Work permits – Wages and allowances

The following categories with a specific wage criterion have their own minimum wage:

• highly skilled persons
• professional or managerial staff members
• professional athletes
• theatre performers
• holders of a EU Blue Card
• Intra-corporate transferees (employees transferred within a company)​​​​

For all other categories the minimum wage(opens in new window) is the wage prescribed by the relevant Joint Committee. The minimum wage per Joint Committee can be found on the FPS WASO website.

In any case, wages may never be lower than the ‘guaranteed average minimum monthly income’. The current guaranteed minimum average monthly income (in Dutch)(opens in new window) can be found on website of the National Labour Council (NAR). Due to recent crossing of the trigger index as well as the 2021 Industry Agreement, that guaranteed average monthly income has risen regularly consecutively:

• January 1, 2022: €1,691.40
• March 1, 2022: €1,725.21
• April 1, 2022: €1,806.16
• May 1, 2022: €1,842.28
• August 1, 2022: €1,879.13

In accordance with Decree of the Government of Flanders 7/12/2018, Article 18, §2, shortage occupations are classified as medium-skilled positions. This means that a worker employed in a shortage occupation must be paid in a minimum “skilled” category according to the competent Joint Committee. Prior to 2022, medium-skilled jobs included in the shortage occupation list were sometimes remunerated according to a lower category or lower job classification from the Joint Committee and thus possibly as unskilled workers. This is no longer possible since the beginning of 2022 - as concrete wages from the Joint Committees are evaluated more strictly at the time of applications.

For meal vouchers, and for hospitalisation and/or group insurance the employer’s contribution is regarded as gross salary.

To calculate the monthly salary from the gross annual salary for local employment (with Belgian employment contract) divide the gross annual salary by 13.92. For example, you will collect benefits such as the thirteenth month, holiday pay and meal vouchers.
For example: highly skilled persons €45,096 / 13.92 = gross monthly salary €3,239.66.

To calculate the monthly wage from the gross annual salary in a posting (with a foreign employment contract), divide the gross annual salary by 12, as the Belgian regulation of thirteenth month and holiday pay does not apply to foreign wage composition.
For example: highly skilled persons €45,096 / 12 = gross monthly salary €3,758.

The benefits associated with secondment are considered by the government as part of the pay conditions. This is not the case if the employee is paid them to reimburse expenses during the posting. For example: travel costs, accommodation costs and food costs.

In the case of Belgian local employment, wages can be indexed and, over time, this means a higher gross monthly salary than what is stated in the employment contract. However, if this automatic increase (seniority) is not enough to reach the new (indexed) annual salary required for employment authorisation, you must submit a new employment contract or an addendum to the Economic Migration Service. This is to show that the person’s salary meets the new (higher) wage standard.