Belgium has more than 20 international schools. These schools offer bilingual courses or focus on British, American or French educational programs, among others. Therefore, if you wish to enroll your children in a school following a program different from that provided by the Belgian or French Academy, these are the options available to you.

If you plan to stay in Belgium for less than five years, it is advisable to rent instead of buying a property. Being an owner is not considered a good investment, and in general it is not considered important to have your own house. Transfer costs are high and tax benefits vary widely, which discourages residents from investing in property. Brussels is one of the main real estate markets in Belgium, and therefore the prices are higher than in the rest of the country. In Brussels there are a large number of terraced houses, chalets and estates. The prime real estate markets near Brussels are Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant.

The citizens of the countries of the European Union do not need work permits to work in Belgium, those who are not must obtain one before they can work legally. Work permits are requested by the employer. Finding a job in Belgium is not necessarily as difficult as you think, or suggested by statistics; although it is necessary that you have a little experience, some kind of qualifications, and a lot of patience.

The Belgian banking industry is very strong and varied. Belgium is the country with the largest number of banking chains per capita in the world, so you will have to choose when you want to join a bank. The banks in the region are leaders in the field of “electronic banking”, there are few banking transactions that you cannot do from an ATM or your home computer. Banks offer a wide range of services for individuals and businesses in all types of investment plans, insurance, loans and mortgages. Most of the big chains offer in their Internet pages: online banking, information about the different services and forms to ask for them.

For those who must obtain a visa to stay 90 days in Belgium, a Schengen visa must be applied for. This visa allows moving freely in the 10 countries for the aforementioned time. The Schengen visa must be requested for a particular country that will be listed as the primary or main country, either because it is the place where the person will spend the most time or simply because it is the first country he will visit. The list of requirements for obtaining a Schengen visa varies slightly from one country to another but generally includes the following: a passport that is valid for more than 6 months from the date of entry, fill out an application for a stay, two recent photos, proof of the purpose of the stay, a confirmed address, enough money to cover the cost of the stay and a return flight booked.

Long stay visa (Residence): If you plan to stay in Belgium for more than 90 days, you must check the FPS Foreign Affairs website if you need a visa or not. You must apply for a long stay visa at the local embassy or consulate, which must be obtained before entering the country. Visas cannot be obtained or changed once the person is in Belgium.

Belgium is one of the countries preferred by Erasmus students. The quality of life offered by this nation is almost unmatched, but the cost of living is also unequalled. To avoid misleading us, we have to know that the prices of products and services have a higher cost than Spain, Mexico and any South American country

You can find hospitals in your district in the Yellow Pages, but it is recommended that you ask the pharmacist or your family doctor about which one you need to visit. In some hospitals that specialize in treating children, parents can stay to sleep with them. Health services are very good in Belgium, although they may be somewhat different from those in your country. In most cases, your doctor will decide if you need to be hospitalized and when. If it is not an emergency and many people expect the same treatment, you may have to wait a while.

Foreigners who hold a European driver’s license must register with the Foreigners Registry nearest to the time they arrive in the country. At that time they can decide whether to change their original license for a Belgian license. However, this step is not mandatory, but may be useful in case your original license is lost or stolen.

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