We (my husband and I) are interested in living in Belgium for a few years. Since my husband is an IT professional (computer software developer/architect) I have some questions about the possibility of receiving a professional card (carte professionnelle - ability to be self-employed) for my husband.

Is the professional card applicable to IT professionals wishing to do contract work in Belgium? If professional cards are awarded to independent contractors, are there any rules of thumb that can help us determine if my husband would likely succeed in an application?

If you personally have gone this route, or you know of someone who has, we would love to hear your experiences.

Thanks!

Depends where you are from, but I find the consulting industry different here (than say, the UK). In the UK you can be a sole trader so just pick up contractors for yourself. Here, most contractors work for a company (e.g. Accenture, Cap etc.) and even the freelancers have a management agencies. Many of the big companies will not talk directly to a freelancer, only their management company.

Depending on his speciality, the IT market is quite boyant here at the moment with many companies looking to grow. There are opportunities ....

If you are still looking and want some IT consultant managment contacts, just send me a message.