Finding Work in Brussels (Actiris, the Bilingual Job Market & the EU Bubble)

Brussels has one of the most unusual job markets in Europe: a small officially bilingual city wrapped around a giant international layer of EU institutions, NATO, lobbies and NGOs where English rules. Which market you belong to changes everything — where you look, what language you need, and even whether you need a permit at all. Here is how to work it out and where to start.

First: which job market are you in?

There are effectively two Brussels labour markets sitting on top of each other.

• The local market — Belgian and international companies, shops, healthcare, logistics, public services. Here Brussels is officially bilingual (French + Dutch), and most employers expect strong French or Dutch, frequently both. English on its own is usually not enough.
• The "EU bubble" — the European Commission, Parliament and Council, NATO, EU agencies, embassies, trade associations, consultancies, think tanks and international NGOs. English is the working language, and many roles need only English plus one other language as a bonus.

Figuring out which one you are aiming at should shape everything below. A fluent-English newcomer with no French or Dutch will find far more traction in the bubble than in the local market.

Register with Actiris (the Brussels employment office)

Belgium runs employment services by region. In Brussels the office is Actiris; in Flanders it is VDAB; in Wallonia it is Le Forem. Because Brussels is bilingual, Actiris works in both French and Dutch (with videos in 22 languages and interpreters for newcomers).

Registering is free and worth doing even if you plan to job-hunt privately. Actiris gives you:

• a personal adviser who helps build a job-search plan and suggests matching vacancies;
• access to its job-offer database;
• free French/Dutch language courses and vocational/training courses (via Bruxelles Formation and VDAB Brussel);
• in some cases access to subsidised employment schemes.

How to register: online via the My Actiris portal (my.actiris.brussels) or in person at a local Actiris branch. Bring your ID and copies of your diplomas/certificates. The free helpline is 0800 35 123.

A few status points to know:

• EU citizens can register with Actiris even without an Annex 19, but Actiris may ask for one before it actively coaches you. If you want to claim unemployment benefit you must be registered.
• Non-EU citizens generally need a valid residence and work authorisation (see the single-permit section) before Actiris support becomes relevant.

Confirm your exact situation on be.brussels — rules differ by nationality and residence status.

Non-EU citizens: you (usually) need a single permit

If you are not an EU/EEA/Swiss national and want an employed job for more than 90 days, you almost always need a single permit — a combined work + residence authorisation.

Key points, verified against official sources:

• Your employer initiates the application — you cannot file the work part yourself. Since 4 May 2026, all such applications go through the federal One-Stop counter; email/PDF submissions are no longer accepted.
• The Brussels region assesses the work component and DVZ/Office des Étrangers the residence component. The region has a legal deadline of four months to decide on a complete file.
• There is no single universal minimum salary; pay must meet Belgian minimum wage and the relevant sector agreement. Special categories set their own thresholds — the EU Blue Card threshold for 2026 is €58,884/year (this figure is indexed annually — verify current numbers).

Read the details on dofi.ibz.be and economy-employment.brussels, and see our guide on the single permit.

Working for the EU institutions and NATO

This is the reason many people move to Brussels. Roles fall into a few tracks:

For permanent posts you generally need at least two official EU languages (English is dominant in day-to-day work). Apply through your EPSO account on eu-careers.europa.eu; competitions are announced there and in the Official Journal, usually with a 4–6 week deadline.

Where to look (beyond Actiris)

• The EU/international bubble: eurobrussels.com, jobsin.brussels, eu-careers.europa.eu (EPSO), individual institution and NGO careers pages, and LinkedIn (heavily used here).
• Private sector / bilingual roles: StepStone.be, Jobat.be, Monster.be, Xpats.com/jobs, Optioncareer.be, plus LinkedIn.
• Recruitment agencies (interim): Randstad, Manpower, Adecco, Tempo-Team, Daoust, Unique — common and effective for a first Belgian job.
• Spontaneous applications: sending an unsolicited CV + cover letter is normal and encouraged in Belgium.
• Widen the map: don't ignore the ring around Brussels — Zaventem and Leuven (Flemish Brabant) and Waterloo/Wavre (Walloon Brabant) have many employers.

CV and interview norms

• Keep the CV to a maximum of two pages. Reverse-chronological, factual, no photo required (though still common).
• Match the language to the employer: French or Dutch CV for local roles, English for the bubble. State your language levels honestly (A1–C2).
• Cover letter ("lettre de motivation" / "motivatiebrief") is expected for most applications.
• Interviews are professional and fairly direct; being proactive and patient is the standard advice — the local market moves slowly.
• Once hired, understand your contract: see CDI vs CDD.

Common problems and fixes

• "English-only, no offers back." You're fishing in the local pool. Target the EU/international bubble instead, and start free French/Dutch courses through Actiris in parallel.
• "Actiris asked for an Annex 19 I don't have." As an EU citizen you can still register; the Annex 19 comes from your commune when you register your residence. Get that moving first.
• "I found a job but I'm non-EU." The offer alone isn't enough — the employer must file your single permit; budget up to four months.
• "My diploma is foreign." For regulated jobs and some EU/public roles you may need equivalence recognition — check with the relevant Community (for Brussels, usually the French or Flemish Community). Confirm on the official source before assuming.
• "Which language should I learn first?" For the local market, French reaches more Brussels employers day-to-day; Dutch is a strong differentiator and opens the whole Flemish market. See the bilingual reality.

Your next step

Today, create a My Actiris account at my.actiris.brussels (or call 0800 35 123), and while you're at it, sign up for a free French or Dutch course through Actiris. That one action registers you, gets you a coach, and starts the language work that widens your whole job market — whichever side of the Brussels divide you're aiming for.