Belgium's A card: one year at a time, tied to a job or a degree
The first residence card for Americans who come to Belgium to work or study. Your employer or your school starts it, the consulate stamps the visa, and your town hall hands you the card.
You don't apply for the A card itself. You qualify through a Belgian employer's single permit or a place at a Belgian school, get a D visa, then register at your town hall within eight working days. For 2026 that means a Brussels salary of at least about $4,210 a month (€3,703.44 gross) or about $1,210 a month in student funds (€1,062).
The basics
What the A card is, and who it isn't for
The A card is Belgium's certificate of registration in the foreigners register. It's valid for one year and renewed as long as the reason you came still holds. You'll see it mislabeled online as a K card, but the K card comes much later: it's granted after five years on a B card.
Two kinds of Americans get one: people hired by a Belgian employer and people admitted to a Belgian degree program. A partner already living in Belgium can open a third door with its own income test.
It won't work if your job offer pays below your region's floor, or if you can't show the student funds for the whole year.
The 2026 numbers that decide your file
$4,210/mo
Brussels salary floor, highly qualified
€3,703.44 gross, 2026
$1,210/mo
Student funds you have to prove
€1,062, from 2026-27
$175
Residence fee on a single permit
€152, 2026
20 hrs
Weekly work cap for students in term
no cap in official holidays
12 months
Search year after a Belgian degree
open labor market
8 days
To register at your town hall
working days after arrival
If you're hired
The single permit: your employer files, the region decides
A Belgian employer applies online through the one-stop counter for any job lasting more than 90 days. The region rules on the work side and the federal Immigration Office on residence, with four months in total to decide. In Brussels, it's 120 days at most from a complete file. Once approved, you get an A or B card that shows your labor market access. The €152 residence fee (about $175) isn't refunded if you're turned down.
- Brussels, highly qualified: about $4,210 a month; the region sets it at €3,703.44 gross (2026)
- Wallonia: about $60,600 a year; set at €53,220 gross (2026)
- Flanders: about $55,700 a year (€48,912 gross, the 2025 figure until a new one is published), or about $44,500 (€39,129.60) if you're under 30, a nurse or a teacher
- EU Blue Card: about $5,400 a month in Brussels (€4,748), about $72,300 a year in Flanders (€63,586) and about $78,300 in Wallonia (€68,815)
- Flanders asks for a bachelor's or master's from a program of at least three years
- File your renewal two months before the permit expires
Bringing a spouse or kids on a work permit
Your spouse or registered partner and minor children can join you. If you're hired as highly qualified or on an EU Blue Card, Belgium presumes you meet the income test. Otherwise you'll need about $2,740 a month net (€2,408.79, since August 2025), plus 10% for each additional dependent, ideally backed by the previous 12 months of records. Family visas go in with yours or within six months of your visa being issued.
If you're admitted
The student route: enrollment, funds and a clean record
You apply for a D visa through visaonweb at the Belgian consulate covering your state: Atlanta, New York, Washington or Los Angeles. Mailed files need notarized signatures, and there's no expedited service. The consulate lists about three weeks for students, three months for private schools.
Once you're here, you can work up to 20 hours a week in term, never during class, and more in official holidays, with no separate permit. Renew at your town hall at least 15 days before the card expires, with proof you're progressing. Dragging a degree out or working past the limit can cost you the renewal.
Tuition is set by each school. At Ghent University, a non-EEA master's year of 60 credits is about $2,600 in humanities and law (€2,297.40) and about $8,050 in sciences, engineering, medicine and business (€7,079.40) for 2026-27.
- An enrollment certificate from a higher education institution
- Proof of about $1,210 a month (€1,062, from 2026-27) through a scholarship, a blocked account or a guarantor
- Health insurance covering all risks in Belgium
- A medical certificate and, if you're over 18, a criminal record extract
- Missing papers? You get 30 days, or the file is declared inadmissible
Paying for a Belgian degree from the U.S.
Seven schools take federal loans
Antwerp Management School, College of Europe, Ghent University, KU Leuven, Université de Liège, the University of Antwerp and the Von Karman Institute are on the federal loan list. Confirm with each school's aid office.
No Pell Grants abroad
Federal grants don't cover foreign schools. Direct Loans can, but only at a listed school.
Grad PLUS is closed
Since July 1, 2026, new borrowers can't take Grad PLUS. Graduate students outside professional programs can borrow up to $20,500 a year in Direct Unsubsidized loans, $100,000 in total.
After you land
Town hall, renewals and the five-year mark
Register at your town hall within eight working days of arriving. The police confirm you live at your address, you get a national number, and the electronic A card follows about a month later.
Graduates can stay on for a search year: up to 12 months to find work or start a company, with open access to the labor market. Apply at least 15 days before your student card runs out.
Five years of residence can lead to EU long-term resident status, but only half your student years count, and absences under six consecutive months don't break the clock. Belgium allows dual nationality, so a Belgian passport won't cost you your U.S. one.
You'll still file a U.S. return every year. For 2026, the foreign earned income exclusion covers up to $132,900 of earned income.
Help for students and new hires
Rebecca Poulson
Belgium Local Guide
Our Belgium local guide, an American who arrived on a student visa in 2021 and stayed on. A good first call about student life and settling into a Belgian town.
Skola
Studying Abroad in Europe
Helps Americans find English-taught degree programs in Europe and the UK, from picking a university to the student visa.
ExpatInsure
Global Health Insurance
Expatsi's international health insurance partner, for the coverage your Belgian visa file has to show.
Hunter Schultz
Healthcare Coach
A healthcare coach who maps your health needs to a care plan for the country you're moving to.
MyExpatTaxes
U.S. Expat Tax Service
Tax software and support for Americans abroad, for the U.S. return you still owe while living in Belgium.
Belgium A card questions
Can I work while studying in Belgium?
Yes. Non-EU students can work up to 20 hours a week during the academic year, never during class hours, and more than 20 hours in official school holidays. No separate work permit is needed. Working past the limit can get your residence renewal refused.
Can I use federal student loans at a Belgian university?
Only at a school on the federal loan list. In Belgium that's Antwerp Management School, College of Europe, Ghent University, KU Leuven, Université de Liège, the University of Antwerp and the Von Karman Institute. Pell Grants don't apply at foreign schools, and Grad PLUS closed to new borrowers on July 1, 2026.
How much money do I need to study in Belgium in 2026?
From the 2026-27 academic year, non-EU students have to show about $1,210 a month (€1,062), up from €835, with annual indexing after that. You can prove it with a scholarship, a blocked bank account or a guarantor who signs for you. Tuition is separate and set by each school.
Is Belgium's A card the same as a K card?
No. The A card is the one-year certificate of registration Belgium issues for temporary stays such as work or study, renewed while you still qualify. The K card is a settlement card, granted after holding a B card for five years and valid for 10 years.
What salary do I need for a Belgian work permit in 2026?
It depends on the region. A highly qualified worker needs about $4,210 a month in Brussels (€3,703.44 gross), about $60,600 a year in Wallonia (€53,220) and about $55,700 a year in Flanders (€48,912), where the 2025 figure applies until a new one is published. Flanders accepts about $44,500 (€39,129.60) for workers under 30, nurses and teachers.
Does time on an A card count toward permanent residence in Belgium?
Yes. EU long-term resident status requires five years of residence in Belgium, but only half of the time you spent as a student counts. Absences of less than six consecutive months don't interrupt the five years.
How long does a Belgian single permit take?
The region and the federal Immigration Office have four months in total to decide. In Brussels, it's 120 days at most from the moment the file is complete. The D visa at a U.S. consulate then takes about three weeks, and there's no expedited service.
Can I stay in Belgium after I graduate?
Yes. Graduates of Belgian higher education can apply for a search year of up to 12 months to find work or start a company, with full access to the labor market. Apply at your town hall at least 15 days before your student card expires.
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