Belgium: Shortage Occupation List Updates in Wallonia and Flanders

Changes to the Wallonia and Flanders shortage occupation lists are as follows: 

• Wallonia. Effective October 1, 2025, the shortage occupation list in Wallonia has decreased to 56 professions (down from the previous 73). New roles were added such as industrial installation electrician, industrial maintenance manager and mechanic for cars and light vehicles. Others were removed such as nurse, tower crane operator, drilling machine operator, ventilation system installer, structural and roof insulator and head chef. This list will be valid until September 30, 2026. Applications that were submitted before October 1, 2025 based on the old list will still benefit from the labor market testing exemption.  
• Flanders. Effective January 1, 2026, the Flanders region’s list of medium-skilled shortage occupations will be revised, replacing the list that has been in place since September 2023. The new list will decrease from 29 professions to 21. This list will be valid until December 31, 2027. Applications that were submitted before January 1, 2026, based on the old list will still benefit from the labor market testing exemption.  

Occupations on either list are exempt from labor market testing. The equivalent list for the Brussels region was revised in mid-2025. 

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.