Work permits – Journalists
Under certain conditions, foreign journalists can work in Flanders. If this is for a maximum of 90 days, the employer does not need to apply for a work permit.
If it is with a Schengen visa for 90/180 days, or it is for longer than 90 days, the future employer needs to apply for a work permit for the journalist.
Work permits for more than 90 days
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.
For a foreign journalist who does not belong to one of these well-defined categories, the following rules apply:
For the future foreign journalist who comes to Belgium for a maximum of 90 days to work (see Article 16, §1, 3° of the Government of Flanders Order), it is not necessary to apply for a work permit.
For the future foreign journalist who is coming to Belgium to work with a Schengen visa for 90/180 days, the employer needs to apply for a work permit and employer permit. The foreign journalist will be permitted to work for a maximum of 90 days and remain in the Flemish region for the duration of the Schengen visa (valid for 180 days).
For the future foreign journalist who is coming to Belgium to work for longer than 90 days, the future employer needs to apply for a so-called single permit with an indefinite term.
In both cases, the employer can obtain the work permit if the following conditions are sufficiently met:
- The employee is staying in Belgium as a journalist.
- Their assignment will last for 90/180 days with a Schengen visa, or longer than three months.
- The journalist is exclusively linked to one of these three sorts of employers:
- a newspaper published outside Belgium
- a press agency based outside Belgium
- a radio or television station based outside Belgium.