletes’ sporting level
perform the self-employed professional activity as an instructor, trainer, coach or assistant and hold a qualification from the Flanders Trainers School (or achieve it within 12 months of the application)
be active in a discipline in which there are insufficient teachers, trainers, coaches or assistants with a qualification from the Flanders Trainers School available in Flanders
your company is economically viable and has no negative impact on the market economy or employment opportunities.

In order to obtain a professional card for a self-employed activity with a cultural or artistic added value, you must, as an applicant, fulfil the following conditions:

have a collaboration with an organisation from the Flanders cultural or artistic sector or show a future collaboration
submit a CV or a portfolio from which can be inferred a particular affinity with the cultural or artistic field
your company is economically viable and has no negative impact on the market economy or employment opportunities.

Moreover, as an applicant for a sports or cultural/artistic activity, the following conditions are required:

you have a diploma with a minimum qualification level 4 (= level of secondary education)
You have stable, sufficient and regular resources to support yourself or your family (reference framework is 120% of the living wage - as of 01/05/2024 onwards this amounts is about 25.074,51 euro/year) and this from the granting of the professional card.
you do not constitute a threat to the public order and security of the Belgian territory
you comply with the applicable legal and regulatory obligations. This includes, among other things
- that you register as a starting entrepreneur in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises. You can do this at a recognised enterprise counter in the Flemish Region.
- you comply with the tax obligations, social legislation and the Companies and Associations Code where applicable.
your enterprise is economically viable and has no negative impact on the market economy and employment.

The validity period is proportional to the duration of the activity you want to perform in the Flemish Region, is proportional to the duration of the activity you want to perform in the Flemish Region and up to 2 years.

Documents required for each first application

In order to apply for your first professional card, you need the following documents:

copy of your foreign identity card or international passport
copy of your valid Belgian residence permit if you are in Belgium: It is no longer possible to submit an application in Belgium based on a so-called ‘orange card’ (‘attest van immatriculatie’) for the following reasons: If you still want to apply for a professional card, you will have to submit your application via the Belgian embassy in the country where you do have a valid residence. In that case, you risk losing your temporary status as a person applying for family reunification or asylum in Belgium. Moreover, you will also lose the status on the basis of which the ‘orange card’ was obtained.
- a certificate of registration in the foreigners register (= electronic residence card type A)
  OR
- an EU blue card (= electronic residence permit type H)
  OR
- the declaration of arrival (= annex 3)
- temporary residence certificate (= annex 15)
Your residence situation does not fall within the definition of legal residence according to the decree of 15 October 2021 concerning the performance of self-employed professional activities by foreign nationals.
Your situation of residence is too precarious to be able to start a self-employed activity.
extract from the criminal records (no older than 6 months) issued by the competent authority of the country where you are authorised to reside
copy of the diploma of at least qualification level 4 (VKS 4 = level of secondary education)
proof that you will have stable, sufficient and regular means of subsistence to support yourself or your family (frame of reference is 120% of the living wage - as of 01/02/2025 onwards this amounts is about 25.575,44 euro/year) and this as of the granting of the professional card.
a financial plan or liquidity forecast

All documents in your file must be drawn up in Dutch, French, German or English.

Points to remember in case of the translation of documents

Documents required depending on the category to which your self-employed activity belongs

Check the information above to see to which category your self-employed activity belongs.

Additional documents for self-employed activities with economic added value

Additional documents for self-employed activities with innovative added value

Additional documents for self-employed activities with sporting added value

Additional documents for self-employed activities with cultural or artistic added value

Additional documents for self-employed activities via a company (as opposed to a one-man business)

Additional documents for self-employed activities as a secondary occupation

Additional documents for the self-employed helper in a one-man business

Additional documents for the working partner in a company

Additional documents if you are also a student in Belgium, in addition to your self-employed activity

Additional documents for the long-term resident in another EU Member State

Download overview mandatory documents for first applications

BK - overview documents for first applications 2022BK - overview documents for first applications 2022
PDF • 111,8KB

Assessment of application

A case handler determines, based on the documents received, to which category your self-employed activity belongs.

If your file is incomplete, you will be notified by e-mail. You have 30 days, counting from the day after this notification, to submit the missing documents or data via e-mail. If you do not provide them in time, your application will be declared inadmissible.

The substantive assessment is made based on all of the information above.

Your application can be rejected for one or more of the following reasons (this list is not exhaustive):

Your file contains inaccurate, forged or illegally obtained data, statements or illegally performed changes.
The conditions of the various categories are not met.
The self-employed activity has been started or is being performed with as primary objective:
- obtaining a professional card
- facilitating the entry of foreign employees or self-employed persons.
Your business does not perform economic or social activities.
- Economic activities are activities that make a financial contribution to society. For example, if you start a business, it is considered an economic activity. Because this start-up brings with it tax obligations, such as paying VAT. The proceeds can be invested by the government in society.
- Corporate social responsibility means that the activities focus on 3 pillars: profit (economy), people (commitment of employees and working together with them) and planet (taking into account the environment).
Your creditworthiness or that of your business is unfavourable.
Your business is bankrupt or in a position of apparent insolvency, is in the process of filing for bankruptcy or has applied for or been granted a legal reorganisation.
You do not adhere to the obligations that are imposed by tax and social legislation.