Hiring a Japanese Chef in Belgium: Single Permit by Region

Belgium has one residence system but three sets of work permit rules. Whether you can bring a cook from Japan, what you have to prove, and how much you must pay depend on the region where the cook will work. For a Japanese restaurant the differences are large: in Brussels the head chef role is on the shortage list, while in Flanders a cook needs a nine week vacancy first. This guide sets out what we could confirm from the regional authorities in September 2026.

For context, Japan's foreign ministry counted 5,592 Japanese nationals in Belgium on 1 October 2025.

1. How Belgium splits the decision

For a stay of more than 90 days, a non-EU worker needs a single permit (permis unique / gecombineerde vergunning), which covers both residence and work. The work part is decided by the region; the residence part is federal, handled by the Immigration Office (Office des Étrangers / Dienst Vreemdelingenzaken). A regional approval does not automatically lead to a single permit, which also depends on the federal residence conditions.

Which region decides depends on where the work is done. The Flemish government explains the rule: the employer applies in the region where the establishment unit employing the worker is located. If the worker's main workplace cannot be determined, it is the region of the company's registered office.

Applications now go through a single federal online portal (Guichet unique / Uniek Loket, "Working in Belgium"). Brussels states that since 4 May 2026 all its work authorisation applications for non-EU nationals go through it, and PDF forms and email applications are no longer accepted.

2. Brussels: head chefs are on the shortage list, cooks are not

In the Brussels-Capital Region, applications go to Brussels Economy and Employment (Direction de la Migration économique). Under the Brussels ordinance of 1 February 2024 on economic migration, there are two routes that matter to a restaurant.

Shortage occupation

Actiris, the Brussels employment service, published its latest list of critical functions, including shortage occupations, on 1 July 2026. Under the heading HORECA, the list of shortage occupations contains one entry: Chef de cuisine (head chef). A head chef hire in Brussels can therefore use the shortage occupation route. Unlike the general category below, Brussels does not describe this route as requiring an Actiris labour market analysis.

"Other case": the labour market test

Cooks below head chef level are not on the Brussels shortage list. For them, the application falls under the general category, where an authorisation is granted only if no suitable worker can be found on the Brussels labour market. Actiris is asked to carry out that labour market analysis.

3. Flanders: cooks go through the "Other" category

Flanders has two lists, and it matters which one a job is on.

• The migration list of medium-skilled functions (set by ministerial decree of 1 December 2025, 25 functions). Jobs on it skip the labour market test. Cooks are not on it. The list covers trades such as electricians, mechanics, masons and care workers.
• The VDAB shortage occupation list (knelpuntberoepen), edition 2026, published 1 February 2026. Kok (cook) and Chef de partie are both on it, under kitchen staff.

A job that is on the VDAB list but not the migration list goes through the category "Overige" (Other). According to the Flemish government, the conditions are:

• The job title must appear on the VDAB list and must be stated word for word in the vacancy, the employment contract and the application.
• The job must require a qualification at level 3 or 4 (medium-skilled).
• The employer must publish the vacancy on the VDAB and EURES platforms for an uninterrupted period of at least 9 weeks within the four months before the application, and cooperate with VDAB's placement efforts. The application can only be filed once the 9 weeks have passed.
• If VDAB's local tension indicator for the job is below 12 in one of the four months before the application, a shortage is presumed. Otherwise the employer must add evidence that recruitment failed.
• The worker must normally stay outside Belgium during the application.
• Only an employer established in Belgium can apply. Posting a worker from a foreign company is not possible.
• The contract must provide for at least 80% of full time employment.

Since 1 September 2026, Flanders also charges a regional fee of €180 per application for a single permit, on top of the federal fee for the residence part. It applies to first applications and renewals, must be paid within 15 days of submission through the Uniek Loket, and is not refunded if the application is refused or withdrawn. It is indexed every 1 January.

4. Wallonia

In Wallonia, work permits are handled by the Service Public de Wallonie, Département de l'Emploi et des Permis de travail, in Jambes. The Walloon authority says access to the labour market is strict and takes account of labour market needs in Belgium and Wallonia. We could not confirm from the Walloon pages available to us whether cooks are on a Walloon shortage list, so no conclusion is drawn here. Ask the department directly before planning a hire.

The German-speaking Community handles work permits for its own territory, through its ministry in Eupen.

5. Salary floors and thresholds

Everyone: the guaranteed minimum monthly income

Pay must respect the rates set by the joint committee (paritair comité / commission paritaire) for your sector and can never be lower than the guaranteed average minimum monthly income. The Flemish government gives it as €2,233.60 gross a month from 1 July 2026 (€2,154.11 from 1 January and €2,189.81 from 1 April 2026). For the medium-skilled and "Other" categories in Flanders, the worker must be paid at least the joint committee rate for a trained or skilled worker, never the unskilled rate.

Highly qualified and head chef packages

The regions set separate salary thresholds for highly qualified workers. These require a higher education diploma, so they rarely fit cooks, but they show where the bar sits:

In Brussels only the basic monthly salary counts toward these thresholds. For a cook on the shortage or general route, the joint committee rate and the minimum income are what apply.

6. No working holiday with Japan

Belgium does not appear among the 32 countries and regions that Japan's foreign ministry lists as working holiday partners. Unlike in France, Germany or the Netherlands, there is no working holiday shortcut for a young Japanese cook. See our overview of working holiday options in Europe.

7. A Belgian hiring plan

1. Confirm the region: where is the establishment where the cook will work?
2. Brussels: if the role is genuinely head chef, use the shortage occupation route. Otherwise expect an Actiris labour market analysis.
3. Flanders: use the job title "Kok" or "Chef de partie" exactly as on the VDAB list, publish on VDAB and EURES for 9 weeks, then apply and pay the €180 fee.
4. Wallonia: contact the SPW employment department before advertising.
5. Set pay at or above the joint committee rate for a skilled worker, and never below €2,233.60 a month.
6. File through the federal single window, then complete the residence steps.

For neighbouring countries, see our guides to the Netherlands and France. To reach Japanese cooks already in Europe, you can post a job on WashokuJob.

General information gathered from official sources in September 2026, not legal or immigration advice. Regional lists and thresholds change; confirm with Brussels Economy and Employment, the Flemish Department of Work, the SPW or a qualified adviser before acting.