Working Holiday Visa in Belgium

About this visa

8 Things to Note When Applying for a Working Holiday Visa in Belgium

The visa helps young Canadians, New Zealanders and Australians to work and travel in Belgium up to a year. You can generally apply for this visa if you have at least EUR 2,500 to live on during your stay.

COVID-19 UPDATE:

EU countries are starting to reopen their borders to international travelers. However, before heading off to Europe be sure to double check with the country's Embassy or Consulate in your home country as the EU countries are not legally bound to follow this new EU recommendation.


Participating countries

Belgium has made Working Holiday visa agreements with the following 5 participating countries:

If you are a Citizen of Belgium and are considering a Working Holiday experience in one of the participating countries above, contact the Embassy of the country in question for more information.


With this visa you can

This visa allows you to:

  • Live in Belgium for up to one year
  • Work for an employer for up to 6 months
  • Study / participate in a course
  • leave and re-enter Belgium any number of times while the visa is valid.

Things to note

You should arrive in Belgium within 3 months from the date your visa was issued.

Within 8 days after your arrival, head to the City Hall/local administration building (commune or gemeente) in order to get registered. Once your registration is complete, you should receive a type-A residence card, which will allow you to travel in the Schengen area.


Conditions

In order to apply for the Belgian working holiday visa you must meet the following requirements:

  1. have a holiday in Belgium as their primary intention, employment being incidental and accessory
  2. be aged between 18 and 30 years at the time of application
  3. hold a valid passport; possess a valid return ticket, or sufficient funds to purchase such a ticket
  4. have sufficient means, i.e. a minimum of EUR 2,500
  5. be a first time applicant for the working holiday visa
  6. submit a medical certificate issued by a medical doctor appointed by the Belgian Embassy, stating that you have no disease or infirmity that may endanger public health, order or security
  7. submit your National Criminal History Record Check
  8. it is recommended you have comprehensive medical and hospitalisation insurance for the duration of your stay (see also health care agreement – a valid medicare card is essential).

Note: The visa conditions outlined above are subject to change without notice.


How to apply

  • Normal processing time: 4-6 weeks
  • Visa fee: 350 EUR

For Australians and New Zealanders

You must apply for the long stay visa to the Belgian Embassy in Canberra.

19 Arkana Street, Yarralumla ACT 2600
tel: + 61.(0)2/6273.2501 fax: + 61.(0)2/6273.3392
Email: canberra@diplobel.fed.be

Go to: Belgian embassy in Australia

For Canadians

You must apply for the long stay visa by sending a courier to Belgium’s Consulate General in Montreal.

Consulate General of Belgium in Montreal
Visa Dept. / WHP
999, de Maisonneuve W. #1600
Montreal, QC  H3A 3L4

Go to: Belgian Embassy in Canada


Additional resources

Here are additional links and resources related to the Working Holiday visa in Belgium. All resources are in English unless otherwise stated.

COVID-19 border restriction update: 

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2020/may/18/europe-holidays-which-european-countries-are-easing-coronavirus-travel-restrictions-lockdown-measures


Need more help?

If you are seeking advice about Working Holiday visa's drop a comment below and we will be happy to answer any Working Holiday & Youth Mobility visa question you have! We are travellers too! 🙂

Ask a question below

27 thoughts on “Working Holiday Visa in Belgium”

  1. Hello, I am a canadian citizen living in the UK (and have been for many years), can I apply through the Belgium Embassy here or do i have to go back to Canada to apply?

    Thanks
    Maya

  2. Hi,

    I am an Indian resident residing and working in USA. I want to apply for a belgium working holiday visa. It would be great if someone could help me with that.

    Best,
    Devanshu

  3. I am an Australian and I have my WHV for Belgium. I have not entered Belgium yet. I was going to stay with family friends but there rea concerns from them on tax implication of adding another resident to their home address. When I enter Belgium can I register at local town hall using a hostel or airbnb address? Do police check my residence at the accommodation? How long will it be before I can travel. How long before I get the Residence card?

  4. Hi there,

    ight be a silly question, but do I need to fid a job in Belgium before applying for the working holiday visa?

  5. Hi there,

    Could I apply for a work holiday visa within Belgium as a Canadian after arriving Belgium as a tourist?

    Many thanks,
    Christina

  6. Is there a checklist anywhere of what needs to be completed prior to applying for a working holiday visa for Belgium? Kind regards

  7. Hello,
    I am from Argentina
    I noticed and I can not get a Working Holiday visa to Belgium
    I tried to do it in Germany but it is impossible to access a shift in the ambassador
    Do you know how I can do it?

    Thanks
    Paul

  8. Hi, thank you for the excellent overview!

    I’m going to be finishing my Masters this April and was looking to maybe apply for a Belgian WH for September 2022 (COVID restrictions allowing).

    However, I also want to travel Europe during the 2022-2023 year (again, restrictions allowing), and I’m having a difficult time figuring out what’s allowed or not within the confines of the working holiday. For example, can you apply for the WH visa, get set up in Belgium, explore the continent for a few months, and then head back to Belgium to settle down and do some work?

    Also, are WH visas still under Schengen 90-day restrictions? I.e., can you spend more than 90 days outside of Belgium in the Schengen zone within a 180 day period?

    Thanks!

  9. Hello!
    My Canadian Girlfriend would like to apply for the WHV to join me in Belgium in January for 6 months. We would alternate our stays between Spain and Belgium as I have some work there. Is that allowed (+/- same amount of days in both countries)?
    The fees are relatively high and non refundable, are WHV usually easily accepted (she should be ok with all requirements) ?
    Do you know if they started issuing theses visas again post covid?

    Thank you for your help!!

  10. Hello, I am a Canadian currently living in Germany. Is it only possible to apply for a Belgian Working Holiday Visa at the Consulate in Canada? Or is there some other way of doing it while staying in Europe? Could I apply for it in Belgium perhaps?

    Thank you for the information.

  11. Hi there,

    I am a New Zealand citizen currently in Belgium on a study visa. I am hoping get a working holiday visa so as to extend my stay here after finishing my studies in July 2021. is it possible to apply for a working holiday visa from here – i.e. without having to go back New Zealand ?

    Thanks !

  12. Hi!

    I’m from Canada. I have a child under 3 years old and would like to get a WHV. Would I need a visitor visa for the child?

    Thank you!

  13. Hi,

    I am currently living in France but I am an Australian and I want to apply for a whv in Belgium.

    I can only find information about applying in Canberra Australia but I hope to apply in Beglium or at a consulate. Can you help me please 🙂 ?

    Kind regards

    1. Hi Sarah,

      Unfortunately, you must apply via the Belgian Embassy in Canberra, however if I were you I would contact the Belgian Embassy in Canberra via email to see if you can apply for the whv via email.

      Cheers
      Maria

  14. Hi there, I am a New Zealand citizen and trying to get a working holiday visa for Belgium asap, as my partner is moving there on a British Passport. Do you know if these visas are being processed yet and if so, the processing time?

    Thanks
    Tennille

    1. Hi Tennille,

      As Belgium has not reopened their borders yet to non EU and UK citizens, they will not be processing any visa applications at the moment.
      The processing time is 4-6 weeks, prior to COVID-19 so I dont have an exact estimate of how long the processing time will take once the borders reopen again.

      My advice to you would be to contact your local Belgian diplomatic office to inform them about your situation, and what your next step could be in order to travel to Belgium with your partner.

      Hopes this answers your questions.

      Cheers,
      Maria

  15. Hello! I am from Argentina I would like to have an experience in Belgium, i visited the country before and i fell in love with Brugge and Gent! I would like to get to know the culture better and study both flemish and French. Right now I am living in Denmark also with a working visa which expires in December. I would like to know if I am able to apply for the working holiday in Belgium and when and how should I start. Thank you very much

    1. Hi Agustina,

      Thank you for your comment, we are happy to help!

      Unfortunately, you cannot apply for a working holiday visa in Belgium as there is no Memorandum of Understanding between Belgium and Argentina yet.
      However, you are eligible to apply for a working holiday visa in the Netherlands, could this be an alternative option?

      You can find out how to apply for the Dutch working holiday visa here – https://34.82.76.252/visa-country/netherlands/

      If you do wish to work and travel in the Netherlands too, please let me know, and I will guide you through the Dutch working holiday visa process.

      Cheers,
      Maria

  16. Hi I am from Australia,
    Can you get a working holiday visa for multiple consecutive years in the same country? Because if so the Belgian government says: “In Belgium, it’s possible to apply for citizenship after 3 years of legal residence.” one of the requirements is that you speak one of the three languages. so if you went on a working holiday for 3 consecutive years and mould speak French, Dutch or German could you apply for citizenship?

  17. Hello!

    I am Canadian and after finishing my undergraduate degree, I spent a year abroad on a Working Holiday Visa in the Netherlands. Now after finishing my Masters/Graduates degree, I was curious as to if I can apply for another Working Holiday Visa to another country within the EU? My understanding was that I could only use that visa option once within Holland but I wasn’t sure if that was once within the EU Nations.

    If it is the case I am unable to obtain a Working Holiday Visa, are there other programs for recent graduates?

    Thank you,

    Madison

    1. Hi Madison,

      Thank you for leaving a comment. We are happy to help 🙂

      Please keep COVID-19 restrictions in mind, as there may be some border crossing restrictions between the EU countries, so if you can wait with applying for the working holiday visa in Belgium please do so and stay put in Holland.
      Once the restrictions are eased, you can apply for a working holiday visa in Belgium, and after this visa expires you can apply for another working holiday visa in a different country again.
      You just need to meet the country’s work and travel visa requirements (For Canadians in Belgium, you must be under the age of 30 years old, have a saving of 2,500 EUR etc., you can find the criterias above).

      Safe travels,

      Cheers
      Maria

  18. Hi,

    I have a totally ridiculous question but I am hoping you can help me. I am a Canadian, residing in The Netherlands on a working visa. I want to get a driver’s license, but despite the Netherlands saying there is a reciprocal agreement with my province, it actually only goes one way.

    However, Belgium has an agreement with my province, AND the Netherlands. It’s a bit absurd, but is it theoretically possible to have TWO concurrent residence permits in the EU (one working holiday, and one working)? Are there legal issues with this? I was hoping I could hop into Belgium to change my license over, and then exchange it here in the Netherlands. I obviously don’t want to do anything illegal, but paying another €2000 for a driver’s license again, is a bit of a bummer.

    Of course, I also know that there are delays due to Corona, but I’m hoping for afterwards.

    1. Hi Mike,

      Thank you for your question.

      There are no. limits to how many residence permits you can have. However, with the COVID-19 be careful with crossing the borders atm, plus both the Netherlands and Belgium are careful with granting non-EU residents visa if they are not able to provide a solid reasoning for being granted the visa.
      I reckon getting a WHV just for a drivers licence would be a little bit of a stretch for them.
      There might be another way to get a Dutch driver’s license. If you have an International driver’s license most EU countries are more likely to change this license into their country’s drivers license, if you can prove to them you have full time work and are residing in the country. Contact the local police station and see if you can charm them into slipping you a Dutch drivers license, when you provide them with your Dutch address, Dutch bank details, work permit visa and International Drivers license(if you have one).

      Hope this answers help. If not, feel free to ask again 🙂

      Cheers,
      Maria

  19. Hi there. I am an Australian citizen, currently in Australia. I would like to get to Belgium as soon as possible on a Working Holiday. Are Working holiday visas still currently being processed even though travel restrictions are in place? Thank you.

    1. Hi Ally,

      Everything is on hold at the moment, so sit tight until 2021.

      Cheers,
      Maria

      1. hi i am malaysian citizen, i would like to get to belgium at anytime, are work permit still currently being processed ? my country allow me to flight to belgium with work permit or others visa, thank you.

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