Renewal of single permit or long-term residency (D/L) card?

66POSTS

4 years ago

Hey folks,

I'm in a bit of a conundrum.

Currently, I've got my resident + WP valid till July, 2022. This would be my fourth year of working in Belgium. Additionally, I have a Master's degree from the VUB (2 year master).

Do I:
1) Ask my employer to apply for renewal of my WP ?
2) Ask the commune for a D card?

Additionally, for point 2: do I need to submit the "individual rekeningen" or can I submit all my payslips instead? The reason I ask this is because I am yet to receive my individual rekeningen for 2021. And this won't happen before end of February, as my HR told me.

However, I didn't want to wait till March to apply for the D card since it takes ~5 months and I don't want to risk my existing permit expiring before I get the D card.

Additionally, once applied for D card, is there any sort of Annex or document the commune gives as proof of application?

See also

Obtaining a work permit in Belgium - Guide
A Card Unlimited Renewal or L Card Application - 4 Replies
Long term visa for single parent - 1 Reply
Renewal of Single Permit - unlimited work market - 3 Replies
Renewal of single permit - 1 Reply
Second renewal of Single permit - 8 Replies
Single permit / Card A renewal - 2 Replies

AlexFromBelgium Animateur Belgique EN/FR

1739POSTS

4 years ago

Hello,

you don't need to ask your employer for a new WP as you'll get unlimited access with your new resident permit for your 4th year of stay.
No, you can't ask for the D card yet, as you've to wait for the 5th year of stay.

Your individual rekeningen is useless, as it's only a document from your company to fill in the yearly taxes.
Your yearly tax bill is what they'll expect to receive, you can download them all online on
Adding your payslips is just an "extra", as well as your contract.

As long as there's a renewal process ongoing, you'll not have any gap in your stay.
You'll receive a document to allow you to stay in Belgium during the process.
And yes, the commune has to give you a specif annex to allow you to proof that you're currently under a process of renewal + upgrade.
Many communes doesn't do, but the law states that they're force to give you that document.
It's also a security for you, administration will not be able to say: hey we've never receive any request ==> resident permit denied + formal order to leave the country.

richeekdey3 Active member

66POSTS

4 years ago

Sorry for not being clear, this is my "4th year". I thought I could apply for a D card as long as I satisfy 5 years of uninterrupted work OR x years of work + study? And the study period counts as half?

So that would total to 5 in my case as its 1 year for the study + 4 years of working. Or I'm missing something?

For reference, my "stay" in Belgium --> this is my 7th year. I spent 2014 to half-of-2018 as a student.

I moved here in 2014 to study. Wass on a student status (A card) till summer of 2018. Started working July 2018. Graduated from my (2nd) master in December 2018.

AlexFromBelgium Animateur Belgique EN/FR

1739POSTS

4 years ago

As far as I remember, for D card, you must have been working for the last 5 years at least.
But the B card is already accessible to you as you've been in "legal" stay (1/2 student + work) for 5 years.

richeekdey3 Active member

66POSTS

4 years ago

Gotcha! I wanna apply for nationality anyway so I suppose this doesn't matter. So if I'm to understand correctly, if I don't ask my company to apply for a renewal, I'll automatically get the B card?

mohan garg Member

17POSTS

4 years ago

鈥測ou'll get unlimited access with your new resident permit for your 4th year of stay鈥�
@Alex, which card is it that gives unlimited access after 4yrs? Other than B/D, could you explaining bit more please.

richeekdey3 Active member

66POSTS

4 years ago

Little bit of update from me:

Commune issued me Annex 16bis yesterday dated 20.01. The lady was kind enough to make me a future appointment for 23.06 to come down to apply for the new ID (L card).

She said normally I shouldn't expect a response before 5 months. And judging by the response across this group and others; I think that sounds about right.

Question in case anyone knows: does this Annex 16bis give me the freedom to switch jobs? Or I'm still limited by what the A card says (arbeidsmarkt: beperkt).

likeaen Active member

66POSTS

4 years ago

Hi, its maybe not related to this topic but is there a legal timeline for A card renewal? How long it takes usually? I searched for it but couldn鈥檛 find any information.

Jimsen Contributor

123POSTS

4 years ago

You get freedom to switch job within Belgium as a freelancer with a freelance card. In Brussels, One can get this card as early as within 1 month if you get all relevent documents.

AlexFromBelgium Animateur Belgique EN/FR

1739POSTS

4 years ago

#10

@likeaen you should do the process around 1 month before your card is supposed to expired. Basically they'll send you a document by mail, then you've to go to the commune for the renewal.
So, as soon as you get it, you should go.

Renewal is pretty fast, once accepted, it takes from 7 days to 2 weeks to get the new card, depending on the commune.

2 members reacted to this post

likeaen Active member

66POSTS

4 years ago

#11

Hi Alex, my husband is waiting for 5 weeks already

谋 think you already know me that we are the most unlucky family about this processes

Today my husband鈥檚 boss called the woman (who took application) and she said that its very
busy and can take up to 8 weeks for renewal.聽 It should have been made before 2 months from expiration date.

Flanders region. Maybe it鈥檚 different in somewhere else.聽

As soon as he get renewal approval, he will request fastest delivery for new card by paying 130 euros or something like that.

Thanks for your reply

arjunprasad2143 Belgium Advisor

108POSTS

4 years ago

#12

You can request an "unlimited single permit" if you can justify several years of employment covered by a single permit or a work permit, over a period of ten years of lawful and uninterrupted residence in Belgium immediately preceding the application.

If you are a citizen of a country that has concluded international agreements with Belgium with regard to the employment of workers (Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Morocco, Montenegro, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey) and your spouse, your registered partner or your children lawfully reside with you :
you need to justify two years of employment covered by a single permit or a work permit, over a period of ten years of lawful and uninterrupted residence in Belgium immediately preceding the application.

If you are a citizen of a country that has concluded international agreements with Belgium with regard to the employment of workers (Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Morocco, Montenegro, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey) :
you need to justify three years of employment covered by a single permit or a work permit, over a period of ten years of lawful and uninterrupted residence in Belgium immediately preceding the application.

If your spouse, your registered partner or your children are lawfully residing with you, :
you need to justify three years of employment covered by a single permit or a work permit, over a period of ten years of lawful and uninterrupted residence in Belgium immediately preceding the application.

In all other cases聽 :
you need to justify four years of employment covered by a single permit or a work permit, over a period of ten years of lawful and uninterrupted residence in Belgium immediately preceding the application.

An "unlimited single permit" will allow you to work in Belgium without a duration limit, and is valid for all salaried professions and all employers.

Reference :

ARMaliq Contributor

124POSTS

4 years ago

#13

Hello Alex,

Isn't it the other way around. For D card, your student days are counted but for B card, your 5 year working is counted.

Ref:

Ref:

Or I am not interpreting it correctly. please check and rectify my understanding.

1 member reacted to this post

patiltush Active member

77POSTS

4 years ago

#14

I have a question about D card. If one gets a residency D card, do we have to apply for the residence card afresh for the spouse based on it? If yes, and if the spouse has only worked for last 2 years during 5 years of stay in Belgium, what type of card is issued to the spouse? Is the spouse eligible for permanent residency as well based on the main applicant?

bunchofguys Member

14POSTS

3 years ago

#15

You can request an "unlimited single permit" if you can justify several years of employment covered by a single permit or a work permit, over a period of ten years of lawful and uninterrupted residence in Belgium immediately preceding the application.

If you are a citizen of a country that has concluded international agreements with Belgium with regard to the employment of workers (Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Morocco, Montenegro, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey) and your spouse, your registered partner or your children lawfully reside with you :
you need to justify two years of employment covered by a single permit or a work permit, over a period of ten years of lawful and uninterrupted residence in Belgium immediately preceding the application.

If you are a citizen of a country that has concluded international agreements with Belgium with regard to the employment of workers (Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Morocco, Montenegro, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey) :
you need to justify three years of employment covered by a single permit or a work permit, over a period of ten years of lawful and uninterrupted residence in Belgium immediately preceding the application.

If your spouse, your registered partner or your children are lawfully residing with you, :
you need to justify three years of employment covered by a single permit or a work permit, over a period of ten years of lawful and uninterrupted residence in Belgium immediately preceding the application.

In all other cases聽 :
you need to justify four years of employment covered by a single permit or a work permit, over a period of ten years of lawful and uninterrupted residence in Belgium immediately preceding the application.

An "unlimited single permit" will allow you to work in Belgium without a duration limit, and is valid for all salaried professions and all employers.

Reference :
- @arjunprasad2143

This apply even in Flander region or not?

Because based on this reference web site if someone has these criteria can apply to "unlimited resident permit" even earlier than 5 years of employment covered by a single permit.

richeekdey3 Active member

66POSTS

3 years ago

#16

@bunchofguys

Yep. If you've studied here.

bunchofguys Member

14POSTS

3 years ago

#17

@bunchofguys

Yep. If you've studied here.
- @richeekdey3

Based on this paragraph

"If your spouse, your registered partner or your children are lawfully residing with you, :

you need to justify three years of employment covered by a single permit or a work permit, over a period of ten years of lawful and uninterrupted residence in Belgium immediately preceding the application."

I want to understand if I can apply for "unlimited resident permit" after 3 years of working in Belgium.

I dont see anywhere in this link mention something about studing here?聽

Jimsen Contributor

123POSTS

3 years ago

#18

What is 鈥渦nlimited resident permit鈥�? Is it long term residence (Type B / Type L) ?

bunchofguys Member

14POSTS

3 years ago

#19

What is 鈥渦nlimited resident permit鈥�? Is it long term residence (Type B / Type L) ?
- @Jimsen

Good question!

This link "Brussels Employment Site" it is not clear at all

Aneesh Belgium Expert

2002POSTS

3 years ago

#20

What is 鈥渦nlimited resident permit鈥�? Is it long term residence (Type B / Type L) ?
- @Jimsen

Good question!

This link "Brussels Employment Site" it is not clear at all
- @bunchofguys

Based on what I read in the website, it is an unlimited single permit (like an unlimited work permit).. The requirement 1 is you must have had 10 years of uninterrupted stay in Belgium, and have x years of employment immediately preceding the application (x varies b/w 2 or 3 years based on the conditions listed there).聽 This what I understood from reading. As mentioned above, the sentences in the site is a bit confusing, so I may be wrong

The best is to contact them. There is a web forumalaire to do that on the left hand side of the page:

Send them a query

1 member reacted to this post

richeekdey3 Active member

66POSTS

3 years ago

#21

@Jimsen it's the L card.

I just applied today for the card. They told me it will be ready by tomorrow.

richeekdey3 Active member

66POSTS

3 years ago

#22

Hey all,

So I received my L card today.

Going to set up an appointment for nationality for next week.

Jimsen Contributor

123POSTS

3 years ago

#23

@richeekdey3

Congratulations.

Did you apply for L card yesterday and you received in 1 day?

richeekdey3 Active member

66POSTS

3 years ago

#24

@Jimsen I applied on 20th Jan. They gave me annex 16bis which I took to the commune yesterday.

shravantiwari New member

4POSTS

3 years ago

#25

@richeekdey3

Congratulations.

You applied for your L card in which commune? I think L card is new name for card previously known as D. right?

Do they count 5 year continuous local employment in belgium i.e. paying social security or they only consider 5 year stay. In my case I see that I have 2 years of job as an expat on secondment from my company to work in Belgium and then remaining 3 years as a local employment.