Truck Driver Jobs in Belgium for Foreign Drivers (2026)

Belgium packs two of Europe's great ports - Antwerp-Bruges and Zeebrugge traffic combined with Ghent - plus the logistics belt serving Brussels and the EU's densest motorway network into a small country. Belgian transport federations have long flagged thousands of unfilled driver seats and an ageing workforce. For foreign drivers there is a twist you must know: immigration for work is regional.

The permit route: regional single permits

Work migration is handled separately by Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels through the single permit (permis unique / gecombineerde vergunning). Where your employer is based determines which rules apply:

• Flanders maintains a shortage occupation list (knelpuntberoepen), and truck drivers have featured on it. When listed, the labour-market test is waived and the employer's application is considerably smoother.
• Wallonia and Brussels run their own lists and procedures, which do not always match Flanders - a job in Liege is processed differently from one in Antwerp.
• The single permit combines work and residence in one application filed by the employer; processing takes months, so start early.

Since most port and logistics jobs sit in Flanders, that region's list is the one to watch. For the general mechanics of employer-filed applications, see how EU employer sponsorship works.

Licence and Code 95

Belgium requires C/CE with Code 95 (vakbekwaamheid / aptitude professionnelle), overseen by the FPS Mobility and Transport.

• Belgium recognises licences from a list of countries for exchange; heavy categories from most non-EU states are not on it, meaning Belgian theory and practical exams. Exams run in the official languages, with interpreter options in some cases - check with the exam centre (GOCA network).
• Basic qualification plus 35 hours of periodic training per five years follows the EU standard.
• Port-related work often needs extras: an Alfapass for Antwerp port access, ADR for chemicals - the chemical cluster around Antwerp is one of the world's largest and pays accordingly.

Pay: JC 140.03 and the allowance culture

Belgian trucking pay is set by Joint Committee 140.03 for road transport and logistics. The structure matters as much as the base: hourly scales by seniority, plus RGPT allowances, night and weekend supplements, and untaxed subsistence allowances for time away. As a rough 2026 guide, gross pay for a full-time driver typically lands around 2,600 to 3,300 euros monthly before allowances, with international and ADR tanker work noticeably higher once allowances are counted. Belgian wages are also automatically indexed to inflation - unusual in Europe. Hedged estimates as always; the JC 140.03 tables are the real reference.

Domestic vs international

Container drayage from Antwerp, chemical transport, retail distribution and parcel linehaul dominate domestic work, largely home-daily. International work reaches France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK (with post-Brexit border formalities). Congestion is the daily tax of Belgian driving - Antwerp's ring is infamous - so patience is a professional skill here.

Cost of living

Belgium is mid-range for western Europe. Housing near Antwerp and Ghent logistics zones is more affordable than Brussels. Language matters regionally: Dutch in Flanders, French in Wallonia - basic Dutch meaningfully widens your options where most trucking jobs are.

Standard warning: nobody legitimate charges workers for a job offer or a permit. Belgian social inspection actively polices transport labour fraud.

Which employers to target

Your fastest route into Belgium runs through employers who have already completed single-permit hires: container drayage firms around Antwerp, chemical logistics specialists (where ADR-qualified drivers are chronically scarce and paid best), and the big retail distribution operators across Flanders. Ask directly how many non-EU drivers they currently employ - the answer tells you immediately whether their HR department can actually run the regional process. On your side, prepare reference letters detailing container, tanker or refrigerated experience, plus a clean-record extract and certified licence translations. If you hold or can obtain ADR certification, lead with it in your profile: in the Antwerp chemical cluster it is frequently the difference between a polite automated reply and an interview within days.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Regional lists and procedures change - check the official sources: Flanders' work permit pages (vlaanderen.be), and dofi.ibz.be for residence questions.

Belgian logistics employers search internationally for CE drivers, especially around the ports. Create your free profile on Workuro - free, no credit card, employers contact you directly. Create your free profile now.