Belgium: Regions Agree on Unified EU Blue Card Long-Term Mobility Pathway Rule

A March 22, 2024 Cooperation Agreement between the federal and three regional jurisdictions of Belgium has confirmed that the same revised EU Blue Card long-term mobility pathway now applies throughout the country. Under this rule (in effect since April 5, 2024), EU Blue Card holders who have resided for at least 12 months in another EU Member State will be eligible to enter and work in Belgium without a separate visa (for a period longer than 90 days) – though within at least one month of arriving in Belgium, the foreign national will need to apply for a Belgian EU Blue Card work permit. Previously, this right of entry for EU Blue Card holders only applied after at least 18 months residence in the other EU Member State. By way of context, the Flanders region is set to implement the revised Directive on May 1, 2024, and the Brussels region is aiming for October 1, 2024. No date has yet been announced for the Walloon region or the country’s federal level (which will address only certain specific elements of the revised EU Blue Card directive).