Moving to Belgium
DO YOU CONSIDER MOVING TO BELGIUM?
Belgium is the centre of Europe and a beautiful country to live and work in. Have you already decided to move here? Then you have made the right choice. Belgium is a country with a big international community and wide variety of interesting cultures. This big diversity makes it easy for everybody to feel at home in Belgium. Moving to Belgium is a big step, and a lot of decisions need to be made before settling down. There are some things you should consider before moving to Belgium. Globe Properties created an Ebook (please send us an e-mail to receive this) to guide you through this exiting process.
THE LANGUAGES
Belgium has 3 official languages; French, Dutch and German. Luckily, the Belgians also speak relatively good English, therefore it is not a big problem if you are not fluent in those 3 languages. In the northern region of Belgium, you will find primarily Flemish speaking Belgians, which share the same linguistic family as their northern neighbours – The Dutch. When you go to the southern parts of Belgium, French is the official language spoken by the Walloons. When you go to the German-Belgian border, there are 2 smaller regions where the population talks German. There is not a lot of industry or international companies there, so it would be rather unlikely for an expat to relocate to these areas. There are a lot of language schools if you want to learn Walloon or Flemish and they are in general not too expensive. Globe Properties offers extra services like finding an appropriate school for your children and helping you with the inscription.
BRUSSELS
Belgium is not a big country, but it is a country with an international flair! Especially in the Brussels region a lot of expats can be found. It is one of the few bilingual cities in the world and even the traffic signs are in 2 languages. In most regions in Brussels however, French is the main language spoken on the streets. Brussels is well known for being the capital of the European Union. Brussels hosts the Council of the European Union, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the NATO headquarters. This area has adopted the English language as their main language of communication since there are so many expats and newcomers from all over the world.
VISA AND OTHER PERMITS
For EU citizens, it is not necessary to acquire a visa. For countries outside the EU it is mandatory to acquire a visa. All visa applications should be addressed to the nearest embassy to the place where you live. If you are staying for a short period of time, special visas can apply, which can speed up the process. You will need a valid passport and documentation on your stay when applying for a visa.
HOUSING
Once you have arrived in Belgium, housing is an important topic. It can be difficult to find a well-priced apartment in the specific area that you want. Take into consideration that the central areas of the cities are quite expensive, but also offer you the best Belgian experience. Most of our clients (majority coming from US, Europe and South-Africa) ask for housing in Ghent or Brussels. Of course we can also provide apartments/houses in other cities - or even in the countryside!
BEST INTERNET PROVIDERS
After finding the right apartment for you, a decent internet connection would be the logical next step. Most internet providers in Belgium provide stable connection. Do you prefer having your internet connection arranged on the first day of arrival? Globe Properties provides this as an extra option. We guide you to the right provider and negotiate the best subscription.
BELGIAN CULTURE
What is not to love about the Belgian culture?! You need to feel it and to see it. It is an integral part of European culture. The Flemish draw a bit more on the Dutch and English-speaking culture and the Walloons more on French-speaking culture. There are however parts of the culture that are purely Belgian- think about the well-known cartoons (Tintin, The Smurfs, Lucky Luke and many more), famous painters (Rubens), Belgian beers (Trappist) and Brussels waffles.
BELGIUM; A LOVE STORY
Belgium is in the top 20 of the happiest nations worldwide for some years now. The expats living in Belgium seem to agree with that, they ranked the Belgium one of the best places in the world to be an expat. Belgium offers a lot of interesting jobs and attracts a wide variety of job seekers. In case your partner is searching for a job, we can give you contact details. Don’t wait any longer and move to Belgium!