Freelance working (Non-EU) spouse

Hi,

Hmm, if you're saying that her residence permit allows her to work, then I don't understand what the problem is. All those business plans have long been abolished for freelancing and other activities. If she wanted to open a bakery, then yes, that would be necessary, but not for consulting.

What I do know for sure is that she can register as a self-employed individual (zelfstandige); no documents are needed for that, just a residence permit with a work authorization (onbeperkt arbeidsmarkt). There are no geographical restrictions either; she can receive payments from anywhere, but of course, only to a Belgian bank account. Check the websites of Acerta, Xerius, and Liantis.

The second option is to work through a "workers' cooperative" (werkerscoöperatie), specializing in freelance work. In this way, she will be officially employed by a Belgian company and receive a regular salary from them, but her clients will pay directly to the workers' cooperative. This is very popular in Belgium among freelancers. There are also no geographical restrictions here, and the cooperatives have accounts in many countries, so the client does not necessarily have to pay to a Belgian bank account. Of course, the cooperative charges a commission for this, around 6%, but in return, you are fully socially protected. There are several such companies, but off the top of my head, I only remember Smart; my friend works there.

In both cases, you can contact these companies for a free consultation. I recommend reaching out to both the self-employed registration offices and the workers' cooperatives to compare their conditions.

Good luck!