Switch job from Belgium to Germany for Non-EU citizen

1. It will be a fresh German WP.
2. Yes, you have to apply for a fresh long-term visa to Germany.
3. Your stay in Belgium will not be considered for your eligibility for PR in Germany.

Why would you need to go back in India?

Which ID card do you have? If you've the D one, it's way easier for you to move and settle elsewhere in Europe.
No matter what, try to do everything from within Europe and try to avoid going back to India as you'll lose a LOT of time...

Hi Alex,

As I was hired by my current employer in India and have been deputed to Belgium on long term assignment (WP type B), hence to complete the exit formalities I need to go to India.

With respect to this situation - Now my new German employer will file for my German WP and I will continue in Belgium till the time the German WP is approved by the German authority. Once approved, I need to travel to India for completing my exit formalities with my current employer. After that when I travel back to join my new German employer, do I need to go through the lengthy German Visa stamping process in India? Or can I travel back based on current RP & new WP?

Also, despite Belgium being within Schengen country will my stay period in Belgium not be considered for German PR processing down the line? Or it will start afresh from the time I start in Germany?

Thanks,
RJ

Hi Alex,

As I was hired by my current employer in India and have been deputed to Belgium on long term assignment (WP type B), hence to complete the exit formalities I need to go to India.

With respect to this situation - Now my new German employer will file for my German WP and I will continue in Belgium till the time the German WP is approved by the German authority. Once approved, I need to travel to India for completing my exit formalities with my current employer. After that when I travel back to join my new German employer, do I need to go through the lengthy German Visa stamping process in India? Or can I travel back based on current RP & new WP?

Also, despite Belgium being within Schengen country will my stay period in Belgium not be considered for German PR processing down the line? Or it will start afresh from the time I start in Germany?

Thanks,
RJ

Hi Aneesh,

Despite Belgium being within Schengen country will my stay period in Belgium not be considered for German PR processing down the line? Or it will start afresh from the time I start in Germany?

Thanks,
RJ

Which ID card do you have? A, C or D?

Again, why do you want to go back in India... you can do everything from your current country of residence ==> visa and work permit request at the embassy of Germany in Brussels... and you get all the official required paper from your commune and Indian Embassy in Brussels...


As long as your resident permit is valid and you don't receive a formal order to leave the country within 30 days from the Belgian immigration, there's absolutely no point to go back in India...
You can handle everything by scan, email & phone call with your employer...
You'd just lose time and money with flight tickets...

The German Embassy is the only one to tell you if you can handle the process without a visa, as you're currently living legally in Belgium.
But everything will be easier if you've a Belgian D card (permanent resident), less paper work and faster process.


Belgium period will not be taken into account in Germany and you'll start from day 0.
Through, you'll get your permanent residentship after 4 years of work

Hi Alex,

Once again, thanks for your prompt response.

I residence (or single) permit type is "A".

With respect to India travel - I am going to be in Belgium till the German WP for new employer is processed. But post that when I resign from my current employer to join the new employer in Germany, that is where the challenge is happening. Because if I directly go to Germany from Belgium, then also will there be a German visa stamping on my passport? If so, then I can enter into Germany from anywhere on the basis of the stamped visa and then apply for German Residence Permit (once I am there). If during this process no visa stamping is done and my current employer forces me to go to India to complete the exit process, then without German visa stamping I will not be able to enter into Germany.

Thus, I am trying to understand the end-to-end process so that down the line I do not get into an immigration deadlock situation.

So, basically the main question becomes - Staying in Belgium if I process German WP, then will that include a German visa stamping with which I can enter into Germany from anywhere (irrespective whether I am going to Germany directly from Belgium or coming from India)?

Thanks,
RJ

hummm I'm no expert in German immigration at all, I don't really know well their laws.
Please, remember that only short stay visa C is common between all Schengen States. Immigration is only foreseen by the State itself with its own rules - which are often similar!

I only know pretty well Belgium, France and Vietnam immigration rules...
So, maybe you can probably post your query on the German forum for some support about your specific case, as you're already in Europe.

But, I would advise you to contact the German Embassy in Brussels, they'll provide you with exact information regarding the process, and that's what you need. (please give a feedback on this topic when you know more, for my own personal interest )


Just keep in mind that, if you continue working in Belgium and switch in Germany when everything is ready, you should have no LEGAL obligation to leave Europe to come back in Germany ==> Legal stay in Belgium, then moving to a Legal stay in Germany.

It's a question of timing!
As long as your right to stay in Belgium doesn't expire (resident/work permit still valid + no formal order to leave the country within 30 days from Belgian Immigration), you're FREE to cross the border of any Schengen States for a period up to 90 days with your "A" card (if not expired/canceled) + passport, without any immigration check as they're no border (car / flight / train / ...).
And so, to switch to Germany!


To me:
If Germany needs to add a visa D into your passport, it should ONLY be for their commune to  grant your foreigner ID card / resident permit when you arrive!
If Germany doesn't need to add a visa D into your passport, you'll have to go to the commune (crossing the border with your VALID "A" card) and start the "process" to get / to receive the foreigner ID card / resident permit once you've arrived (with the papers that the German Embassy will provide to you after your request has been approved).


So, to me, you absolutely don't care if there's no stamp on your visa...
But again, contact the German Embassy to make sure

Hi Alex,

Thanks a zillion for your prompt and detailed response. I greatly appreciate your such a nice gesture and professionalism. While I am going to check on German forum or with German embassy; but your pointers would definitely be great help.

Thanks again,
RJ

Hi Alex, I have a question, and I hope you can help me. I have a visa in France type D, I came to study my master and it will have to be renewed in June as it expires in August. My long-term goal is to stay in France but I was offered an internship in Belgium to start as soon as possible.
So my question is, do I need to get a new visa in Belgium instead of renewing the one in France?
Thank you in advance!

From what I understand:
* you've currently a temporary ID card in France, based on student status.
* you're a Mexican passport holder (visa-free 90d)

You've to understand that students, are always "separated" case.............
There're no real freedom/laws to settle elsewhere in Europe based on student status...




So, yes, if you want to live/work in Belgium:
you'll need a visa D to settle in Belgium AND a work permit, which take +/- 4 months to get... (the visa D is "given" if you get a work permit...... well, of course, you've to pay the fee...)



Personal advise (without any judgment):
if you'll finished your studies in France in June... I'd say: try to get a job in France if you can, as your resident card can be easily extended/switch to 'working' resident.

If you want to move to another EU states, you've to start nearly from scratch... and so, to get your work permit.
We're in end of May, meaning that with a bit a luck you'd have your work permit + visa on September... ==> you might have an issue...

Hello

2 peoples did asked the same question in the past 2 years on this Belgian forum, and now I've read a bit more on that matter...
As a non-EU, your question is still quite complex, but it seems to be doable (with a lot of administrative effort... and time...)



You've to understand that you're subject to labor market restrictions (priority for Belgian workers and EU / EFTA nationals, monitoring of salary and working conditions).
Working in Belgium would "just" require a work permit, meaning that the employer can't find somebody to hire with the same skill in Belgium or in EU.
So, if you're not working in high-skill demanding job (IT, pharmaceutical, ...) you'll have to forget the special status of cross-border worker.


But your right to stay in Germany also depend on the fact that you're working (in Germany) and that you can cover for your family.
Meaning that at some point, you would require some authorization from the foreign ministry, immigration or something alike.


==> It would mean a double acceptance from 2 different countries, as cross-border worker have special status (tax, ...)

I assume that it's very likely that it would depend if you're a permanent resident or live in Germany since xxx years, but each country has different rules (immigration).
But those kind of questions should be asked first to the Belgium Embassy in Berlin, then to the German immigration.

Don't forget to give a feedback for my personal knowledge! Good luck!

Hi RJ,

I am also looking for this information.

Did you get any more inputs from Germany embassy? Please provide whatever details you might have received or gone through the process, it will help others like me.

Thanks,
Amit