Daily life
Newcomers
If you are a newcomer in the Belgian capital, the information below can help you adjust to the daily life in the new city.
Bank
Opening a bank account is one of the most stressful and time consuming things that you need to do when you settle in a new country. However, almost every bank in Brussels provides a very useful expatriate service.
• For more information about ING Expat Service, click here.
• For more information about KBC Expat Service, click here.
• For more information about BNP Paribas Fortis Expat Service, click here.
Housing
Rent or buy accommodation in Brussels
Finding accommodation in Belgium’s capital city is easy, as there are many apartments and houses for sale or rent. However, tenants should be aware of their rights and duties, and always read the fine print in their contracts.
There are several ways to find a place to live:
• Rent a fully serviced apartment in a ‘flathotel’, short or long term. These places offer hotel-type
facilities, such as maid service and laundry.
• Rent or buy your home through an estate agency. The agency will offer a selection of furnished or
unfurnished apartments and/or houses; it will also handle the contract and other practical details.
• There are also full-service relocation agencies which will guide the whole family through the move in
terms of information, paperwork and accommodation.
• Search the advertisements. Papers that carry advertisements include The Bulletin (in English),
The Vlan and Belgian newspapers. Also see Immoweb, and Vlan.
• Walk around the district you prefer, looking for the bright orange sign ‘A Louer’ or ‘Te Huur’, displayed
on windows or house fronts. Places for sale are advertised as ‘A Vendre’ or
‘Te Koop’.www.appartager.be is a good site if you want to share an apartment or look for a studio.
House Prices
There is no legislation on rent prices in Belgium. Nevertheless, for the time being, in Brussels city, the rent for a shared apartment will cost you around € 350 to € 500 according to the condition of the apartment and the location. A one room apartment (Flat /studio) goes around € 500 - € 600. A one room furnished apartment goes from € 600 to € 750. A house will be cost you around € 1000 to € 1 200 (These prices are only estimations and different landlords can give you prices that are far more or less).
Expenses
When renting, remember that the room / apartment advertised rent does not usually include consumption of water, gas and electricity or cleaning and maintenance of communal areas. The costs for cleaning and maintenance (usually labelled in French as ‘charges’) can amount to quite a hefty sum on top of the rent.
Guarantee
Normally you will have to deposit the sum of three months’ rent as a guarantee against any damage to the property. The guarantee, which should never be given in cash, must be deposited in a blocked account at a bank.
Lease
Always read the lease carefully. The same applies to the inventory of fixtures (état des lieux), which details the state of the property when you arrive, as the landlord can charge for anything that has been broken or damaged during your stay. Leases are usually for periods of either three or nine years. If you move before the end of the lease you can be charged for up to three months’ rent, unless you find a new tenant who will take over the lease.
Land tax
Be aware that some landlords may try to charge tenants a ‘land tax’, which should legally be paid by the landlord. This tax may be equivalent to as much as 60% of the monthly rent charge.
Languages
Learning a new language is always useful, and even more so in an international city as Brussels. There are plenty of places where to learn French or Dutch, but also other languages.
It is also possible to learn Dutch online, or joining conversation groups.
A list of language schools in Brussels can be found on expatica.com
Leisure
Museums, restaurants, bars, festivals, Brussels offers a variety of things to do. The agenda can be found in these websites:
Xpats.com
Quefaire.be
BrusselsLife
For those interested in meeting other expats, there is a wide range of groups and clubs. For more information, click here.
Bookshops
Books in English
Sterling
Rue du Fossé-aux-Loups 38, 1000 Brussels
Tel: +32 (0)2 223 62 23
Open: Monday to Saturday 10.00-19.00, Sunday 12.00-18.30
Website: www.sterlingbooks.be
Waterstone's
Boulevard Adolphe Marx 71-75, 1000 Brussels
Tel: +32 (0)2 219 27 08
Open: Monday to Saturday 9.00-19.00, Sunday 10.30-18.00
Website: www.waterstones.com
Books in French
Filigranes
Avenue des Arts 39-40, 1040 Brussels
Tel: +32 (0)2 511 90 15
Open: Monday to Friday 8.00-20.00, Saturday 10.00-19.30, Sunday 10.00-19.00
Website: www.filigranes.be
Tropismes
Galerie des Princes 11,1000 Brussels
Tel: +32 (0)2 512 88 52
Open: Monday 13.00-18.30, Tuesday to Thursday 10.00-18.30, Friday 10.00-19.30,
Saturday 10.30-19.00, Sunday 13.30-18.30
Website: www.tropismes.com
Books in Dutch
Passa Porta
Rue Antoine Dansaert 46, 1000 Brussels
Tel: +32 (0)2 502 94 60
Open: Monday 12.00-19.00, Tuesday to Saturday 11.00-19.00, Sunday 12.00-18.00
Website: www.passaporta.be
Books in German
Deutschsprachige Gutenberg Buchhandlung
Rue de Louvain 34, 1000 Brussels
Tel: +32 (0)2 512 45 10
Open: Monday to Saturday 10.00-18.00, Close on Wednesdays
Website: www.gutenbergbuchhandlung.be
Books in Spanish
Punto y coma
Rue Stevin 115a, 1000 Brussels
Tel: +32 (0)2 230 10 29
Open: Monday to Saturday 11.00-19.00
Website: www.puntoycoma.be
Books in Portuguese
Orfeu
Rue du Taciturne 43, 1000 Brussels
Tel: +32 (0)2 735 00 77
Website: www.orfeu.blogs.sapo.pt
Books in Italian
Piola Libri
Rue Franklin 66-68, 1000 Brussels
Tel: +32 (0)2 736 93 91
Open: Monday to Friday 11.00-20.00, Saturday 12.00-18.00
Website: www.piolalibri.be
Books and food
Cook & Book
Avenue Paul Hymans 251, 1200 Brussels
Tel: +32 (0)2 761 26 00
Open: Monday to Wednesday 8.00-22.00, Thursday to Saturday 8.00-0.00, Sunday 8.00-20.00
Website: www.cookandbook.be
Schools
Families in Brussels have a wide choice of schools, according to their preferred language, religion or educational method. The European schools, which are mainly reserved for the children of EU employees, teach in most European languages. There are several international schools:
BEPS Brussels
Avenue Franklin Roosevelt 23, 1050 Brussels
Tel: +32 (0)2 648 4311
Fax: +32 (0)2 646 1653
Email: brussels@beps.com
Website: www.beps.com
British Junior Academy of Brussels
Boulevard Saint Michel 83, 1040 Brussels
Tel: +32 (0)2 732 53 76
Fax: +32 (0)2 742 01 55
Email: info@bjab.org
Website: www.bjab.org
British School of Brussels
Chaussée de Louvain/Leuvensesteenweg 19, 3080 Tervuren
Tel: +32 (0)2 766 04 30
Fax: +32 (0)2 767 80 70
Email: admissions@britishschool.be
Website: www.britishschool.be
Brussels American School
Avenue J.F. Kennedy 12, 1933 Sterrebeek
Tel: +32 (0)2 717 95 52
Fax: +32 (0)2 782 02 30
Email: fry_janet@odedodea.com
Website: www.brus-ehs.eu.dodea.edu
Brussels International Catholic School
Chaussée de Wavre 457, 1040 Brussels
Tel: +32 (0)2 640 35 36
Email: info@bicschool.be
Website: www.bicschool.be
European School, Brussels I
46 avenue du Vert Chasseur, 1180 Brussels
Tel: +32 (0)2 37 38 611
Fax: +32 (0)2 375 47 16
Website: www.eeb1.org
European School, Brussels II
Avenue Oscar Jespers 75, 1200 Brussels
Tel: +32 (0)2 774 22 11
Fax: +32 (0)2 774 22 60 (primary)
Fax: +32 (0)2774 22 43 (secondary)
Website: www.eeb2.be
European School, Brussels III
Boulevard du Triomphe 135, 1050 Brussels
Tel: +32 (0)2 629 47 92
Fax: +32 (0)2 629 47 00
Website: www.eeb3.eu
International School of Brussels
Kattenberg 19, 1170 Brussels
Tel: + 32 (0) 2 661 42 11
Fax: + 32 (0) 2 661 42 00
Email: web@isb.be
Website: www.isb.be
Japanese School of Brussels
Avenue des Meuniers 133, 1160 Brussels
Tel: +32 (0)2 672 10 38
Fax: +32 (0)2 672 95 27
Email: office@japanese-school-brussels.be
Website: www.japanese-school-brussels.be
Lycée Français Jean Monnet
Avenue du Lycée Français 9, 1180 Brussels
Tel: +32 (0)2 374 58 78
Fax: +32 (0)2 374 98 43
Email: emailinscription@lyceefrancais-jmonnet.be
Website: www.lyceefrancais-jmonnet.be
Montessori House Brussels
Avenue de Tervuren 195, 1150 Brussels
Tel: +32 (0)2 733 63 55
Email: info@montessoribrussels.org - mvr@montessoribrussels.org
Website: www.montessoribrussels.org
Waste
Sorting the waste is compulsory in Belgium. There are three different plastic bags, which can be bought in supermarkets: the yellow one is for paper, the blue one for plastic bottles and cans, and the white one for everything else. Waste is collected twice a week. Glass is not collected, containers are at streets corners. For more information, click here.
