r/AskBelgium

Has anyone here been through long-term sick leave for major depression or burnout in Belgium, especially if you're a foreigner with permanent residency?

I've been living and working in Belgium for 7 years and have a B card (permanent residency). I've always worked and paid my taxes, but earlier this year I was diagnosed with major depression and burnout.

Looking back, I think I ignored the warning signs for a long time. I used to work 16-hour days. I know that isn't normal, but I was constantly terrified of losing my job because, in my mind, losing my job meant losing my right to stay in Belgium. Whether that fear was rational or not, it completely took over my life.

It got to the point where work controlled everything. If I wasn't working, I felt guilty and anxious. If I went for a walk, I couldn't enjoy it because I was convinced everything at work would fall apart while I was away. Even on holiday I couldn't switch off. I was constantly thinking about work instead of relaxing.

Eventually I reached a point where I just couldn't function anymore. I couldn't focus, couldn't think clearly, couldn't make decisions, and even simple tasks became overwhelming.

I've now been on sick leave for almost 4 months. I recently tried returning to work part-time, but I still don't feel like I'm recovering.

Has anyone else experienced something similar? How long did it take before you started feeling like yourself again? Did you eventually recover and return to work?

And if you're also a foreigner with permanent residency, did you have any issues with your residency or employment while you were on long-term sick leave?

I'd really appreciate hearing your experiences because right now it's difficult to imagine that life will ever feel normal again.

My wife and I just moved to Belgium and we largely love it. We went to Rock Werchter this weekend and had a blast. One thing I did notice was that lots of people, in the middle of the large crowds, would light cigarettes and smoke in the middle of everything and everybody.

Obviously I know there’s more smoking culture here than our old home in the US, and I understand people smoke outside at cafes and such. But I was surprised that it happened in the middle of such a densely packed crowd.

I’m wondering: is this common? I figure it might be possible that this is more due to the younger, rowdier nature of concert goers. Or perhaps something specific to the event culture we weren’t aware of. It seemed really disrespectful to me - I’ve had to take my asthmatic friends to the ER more than once when they had cigarette smoke blown their way - but I’m a fish out of water and wanted to consult locals.

I’m asking earnestly and without judgment here, so I appreciate any feedback.

Thank you for your input!

I am a non-EU citizen currently living in another EU country. I recently accepted a job offer in Belgium, and my employer is handling the single permit application for me.

My situation falls under the single permit - researcher track, which has a 60-day processing time. However, it has been around 70 days since the application was submitted, and the residence permit has still not been granted. My employer followed up with IBZ twice after the 60-day deadline passed, but it seems IBZ has not replied.

I have checked several posts and am still not sure if this kind of administrative delay is normal. I would really appreciate any insights into the single permit processing time. Additionally, would it be helpful for me to call IBZ directly (my employer has not shared the application number with me)?

My single permit (researcher track) timeline is below:

• 2026.04.22: Application submitted
• 2026.04.29: Work permit approved
• 2026.06.22: Employer followed up with IBZ because the 60-day deadline passed
• 2026.07.01: Employer followed up with IBZ again

Hello all, I was just wondering from all your experiences or knowledge if anyone knows how difficult the process for moving to Belgium with my bf(US citizen) will be or timelines.
little details:
I am eu citizen living in The Netherlands and working here for 6 years. For me it should be fairly easy(I’ve moved a few times) I will continue to work in Eindhoven(decent job with permanent contract) for some time while I get settled in the new apartment. Desired location north of Belgium(Lommel, Turnhout etc) I’ve already researched a bunch on what documents I need for me. So I think I’m solid on that end.
My main concern is the timeline and the difficulty for my bf to join me once I am in the our new home. We discussed maybe going the spouse relocation route however due to us being together only for one year it was decided to not go that way. Any similar situation advice would be appreciated. Thank you and have a great weekend.

We are with telenet but got fibre installed in our street, and would like to get faster speeds.

We have heard of proximis, edpnet and mobile vikings...and know that mobile vikings is owned by proximus too.

Gamers/streamers, in your opinion, what is the Internet company you LOVE?

Location- Kessel, lo/Leuven

Ik ben benieuwd hoeveel jullie sparen per maand?

Misschien wel even bij vermelden:

• koppel met of zonder kinderen
• alleenstaande met of zonder kinderen
• leeftijd eventueel
• huren of eigen woning/appartement
• voor diegene die willen ook hun loon erbij vemelden

Ik ben alleenstaande, 29 jaar oud en probeer 300 per maand te sparen (inclusief pensioensparen). Daarnaast probeer ik nog 100 per maand opzij te zetten voor vakantie en uitstapjes maar dat gaat hetzelfde jaar weer op. Ik heb een eigen appartement dat ik aan het afbetalen ben. Geen kinderen. Ik verdien 2220 + 200 maaltijdcheques + wagen met laadkaart.

Is dit genoeg? Tips om nog meer te kunnen sparen?

Finally pulling the trigger on spa this year. been watching f1 for ages but never actually gone. heard the weather is unpredictable and some grandstands are better than others but genuinely dont know where to start with tickets ??

Sometimes, when I want to talk about world politics in a general way, I'll use Belgium as a substitute villain: "But what if the Belgians invade?". "If the Belgians took my family hostage, I'd do whatever they tell me."

Does that bother you?

I’m not talking about casually scrolling for an hour. I mean constantly opening Reddit, Instagram, Facebook or other platforms throughout the day.

The strange thing is that I’ve even deleted my Reddit account before, but I still found myself reading Reddit without an account. It’s like my brain is always searching for more information, reassurance or something new to read.

It has been going on for years and I feel like it’s becoming compulsive. I waste so much time, struggle to stop, and even when I know it’s making my anxiety worse, I keep going back.

I’ve also tried app blockers like ScreenZen and other screen time limits, but I always end up finding ways around them. I’ll disable them, change the settings, use my browser instead of the app, or find another workaround. It’s like I know exactly what I’m doing, but I can’t stop myself.

If you’ve experienced something similar:

• What helped you break the cycle?
• Was it related to anxiety, OCD, or something else?
• Did therapy help?

I’m not a teenager, I’m almost 30 so an adult with a serious problem. I have a lot of anxiety.

I’d really appreciate hearing from people who’ve actually been through this.

I'm 34 years old, my wife is 30, and we have an 8-month-old baby. We're from Brazil, and I also have European citizenship (Italy).

We're thinking about moving to Belgium. I'm interested in working in logistics, especially as a delivery van driver, since I've heard there's strong demand in that sector, and the salary is good.

My English is nearly fluent. My wife doesn't speak English yet.

Our goal is simply to find stable jobs in high-demand fields. I'd like to work in logistics, and my wife is willing to work as a cleaner.

What advice or opinions would you have for a family in our situation? We'd really appreciate any tips or experiences, especially from people who have made a similar move.

Thank you in advance!

Hello,

I've been hearing very contradictory information, so I'd like to ask people who have had a similar experience.

I have an F card through family reunification. I've been living in Belgium for 5 years now and would like to apply for Belgian nationality.

I started working in 2022, but I was laid off in mid-2025 and was unemployed for about 6 months before finding another job, which I am currently doing.

I've been told that I need 5 continuous years of work with no interruption in order to qualify. However, I've also read elsewhere that having at least 468 working days is sufficient (and I have significantly more than that).

I'm really confused. Could anyone who has gone through a similar situation please share their experience?

Thank you!

Hello community

I'm trying to get an erasmus+ internship in Belgium, I've sent emails to different universities, the common thing is that I have to find a professor that's willing to supervise me first, I've been contacting professors but ́ost of them do not respond.

Any idea on whom to contact please?

PS: domain of study in Software engineering, AI...

Hi everyone,

I'm a 38-year-old content marketer from Belgium and I'm seriously considering a career switch to refrigeration/HVAC. The technical side of the job really appeals to me, and I'm thinking about retraining.

However, there is one thing that could be a dealbreaker.

I have two young children and I need to drop them off at school every morning. Because of that, I can't realistically start work before around 8:30-9:00.

I know many construction-related jobs start very early, but I was wondering if refrigeration/HVAC is always like that.

• Are there companies where technicians start around 8:30 or 9:00?
• Is this common, or would it be very difficult to find?
• Does it depend on whether you do installations, service, maintenance or industrial refrigeration?

I'd really appreciate hearing from people working in the sector before I commit to retraining.

Thanks!

Het leven is de laatste jaren flink duurder geworden, ook voor jongeren.

Hoeveel zakgeld krijgen jouw kinderen en wat moeten ze er van betalen (kleding, vervoer, telefoonabo, hobby's, ...)?

Edit: 20 en 22 jaar, eentje op kot, eentje thuis, studeren allebei.

Hi! I recently visited Brussels and unfortunately had a mix-up with my train ticket.

I accidentally bought the wrong ticket for the airport train. When my ticket was checked, I was told that I would receive a fine because of it. What confused me is that I took the same train the day before using the same type of ticket, and it was checked without any issue. The tickets also cost the same, and I had activated mine before boarding, but that still didn't make a difference.

It was an honest mistake, and I wasn't trying to avoid paying the fare. I was wondering if there's any way to dispute the penalty or appeal the fine :(

I am hoping to study in Belgium next year, Currently am doing alevels and would like to do a course in finance mainly (prefer working at a bank after uni)
Can you guys suggest me good unis there to apply?
Any advice plss

Hey there!

I’m graduating in Applied Linguistics in Dutch, English and Polish (toegepaste taalkunde) this year, I’ve still got two resits. I’m really unsure of what master’s should I go for. I genuinely don’t want to go the Translation/Interpretation route since I feel like AI will obliterate those fields.

I did an internship at the Polish embassy last semester and since then, I’ve been contemplating getting a master’s in international relations. I worry though - I might become unemployable with my profile. Lately, I got this tingly feeling that these degrees have become worthless ever since AI has made its appearance. I know that multilingual profiles are sought after; I’m fluent in three languages and I’m pretty good in German, and Norwegian. It’s still just that, I don’t posses any other skills besides languages.

Can you guys advise me or give me any pointers on what I ought to do? You can be brutal and honest, guys. I can take it. Should I go for a master’s or just become your run-of-the-mill arbeider at a warehouse? 😅😭

This question comes up every now and then and I have never been able to find an answer. I'm aware that the Belgian King's name, Boudewijn/Baudouin, is the same name in Dutch and French. But what I'm curious about is what the official spelling was. Like, how did the (mostly) bilingual royal family write his name in non official letters? I'm not sure if the King had a passport back in the day, but if that was the case, would it have both names?

This is very unimportant, but I'm still hoping to find out!