Welcome to the website of the Federal Science Policy Office (BELSPO), which is dedicated to the "scientific visa" and, in particular, to the accreditation procedure for research organisations to conclude hosting agreements with researchers from countries outside the European Union.
On 12 October 2005, the European Commission published Directive 2005/71 defining a set of measures related to the conditions of access to the territory for researchers coming from third countries to carry out research in Europe. This is the procedure known as the "scientific visa", implying a hosting agreement.
In 2019, following the 6th Institutional Reform of the State, several competences were transferred to the Regions, including those linked to the labour market (work permits). The three Regions (Flanders, Brussels-Capital Region and Wallonia) and the German-speaking Community have thus become the first interlocutors in the framework of the "single permit" procedure. This procedure is now initiated by the researcher's employer. Ultimately, it allows the researcher to have a single document that attests to his or her access to the labour market AND the territory.
The last phase of transposition of Directive 2016/801 takes place in 2023 with the integration of the "scientific visa" procedure into the "single permit" procedure. From 1 March 2023, only the "single permit" procedure will apply, regardless of the category of workers.
What happens now?
The hosting agreement and the accreditation of research organisations remain operational. An organisation recognised by BELSPO is authorised to sign hosting agreements.
The accreditation is valid for 5 years. There is no automatic approval. It must be expressly requested by the organisation, which must provide evidence of its R&D activities. The accreditation can be extended for the same period of time at the request of the organisation.
On the basis of a hosting agreement signed by both parties, and the usual relevant documents, it is now up to the employer to apply for the single permit.
Any research organisation that, in view of conducting a research project, wishes to sign a hosting agreement with a researcher who is not a national of a European Union member state, must first be approved.
The application for approval must be submitted to the Federal Science Policy
