That’s not all, it is home to the European Union, has easy access & fast travel routes to other EU states, and has three official languages. These are only a few reasons why life in Belgium is awesome. It is in between Germanic and Latin Europe, making it officially bilingual. If you are thinking of spending time in Belgium for a short vacation or permanent residence, then this guide is for you.
Life in the country
Most expats enjoy life in Belgium, it is a relatively small country but densely populated. With an estimated population of over 10 million people, Belgium is filled with a very skilled workforce, rich in history, art, and well-developed.
Like France, Belgium is famous for its mouthwatering cuisine and delicacies. Millions of expats enjoy having a bite of its tasty chocolate, waffles, waterzooi, Moules-Frites, or grabbing their Belgium beer flavor with and meal of their choice.
Most expat in the country prefers to reside in Flanders, Wallonia, or Brussels. Flanders is landlocked in the northern parts and filled with the Dutch/Flemish-speaking people. Flanders makes up almost 60% of the country’s population and industrious resources.
Being the home and capital of the EU, Brussels is an A-rated residential area and a tourist hot spot in Belgium, It is among the most developed and advanced areas in Europe. Although the cost of living here is fairly high, millions of people still enjoy living here.
Belgium offers many top attractions in spades and Wallonia is one of them. Wallonia is located in the southern parts of the state. Being the French-speaking region of the country, it is filled with French tourists, residents, and makes up about 11% of the country’s population.
Belgium has a great public transport system. Being a fairly small country, almost every part of the nation can be reached in a short amount of time by train, cab, or bus. Choice public transport within these cities varies but by all means excellent.
Millions of people living here are Roman Catholics (75%), while the remaining 25% are Protestant or follow other religions.
Education
Belgium also has the best academic system in all of Europe. Depending on where you reside, your children will be taught in Dutch, French, or German. There are also international schools found all over the country that teach in English, Spanish, and other major languages.
Expats thinking of starting a family here benefits the most. Belgian daycare offers one of Europe’s most extensive childcare networks that are pocket-friendly, organized, and super helpful. It’s no wonder why almost every child is enrolled in daycare.
If you have a problem with your child’s tuition fee, then you should head to the Brussels Childbirth Trust. This organization is a nonprofit body for expats that offers advice and support for both parents and children.
Tuition fees in international & private schools in the country vary depending on the school and location. Most of them charge around €6,000 and €30,000 per annum. Students from EU member states pay around €700 per year while foreign students from other parts of the world pay considerably higher tuition fees.
Working in Belgium
Belgium is a great place to work if you are planning on relocating to the country for employment. Since the country is bilingual, it will be easier to land a job if you can speak multiple useful languages [English, Spanish, French, Dutch, or German].
There are job opportunities in the country’s industries including metallurgy, petroleum, steel, textiles, chemicals, glass, paper, agriculture. There are also jobs in cobalt, radium, copper, zinc, lead, and food processing industries.
EU nationals have the right to reside and work in Belgium without any special visa or travel documents. They only have to obtain a residence permit to register their presence in the country. Non-EU nationals must possess both work visas and permit before they can live or work in this part of Europe.
This is quite unfortunate if you are a non-EU citizen because most employers prefer physical examination and approval of the labor office before they can hire a foreigner.
Cost of living
The high standard of living comes with a relatively high cost of living. For expats relocating to Belgium from other European nations, this cost may be quite cheaper than you expect.
Real estate prices are also higher than those of most European countries. Brussels has the highest rent prices and competition than anywhere else in Belgium. You can get a good-sized three-bedroom apartment for around €1,500/month. The same apartment will cost you less than €1,200/month in Antwerp.
Belgium also has one of the highest levels of taxation in Europe. Income tax brackets range from 25% to 50%. There’s also demand for social security contributions from both employers and employees. Belgium also levies 21% for VATS and regions, provinces and municipalities also have some independent taxation powers for both companies and individuals.
All these notwithstanding, Belgium is a great place to reside in Europe with you are planning on spending a simple short vacation or attaining citizenship. A visit here will assure that life in this part of Europe is worth it.