Belgium CV format: one country, three regional rulebooks
A Belgian CV is one or two pages, newest first, in the language of the ad and region: Dutch in Flanders, French in Wallonia, French or Dutch in Brussels. Regional employment services disagree on photo, birth date and nationality.1
Written 13 October 2026. CitedCV. How we write our guides
First step: find out which region the job is in
EURES, the EU job mobility network, lists four public employment services for Belgium, one per region or community: VDAB for Flanders, Le Forem for French-speaking Wallonia, Actiris for the Brussels-Capital Region and the ADG for the German-speaking Community. Each publishes its own CV advice in its own language, and the region of the employer's place of business also decides which language its workplace documents use. So the postcode on the ad tells you more than any template.
- Look up the town of the workplace and place it in Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels or the German-speaking area.
- Write the CV in the language of the ad; if the ad is in English, keep English and state your level in the regional language.
- Open the advice of that region’s service, linked at the end, and set up the personal block the way it suggests.
- Put languages in a section of their own with a CEFR level for each.
- If you are not an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, check the permit route before tailoring the CV.
How language regions shape the CV
EURES gives Belgium three official languages, Dutch, French and German, and three communities to match. It describes Brussels as officially bilingual, French and Dutch. On language at work it is specific: the employer's place of business decides, so a company in the Dutch-speaking region uses Dutch, one in the French-speaking region French, one in the German-speaking region German, and a Brussels company writes to Dutch-speaking staff in Dutch and French-speaking staff in French.
| Region | Language of workplace documents (EURES) | Public employment service | Sensible CV language |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flanders | Dutch | VDAB | Dutch, or English for an English ad with your Dutch level stated |
| Wallonia (French-speaking) | French | Le Forem | French, or English for an English ad with your French level stated |
| Brussels-Capital Region | Dutch or French, by the language of the staff member | Actiris | The language of the ad; list both French and Dutch levels |
| German-speaking Community | German | ADG | German, or the language of the ad |
Why the second national language matters in Brussels
Actiris says the Brussels region concentrates many jobs with high language requirements and calls the second national language an important asset whatever your job, level of study or age. On registration it offers a language and digital skills test that leads to free courses. EURES adds that language skills are of great importance across Belgium and should sit in a separate section, rated with the CEFR scale.
What each service says, row by row
Read on 13 October 2026. Cells paraphrase the pages listed at the end; ‘not stated’ means the page is silent, not that the point is banned.
| Point | VDAB (Flanders) | Le Forem (Wallonia) | Actiris (Brussels) | EURES Belgium page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length | One to two pages | One page | Two A4 pages at most, one side | Not stated |
| Opening | About me, five lines at most | Not stated | Professional objective: the job title you want | The post you apply for, with the Belgian job title |
| Date of birth | In personal details | Not stated | Under additional information | Not needed, to prevent discrimination |
| Nationality | Not stated | Not stated | Under additional information | Not needed |
| Photo | If the employer asks or you want to | Not stated | If the employer requires it | None unless required or asked |
| Languages | Under skills | Each language with your level | Each language with a level; skip the section if you speak one language | Separate section, CEFR level |
| Dates | Period for each job | Newest first | Years are enough | Newest first |
| File | Not stated | Not stated | PDF so it cannot be changed | Not stated |
The real disagreement: personal data
Actiris's model puts nationality, date of birth and driving licence under Renseignements complémentaires, with an example line like ‘Belge, né le 1er mai 1972’. VDAB lists date of birth in the personal details. EURES, writing for people moving to Belgium, says no private details such as age, nationality, marital status or gender need be given, in order to prevent discrimination. None of the three is a legal rule; pick the version that matches the region's service, and leave out anything you would rather discuss at interview.
Details only VDAB mentions
VDAB suggests a plain business font such as Arial or Verdana, grouping similar jobs under one heading if you have had many, listing an unfinished degree with a note that you did not graduate, and keeping illness out of the CV and for the interview.
Details only Actiris mentions
Actiris writes the surname in capitals to separate it from the first name, leaves out former employers' addresses and phone numbers, and does not state contract types such as CDD or CDI. It also tells applicants to reuse keywords from the job description so automated CV searches find them, and notes that some employers require their own online form, Europass being one example.
One applicant, Brussels and Flanders versions
The sample person is invented: Deniz Yılmaz, an accountant from Istanbul with five years at a freight company, applying in English. Only the top block changes between the two versions.
| Part | Brussels, following Actiris | Antwerp, following VDAB |
|---|---|---|
| Name line | Deniz YILMAZ | Deniz Yılmaz |
| Contact | Istanbul, Türkiye · +90 532 000 00 00 · deniz.yilmaz@example.com · LinkedIn | Born 03.02.1992 · Istanbul, Türkiye · +90 532 000 00 00 · deniz.yilmaz@example.com · LinkedIn |
| Opening | Objective: Accounts payable officer | About me: Accountant with five years in freight and customs billing; I closed month-end in four days and want to do the same for a port logistics firm. |
| Languages | Turkish: native · English: C1 · French: B1, evening classes · Dutch: A2 | Turkish native · English C1 · Dutch A2, course ongoing · French B1 |
| Additional information | Turkish national, born 3 February 1992 · Will need a single permit · Driving licence B | Driving licence B |
The work experience section stays the same in both: years, job title, company and town, then three to five lines of tasks and results, newest first.
Proof: sources and dates
| Source | Run by | Date shown |
|---|---|---|
| Schrijf een sterk cv | VDAB, Flemish public employment service | No date shown |
| Les indispensables pour réussir son CV | Le Forem, Walloon public employment and training service | Published 22 July 2025 |
| Préparer, Rédiger and Evaluer mon CV | Actiris, Brussels public employment service | No date shown |
| Living and working conditions: Belgium | EURES, European Commission | No date shown |
| Authorisations to work for employees | Brussels Economy and Employment | Notes a change from 4 May 2026 |
Work permits for non-EU citizens
Brussels Economy and Employment says employing a non-European national generally needs an authorisation to work, valid up to 90 days, or a single permit for longer stays, and that the employer or its agent applies. Since 4 May 2026 all such applications go through the federal One-Stop counter; emailed and PDF forms are no longer accepted. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not need one. Flanders and Wallonia run their own permit pages; check the region's page before you apply, because rules change.
Where this guide stops
- The German-speaking Community is covered only for language; its service, the ADG, was not read for this guide.
- Flemish and Walloon permit procedures are not described here; only the Brussels page was read.
- An employer’s own online form overrides all of this; Actiris names Europass as one format some employers require.
- Nothing here is law. The services give advice, and the EURES page and the regional services do not always agree.
Next steps
- VDAB's example CVs for different jobs and its CV checklist, in Dutch.
- Actiris's downloadable models: reverse chronological, skills-based, thematic and chronological, in French.
- Le Forem's advice on a video CV of two minutes at most, and its client service for CV help.
- Our guides to Europass, CEFR levels and the Dutch CV, for Flemish employers who also read Dutch conventions.
- CitedCV, if you want the English version written with EU conventions from facts you confirm. It writes in English, Turkish and German, not Dutch or French.
Questions people ask
What language should my CV be in for Belgium?
The language of the ad, which usually follows the region: Dutch in Flanders, French in Wallonia, French or Dutch in Brussels, German in the German-speaking Community.
How long should a Belgian CV be?
One or two pages. VDAB says one to two, Actiris two A4 pages at most, and Le Forem recommends a single page.
Do I put my date of birth on a Belgian CV?
It depends on the region’s advice. VDAB and Actiris include it, while the EURES page for Belgium says age need not be given.
Should a Belgian CV have a photo?
Only if the employer asks, according to Actiris and EURES. VDAB adds that you may include a business photo if you want to.
Is there a Belgian CV template?
Yes, several. Actiris offers downloadable French models in four layouts, and VDAB publishes example CVs for jobs from administrative clerk to forklift driver.
Do I need to speak French and Dutch to work in Brussels?
Not always, but Actiris calls the second national language an important asset for jobs in Brussels and tests your level when you register.
Who applies for a Belgian work permit?
The employer or its agent, according to Brussels Economy and Employment, and since 4 May 2026 through the federal One-Stop counter.
Should I list nationality on a CV for Belgium?
Actiris puts nationality under additional information; EURES says it need not be given. If you need a permit, one factual line on your status helps the employer.
Sources
- VDAB, Schrijf een sterk cvwww.vdab.be/jobs/solliciteren/cv/tips-en-voorbeelden
- Le Forem, Les indispensables pour réussir son CV (22 July 2025)www.leforem.be/articles/les-indispensables-reussir-cv.html
- Actiris, Préparer mon CVwww.actiris.brussels/fr/citoyens/mes-outils-pour-postuler/preparer-mon-cv/
- Actiris, Rédiger mon CVwww.actiris.brussels/fr/citoyens/mes-outils-pour-postuler/rediger-mon-cv/
- Actiris, Evaluer mon CVwww.actiris.brussels/fr/citoyens/mes-outils-pour-postuler/evaluer-mon-cv/
- Actiris, Déterminer mon niveau en langues et informatiquewww.actiris.brussels/fr/citoyens/determiner-mon-niveau-en-langues-et-informatique/
- EURES, Living and working conditions: Belgiumeures.europa.eu/living-and-working/living-and-working-conditions-europe/living-and-working-conditions-belgium_en
- Brussels Economy and Employment, Authorisations to work for employeeseconomy-employment.brussels/authorisation-work