Working in Belgium from Zimbabwe: Visa, Permit, Costs (2026)

Is Belgium a realistic choice for Zimbabwean workers?

Belgium offers high living standards, strong worker protections, and good wages, but it is not the easiest European country to enter for trade workers from Zimbabwe. Belgium does not run a general low-skilled work visa program or an open seasonal worker quota for non-EU citizens. To move there legally, you need an official job offer from an employer who can prove they could not find a suitable worker within Europe.

Language is another important factor. Belgium operates primarily in Dutch and French. While English is common in management, daily communication on work sites and in local communities requires basic French or Dutch. If you hold trade qualifications as a heavy vehicle driver, industrial welder, or specialized technician, Belgium is a realistic goal because these roles appear on official regional shortage lists. However, if you are seeking general farm work or entry-level warehouse jobs with no formal credentials, countries like Poland or Croatia currently offer much higher permit volumes and simpler visa routes for Zimbabwean applicants.

The Single Permit route: Who applies first?

To work legally in Belgium for longer than 90 days, you need a combined work and residence authorization called the Single Permit (known in Dutch as Gecombineerde vergunning and in French as Permis unique). You cannot apply for this permit on your own as an individual jobseeker. The Belgian employer must start the application process on your behalf inside Belgium.

The employer submits your employment contract and trade credentials to the regional employment agency where the job is located. Belgium is divided into three main regions, each managing its own labor market:

• Flanders (VDAB): The Dutch-speaking northern region, which hires many logistics, transport, and manufacturing workers.
• Wallonia (Forem): The French-speaking southern region, which hires industrial, mechanical, and technical workers.
• Brussels (Actiris): The bilingual capital region, focused heavily on services, maintenance, and healthcare support.

If the regional authority approves the employer application or confirms your trade is on their shortage list, they pass the file to the Belgian Federal Immigration Office. Once both authorities agree, they issue a formal approval decision called an Annex 46 letter. Only after your employer receives this letter can you apply for your entry visa in Zimbabwe.

Where to apply and key documents in Zimbabwe

Once your Single Permit approval letter is issued in Belgium, you must apply for a long-stay D visa (national visa) to travel. You submit your application in person at the official visa application centre serving Belgium in Harare, such as the VFS Global centre, or the designated diplomatic mission handling Belgian visa files for Zimbabwe. You will submit your passport, have your biometrics taken, and present your original documents.

You will need to gather several key documents in Zimbabwe before your employer can finalize the permit file:

• Valid passport: Your Zimbabwean passport must be valid for at least 12 to 15 months beyond your planned travel date and have at least two blank visa pages.
• Signed employment contract: A binding contract signed by your Belgian employer stating your job title, working hours, and salary, which must meet Belgian legal wage requirements.
• Police clearance certificate: An official clearance certificate from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) in Harare, showing a clean criminal record.
• Medical certificate: A medical form completed and stamped by a recognized panel doctor in Zimbabwe, confirming you do not carry diseases that threaten public health.
• Proof of qualifications: Copies of your trade certificates, National Certificate, Journeyman card, or trade test documents, alongside stamped reference letters from previous employers in Zimbabwe.

Key official documents issued in Zimbabwe, including your ZRP police clearance and medical certificate, must be authenticated or legalised. You must take these documents to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in Harare to receive an official authentication stamp before submitting them to Belgian authorities. Without this official stamp, Belgian immigration will reject your documents.

Realistic costs and processing times

Moving to Belgium involves administrative costs on both sides. Knowing who pays for what helps you budget accurately and protect yourself from recruitment fraud.

Official government fees and timelines include:

• Regional administrative fee: Belgium charges an administrative fee (retribution) for processing a Single Permit file, which ranges from approximately 140 EUR to 200 EUR. In legitimate recruitment, the Belgian employer usually pays this fee directly to the Belgian treasury.
• Long-stay D visa fee: When submitting your passport in Harare, the national visa fee is approximately 180 EUR, payable in US Dollars or local currency equivalent at the visa centre exchange rate.
• Processing time: The Single Permit application in Belgium takes approximately 2 to 4 months to receive regional and federal approval. Visa processing in Harare takes an additional 2 to 4 weeks once your approval letter is ready.

On the Zimbabwe side, you will pay out-of-pocket costs for gathering your documents. These estimated expenses include:

• ZRP Police clearance: Approximately 10 USD to 30 USD (or ZiG equivalent) depending on processing speed at CID Harare.
• Medical examination: Approximately 50 USD to 120 USD for the doctor fee and required chest X-rays.
• Document authentication: Approximately 20 USD to 50 USD for official stamping at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Harare.
• Official translations: If your certificates are only in local languages, sworn translation into French or Dutch costs approximately 20 USD to 40 USD per page.
• Airfare: A one-way flight from Harare to Brussels costs approximately 500 EUR to 900 EUR depending on the airline and season.

Placement fee warning: In Belgium and across the European Union, recruitment agencies and employers are strictly forbidden from charging jobseekers a fee for a job offer or employment contract. The employer carries all recruitment costs. Beware of fake agents in Zimbabwe or on social media demanding processing fees, job reservation fees, or guaranteed visa fees. Transferring money via mobile wallet to secure a Belgian job is a guaranteed scam.

In-demand trades in Belgium for 2026

Belgium actively recruits foreign trade workers to fill shortages in technical and manual sectors where local applicants are unavailable:

• International truck drivers: Transport companies in Flanders and Wallonia hire heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers holding CE licenses for regional freight and logistics routes across Western Europe.
• Industrial welders and fitters: Manufacturing plants, shipyards, and construction sites in port hubs like Antwerp actively recruit certified MIG, TIG, and pipe welders with proven trade experience.
• Licensed healthcare assistants: Elderly care homes and medical facilities hire qualified caregivers and nursing assistants who have formal diplomas and intermediate French or Dutch skills.

Myths vs facts

• Myth: You can travel to Belgium on a standard Schengen tourist visa and convert it into a work permit after arriving in Brussels.
• Fact: Belgian law forbids converting a tourist visa into a Single Permit from inside the country. You must complete the permit process while in Zimbabwe and receive your D visa before traveling.
• Myth: Speaking English is enough to live and work long term in any Belgian trade job.
• Fact: While English is helpful in international companies, workplace safety instructions, contracts, and daily life require basic French or Dutch skills depending on the region.
• Myth: You can pay a recruitment agent in Harare to guarantee you a Belgian work permit.
• Fact: Work permits are issued exclusively by Belgian regional authorities based on legitimate job contracts, and paying an agent for a permit guarantee is illegal.
• Myth: Belgian employers can easily hire Zimbabwean workers for general un-skilled seasonal picking or cleaning roles.
• Fact: Single Permits for non-EU citizens are almost strictly reserved for skilled trades and certified shortage occupations, not general un-skilled labor.

Before you sign

Before accepting a job offer or signing an employment agreement for Belgium, complete this practical checklist:

• Verify the employer: Confirm that the Belgian company is registered with the Belgian Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (KBO/BCE) and has an active corporate registration number.
• Check contract terms: Ensure your contract details your exact job title, work location, weekly working hours (typically 38 hours), and gross monthly salary.
• Confirm language requirements: Ask your employer what language is spoken on the work site and whether language training is offered upon arrival.
• Clarify housing support: Ask whether the employer provides initial accommodation or assists with finding rental housing in Belgium.
• Ensure zero placement fees: Double-check that no agency or middleman is asking you for money in exchange for the job contract or visa processing.

Put your details on Workuro

If you are a qualified trade worker in Zimbabwe ready to find legal work in Europe, keep your Workuro profile updated. Enter your exact trade qualifications, your driving license classes, your passport details, and any French or Dutch language skills you possess. When European recruiters search for verified workers in shortage trades, a complete profile helps them connect with you directly.

Workuro is free for workers - employers pay to search the register, and nobody may charge you for a job.