Tomato Greenhouse Jobs in Belgium, Belgium’s agriculture and horticulture sectors continue to offer strong opportunities for non-EU workers in 2025, especially in tomato greenhouses. With visa sponsorship, legal protections, and competitive wages (around €10.40–€12.30 per hour), these jobs are particularly attractive for people seeking stable seasonal or full-time work in Europe. This article explores what you need to know: job duties, visa permits, employers, wages, rights, and how to apply. Tomato Greenhouse Jobs in Belgium
What are Tomato Greenhouse Jobs?
Tomato greenhouse jobs involve tasks related to cultivating, maintaining, harvesting, and packing tomatoes in greenhouse environments. Typical responsibilities include:
- Pruning, trimming, and training plants
- Removing leaves or suckers, controlling pests
- Harvesting ripe tomatoes, sorting by quality/size
- Packing, weighing, labelling, preparing for transport
- General upkeep: cleaning workspace, maintaining greenhouse environment (temperature, humidity)
These jobs are physically demanding and require stamina; working in greenhouses means exposure to heat, humidity, and possibly pesticides or insects. But the work is also well-paid relatively, especially with visa support and housing or travel provisions in some cases. Tomato Greenhouse Jobs in Belgium
Wage Levels & Living Wage Context
Wages in Belgium for greenhouse work vary by region (Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels), by employer, and by contract (seasonal vs full-time). Some recent offers show wages around €12.64 gross/hour for greenhouse tomato work.
Your target range of €10.40–€12.30 per hour falls slightly below many current offers, but is still realistic for entry-level or unskilled roles, especially if you’re new or don’t speak local languages. Employers sometimes pay more (or give overtime). In addition, some offers include additional benefits: accommodation (sometimes subsidized), travel or fuel allowances, food subsidies, health insurance. Tomato Greenhouse Jobs in Belgium
Visa Sponsorship & Permits
For non-EU / third-country nationals, visa and work permit arrangements are crucial. Here are the main permit types relevant to greenhouse/agricultural work:
- Seasonal Worker Permit
- Designed for agricultural or horticultural work when local workers are insufficient. Belgium allows seasonal workers in horticulture in regions like Flanders and Wallonia.
- Duration typically limited: up to 90 days, or extended up to 150 days in some regions.
- Employer must apply with the regional government; must show job offer and that conditions (wages, housing, insurance) are met.
- Single Permit (Residence + Work)
- Used for non-seasonal employed workers. The employer must apply. Permit combines both residence permit and work permit.
- Required if stay >90 days or working beyond seasonal limits.
- Legal Requirements Employer Side
- Must offer contract under Belgian employment law, pay correct wage (gross), ensure social and health insurance contributions, provide acceptable housing if required.
- Must apply through relevant regional authority (Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels) depending on location.
- Your Responsibilities
- Valid passport, medical certificate, proof of identity.
- Possibly criminal record check (depending on country) for longer stays or permits.
- Possibly basic knowledge of some language or willingness to work in multilingual settings. Tomato Greenhouse Jobs in Belgium
Employers & Job Offers
Here are examples of actual tomato greenhouse / horticulture job offers in Belgium:
- Greenhouse worker (tomatoes) in Rijkevorsel: trimming, harvesting, sorting… wage ~ €12.64 gross/hour; employer provides accommodation.
- Greenhouse worker in Jabbeke, seasonal full-time work: wage ~ €12.64 gross/hour, contract ~100 days, accommodation provided (~€50/month).
- Greenhouse worker in Duffel: vegetable/seedling work, ~ €12.85 gross/hour, accommodation organized.
These show that employers are already paying above the €10.40-€12.30 range (for many roles), so if you aim for the lower end, you may need to accept roles with less experience required, fewer benefits, or more physically demanding duties.
Rights, Working Conditions & Extras
Working in Belgium comes with legal protections:
- Legal minimum wage and collective agreements: Belgium has strong labour laws. Even in agriculture, there are minimum wage regulations.
- Health and safety: Employers must ensure safe working conditions, provide protective equipment, follow pesticide regulations.
- Social security, vacations, rest time: Even seasonal workers often have rights to rest periods, paid vacation in proportion to work done etc.
- Accommodation: Some offers include employer-provided or organized accommodation; costs may vary. In some offers, accommodation is subsidized or partial cost is deducted.
Challenges & Tips
Working in tomato greenhouses also comes with challenges:
- Physical work & environment: Greenhouses can be hot and humid. Repetitive tasks, long hours possible during peak season.
- Language: Flanders (Dutch), Wallonia (French), Brussels (mixed). English may be acceptable in many cases, but learning basic local language helps.
- Visa timing: Permit processing can take weeks to months. Make sure the employer agrees to sponsor, and you prepare documents early.
- Costs: Accommodations, transport, possibly fees. Sometimes costs are deducted from wage. Always clarify these beforehand. Tomato Greenhouse Jobs in Belgium
How to Apply: Step-by-Step
- Find legitimate job offers: Use websites such as EU/EURES, VDAB (Flanders region), local recruitment agencies with good reviews. Beware of scams.
- Check the job details: Wage (gross & net), hours/week, accommodation, transport, visa support. If wage is €10.40-€12.30/hour, ensure something compensates (e.g. housing, overtime, bonuses). Tomato Greenhouse Jobs in Belgium
- Contact employer or recruiter: Ask explicitly: “Do you offer visa/work permit sponsorship for third-country nationals?” Make sure this is written.
- Prepare documents: Passport, medical certificate, criminal record extract, any certificates/education if required.
- Agree contract terms clearly: Gross wage, deductions (housing, insurance), expected working hours, overtime rules, rest times.
- Submit visa/work permit application: Employer mostly does this; you may need to provide your documents.
- Arrival & registration: Once you arrive, you’ll likely need to register at local municipality for residence card, get social security number etc. Tomato Greenhouse Jobs in Belgium
Conclusion
Tomato greenhouse jobs in Belgium that include visa sponsorship offer a solid avenue for non-EU workers in 2025 willing to do physical, seasonal or full-time horticultural work. With wages in many real offers above €12/hour, your range of €10.40–€12.30/hour is realistic especially for entry level roles. The key is to find trusted employers who truly provide visa support, prepare your documents carefully, and understand your rights. Tomato Greenhouse Jobs in Belgium