Information provided in association with Living Abroad

MOVING TO BELGIUM

Our Moving to Belgium Guide is available from upon request.

The Moving to Belgium Guide is available online and has been created to help expatriate families moving to Belgium .

The following pages are a sample of the type of information provided in the Moving to Belgium guide:

Receive The Full Moving To Belgium Guide

The following web pages are a stripped down version of the full information that you can access as an Interdean customer.

To receive your Moving to Belgium Guide for your relocation, make sure that you request your complimentary copy as part of your move quotation.

KEY FACTS

Official Name: Kingdom of Belgium

Capital City: Brussels

Type of Government: Parliamentary democracy

Official Languages: Dutch, French, German

Area: 30,513 sq. km /11,781 sq. mi.

Population: 10.4 million

Religion: 75% Roman Catholic

Currency: Euro €

Number of Time Zones: 1

EST + 6 hrs., GMT + 1 hr.; Daylight Savings Time (DST) from April through September

Weights and Measures: Metric system

Country Domain: .be

Country Tel Code: 32

AT A GLANCE

Overview

Belgium has a great deal to offer expatriates. The country boasts a high standard of living; a large and heterogeneous expatriate population; excellent schools; a thriving business environment; a culture rich in art, history, and traditional products such as diamonds and lace. Occupying a central location in Europe’s most urbanized and cosmopolitan area it is home to many international corporations and organizations, including NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).

Government and politics

Belgium is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional hereditary monarchy. The king, as chief of state, is technically the source of executive authority. In reality, the Council of Ministers, headed by the prime minister, usually the leader of the party with the greatest representation in parliament, makes many of the decisions reserved for the executive branch. The legislative branch consists of a parliament with two houses. The Senate is elected by a combination of provincial councils, fellow senators, and direct election, and the Chamber of Representatives is directly elected. Elections are held every four years.

Expatriate voting rights

In 2004, the Belgian Parliament granted expatriates living in Belgium, regardless of nationality, the right to vote in local municipal elections. Under the new regulations, non-EU foreigners living in Belgium who meet certain conditions, including at least five years of residence, are eligible to vote. EU nationals already had the right to vote in local Belgian elections.

Economy

Belgium has capitalized on its central geographic location and well-developed transportation system to become one of the world’s most prosperous and highly diversified private enterprise economies in the world.

Belgium is home to the headquarters of the EU and plays a leading role as a policy maker. The success of the common currency, the Euro, is a cornerstone of the EU’s economic policy.

UNDERSTANDING THE PEOPLE

Enjoying one of the highest standards of living in the world, Belgian people are typically cosmopolitan, industrious, well trained, highly skilled, motivated, thrifty, and productive. They are confident and trusting of a highly advanced social security which insures a decent life for all citizens.

Belgians are generally formal and courteous and have a great respect for privacy. Family relationships are important, and family members tend to remain in close contact with one another.

Basic democratic values engender tolerance of foreign people, goods, and ideas. The small size of their country and its historic role as a buffer state between more powerful neighbors has encouraged traits of diplomacy and cooperation in the population.

Ethnic makeup

Beginning with the Celtic people and later mixed with the Roman, German, French, Dutch, and Spanish, the Belgians are further enriched with the many immigrants, especially those who came from southern Europe, Turkey and North Africa after World War II.

It is estimated that 10 percent of the population of Belgium is made up of foreigners; in the Brussels area it is estimated that one-fourth of the population is foreign.

Languages

History and culture have drawn distinct lines through this tiny country. There are three separate regions largely defined by linguistic differences. Because Belgium is situated at the meeting place of the Latin and Germanic cultures, it has three official languages: Dutch, French, and German.

In the north, the densely populated Flemish Region known as Flanders, has six million inhabitants who speak Dutch. Although it is the same language as spoken in the Netherlands, there is a difference in pronunciation. Approximately three million Belgians live in the southern region of Wallonia or Walloon, and are French-speaking. A small and insular German-speaking population of about 100,000 resides along Belgium’s border with Germany.

“French-speaking” and Dutch-speaking” are the preferred descriptions of the languages of Belgium. Although occasionally you will hear a reference to “Flemish” or “Dutch-Flemish,” some Belgians are offended by the lingering references to “Flemish” or “Flemish-speaking.” Likewise, the people of the north prefer not to be called “Flemings”, and those in the south do not like to be referred to as “Walloons.”

English is spoken widely and used often, especially in Antwerp. In fact, because of the antagonism between French- and Dutch-speakers, English has emerged as a neutral lingua franca. It is not uncommon to hear two Belgians conversing in English because neither wants to speak the other’s native language. A visitor to Belgium is advised to address a Belgian stranger in English, to avoid the risk of offending him or her by speaking French to a Dutch-speaker or Dutch to a French-speaker.

The capital region, with the most heterogeneous population, includes Brussels, and is situated in the Flemish half of Belgium, but close to Wallonia. Officially bilingual, Brussels itself is dominated by French-speakers, but Dutch is spoken in the surrounding suburbs.

These linguistic differences have fostered an intense rivalry between the Dutch speakers of Flanders and the French speakers of Wallonia, which permeates every aspect of Belgian life. Since World War II, the “leveling” of the agricultural Flemish who historically comprised the Belgian underclass, and the formerly prosperous Walloons, whose fortunes have declined, has blurred the class lines prevalent in the early part of the century.

Cultural traditions

Lying physically between the Germanic and Romance cultures of Europe, Belgium has become a veritable treasure of artistic compositions from both domains, and the Belgians boast some of the most important authors and artists of all types in their past and present cultures. This long cultural heritage is seen throughout the country in numerous architectural monuments and in the wealth of paintings and other works of art.

Religion

Freedom of religion is guaranteed, but Belgium is overwhelmingly Roman Catholic. The Walloons tend to be somewhat less observant than the Flemish. The state subsidizes salaries for officially recognized Roman Catholic, Protestant, Islamic, and Jewish clergy.

Attitudes toward foreigners

Foreign visitors are welcome and widely accepted into the Belgian business environment, but are less likely to be included in a social setting. Foreigners who speak the language are appreciated for their effort and interest, but most Belgians speak at least some English.

CITIES

Belgium is made up of nearly 600 individual communes, each with its own town government. Clusters of these communes form the major cities, Antwerp and Brussels. The cities in Belgium are cosmopolitan, clean, well run and offer very reasonable commutes on an excellent public transportation system.

A large international expatriate population is centered around Brussels. Antwerp is similarly populated with foreign businesspeople, and Gent, Charleroi and Lige are gaining popularity proportionate to the growth of local industry.

Antwerp/Antwepen
Antwerp, Antwerpen in Flemish, is the third-largest seaport in the world, and sustains a vital and historic tradition as a major trading center. Having served as a diamond cutting and distribution center for over six centuries, Antwerp reflects its rich commercial history in the almost flamboyant architecture, garnished with grand, gilt decor. The city hosts a population of 460,000, with a large expatriate population.

In the throes of renovation, Antwerp increasingly sees itself as a major European cultural center. The city’s rich artistic history is preserved in its museums and churches and its modern cosmopolitan population is entertained in a mind-boggling array of cafs, restaurants and nightclubs.

At one time part of the Burgundian Empire and a member of the Hanseatic League, the city’s growth can be traced by the architectural styles that surround the city center and by the concentric pattern of its streets. The Main Square, or Grote Market, is the heart of the city’s historic district, surrounded by the 15th-century Cathedral of Our Lady and the Town Hall, just east of the River Schelde. The main port area is north of the city.

The city’s diamond district covers Pelikaanstraat and its adjacent side streets to the east of the center. Still farther east are the central train station and the famous zoo.

After World War II, Antwerp became a major center for Orthodox Jews. There is still a large Orthodox Jewish population in the city to this day, and many signficant Hassidic movements have begun here.

Economic activity is concentrated in the city itself. Oil, chemicals, and car industries are big employers. Diamonds are still of huge commercial importance with more than three-quarters of the world’s uncut diamonds being traded here.

Many of the city’s more affluent residents are moving to the surrounding suburbs where the quality of life is perceived to be higher.

Brussels/Bruxelles/Brussel

Lying at the crossroads of Western Europe, Brussels – Bruxelles in French, Brussel in Flemish – is the cradle of the Eurocracy. The European Union and NATO have each established their headquarters in the city, as have dozens of multinational organizations, trade unions, and institutes, due in large part to the fact that nearly all of the West European capitals are within 1,000 km/622 mi. Along with being the capital of Belgium, it is sometimes called the capital of the European Union.

More than a quarter of the city’s one million residents are foreigners. Business travelers easily outnumber tourists. It has the reputation of being a haven for those on expense accounts, with superb but expensive restaurants and hotels. The bilingual nature of the Brussels community is a further attraction to international commerce.

The people of Brussels proudly proclaim their city to be one of the most livable in the world. The city works hard to maintain a high level of comfort and culture. As a result, concert halls, museums and historical buildings are common throughout the city, providing a wide range of cultural options. The city has hosted two world fairs, and the Atomium – build for the 1958 fair – can still be visited today.

Nestled in the valley of the Senne, which runs southwest to northeast, Brussels is divided into two centers; the lower city on the plain and the upper city on the slopes.

Grand’Place, the magnificent square dominated by the Gothic Hotel de Ville/Town Hall, is considered the heart of Brussels. The downtown area is near the Grand’Place, around the Boulevard Adolphe Max. The financial district is around the Bourse and the Place de la Monnaie on Rue des Fripiers. The Gare Centrale train station is just a few blocks east; the Gare du Midi station is several kilometers southwest of the downtown area. European Union offices are in the vicinity of Place Schumann. NATO headquarters is on the outskirts of town, on the highway toward Brussels International Airport.

Brussels is a capital of multinational corporate headquarters and foreign missions grafted onto a medieval town of cobbled streets, ancient canals, and undiscovered squares. Few streets run parallel – it is easy to get lost when moving off the main boulevards into the many narrow side streets. Look for a landmark that you can find on your map to regain your bearings.

Finding your way around is further complicated by the bilingual nature of the city, with street signs written in both French and Flemish. Most are easily identifiable translations of French and Flemish names: for example, Boulevard de Waterloo is Waterloolaan. Some are less obvious: rue de la Loi is Wetstraat, rue Royale is Koningstraat, and rue Ducale is Hertogstraat.

French is more commonly spoken throughout Brussels, but by law, the city is officially bilingual.

CLIMATE

Although temperatures are rarely extreme, the weather in Belgium is quite variable. Cold rain and fog are frequent, and clouds are common. Cold winters and hot summers, more characteristic of a continental climate, are found in the southeast Ardennes region.