These new levels relate to the authorisations for employing and granting work permits to foreign nationals (from outside the EEA).
In application of article 131 of the law of 3 July 1978 on employment contracts and article 9 of the Royal Decree of 9 June 1999 enforcing the law of 30 April 1999 on the employment of foreign nationals (as modified by the Royal Decree of 6 February 2003), salary levels taken into account for issuing authorisations for the employment of foreign nationals and work permits for highly qualified foreign employees or executives who have a management position in Belgium, are linked to the index of contractual salaries. Such levels are therefore reviewed each year.
From 1 January 2010, authorisations to employ foreigners and work permits for foreign nationals are issued for:
- highly qualified foreign employees, whose employment in Belgium is, in principle, limited to four years (but can be extended for another 4 years), even if suitable labour can be found in Europe to fill the vacancy, as long as their gross salary exceeds € 36,349 per year;
- foreign executives who hold a management position, as long as their gross salary exceeds € 60,645 per year.
