But the passport itself is only the beginning. Because each municipality has its own procedures, the processing time depends on your personal circumstances and where you submit your application. There is no way to live in Belgium full time and legally exempt yourself personally from taxes. You should not apply for Belgian citizenship if you do not want to pay taxes or have a high cost of living. We pride ourselves on providing our clients with up-to-date, easily searchable and accessible information on all programs available at present. You can obtain residency in Belgium by starting a small business with as little as €12,400 in paid-up capital if you’re also able to hire at least one part-time employee. Belgium has an open economy and the business culture in Belgium is fairly formal, similar to its European neighbors.According to EU statistics, there are over 620,000 active businesses in Belgium.The majority of these are small or medium-sized enterprises (SME) which generate around 62.4% of value to the Belgian economy. However, if you hope to renew your Professional Card after the first two years, you will need to show proof of company activity. During this time, the lawyer can apply for your Professional Card, which is the basis for obtaining a residence permit. When applying for a residency permit based opening a business, a business plan is mandatory. For instance, you will need an apartment in Belgium the entire time you live there. Third country nationals can acquire Belgian residence through investment by following two cumulative procedures: one procedure to obtain a professional card and a second procedure to obtain a residence permit. They cannot figure out why residency and citizenship in Belgium would be so expensive. It’s all nebulous. It is only good for employment with the company that sponsors you and for the position they listed in the application. It will be sent to you in the mail, at which time, the company is officially considered open and active. In contrast, it is next to impossible to become a citizen in one of Europe’s nationalistic countries like Hungary or Greece. Everything is expensive and those costs build up over time. The key to qualifying is to demonstrate that the center of your social and economic interests remains outside of Belgium. A company is a tax resident of Belgium if its principal establishment, registered office or place of management is located in Belgium. Once formed, the company is not required to be active. After arriving in Belgium, you will need to visit the public notary with a lawyer to give him power of attorney to form the company for you, or you can visit the public register yourself to fill out the forms and sign the Memorandum of Accession. Belgium holds a strong European presence. You will need to renew your residence card and Professional Card after the first two years and then every year until the fifth year when you apply for citizenship. The diversity of languages and cultures has also created a welcoming attitude throughout the country toward immigrants and people of other nationalities in general. How much time should you spend there? The processes and costs for the business Belgian visa are … The most important criterion for a successful investment residency application is to show that your business will make a significant contribution to the economy of Belgium by creating local jobs or buying goods or services from local companies. This is the kind of minutia that we deal with every day here at Nomad Capitalist. You do not need to live there full time but you do need to have an accommodation in Belgium that is registered to City Hall for all five years and show that you have spent time in the country. If you earn 75% or more of your income in Belgium, it may be to your advantage to pass on the tax non-resident status as you can opt for normal resident taxation and take certain personal tax deductions. Potentially not a lot, but if you don’t get it just right, they might not naturalize you. This must be done before arriving in Belgium at a Belgian embassy or consulate in your country of origin. What kind of work will you be doing? Once you receive your Professional Card, you can apply for a D visa, which allows you to reside in Belgium for the two-year duration of your Professional Card. Andrew Henderson is the world's most sought-after consultant on international tax planning, investment immigration, and global citizenship. Fortunately, Belgium offers more in that department, too. Yes, you can potentially eliminate taxes on all other foreign income by becoming a tax non-resident, but you have to apply for it properly or risk getting sucked into the tax system. Some applicants can obtain the work permit without the labor market test and can receive the permit without questions. he Nomad Capitalist team has helped hundreds of people create and execute prolific offshore plans to help them legally reduce their taxes, become dual citizens, and live the Nomad Capitalist lifestyle of successWould you like to be next? If you form the company, you can obtain residency as a shareholder of the company. Hi I noticed you said to become a Belgian citizen regarding the company route that someone needs to be college educated to become the director. Business culture in Belgium. The municipality will then issue what is known as Appendix 15, which is basically an application for registration in the aliens’ register. The country now requires less paid-up capital in a new venture and has changed rules regarding minimum salary for those seeking residence. This measure is designed to stop foreigners simply entering Belgium to find work, and an appeal against such a decision will not typically be granted. However, your Belgian business does not have to be your main business. In 2017, the annual minimum salary levels in Belgium for highly qualified workers was just over €40,000 and almost €67,000 for executives and managers. You can also filter our … While the timeline toward citizenship has increased in recent years, the cost to obtain a residence permit in Belgium has gone down. If you are just getting started working in Belgium, you will need a Belgian Work Permit B, which is granted for a set job with one employer for a limited period of time (up to one year at a time, regardless of the terms of the employment contract). It is for someone willing to pay some taxes and not for someone expecting to pay zero. It is valid indefinitely. I was in Brussels a couple of years ago on a Tuesday afternoon and the streets were full of people from all over the world. It is no surprise therefore, that Norway is a popular destination with those looking to start up and expand businesses. I recently told a client that he could live in Hungary full-time for the next eight years and never be naturalized. Belgium is very business friendly country and is at a strategic location ideal for exports and trade. Belgium used to have the shortest timeline toward naturalization in Europe and one of the shortest in the world. In the market for an EU residency by investment solution in Belgium? There is no exact standard. (Uninterrupted meaning that you have not left Belgium for more than a year at a time.). Assistance with obtaining the permanent residence permit. You will need to purchase a residence or pay rent in Belgium all five years prior to naturalization. Belgium is extremely bureaucratic. To prove social integration, you will need to show that you have been living in Belgium. If you form the company, you can obtain residency as a shareholder of the company. If you switch employers or job position, you must apply for a new work permit and residence visa. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Beyond these basic requirements, there is a lot of misinformation on the web about what else is required. We’ll discuss the details of the long-stay visa later; for now, we’ll review the three main paths toward residency and eventual citizenship for Nomad Capitalists. Nevertheless, the outcome can be quite similar. If you fulfill the requirements and you have a principal residence in Belgium, you can apply at the counter of the Administrative Center in your local municipality without an appointment. We have the benefit of doing this stuff on a regular basis so that what is nebulous and difficult for most people has become easy for me and my team. be registered at an address in Belgium-you don’t need to spend all this time in Belgium), working for at least two years and social integration. And the program is not like the many other European Golden Visa programs where you can invest in real estate or purchase government bonds. All the steps in between can be complicated if you do not know what you’re doing, so we’ve created this ultimate guide with all the information you need to determine if Belgian residency and citizenship are what you’re looking for. I can see EU countries telling their global citizens that they can no longer get away with paying zero taxes. The Belgian programme is intended as an entrepreneur visa investment. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. I am looking for settlement in Belgium or other EU country along with my spouse. Norway: Self-Employed Persons Visa Norway is one of the Scandinavian countries which is well known for its landscape and clean living. Prices are higher in Belgium for a reason. Belgium is restricting … Join our email list and we’ll send our best articles, videos and exclusive content right to your inbox. You can incorporate a new Belgian company, or a Belgian subsidiary of an international company. If you are, then Belgian citizenship may just be on your horizon. Can you commit that kind of time, money, and planning? While I cannot predict exactly what these countries will do, I can see the trends and that is where I see these countries heading. As discussed, you can set up a branch or subsidiary, but we recommend setting up a new company. The second path toward residency in Belgium is to get a job. Investment must be by means of monetary fund. Technically, this step begins before you arrive in Belgium, but it is finalized only after arriving and registering your address. Can u plz advise how can I pursue it. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. The entire Belgian education system is both affordable and of the highest quality, making Belgium a great place for Nomad Capitalists looking for a family-friendly home in Europe. The first one is awarded when moving to Belgium for work or study purposes as well as for starting a business or making an investment. So, to everybody out there who wants an EU passport, don’t go buy a Bulgarian passport or a Cyprus passport, or even potentially a Malta passport. Lawyers are expensive there. Most importantly, Belgium’s residency program is for someone willing and able to make an actual contribution to the economy. This is the easiest route if your main reason for opening the company is for immigration purposes. TransferWise Review: Is It Safe for Moving Money Overseas? It is similar to the US E-2 visa. Although we advise that any applications are prepared and ready for filing by December to improve an applicant’s chances of being within the quota, the window to apply will remain open for several months. The key requirements for Belgian Citizenship are: Permanent Residence status (card type B), legal presence in the country for at least five consecutive years (i.e. The Old Free School, George Street, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD18 0BX, UK. In Belgium, a business investment is the only investment option available. I hear horror stories all the time about the bureaucracy from people who try to go it alone. However, unlike the United States – where citizenship-based taxation and recent tax reforms jeopardize the competitive advantage of US businesses abroad and unnecessarily cumber the lives of US expats – European tax systems provide numerous benefits to individuals with international lifestyles. Once granted, the permit is good for one year and can be renewed based on business performance. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Although the overall business climate is not particularly friendly toward non-Europeans, each EU member country has its own laws governing residency permits for business purposes. Whether governments admit it or not, residencies and citizenships are commodities in a free market. Required fields are marked *. However, in 2012, the three-year naturalization timeline was changed to five years. Between processing fees, legal costs, property rental, and employees, you could spend as much as €150,000 in the first year, and roughly €500,000 during the five-year timeline toward qualifying for naturalization. The regional municipalities operate the citizenship process, so you’ll need to consult your local municipality website to know which forms to fill out and which documents to present. This can include previous professional activity, having family in Belgium, having studied in Belgium, or any other close connection to the country. Netherlands. In some places, you can get away with getting a second passport just for fun, but Belgium needs to be a strategic, intentional move or you’re going to come out worse than you started. It would basically be like a Georgian or Moldovan passport – not terrible, but not great. The final option to obtain a Belgian residence is to prove that you are a person of independent means. All documents must be originals or certified copies of originals. Income from independent activity is only taxable in Belgium if it is obtained from business carried out in Belgium or by means of a “fixed base” in the country. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. How it … Also, keep in mind that it is possible to become a resident of Belgium for the purposes of becoming a citizen without needing to become a tax resident. Brussels is an international city at the heart of Europe’s business operations with excellent infrastructure for international travel by land and air. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Belgium offers migration scheme for foreign investors and entrepreneurs from non-EU countries that wish to relocate to Belgium and do business there. You do not necessarily need to spend all your time in Belgium, but you’ll need to commit enough time to set your life up there and commit to living at least six months in Europe as a whole. However, if you choose to live with your spouse or cohabitate with a partner in Belgium, this will automatically nullify your tax non-resident status as Belgium will always consider your place of family residence as your tax home. This is one reason why, if you really want a Belgium passport, you must be ready to commit. He has personally lived this lifestyle for over a decade, and now works with seven- and eight-figure entrepreneurs and investors who want to "go where they're treated best". That being said, your Belgian business must be profitable if you want to renew your residency each year and eventually qualify for citizenship. Our clients are predominantly high net worth business investors. In order to avoid discussions about the company's tax residence, it is key that that the place of management of the company be located in Belgium (substance-over-form approach). You can either register an office address for the company you are opening or a personal “living” address. What Should UK Citizens Do Next? Residency in Belgium for EU and non-EU citizens: How to register for the required documents... All people who plan to stay in Belgium for more than three months are considered residents and must prove that they are entitled to reside in Belgium. This visa is necessary for short-term business-related trips to Belgium lasting less than 90 days. After approximately two months, you will receive your residence permit, also known as an A Card, which is valid for one year and will allow you to stay in Belgium and travel throughout the Schengen Area with a valid passport. To sho… They have to apply for a residence permit in an investor or business category. Residency and citizenship requirements and application process. Ultimately, the residency did not work out for my personal offshore plan, but it is a program that I have helped many clients successfully complete since then. The card is, essentially, a work permit for self-employed business owners and will allow you to engage in professional activity in Belgium. Or, you could find a friend who has a company to hire you. Unless you are an EU, EEA or Swiss national, you must obtain a work permit to legally work in the country. Non-EU nationals who want to go this route will find that it is very difficult, if not next to impossible, to gain Belgian residency through proof of “sufficient” means. Opportunities to Hire, Invest, and Bank in Armenia. Unless you do their citizenship by investment program, historically, they will only naturalize people who are from the Bulgar. hello .my name is biraj soni.i want to get work permt in schengen country. From 03/01/2019, a third-country national wishing to work in Belgium for more than 90 days will apply to the competent region, through his employer, for a single application for a work permit and a request for authorization to work. You can register as a tax non-resident when you apply for a residency permit. It is a stable, developed country that can stand on its own, even if the European Union were to fall apart tomorrow. On this page, you will find our full listing – this is updated every time a new program appears. Belgium is also a solid location for a European base. Belgium is going to introduce a new law of work visa and immigration. European citizenships and residencies can be a great foundation on which to build this type of life. Bulgaria: Permanent Residency through Property Investment – Invest in property and receive automatic Permanent Residency in Bulgaria, a country receiving its Schengen status in the near future Portugal: Golden Permanent Residency for Investors – Invest in a business or a property to take advantage of a direct route to PR in Portugal. It should be noted that Belgium’s program is not like those offered in other countries where you put a couple bucks in the bank and walk away – like Panama’s Friendly Nations Visa, where company formation is a mere formality. Where: Marseille, France. This includes paying taxes on that business. To establish a declaration of nationality, all supporting documents must have been issued within six months of the application submission. But french fries and Belgian chocolate are not grounds enough for a Nomad Capitalist to come looking for a second passport. In contrast to the many Golden Visa programs offered by EU countries, Belgium’s residency program is both less expensive and less defined. That doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ve naturalized all of those people or that they’ll automatically want to naturalize you, the wealthy person from the West who isn’t in love with socialist systems, but they aren’t going to turn you down simply because you’re not an “ethnic” Belgian. It is difficult. Regardless of which path you take, the first step is to apply for a long-stay visa and then to apply for Belgian residency once you are in the country. You will need to provide your passport, a medical certificate, and proof of your qualifications in your profession. Belgium has to fit perfectly into your holistic offshore plan or it’s not going to work at all. Belgium Business Immigration: Belgian Residency By Investment 2020 GoldenVisasAdmin 2019-12-22T20:33:31+00:00. It should also be noted that employees are only taxable in Belgium if the cost of their salary is paid by a Belgian company. Once your residence is confirmed by a police check, you will be registered and receive a national number. If a type-B Belgian work visa is issued, you can then contact the Belgian embassy in your home country and apply for a Belgian residence visa to come and work in Belgium for that employer. So, the last time I helped someone set this up, we had to get my client’s friend – who is an EU resident and has a college degree – to be the director because my client met neither of those requirements. To qualify, you must have a monthly minimum income of €793 (plus €264 per dependent), you must have health insurance, and you cannot be … It got a perfect score on perception, dual citizenship, and freedom, a 30/50 on taxes (although leaving the tax system is still easy enough for expats) and has visa-free access to 184 countries. This route is often presented as a residency for retirement since demonstrating independent means generally indicates that you do not intend to engage in a gainful occupation while in the country. CYPRUS. Almost 60% of the population speaks Dutch, 40% speak French, and a small community in the East Cantons speaks German. Pls advise. At this point, you will need to leave Belgium and wait for your company to be registered. For one, Belgium is expensive. Belgium Investor Residency Programme 2020. Be prepared to present the following documents at different times during the application process: You will need to speak Dutch, German or French to qualify for Belgian citizenship. A residence by investment program is another way of obtaining temporary and permanent residence when you are required to invest in a country of your future residence. The investment must be into a Belgian local business or project which serves to create jobs or alternatively in a start-up Belgian enterprise. You will also need to factor in application fees, which can be as high as €400,000. Because of the caliber of their country, the Belgium government can be picky. An owner of a company in Belgium can easily get a Belgian residence permit. If you resided legally and continuously in Belgium for five years, you can apply for the EU long-term residency status. Only 3 years before the citizenship application can be made. As I take on higher and higher net worth clients looking to protect their businesses and wealth from an increasingly inescapable tax system in the US and other high-tax countries, Europe has become a more prominent target on our radar. This is not a passport where you just show up for two days, drops some money in the bank and get a passport. Your other option is to demonstrate tha… There are several ways to obtain residency in Belgium. They may not adopt citizenship-based taxation from the United States, but as more and more of their citizens embrace international lifestyles, they’re going to find a way to hold onto at least some of their money. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. If you are already an EU citizen, it’s hard to imagine why you would need a Belgian residence because you can live in Belgium full-time with your other EU citizenship. You will need to present your passport, two visa application forms, two passport photos, a certificate of good conduct less than six months old, a medical certificate, and other situation-specific documents as requested by the embassy. We have to read the tea leaves so that we can navigate the unknown details of these programs with finesse. You can still structure your overall tax situation so that you only have to pay taxes on your Belgian business and not on your global income. 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