r/AskBelgium

We are interested in an apartment that has a fixed common charge of €300.

The €300 includes according to my understanding building maintenance (it is a nice historic looking building, no lift, no parking, no storage), water and gas (energy rating E, 125 m2). We do not get any of the money back at the end of the year.

We currently pay around €175 for common charges (we have a lift, parking and storage), €25 for water, and €80 for electricity and gas (energy rating B, 100 m2), which totals to €280. We do, however, get some of the €175 back. Over the past couple of years we received about €1000 at the end of the year.

Is the €300 a good deal or not, since we won't get any of it back at the end of the year? The rental agent says it is a good deal because we are locking in a fixed gas price. On the other hand, we are not wasteful people and do not use unnecessary gas or water.

I think i might have autism and adhd and i think a diagnosis could really help me but i have no idea where to start. I dont have to rely on my parents because im 19 but im really anxious about doing this alone so if anyone knows where i can start this and how it works in belgium that would be great!

Hi everyone. I moved to Brussels about a few months ago to be with my husband (Belgian resident, so I have the right to work) and I have been job searching for over 5 months now. I've applied to over 100 roles and I'm getting no responses. I had one interview but I think it was a scam. I'm starting to feel like I made a huge mistake, and that I'm losing any career momentum I had out of school.

I have experience in events, communications, and project management in the non-profit and cultural sector. I've planned major fundraisers, developed exhibitions, and handled digital marketing. I'm trying to apply this experience to the non profit space in Brussels, but have expanded outside that as well due to how little luck I've had.

I'm targeting junior roles and traineeships in events, comms, and project management. I've tried LinkedIn, BrusselsJobs, agencies, and traineeship boards. None of it is working. I keep hitting walls. I've tried networking, but its really hard to get my foot in the door here.

The language thing is the obvious issue, I know. I'm a native English speaker and I'm actively studying French, but I'm nowhere near B1. However, everyone I have met in Brussels has told me they work entirely in English and non of them speak the local languages.

What I'm struggling to understand is whether this is a language barrier problem, a sector problem (is the cultural/non-profit scene just tiny here?), a CV format problem, or something else I'm missing entirely. Any advice is appreciated. I would even be open to meet for a coffee chat in person!

Thanks 😄

Any chocolatier/tourist traps to avoid when getting my friends belgian chocolate to take home?

My friend and I are planning a last minute budget trip to London, Paris, finally Bruges, and then back to London to fly home. We booked our train tickets last night on the Belgian rail website for the legs of Paris -> Bruges and then Bruges -> London. We take Eurostar from Paris to Brussels, Belgian Rail from Brussels to Bruges, Belgian Rail from Bruges to Lille, and then Eurostar again from Lille to London.

We had no problem loading up the tickets for Eurostar onto the Eurostar app, honestly not even realizing that half the legs were booked through Eurostar as this is both our first times traveling in Europe at all. When I went to load the Belgian Rail tickets onto the SNCB International app, it says the DNR code is not attached to the email that was used to book it. Reading the ticket again, it says that the ticket can not be scanned digitally under any circumstances and that it must be printed. I'm assuming this is because I booked the tickets through the Belgian Rail website before I had an account.

I've read of some people online saying that you can still scan email PDF code at the code at the train station. Is this true? Or, if not, is there another way to digitally load the tickets? I would much prefer this to having a physical piece of paper that can accidentally fold/be damaged/lost/etc.

Edit: People seem to be missing the point. I did not send multiple emails. That's what makes the response rude. If I was spamming them then of course this becomes a justified response.

I needed to fill out a form but couldn't so I'd sent an email marked to two teams on Monday and they were very quick to resolve the situation. I edited the subject to "Solved: [original subject]" and said thanks, confirming that it had been resolved. Both teams then sent 4 more emails on that thread, not concerning me directly.

After I filled out the aforementioned form, a message popped up asking me to register for priority but I couldn't engage with the link so I sent a query email asking if that's relevant for me.

I received a response today saying "Dear [name],

Please stop sending numerous emails!

Assignment is solely on a first come, first served basis.

Kind regards."

I'm just wondering if this is normal amongst Dutch-speaking belgians? Because all my colleagues (German) said this is quite rude, since the department I'm emailing is the only department that can help and I sent two unrelated queries.

TLDR: Received a debatably rude response for asking a clarifying question. I was told to stop sending numerous emails even though I sent only two (beyond the scope of the FAQs).

I'd love some insights into the communication culture here and even constructive criticism if you have any!

Hi Everyone, how is the job market in Belgium?

Hi everyone,
I recently moved to the Limburg region in Belgium. My wife is Belgian and we are expecting our baby girl very soon. Right now I’m attending Dutch classes and trying hard to learn the language as fast as possible.
I already have my residence permit, but since my Dutch is still very basic, finding a job has been difficult. I wanted to ask if it’s still possible to find work with limited Dutch and if anyone has advice or suggestions.
I also have a healthcare background from Turkey (First and Emergency Aid / paramedic training), but I understand that language and diploma recognition can take time here.
Any advice, personal experiences, or guidance would really help me and my family. Thank you very much. :)

Me ofrecen trabajo de ingeniero en Gante. Soy español con poca experiencia. Quería saber sobre la calidad de vida, precio de vivienda etc....

Si eres español cuéntame tu experiencia!

Gracias!

Hi! I am moving to Flanders and am excited to learn Flemish (completely new beginner) as part of really immersing myself in the culture. 😊 And one of the methods that worked for me when I had to learn English as an adult was to watch a lot of English shows with subtitles so my ears get used to hearing the words and intonations, then subsequently I can mimic when I practice speaking.

What are some of your favorite Flemish shows that you’d recommend? Prefer something maybe within the past 10 years and not older. I’ll watch anything except horror or gore. Also, would like some reality tv recommendations because I think that can help me “get” what unscripted conversations sound like. Thank you!!!!

Major bonus if this show is on Netflix. No worries if not, Im sure i can find it somewhere.

EDIT: Wow! Didn’t expect so many helpful responses! Belgians are the best - thank you! ❤️ I think i will start with De Mol because likely the conversation is going to be the simplest compared to other plot-driven drama ☺️

So I might have a job opportunity in Flanders for an international company, but I have some questions about life there.

I speak English/Spanish and French to B1-ish level. I don't speak Dutch and my wife speaks Spanish and English (though can sometimes struggle with it). My stepdaughter only speaks Spanish.

We have some friends near Brussels that could help, but the big question is how hard is day-to-day life without speaking the language around there. I'd probably try to learn basic Dutch, but honestly, I'd rather spend the effort getting to a higher level in French as I'm already learning.

She works as a dental hygienist, I see the licensing is generally easy to move if she's already licensed in an EU country, but would it be possible to find that kind of work in English?

We know the kid will have to get in gear and just learn English fast at the very least.

30M, new in Belgium and trying to experience the local vibe properly 🇧🇪

When Belgium plays in the World Cup (or big football matches in general), where’s the best place to watch the game with a huge crowd and big screens?

Looking for fun public viewing spots, bars, fan zones, city squares, anything with good energy and lots of people celebrating together 🍻⚽

Bonus points if it’s easy to meet people there too 😄

Im an eu-citizen who have a residence here based on studies. There was a problem with my first application, so i had to submit a new one and will have to basically wait a year before i get my residence.

in the meantime, i had some life circumstances change things for me and I will need to find a job, preferrably a full time job asap, while still keeping my student status active as i am in the middle of an application (hoping to change it as soon as i get a job).

I don’t plan on continuing my studies if i find work. But obviously, employers won’t believe that and in my experience it is very very difficult to find jobs as a student. Even cleaning jobs with 4 hour-shifts a week do not want to hire me because i am a student.

So, I removed the student-part of my CV completely, and I have an interview in a few days. Should i disclose that I technically am a student to the employer tomorrow, or can i just not tell them?

Looking for recommendations to sight see and have a taste of original Belgian cuisine. Open to anything, but also don't wanna overload the day by running from 1 thing to the other !

And how is it like actually living in North Brussels compared to the rest of the city? I keep hearing mixed opinions, so I’m curious what locals and travelers think.

I'll be in Belgium this summer with my kids and spouse.

We'll be based in Overijse and will be spending the first day around Waterloo and last 2 days around Grand Place due to events we booked at that time/location.

Midweek we have an overnight trip to Paris.

The rest of the days, we'd like to spend a day in each of these areas:

- Ghent

- Bruges

- Antwerp

- Dinant

And visit these spots:

- Atomium

- Villers la Ville

- Tervuren Park

- Lake Genval

My question is, what order do you think is best? We will have 8 days total for activities in Belgium (not including the Paris days).

If not, is it weird to not understand half of your own country? How do you communicate when in a region with a different language?

Hello Belgians!

My parents want me (18F) to spend some time outside of the USA. Belgium has been suggested to me for a while. I would be staying there for 6 months to a year if I chose to go. I'm a bit afraid since I only speak English. Also, one of my parents wants me to go to college overseas as well , but I didn't do well in high school so I'm not sure if I would survive in Belgium.

Will I be able to adjust and maybe even attend school? Or should I stay in the US?

Edit: I'm willing to learn Flemish or French while I'm there. Bc why not?