Hello,
To be able to work as a trainee in Belgium, a foreign national must, in principle, have a valid work permit. This requirement is not binding on the national of a Member State of the European Economic Area (ie the European Union, plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) and Switzerland.
The regulation provides, however, for several cases of exemptions from the work permit requirement (in addition to the above-mentioned exemption for nationals of the European Economic Area) for foreign trainees.
Trainees are people who are doing an internship, ie apprenticeship with an employer of a profession in continuation of prior training attested by a diploma or a certificate of studies.
The employer of the trainee must, for its part, obtain a license of occupation when the trainee is subject to the obligation of the work permit.
Are exempted from the obligation to obtain a work permit:
students who undertake compulsory internships for the purposes of their studies in Belgium;
trainees occupied by a Belgian public authority;
trainees employed by an international public-law organization established in Belgium and whose status is governed by a treaty in force, or occupied under a program approved by that organization.
Occupancy permit and work permit
An employer who wishes to occupy a trainee must apply for a permit of occupation from the competent regional authority.
This authorization is granted without examination of the labor market but under certain other conditions.
The trainee must be at least eighteen years of age and have not reached the age of thirty on the date of the authorization of occupation and the work permit.
He must make a commitment not to work in Belgium during the period of the internship.
The internship must be full-time, it may not exceed twelve months and must be the subject of an internship contract that indicates the number of hours of training and the amount of remuneration that can not be less than the legal minimum ( this includes the amount of any scholarships).
The internship must be accompanied by a training program. The age limit of thirty years is not applicable to trainees recruited by a university, a higher education institution or a recognized scientific institution.
The trainee receives a work permit B in case of granting the occupation permit to the employer.
Wages & Fees
The internship, carried out as part of your studies, is free of charge: the trainee student receives from the training supervisor no remuneration, money or benefits in kind.
The award of allowances for costs actually incurred and gifts truly of this character does not constitute a breach of the free nature of the probationary period.
An internship in a company outside your studies must be paid (according to your age and according to a calculation made from half of the monthly minimum wage).
