Working holiday visa in Belgium

Did you know that fries, or "French fries," don't actually come from France but from Belgium? That's right, Belgium has a lot to offer. Nestled between France and the Netherlands, the Kingdom of Belgium is often referred to as the essence of Europe. Not only is it known for its unique culture, but Belgium also surprises with its architecture that adorns picturesque cobblestone squares. An incredible cuisine is offered in a wide array of restaurants (let's not forget that the world wouldn't be the same without those beloved fries). Brussels is one of the great cosmopolitan capitals of the world, home to the European Union and NATO headquarters.

Eligibility requirements for the working holiday program in Belgium

Here are the conditions you must consider in order to be eligible for the working holiday program (WHP) in Belgium:

1. Your Nationality

Belgium has successfully established bilateral WHP agreements with the following five countries:

• Australia;
• New Zealand;
• Canada;
• South Korea;
• Taiwan.

Therefore, it is crucial that you have one of these five nationalities to apply for a WHP with the Belgian government. Please note that merely residing in one of these countries does not make you eligible for the WHP in Belgium—you must indeed have the nationality and also live there at the time of your application.

2. Your Age

You must be of legal age at the time of your application—which means you must be at least 18 years old to be eligible. For the five agreements with Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Korea, and Taiwan, the age limit is set at 30 years. This means you have until the eve of your 31st birthday to apply. However, we recommend not waiting until the last minute!

3. Have a valid Passport

As with any international travel you undertake, a valid passport is mandatory. You must have a passport that is valid at the time of your WHP application with the Belgian government and that remains valid for at least one year (12 months) after your arrival in Belgium (throughout your entire stay in Belgium until you return to your home country).

Another important condition regarding your passport: it must have at least two blank pages! Space is necessary for your WHP to be placed there. Upon entry and exit, customs authorities will also need to place their stamps—so make sure you have room!

Good to know:

We advise participants who have received their visa to be extremely careful with their passport... In case of loss, the procedures to reissue the passport and a new visa could be really long and difficult, potentially disrupting your plans.

4. Have savings

One of the mandatory conditions to receive the WHP in Belgium is that you arrive in the country with savings (to feed yourself, to find accommodation, to get around Belgium, etc.), at least for the beginning of your stay in Belgium. You must have at least €2,500 in your bank account. You will need to prove that you possess this amount with a bank statement.

5. Have Medical Insurance

You must subscribe to a medical insurance policy (also known as travel insurance) that will cover all cases of illness, hospitalization, repatriation, disability, and maternity. The last thing you would want is to find yourself in a foreign country with a hefty hospital bill, without any medical coverage—a hospital bill for a foreigner in Belgium could be very expensive!

Here is our recommendation: don't wait long and start your search to find good insurance that will be accessible when you are in Belgium, anytime.

Read alsoHealthcare in Belgium

6. First-time Participation

For the government of the Kingdom of Belgium to give you the green light to enter its territory with the WHP, one of the crucial conditions is that you have never been there in the past (with this visa). Indeed, only one participation is allowed per person—which means you can only go on a WHP in Belgium once in your lifetime.

Good to know:

However, if you have participated in any other WHP around the world, it won't be a problem! Have you already been on a WHP in Chile, Peru, Argentina, Hungary, Japan, or perhaps Brazil before? No worries—it will not affect your WHP application for Belgium.

7. Quota by country

When signing a WHP agreement between two countries, a quota is usually set so that the host country can control the number of visas granted per year and the number of participants entering its territory each year. In the case of Belgium and the WHP agreements, here is the number of places allocated per country:

• Australia – unlimited places;
• New Zealand - unlimited places;
• Canada – 1,250 places (since 2022);
• South Korea – 200 places per year;
• Taiwan – 200 places per year.

Good to know:

On January 1st of each year, the quotas are usually updated. This means that if you are from South Korea or Taiwan and want to increase your chances of receiving a WHP visa, it is preferable to wait until the beginning of the year to apply.

8. Air tickets

You must also provide proof of purchase of a round-trip air ticket. Of course, if you haven't yet planned a return date or cannot yet make a reservation for your return a year later, you will need to present at least a one-way ticket along with sufficient funds to purchase a return ticket to your country.

9. A clean criminal record

A clean criminal record is mandatory to receive the green light to go on a WHP in Belgium. This means you must not have committed any crime for your application to be considered by the Belgian government.

To access your criminal record, head to the Ministry of Justice or the federal police in your country.

10. Visa Validity and Cost

You will have 1 year to enjoy your WHP in Belgium once you set foot in the country. During these 12 months, you can enter and exit the country as many times as you wish—which is great news as it means you can visit neighboring countries!

However, if you leave the country, we advise you to ensure you have all the necessary authorizations to do so (for example, residence permits or visas).

You should budget approximately €180 for the visa and additional fees for certain documents.

Good to know:

If you are applying for a WHP for Belgium, dependents are not considered. If you wish to go on a WHP in Belgium with your partner or friends, you will all need to make separate applications that will be processed separately. Each person must, of course, meet the eligibility conditions mentioned in this article.

Read alsoTraveling in Belgium

What are the steps to obtain a WHP in Belgium?

Here are the documents to present when applying for a WHP in Belgium:

• A valid passport – You will need to scan the first pages of your passport (the part that contains your personal information) and two blank pages (to show that you have space for the visa and new stamps). If you have already been to Belgium, you will also need to provide a scan of the entry and exit stamps from Belgium;
• A color photo without filter or retouching, in passport format 3.5 x 4.5 cm;
• A recent proof of residence – a bill mentioning your current address should suffice;
• A motivation letter explaining your travel project in Belgium. Explain what attracts you to this country and why you chose it;
• A proof of sufficient funds – a bank statement from the last three months or a credit card statement indicating the credit limit should suffice. The latter must show that you have sufficient funds to cover the round-trip air tickets and expenses during your stay in Belgium (see above in the "Have Savings" section);
• Air tickets;
• Quotation of the medical insurance policy, including the overall indemnity, valid for at least one year from the planned date of entry;
• A clean criminal record;
• A recent medical certificate.

Read alsoWork permit in Belgium

What preparations should you make before leaving for Belgium?

The cost of living in Belgium

Before your departure, find out about the cost of living in Belgium to properly estimate your budget for housing, transport, food, and leisure.

Here is a website that will give you an idea of the cost of living in Belgium.

Finding Accommodation in Belgium

When preparing for your WHP in Belgium, one of the most important steps to plan is finding accommodation. After all, you wouldn't want to find yourself without a place to sleep when leaving the airport. As you probably already know, Airbnb is the trendy website that could help you find the type of accommodation you desire in Belgium, in the city you want. You will find many options for single rooms, studios, apartments, or houses.

The most used accommodation search platforms in Belgium are Logic Immo, Immo Vlan, Immo Trovit, Viva Street, Zimmo, Antwerp Expats, Locate Belge, or Belgimmo.

Good to know:

Those looking for budget options should consider couchsurfing and youth hostels.

Read alsoHousing in Belgium

Job search in Belgium

We recommend starting your job search in Belgium online with keywords related to your field of expertise and the areas where you would like to work.

Example: "job," "engineering," "Liège."

Dedicated platforms for online job search, such as Elia Jobs, Leforem.be, actiris.be, vdab.be, ostbelgienlive.be, or emploi.wallonie.be can be useful to find job offers in Belgium and connect with companies active in your field.

Learning the language

The official languages of Belgium are Dutch, German, and French. Although English is also spoken in Belgium, not all Belgians speak English fluently. In order to understand and also be understood, we recommend practicing one of the three official languages mentioned above, paying attention to the part of Belgium you plan to visit since each language belongs to a specific region.

Duolingo, Memrise, Babbel, or Rosetta Stone are excellent applications to help you with the language learning of your choice.