Renewing, changing or replacing a professional card

Renewing your professional card

The application for renewal of your current professional card must reach us at the latest 90 days before its expiry date.
Important: if you do not submit the application for renewal in time, you risk losing your residence permit. In that case, you cannot apply for a renewal; you can then submit a first application only.

Changing your professional card

Your professional card is only valid for the self-employed activity for which you have applied. Request a change to your professional card if one or more of the following items change (this list is not exhaustive):

• your address
• the address of your registered office or establishment unit
• the legal form of your company
• your position within the company
• your status of secondary occupation to main occupation or vice versa.

Important: If the change of your paper professional card concerns a substantively different professional activity, we will not consider this as a change but as a first application. You must then follow the corresponding new procedure as described on the page ‘Applying for your first professional card’.

Replacing your professional card

You can replace your professional card

• if you have lost the card. Report this to the police. They will provide you with a certificate of loss that you must attach to your application.
• or if the card is damaged.

Put together an application file that consists of these elements:

• A completed, dated and signed application form. Which application form you should use depends on your situation:
  • Do you not have a valid residence permit for Belgium? Or do you reside abroad? Then use this application form (in Dutch)(Word file opens in new window).

  • Do you have a valid residence permit for Belgium? This means: a ‘proof of registration in the foreigners register’ (= electronic residence card type A) or a European Blue Card (= electronic residence card type H)? In that case, use this application form (in Dutch)(Word file opens in new window).

• Proof that you have paid the administration fee of €140.
  You will not receive this document until you pay for your application file. Add the document to your file at the last moment.
• Required documents when renewing your professional card
  • General supporting documents:
    • your current professional card, or a certificate from the police reporting the loss of your professional card
    • an extract from the criminal records in your name, not older than 6 months.
    • a copy of your residence permit.
  • Specific supporting documents, depending on your situation:
    • Does the professional card in itself not entitle you to a residency in Belgium because your residence permit is based on other criteria (e.g. a work permit or family reunification)? In that case, please add these documents:
      • a tax certificate proving that you have paid your taxes and that you have no outstanding debts
      • a certificate from your social insurance fund proving that you have paid social security contributions.
    • Does the professional card in itself entitle you to a residency in Belgium?
      • Are you not a long-term resident(opens in new window) in another EU Member State? Then check the specific pieces of evidence you must enclose in this overview document.
      • Are you a long-term resident in another EU Member State? Then add the specific pieces of evidence from this overview document.
    • Do you want to continue your self-employed activities being a foreign student? If so, add the certificate of registration at the accredited Belgian university or university college
  • Required documents when changing your professional card

    Do you want to change your professional card? You must then provide evidence of the element that needs to be changed.

    Important: If the change of your paper professional card concerns a substantively different professional activity, we will not consider this as a change but as a first application. You must then follow the corresponding new procedure as described on the page ‘Applying for your first professional card’.
  • Required documents when replacing your professional card

    Do you want to replace your professional card? You must then provide

    • a certificate of loss issued by the police if you have lost the professional card
    • or the card itself if it is damaged

All documents in your file must be drawn up in Dutch, French, German or English.

Points to remember for the translation (if necessary) of documents:

• Attach the translation and a copy of the document in the original language to your file.
• All documents provided by official institutions (authorities, banks, educational bodies, etc.) must be translated by a sworn translator. Is the translation handled by a translator sworn abroad? Then the translation must also be legalised or bear an apostille stamp of the competent authority in the issuing country.

Submit your application and pay the administrative fee of €140. Where to apply depends on your situation.

• Do you not have a valid residence permit for Belgium? Or do you reside abroad? Then submit your application file via the Belgian diplomatic mission or consular post(opens in new window) in the country where you have a legal residence. The staff there will provide you with the practical details for paying the application fee of 140 euro.
• Do you have a valid residence permit for Belgium? This means: a ‘proof of registration in the foreigners register’ (= electronic residence card type A) or a European Blue Card (= electronic residence card type H)? Then submit your application in Belgium, at an accredited business counter(opens in new window) of your choice. The staff of the business counter will provide you with the practical details for paying the application fee of 140 euro.
• Are you unable to submit your application in your country of residence for safety reasons (fear for your personal safety)?
  1. First apply for an authorisation from the competent minister in the region where you want to settle and from the federal minister of internal affairs. Do so by submitting a description of your unsafe situation and evidence proving that you cannot apply for the professional card in the country where you reside.
  2. Secondly, in the case of authorisation, submit the application
     • at a Belgian diplomatic or consular post in another country
     • or at an accredited business counter of your choice in Belgium

The embassy, consulate or business counter will send your file to the Economic Migration Service of the competent region within 5 days.

Assessment of your application

The regional Economic Migration Service checks whether you have submitted the application correctly.

• Your application is inadmissible? The diplomatic mission or business counter will inform you of this.
• Your application is admissible? The competent service will then further evaluate your application.

Decision

The regional Economic Migration Service decides on your application file. There are two possibilities:

1. Your application is approved:
   The diplomatic mission or business counter will inform you of this. You can collect the professional card from the business counter of your choice, where you have to pay an additional fee of 90 euro for each year the card is valid
2. Your application is refused​​​​​​.
   Ook dan brengt de diplomatieke post of het ondernemingsloket u op de hoogte. U hebt 2 opties:
   • appeal against the refusal within 30 days
   • submit a new application at the earliest after 2 years following the refusal. Only in these cases do you not have to wait for 2 years:
     • your application was not admissible
     • you can introduce new elements
     • you are submitting an application for a new activity as a self-employed person

Renewing your professional card

Renew your current professional card at least 60 days before its expiry date. You can only renew the card if

• you have a valid residence permit for Belgium. You do not yet have a residence permit when you renew your self-employed permit? Then apply for the permit from the Belgian diplomatic or consular post in the country where you reside.
  
• You comply with the conditions linked to the self-employed permit, including economic use and added value, payment of taxes and social security contributions. The activity you wish to perform with your renewed professional card must also have an economic added value for Flanders in terms of employment, job creation and innovation.

Important: if you do not submit the renewal application in time, you risk losing your residence permit. You will then not be able to apply for renewal, but you can submit an first application(PDF file opens in new window) again.

Changing your self-employed permit
Your professional card is only valid for the self-employed activity for which you applied for it. Apply for a change to your professional card if one or more of the following changes (this list is not restrictive):

• your address
• the address of your registered office or place of business
• your independent professional activity (change or addition)
• your position within the company
• status from secondary to main profession, or vice versa

Important: If the change to the professional card involves a substantively different professional activity, we do not consider this a modification. This new activity will then be analyzed as an initial application and must meet the applicable conditions.

Compile an application file consisting of the sections below.

List of compulsory annexes:

• Copy of legal residence/identity card (Belgian document)
• Extract from criminal records (max. 6 months old)
• A certificate issued by the collector of direct taxes proving that you have complied with this obligation and that you are not in arrears (personal income tax: model 276 C2)
• A certificate issued by your social insurance fund showing when you joined and showing that you have paid all contributions (or an instalment agreement)
• Proof of 120% living wage earned over the past 12 months (pay slips, bank deposits)
• Proof of salary that will be paid to yourself
• Recent balance sheet and income statement + social balance
• Proof of VAT declarations over the past 2 years OR proof that you are exempt from VAT declarations
• Proof of past projects by means of invoices, contracts, cooperation agreements, etc.
• Proof of future projects using invoices, contracts, cooperation agreements, … . .

Obligatory attachment for a student:

• Certificate of enrolment at recognised Belgian college or university

Mandatory for a self-employed person in a secondary occupation:

• Proof of activity as an employee in main profession (min 50%)

Compulsory for a sports company:

• Proof of affiliation to a sports club recognised by the Flemish Sports Federation
• Copy of your diploma obtained at the Flemish Trainers’ School

All documents in your file must be drafted in Dutch, French, German or English.

Points to consider when translating documents:

• Attach the translation and a copy of the document in the original language to your file.
• All documents issued by official institutions (authorities, banks, educational institutions, etc.) must be translated by a sworn translator. Is the translation done by a translator who is sworn abroad? Then the translations must also be legalised or provided with an apostille stamp from the competent authority in the issuing country.

Renewals of professional cards that fall under the new policy must be applied for via the WSE-portal(opens in new window). Note: If you want to apply for a change to your existing professional card, you currently still need to contact an enterprise office such as Liantis, Acerta, Xerius, etc.

An application via the WSE portal can only be submitted from a desktop, not with a smartphone or tablet. More information about logging in to the WSE portal (in Dutch).

You pay 140 euros for your application. Follow the payment instructions you receive after successfully submitting the application.

Mandataries must also apply for renewals for their clients via this route. As a mandatory, you must have a Flemish SSM mandate (in Dutch) (Self Service Mandate) to do this. After receiving your application and payment, you will receive a confirmation by email.

You will hear the decision on your professional card within 120 days of your application being declared admissible. This period may be extended if the dossier is complex.

The regional Economic Migration Department will decide on your application file.
There are 2 possibilities.

1. Approval
   • Your renewal application is approved
     • You pay €90 for each year the professional card is valid. Example: for a professional card valid for two years, you pay €180. Transfer the amount to the account number BE35 3751 1109 9637 stating: ‘BK-NaamFamilienaam-geboortedatum dd/mm/yyyy’.
     • Upon receipt of payment, you can access and download your digital card via the WSE counter.
   • Your change request is approved: you can access and download your digital card via the WSE counter.
2. Refusal
   • Your application is refused: you can appeal against that decision.