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Work permit – Minister of a recognised religious denomination

Under certain conditions, a foreign minister of a recognised religious denomination can work in Flanders. In these cases, their future employer needs to apply for a work permit for them.

Conditions for working in Flanders

Foreign nationals who come to work in Flanders must first receive permission to work. This obligation applies to everyone apart from a few well-defined categories of foreign workers.

A foreign minister of a recognised religious denomination who does not belong to one of these well-defined categories and who therefore needs a work permit can work in Flanders if they meet the conditions below.

  • The minister serves a local religious community in Flanders.
  • The local religious community is legally recognised (see Article 2, 79, 115, 151, 187 or 230 of the decree of 7 May 2004 regarding the material organisation and working of recognised religious denominations). It relates to the following communities:
    • Roman Catholic
    • Protestant
    • Anglican
    • Israeli
    • Orthodox
    • Islamic.

Which work permit is required?

As an employer, you apply for permission for your future employee to work. The procedure and the documents that you need will differ depending on the duration of their appointment. Are you applying for permission for the first time? Or are you renewing a permit? This makes a difference too.

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