Professional card - Possible decisions after your application

If your application is admissible, you will receive the decision about your application within 120 days after it was declared admissible. This term can be extended if your file is exceptionally complex. You will be informed of this by e-mail.

Has no decision been taken within the period of 120 days and any possible extension? Then the professional card shall be deemed to have been approved and will be granted.

You will be notified by e-mail if you do not attach all the necessary documents to your application or if they are incomplete. You have 30 days, counting from the day after this notification, to provide the missing documents or details via e-mail to the Economic Migration Department.

Your application is declared inadmissible if you do not provide the missing documents or details within that period.

You can appeal the decision to the Council of State within 60 days following the day of notification of the decision.

You receive the professional card if you meet all conditions. The subsequent steps you must take depend on your situation:

• You already have legal residence in Belgium: the only thing left to do is to pay a fee for the delivery of your professional card. That amount is 90 euro per year for each year of validity of your professional card. For a professional card with a validity period of 2 years you will pay 180 euro. After payment you can download your professional card via the online WSE counter(opens in new window).
• You do not have legal residence in Belgium: you, as well as the Belgian diplomatic post in the country of your residence, shall be informed about the approval. You will then be able to apply for an ‘authorisation for provisional residence’ (visa D) to the diplomatic post. Once the Economic Migration Department receives a copy of your visa via e-mail, the professional card will be sent to an accredited business counter(opens in new window). When you arrive in Belgium, you will need to go there for the delivery of your card and to pay the sum of 90 euro for each year that the professional card is valid. After receiving the professional card you must report to the local authorities of the municipality where you want to reside with your professional card and your visa.

You have the following options if your application has been rejected or if your professional card is revoked.

• You accept the decision
  One year after notification of rejection or revocation, you can submit an application again for the same self-employed professional activity. For a different activity, you can submit a new application without any time restriction.
  
• You appeal the rejection or revocation
  You can lodge an appeal within a period of 30 days with the Flemish minister for Economy, Innovation, Employment, Social Economy and Agriculture. That period commences on the third working day that follows the date indicated on the decision of rejection or revocation.

While the appeal is pending with the minister you must take into account the following stipulations:

• Each new application that you submit for the same activity shall be declared inadmissible.
• The appeal procedure does not have suspensive force. If your right to reside lapses in the meantime, you must follow the directives of the Immigration Office (DVZ) and possibly leave the country.

There are two possible results for your appeal procedure:

• The minister confirms the rejection or revocation
  One year after the initial notification of rejection or revocation, you can submit an application again for the same self-employed professional activity. For a different activity, you can submit a new application without any time restriction.
  
• The minister overturns the rejection or revocation
  The professional card is issued according to the normal procedure, whether or not with additional conditions.