How to Hire Welders from Abroad in Belgium (2026)

7 min

Is there a real welder shortage in Belgium, and where are they needed?

Yes, the welder shortage in Belgium is structural, well-documented, and persistent. The regional employment agencies - VDAB in Flanders, Forem in Wallonia, and Actiris in Brussels - consistently classify welders (TIG, MIG/MAG, and manual metal arc) as a bottleneck profession (knelpuntberoep / métier en pénurie). The deficit is not limited to high-level specialists; it spans general structural steel fabricators, pipe fitters, and industrial maintenance welders.

Demand is concentrated in specific industrial clusters across the country:

Antwerp and Ghent: The Port of Antwerp and North Sea Port in Ghent host large petrochemical complexes, ship repair yards, and heavy manufacturing plants. These locations require high-spec TIG and pipe welders for plant turnarounds and pipeline maintenance.
Liège and Charleroi: Wallonia's traditional industrial heartlands maintain strong demand for heavy structural steel welders, boiler makers, and mechanical repair technicians.
West Flanders and Limburg: Regional hubs with dense networks of machinery manufacturers, agricultural equipment builders, and structural steel sub-contractors face ongoing recruitment deficits.

The industry follows a clear operational rhythm. While workshop fabrication operates year-round, chemical plant maintenance shut-downs create sharp demand spikes in spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November). Belgian contractors who rely solely on local sub-contracting during these peak periods face inflated hourly rates and severe labor scarcity. As a result, hiring qualified welders from non-EU countries has become a standard operational strategy rather than an exception.

The legal route: The Single Permit application process

To employ a non-EU welder in Belgium, you must secure a Single Permit (Gecombineerde vergunning / Permis unique). This single procedure grants both authorization to work and authorization to reside in Belgium. The application is submitted entirely by you, the employer, not by the worker.

The application is processed through the federal "Working in Belgium" online portal (workinginbelgium.be). Depending on where your operational headquarters or primary work location is based, the file is reviewed by the relevant regional authority:

Flanders: Departement Werk en Sociale Economie
Wallonia: SPW Économie, Emploi, Recherche
Brussels: Brussels Economy and Employment

Because welding trades appear on the official regional shortage lists, the standard labor-market test - where an employer must prove that no Belgian or EU candidate could be found after weeks of public advertising - is streamlined or waived for qualified applicants who possess documented professional qualifications. However, you must still submit a compliant employment contract that meets Belgian statutory pay requirements.

Once the regional authority approves the employment aspect, the file moves to the federal Immigration Office (Dienst Vreemdelingenzaken / Office des Étrangers) for public order and security clearance. Upon dual approval, the government issues an official authorization letter known as a Annex 46 (Bijlage 46 / Annexe 46). Immigration rules and regional shortage lists are updated periodically; employers should verify current procedural details directly with the relevant regional employment department or the federal Immigration Office before filing.

Timeline: From job offer to first day on site

Hiring a non-EU welder is not a rapid fix for an unexpected workload next week. You must plan for a lead time of 3 to 6 months from the moment you select a candidate to the day they step onto your shop floor.

Month 1 (Preparation and Filing): Gather candidate documentation, including passport copies, medical certificates, police clearances, proof of technical experience, and standardized ISO welding certificates. Contract documents are prepared, signed, and uploaded to the Working in Belgium portal.
Months 2 to 4 (Regional and Federal Review): The regional labor authority assesses the wage level and job classification. Once approved, the file moves to the Dienst Vreemdelingenzaken for background checks. The combined review officially takes up to 120 days, though shortage occupations are often processed in 60 to 90 days.
Month 5 (Visa Issuance): Upon receiving the Annex 46 decision, the candidate presents themselves at the Belgian embassy or consulate in their home country to obtain a Visa D (national long-stay visa).
Month 6 (Arrival and Registration): The worker arrives in Belgium, registers at the local municipal hall (gemeentehuis / maison communale) in the town where they live, receives a temporary residency document (Annex 15), undergoes required occupational safety health checks, and begins work.

What you must pay and provide: Wages, collective agreements, and housing

In Belgium, pay scales are strictly dictated by sector-specific Joint Committees (Paritair Comité / Commission Paritaire - PC). You cannot negotiate an arbitrary salary with a non-EU welder. The contract must match or exceed the standard sector wage agreements negotiated by Belgian trade unions and employer federations.

Most welders are employed under one of two primary Joint Committees:

PC 111 (Metal, Mechanical and Electrical Trades): Covers industrial workshops, machinery manufacturing, and plant maintenance. Gross hourly wages for skilled welders under PC 111 typically range between 16.50 EUR and 22.00 EUR per hour depending on skill grade, technical difficulty (e.g., multi-process TIG/SMAW high-pressure stainless steel welding), and regional sub-agreements.
PC 124 (Construction): Applies if the welder works primarily on structural construction sites. Wages follow strict category scales (Category I to Category IV), with minimum base rates starting around 17.50 EUR per hour and rising above 21.50 EUR per hour for certified master craftspeople.

In addition to basic hourly pay, Belgian law requires employers to provide standard sector benefits: mandatory automatic wage indexation, eco-vouchers, end-of-year bonuses (13th-month pay), paid public holidays, and shift premiums for night or weekend work.

Housing obligations: While Belgian employment law does not require employers in manufacturing to pay for ongoing private housing indefinitely, securing short-term or initial accommodation is practically necessary when recruiting foreign welders directly. If you provide housing, it must fully comply with regional housing legislation (such as the Flemish Housing Code / Code Wallon du Logement) regarding space, safety, and hygiene standards. Substandard accommodation exposes employers to severe municipal sanctions.

Strict prohibition on recruitment fees: Under Belgian law and international labor standards, a legitimate employer never requires a candidate to pay for their recruitment, permit processing, or job placement. Charging jobseekers fees to secure employment is illegal. Workers who are asked to pay recruitment fees by intermediaries are frequently victims of financial fraud or labor exploitation schemes. Employers using third-party recruiters must ensure no fees are extracted from candidates, as Belgian courts can hold end-user companies civilly and criminally liable under the Social Penal Code for illegal labor practices within their supply chain.

Technical certifications and qualification recognition

Welding in Belgium is governed by clear technical norms rather than formal academic degree equivalencies. You do not need to wait for academic diploma recognition from bodies like NARIC or EQUIP for general industrial welding. Instead, competence is validated through practical ISO welding certifications.

Most industrial employers in Belgium require welders to hold active certifications according to established international standards:

EN ISO 9606-1: Qualification test of welders for steels (covers welding processes such as 111, 135, 136, 141).
EN ISO 9606-2: Qualification test of welders for aluminum and aluminum alloys.
EN 1090 / PED (Pressure Equipment Directive): Mandatory for structural steel fabricators and high-pressure vessel fabricators.

While candidates may hold existing ISO 9606 certificates issued in their home countries, Belgian technical inspectors and safety coordinators often require a practical re-test witnessed by an accredited notified body (such as Vinçotte, TÜV Rheinland, or Apragaz) upon arrival in Belgium. This practical test validates that the welder's hand skills match the exact material, thickness, position, and weld procedure specification (WPS) required for your projects.

What this costs you, roughly

Hiring a non-EU welder directly involves distinct upfront administrative and setup expenses. Below is a breakdown of realistic employer costs per worker:

Single Permit administrative fee: 140 EUR to 360 EUR (federal immigration contribution plus regional administrative fees).
Document translation and apostilles: 200 EUR to 600 EUR (sworn translation of criminal records, birth certificates, and employment contracts into Dutch or French).
Travel costs: 400 EUR to 1,200 EUR (one-way flight and initial transit to Belgium).
On-site ISO qualification testing: 300 EUR to 800 EUR (third-party notified body witness fees for weld sample testing).
Initial housing setup: 800 EUR to 2,000 EUR (advance rent or deposit support for initial temporary lodging).
Legal or administrative assistance (optional): 1,000 EUR to 2,500 EUR if you retain a specialized Belgian immigration lawyer or social secretariat to handle the filing.

Finding candidates directly on the Workuro registry

Workuro offers a transparent alternative to traditional international staffing agencies. Instead of paying hefty recruitment fees or ongoing hourly agency markups, Belgian employers can search the Workuro registry directly for international welders who have published profiles and expressed an explicit desire to relocate to Europe.

On Workuro:

Employers browse candidate profiles, review welding process experience (TIG, MIG/MAG, SMAW), check existing ISO certifications, and contact candidates directly.
Workuro is not a recruitment agency, charges no per-hire placement fees, and does not act as an intermediary in contract negotiations.
Workers never pay a fee to create a profile or receive a job offer.

The Workuro registry is young and still growing. You will not find tens of thousands of instant profiles, but you will find motivated, skilled tradespeople who are looking for direct, legal employment with stable Belgian companies. You retain full control over your interviewing, trade testing, and Single Permit application processes while keeping your hiring costs predictable.