Flanders is introducing a tax on the recruitment of immigrants
From next year, Flanders will charge €180 to companies that hire foreign workers from outside the European Union. A proposal by the conservative N-Va party has been approved
Key points
From next year, the government of Flanders will introduce a new tax for employers wishing to hire migrant workers, with an additional charge of 180 euros for each application submitted.
The new tax
This was reported by the Belga news agency, citing an announcement by the Flemish Minister for Labour, Zuhal Demir. “Anyone wishing to employ migrant workers will bear the financial responsibility for doing so. It is not up to the citizens of Flanders to shoulder this cost,” Demir asserted, describing the decision as “fair” and aimed at “maintaining a healthy system”. The Flemish minister, from the conservative N-Va party, also emphasised that “employers should first help local citizens find work, before turning to the rest of Belgium, Europe and other regions”. The new tax, which will be borne by employers, is also intended to cover the administrative costs of hiring migrants. The decision to impose a levy on the recruitment of immigrants follows measures that came into force on 1 January this year, which banned unskilled migrants from non-EU countries from entering Flanders, with applications for medium-skilled workers in Flanders having plummeted by 61 per cent since the start of 2026. Applications for highly skilled workers – the category Demir intends to attract to Flanders – have risen by 12 per cent.
Current legislation
Until now, it has been relatively inexpensive for employers to recruit non-EU workers through the ‘Single Permit’ scheme. Under this scheme, workers are issued with a combined permit authorising both residence and employment in Belgium. In 2025, over 21,000 migrant workers from non-European countries were employed in Flanders.
Demir believes that Flemish employers should prioritise employing local workers before turning to the rest of Belgium, Europe or other regions. On 1 January, stricter measures were introduced which barred the entry of low-skilled non-EU migrants; access for workers with medium-level qualifications has also been severely restricted. “Anyone wishing to hire migrant workers will have to bear the financial burden themselves,” reported the local newspaper Belga News Agency.
