in Belgium

Living and workingin Belgium

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Mini Guide

Foreword

This brochure does not intend to be

a tourist guide and it does not pre-

tend to give every detail essential to

a successful integration in Belgium.

However, in this mini guide you will

find some important information

which will allow you to form a ge-

neral notion of the situation in Bel-

gium and to collect quickly all the

information needed during and af-

ter your stay on Belgian territory.

Certain information in this brochure

has been drawn from quoted Inter-

net sites.

BELGIUM

LIVING iN BELGIUM

WORKING IN BELGIUM

STUDYING IN BELGIUM

4

14

18

20

THE FEDERAL STATE

Belgium is a federal state divided into communities and regions. The division into communities is based on

language and culture. The division into regions is based on economic interests. In addition the country has

10 provinces and 586 municipalities.

The principal responsibilities of the Federal State are among other things: Foreign Affairs, National De-

fence, Justice, Finance, Social Affairs as well as great parts of Public Health and Home Affairs.

Belgium The Communities The RegionsThe Federal State The Flemish Community The Flemish Region

The French Community The Region of Brussels–Capital

The German-speaking community The Walloon Region

� - © Le FOREM 2006 - Living and working in Belgium

Belgium> www.belgium.be

Flanders

Language : Dutch Borders on : Germany, France and the Netherlands Important cities : Antwerpen, Brugge, Brussels, Gent, Hasselt, Kortrijk, ...

www.vlaanderen.be

Wallonia

Language : French Borders on : Germany, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands Important cities : Charleroi, Liège, Namur, Mons, ...

www.wallonie.be

Region of Brussels-Capital Languages: French and Dutch The City of Brussels is all in one : an agglomeration of 19 municipalities forming one of the three Regions of the Belgian Federal State, the capital of the Kingdom of Belgium, the seat of the governments of the French and Flemish Communities and also the place where the European Commission and the Council of the EU reside.

www.irisnet.be

The German-speaking Community Language : German Borders on : Germany and Luxembourg Important cities : Eupen, Saint-Vith, ...

www.dglive.be

BELGIUM : communities, districts, provinces, regions...

Mons

Liège

Brussels

GentBrugge

Antwerpen

Charleroi

Namur

Arlon

Hasselt

Kortrijk

Living and working in Belgium - © Le FOREM 2006 - �


To remember ...1. Telephone numbers to remember

The numbers below are all free

112 Everywhere in Europe ;

passing emergencies towards

the adequate service

101Police

100Ambulance (SAMU – Medi-

cal Service for emergencies)

Fire brigade

103

Children’s telephone number of

the French Community

105The Red Cross (Assistance

and intervention in case of

disasters and catastrophes)

110Child Focus

(European Centre for disap-peared or sexually abused

children)

106

Tele-onthaal :

Difficulties of life « Somebody

to speak to» - 24h/24

(Dutch speaking)

107Télé-Accueil :

Difficulties of life « Somebody

to speak to» - 24h/24

(French speaking)

070245245 : Anti-poison centre

022686200 : Centre for burns

080032123 : Suicide prevention centre

080020120 : Information help Aids

022275252 : Information drugs


2. Opening hours

In the urban zones you can find a large range of goods and services, shopping streets, local stores,

night shops, supermarkets and shopping centres. In those centres you can generally cover the distances

between the various shops and agencies on foot.

Generally the pleasant shopping streets, often with very many tourists, are located in the central parts

of the cities. The big shopping centres and supermarkets are often situated on the periphery of the

urban zones. Public transport takes you from the centre towards the periphery of the cities.

In the country you sometimes have to drive a little longer to do your shopping, but the distances

between the countryside and the city are never very great. The majority of the stores are open from

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and certain department stores,

shopping centres and supermarkets until 8 p.m.. In

certain shopping centres, stores remain even open

until 21 p.m. one day a week or on Sundays. Bake-

ries are also open on Sundays. In the big cities you

can also find night shops which offer an increasingly

large range of products.

3. Money

Since the first of January 2002 the official currency is the Euro (1 € =

0,403399 Belgian francs).


4. Languages

As indicated before, Belgium is a crossroads of many influences. One can easily notice this fact in the mul-

tilingualism which defines this small country. Each Community has indeed its own language and all three

of them (Dutch, French, German), have been recognized as national languages.

It is hard to find Belgians who are fluent in all three of the national languages but English is often unders-

tood, in particular at Brussels, a very international city. 5. Religion

Belgium is a country with a predominantly Catholic population (75 %) but other religions like Islam, Ju-

daism and Protestantism are also practised.

6. National holidays

January 1 (New Year’s Day)

Easter and Easter Monday (the dates change)

May 1 (Labour Day)

Ascension day (6th Thursday after Easter)

Pentecost and Whit Monday (7th Sunday and

Monday after Easter)

July 21 (national holiday)

August 15 (Assumption of the Holy Virgin)

November 1 (All Saints’ Day)

November 11 (Armistice of 1918)

December 25 (Christmas)

The federal public services are also closed on

November 15 (King’s Day)


7. Means of communication

The prefix of the telephone numbers to Belgium is 00

32. The public telephones function with coins, bank

cards or phone cards which you can buy in many retail

outlets such as the post office and the bookshop. The

private fixed home telephones have been used a lot

less since the rise of mobile telephony (GSM). The three

major operators of mobile telephony (Proximus, Mobis-

tar and Base) propose various formulas of payment :

subscriptions and rechargeable cards.

8. Banks

You can open an account in a Belgian bank. Your bank probably has a local correspondent in Belgium.

Check this before leaving. Generally banks are open from Monday to Friday between 10h and 16h and

sometimes on Saturday morning. If you make an appointment the time schedules are more flexible.

10 - © Le FOREM 2006 - Living and working in Belgium

Here follow some characteristics of the Belgians which could perhaps be useful to you... It is always deli-

cate to generalize but a certain number of characteristics refer to the majority of the Belgians :

- In general they are modest and moderate ;

- They are said to be good hosts and easy going and jovial ;

- The Belgians have the reputation of being hard workers, the productivity rate is one of the highest in

the world ;

- The Belgians invest considerably in their housing, from which is drawn the expression « Ils ont une

brique dans le ventre » (they have a brick in their belly).

Social contacts

Because of the climate, the Belgians live a lot inside, they don’t live outside so much, except perhaps during a

beautiful day in the summer. They are attached to their private life and regard their house as a refuge. They

cannot bear noise in the street, noise of neighbours, dustbins left about outside...

At a first meeting, people show themselves rather reserved. When they meet somebody for the first time, they

shake hands, they present themselves and a polite phrase is always welcome (« Pleased to meet you » or « How

are you ? »).

The Belgians are not very spontaneous, they say hello by a handshake or a nod, the hugging and kissing is re-

served for close relatives. They will not shout to greet a friend who is on the other side of the road.

On the telephone, courtesy wants people to present themselves and after that they can start to explain the

reason of the phone call. When they pick up the telephone at home they immediately present themselves.

Some quite Belgian characteristics according to www.newintown.be

Living and working in Belgium - © Le FOREM 2006 - 11

In a general sense and even more with the official authorities, it is very important to present yourself in

time for an appointment. If you cannot arrive in time or if there is a hitch, it is advisable to give a phone

call to the person concerned.

Standards and values

An essential Belgian value is the family. It is true, the number of marriages does decrease incessantly and

the birth rate drops, but the family does remain very important in the considerations of the Belgians.

In Belgium the individual person is important too. If a member of a family behaves badly, only this indi-

vidual is held responsible and not the whole family.

Traditions

Fairs : You can find there ice cream vendors, cotton candy, « fritkots » (chips stalls), as well as horse-gear

and attractions for children. These vil-

lage fairs travel up and down Bel-

gium from town to town.

Les Gilles de Binche : Since the

14th century, the town of Bin-

che has celebrated the arrival of

spring with its carnival every year.

Binche is a town in Wallonia in the

province of « Hainaut ». The Gille

is the central character of this car-

nival. The carnival of Binche lasts

three days and on « Mardi gras »

(Shrove Tuesday), the Gilles throw

oranges.

Saint-Nicolas : Each year, December 6, Saint Nicolas comes to bring toys and sweets to the children… if

they have been good ! Saint Nicolas is helped by black men and he travels with his grey donkey.

You decided to come to work in Belgium. Before your departure, you must carry out a certain number

of formalities. First of all, you must have a valid passport provided by your country of origin (or only

an identity card for certain countries).

Secondly, you may need to obtain a visa at the Belgian embassy or the consulate in your country.

This depends on your country of origin and the period of your stay. Thirdly, you must perhaps also

get the authorization to practice your profession.

To know which documents are required : www.belgium.be

Before leaving


Eures : the European services for employmentA network which favours your mobility

To inform you about the living and working conditions and to help you

to find employment in another Member State of the European Union than

yours, you can consult the public services of employment. These services are free and you can consult

them in your own country as well as in the state where you wish to work. All these services are connected

by a network called EURES (European Employment Services), created to encourage the mobility of the

workers in the European Union.

Each of these EURES departments has one or more advisers, charged to inform, advise and help you to

find employment in another Member State than yours.

www.europa.eu.int/eures

Everything you need to know about life and work abroad.All the European job offers on line.


All the information and addres-

ses of the EuresChannel network

(transborder work between Bel-

gium, France and/or England) :

www.eureschannel.org

All the information and ad-

dresses of the EURES Cross-

border PED for development

of transborder work between

the Province of Luxembourg,

Lorraine, and the Grand Du-

chy of Luxembourg) :

www.euresped.org

EURES, that’s also a whole team at the service of transborder workers

You regularly cross a border to go from your

residence to your work ? You are a little at

sea trying to keep up with the paperwork and

the legislation which evolves unceasingly ? You

would like to benefit in the best way from your

situation ? EURES can advise you and give the

assistance and the support that you are loo-

king for.

All the information and addresses of the

Network Eures Meuse-Rhine (transborder

work between Belgium, the Netherlands and

Germany) :

www.eures-emr.org

Indeed, the network EURES has also speciali-

zed in borderwork and has created specific

cells gathering employment officers in border

zones. Belgium counts three Eures of this type:

one for the relations between Belgium, France

and England (Eures Channel), a second for

Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany (Eures

Meuse-Rhine), and a third for Belgium (provin-

ce of Luxembourg), France (Lorraine), and the

Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (EURES Cross-

border PED for development of transborder

work).

www.belgium.bewww.europa.eu.int/eureswww.leforem.be

Introduction

Small by its size, the Kingdom of Belgium is a dense

country by definition. Dense in terms of population (342

habitants/km², 10 million inhabitants) of course, but also dense in terms of daily life. Politically,

economically, culturally, Belgium is located at the crossroads of several influences, and that must be

reconciled with everyday life. That is not always easy...

Belgium has become the administrative centre of Europe, and has been able to offer a new appearance

to the Europeans who (re)-discover it gradually, Brussels, the capital, to begin with. However, Brussels

remains worried about its old demons : the various communities tearing each other apart. The cause of

these political quarrels are the important social and economic disparities. The various communities which

constitute this federal country must often compromise « in the Belgian way » and are not always very ef-

fective in governing together.

Belgium offers living and working conditions above average, but it is advisable to analyze the

labour market thoroughly before planning to settle there. Indeed there are many shortages in

various sectors but Belgium also counts many jobs for which there are more applicants than

there are vacancies.

Moreover, the various areas differ in many res-

pects, so situations on one side of the linguis-

tic borderline can be different on the other

side. Pay attention to those facts and maybe

Belgium could offer you much more than you have

ever imagined !


Living in Belgium

The arrival in Belgium

Everybody who comes from a country which is a member of the European Union can stay in Belgium as

a tourist for three months without inscription (European regulation). On the other hand, somebody who

wants to work must be registered within 8 days after his arrival. For this registration you have to contact

the Foreigners Department of the municipality where you live and you will have to hand in a series of

administrative documents. Here we quote the documents most currently asked for, but other documents

can be required :

• Documents of identity (for copy) ;

• Appendix 19 bis (certificate to apply to the employer) ;

• In case of a marriage, the act of marriage .

You will have to give your co-ordinates (addresses, telephone numbers...) and fill out some documents

intended for the district police. After inspection by the police (checking if you live on the mentioned

address), you will receive an invitation to present yourself on a fixed date and hour with the following

documents :

• 4 identity photos ;

• Certificate of the employer ;

• Documents of identity ;

• In case of a marriage, the marriage certificate.

The inherent cost of this request for registration is fixed by each municipality. At the time of the inscription,

the interested party receives a document for a temporary stay of three months. After that a request for

settlement must be introduced. (this request can also be presented sooner).

If all the documents are in accordance with the standards and if there is no contrary opinion from the Of-

fice for Foreigners in Brussels, the interested party can already receive a residence permit for 5 years

after one month. For the formalities concerning vehicles : Internet site www.mobilit.fgov.be, the chapter

DIV can help you in your approach.


Housing

Belgium suffers from a housing shortage which forces

up the selling prices of houses. For a lot of families

hiring has priority.

Hiring

Posters, generally orange and black with the words « to let » and easily reco-

gnizable, are attached to available residences.

The majority of the Belgian daily newspapers as well as the regional newspapers also publish small adver-

tisements of houses to let. The free weekly papers have specific headings concerning housing. The « Vlan

group » gathers the majority of them, the national edition is available on Saturdays in the bookshops (or

on Internet: www.vlan.be - www.immo.be - www.immoweb.be ...). Many bookshops, associations, libraries or

multimedia libraries also display housing ads.

To rent a residence you will have to sign a tenancy agreement. Those agreements are usually concluded

for a period of 3, 6 or 9 years or for an unspecified period. A rental guarantee which is generally equi-

valent to three months of rent, is nearly always required by the owners. This sum can be locked up on a

bank account (bank guarantee) and will be refunded when you leave the house if you have not caused

any damage.

General remarks

• An inventory of fixtures must be made by yourself and the owner, or by an independent expert before you start furnishing. Do not neglect this, on no account, because it may cause a conflict.

• The tenancy agreement has an annual indexation clause.

• Maintenance charges are generally not included in the rent.

• A fire insurance is required.


A LOUER - TE HUUR

Purchase

Residences available for purchase are generally re-

cognizable by attached ‘for sale’ posters. The lists

of the estate agencies can be consulted in the com-

mercial directories like « The Golden Pages » or

www.goldenpages.be on the Internet, but the majo-

rity of the buildings or apartments for sale are pre-

sented in the newspapers, mainly the free weekly

newspapers.

You can consult a notary for free; this is advised to

get to know the procedures of purchase. Later on

his or her intervention will be necessary to finalize

the sale itself.

The purchase of a house always proceeds in two

steps, in front of a notary. Initially, a temporary

contract of sale is established. In general, the pur-

chaser and the salesman agree on an advance of 10% of the selling price. Then, from six weeks to four

months later, the sale will really be carried out. The notary expenses depend on the property register

of the sold house and is charged to the purchaser. The list of notaries is available in the directory « The

Golden Pages » or on the site : www.notaire.be. The majority of the banks offer mortgage loans.

Short period renting

Hotels are relatively expensive. Youth hostels and B&B accommodations charge lower prices. (ask some

information in the local tourist office). University towns offer rooms on the campus but only in summer. Lo-

cal newspapers publish small advertisements for this type of renting.

Organizations such as « InforJeunes » also offer very useful information. These regional centres, located in

many cities, will be able to give you information on the legislation concerning housing. Their lists are pretty

comprehensive : www.inforjeunes.be



Working in Belgium

The labour market in Belgium shows different situations between and within the Regions and the

Communities. The disparities are sometimes enormous : Flanders records an unemployment rate* of

8,5 % in 2005, while this rate is 20,2 % for Wallonia and 20,6 % for the region of Brussels-Capital.

This situation is the result of the socio-economic differences in the regions. The supply and demand

mechanisms of employment do not function in the same way everywhere.

In spite of the existence of an important supply of qualified workers, it is difficult to fill up the vacant

jobs, and in some regions the shortage of workers is sometimes very big. The economic growth was

vigorous in 2004 (2,6 %), and it slightly dropped in 2005. If we take the international economic

situation into consideration, it would in any case have been insufficient to reduce the unemployment

figures.

Finding employment

Like in the majority of the countries, it is useful to try every available possibility when it comes to the

search for employment : network of relations (family, friends,...), public services of employment, interim

employment agencies, outplacement agencies, recruitment and selection agencies, the press, information

centres, trade associations, student - or university associations and of course Internet.

www.leforem.bewww.vdab.bewww.orbem.bewww.bgda.bewww.europa.eu.int/eures

* The unemployed, completely compensated and registered as job seekers, compared to the population assured against unemployment (calculations carried out by the ONEM on the basis of INAMI data on June 30, 2004). Source : www.onem.be


There are 4 independent Public Services of Employment in Belgium, in accordance with the regions and

the communities :

VDAB

for the Flemish region

www.vdab.be

Le FOREM

for the Walloon region

www.leforem.be

ORBEM and BGDA

for the region of Brussels-Capital

www.orbem.be

www.bgda.be

AADG

for the German-speaking Community

The first stop for the search for employment is at one of the specialized centres of the Public Services of

Employment. In the Walloon region it is Le FOREM that puts public areas at your disposal where you can

find an answer to all your questions concerning employment :

• Communication and consultation of job offers ;

• Searching techniques ;

• Training and coaching for the search for employment ;

• Information on the trades, professions and competences and on the various professional

sectors ;

• Information on the fairs of employment and other annual events ;

• Legislation (in particular with regard to assistance in job and training) : you will have

access to multiple resources (library, newspapers, telephones, computers with free

access to the employment site, in particular the site of Le FOREM).

Consulting the company directories such as Kompass can also be very useful :

Kompass www.kompass.com

ABC for trade and industry - Belgium

Top 100.000 www.top100000.be


Other possibilities

Interim agencies

These agencies provide temporary work called missions

(contracts for variable periods : weekend, week...). They en-

gage workers who are sent to companies. Those companies

will be charged for the services of those workers.

You will find their co-ordinates in the yellow pages of the te-

lephone directories (www.pagesdor.be). The UPEDI represents

a great part of them (www.federgon.be).

The press

The national press, especially the weekend press, is a good source of job offers. The principal newspa-

pers are : Le Soir (www.lesoir.be), La Libre Belgique (www.lalibre.be), La Meuse (www.lameuse.be), De

Standaard (www.standaard.be), L’Echo (www.lecho.be), Références (www.references.be), as well as the

free newspapers, the Vlan group is the best known one (www.vlan.be), le Vlan is distributed on Saturdays

in the bookshops.

Recruitment and selection agencies

Those agencies are accessible to any person wanting to work in Belgium.

Some of them are specialized in a field. To contact them, two possibilities

are offered to you :

• Sending a spontaneous application (CV, letter of motivation) ;

• Sending an application following an advertisement on the Internet

or in the press. .

The lists of the principal cabinets can be consulted in the regional telephone

directories (www.pagesdor.be).

Information centres

The network INFOR JEUNES has regional centres and open centres in many

Belgian towns. They will be able to give you information concerning work,

training, social assistance, housing, transport... (www.inforjeunes.be).

Via the WEB

Various sites of job of-

fers are also accessible

for you, for example :

www.monster.be

www.references.be

www.leforem.be

www.orbem.be

www.vdab.be

www.stepstone.be



Did you know ?


To create your company

Belgium suffers like many other European countries from a lack

of dynamism regarding the creation of companies. This is why

nowadays many devices and advantages are introduced in order

to encourage applicants for work, foreign workers and investors

to create a company of their own. All the devices, resources and

advantages are joined together on these sites :

> www.jecree.be www.investirenflandre.be www.investinwallonia.be

Do you know the Eures Network ? This network, established

everywhere in Europe, directs you and informs you with re-

gard to the steps you have to take in order to be able to

work abroad. They collect and put on line all job offers from

all over Europe. A search machine, which enables you to choose

a country and a sector, will give you all the job offers available

according to your criteria. The ideal partner for becoming

a successful expatriate.


The organisation of work and payment

Wages

Wages are fixed in collective agreements. Those

agreements have been concluded between the trade

unions and the representatives of the employers. The

collective agreements regulate the principal aspects

of payment and working conditions. To obtain infor-

mation on the scales of wages, you can contact the

Inspection of social laws :

Service public fédéral (SPF),

Emploi, Travail et Concertation sociale,

Rue Belliard, 51 - 1040 Bruxelles

Tél. 02 233 41 11

www.meta.fgov.be

In Belgium, they speak of net income and gross income. The net income is the sum actually received by the

worker. It is equal to the gross income minus the social security contributions and the advances of the taxes

called professional deduction, directly taken by the employer. The wages for the workmen must be paid

every two weeks and for the employees every month. The dates and the terms of payment are fixed by

the collective agreements.

The holidays

In Belgium, there are 10 official holidays : January

1, Easter Monday, May 1, Ascension Day, Whit Mon-

day, July 21 (Belgian national holiday), August 15,

November 1, November 11 and December 25.

The annual holidays

Employees are entitled to paid leaves ; they are

based on the work carried out the preceding calen-

dar year. That means that one cannot take leave the first year of work. However, your employer can give

you some days off, but those are non-paid leaves.

Workmen obtain 20 free days for one whole year of work, to be taken the following year. They are en-


titled to a payment from a holiday fund ins-

tead of wages. This amount includes normal

wages plus a holiday pay. Employees are

entitled to 2 free days per month of employ-

ment, that is to say 4 weeks of paid leaves.

They are also entitled to a holiday pay of

92% of their monthly gross income.

Working time

The Belgian legislation imposes a double li-

mit on the working hours. The working hours

cannot exceed 8 hours a day and 39 hours a

week. Following various modifications of the

legislation, the limits nowadays are actually

9 hours a day and 38 hours a week. The wor-

king-programmes as well as the work-sche-

dules are put down in a document concerning

the policy and the procedures of the compa-

ny. The employer must give this document to

all the members of his staff. Make sure that

you receive it and read it carefully.

More information :

www.meta.fgov.be


The tax system

Belgium knows two main types of direct taxes : company tax

and income tax; as well as indirect taxes (the value added

tax -VAT- on consumer goods is the most important one). These

taxes are federal and are therefore collected in the same man-

ner in the three regions of the country.

In addition to these three federal taxes, there is a series of

regional, provincial and municipal taxes (registration fees, va-

rious other taxes...). The way of collecting those taxes varies

from one place to another.

Income tax

People who live in Belgium are taxed on their entire salary.

Those who do not live in Belgium are taxed on their incomes

earned in Belgium. Every registered person is regarded as a

resident of the kingdom. The employer withdraws an amount

from your wages, this is an advance on the taxes called profes-

sional deduction.

Independent and self-employed persons must anticipate their

payments and carry out payments during the year in order to

avoid having to pay very much afterwards. The anticipated

payments, which, by the way, any taxpayer can make, give the

right to a tax refund.

The tax rates vary progressively according to income brackets

from 25 to 55 %. Various tax refunds and reductions are appli-

cable, for example for dependent children. Moreover certain

expenditures like transport charges, the expenses for day-care,

etc. can be deductible. Every year in June everybody has the

obligation to fill in a declaration concerning the received in-

come of the previous year.


If you get a salary, your employer - or his office – will send you

a pay slip (document 281.10) which enables you to fill in your

declaration form for the income tax return. The tax authorities

of your region or even your Belgian bank can help you to fill in

this important form.

You can get a fine if you do not present your declaration form

or if you present it too late, incomplete or inaccurate. Note that

Belgium has known a big tax reform for two years now, which

aims at decreasing the taxes for companies and individuals This

reform will be spread over several years. You will be able to

obtain information about these modifications on the Internet site

www.fiscus.fgov.be

The VAT

In Belgium there are 5 rates of VAT. The most current rates are

6 % (food, bookshop.....) and 21%.

The local taxes

In Belgium, each local authority has a certain tax autonomy. The

municipalities and the provinces receive taxes for various pro-

ducts and services, for example collecting refuse, the possession

of animals...

To know some more:

www.fiscus.fgov.be


Social security

General information concerning employed persons :

As soon as you start working in Belgium, you pay contribution for the social security system. Your employer

must carry out the necessary formalities for your participation, except for the health insurance act for

which you have to request supplementary private health insurance (known as mutuelles) or to register with

an auxiliary fund of health insurance.

The social security covers many sectors. The amount of the contributions for social security is 13,07 % of

your gross income. These contributions are withdrawn by the employer from your wages.

Examples of % of employer’s contributions and personal contributions for the occupation of manual and

intellectual workers in various sectors (Source : ONSS 2005) :

MANUAL WORKERS INTELLECTUAL WORKERS

in % of gross income in % of gross income

Employee’s Quota

Employer’s Quota

Employee’s Quota

Employer’s Quota

Pensions 7,50 8,86 7,50 8,86Sickness and disablement

Healthcare 3,55 3,80 3,55 3,80Allowances 1,15 2,35 1,15 2,35Child benefit - 7 - 7Unemployment 0,87 1,46 0,87 1,46Annual holidays - 6 - -Contribution of wage moderation - 7,48 - 7,48Occupational disease - 1,02 - 1,02Accidents at work - 0,30 - 0,30Payed training leave - 0,04 - 0,04Childcare - 0,05 - 0,05

TOTAL 13,07 38,36 13,07 32,36

National Office of Social Security

Place Victor Horta, 11 1060 BRUXELLESwww.onss.be

Ministry for Social Affairs, Public health and Environment

Administration de la Sécurité SocialeRue de la Vierge Noire, 3C 1000 BRUXELLESwww.socialsecurity.fgov.be

Ministry for the Middle class and Agriculture Information Service for independent work

WTC 3 - Bd Simon Bolivar, 30 1000 BRUXELLESTél. 02 208 45 35 www.cmlag.fgov.be


Health insurance

As soon as you have an income (workers, unemployed or independent), you are legally held to register

with a Health Insurance Fund. Once registered, you will receive little labels and a ’’SIS’’ card (social iden-

tity card). These documents are very important within the framework of refunding expenses for health

care.

Interventions of the health insurance :

Refund of health careIf you are ill, you can consult the doctor of your

choice. You receive a care certificate. This certi-

ficate has to be transmitted with a label to your

Health Insurance Fund. This Fund, called ‘‘mutuel-

le’’, refunds a part of the amount you paid to the

medical practitioner. The little part you pay your-

self is called the ‘moderating ticket’.

MedicationA part of the cost of medication, prescribed by the doctor, is partially or completely paid by the health

insurance. You give your medical prescription and your SIS card to the pharmacist and you only pay the

part which is not covered by the Health insurance (moderating ticket).

HospitalizationYou choose the hospital and the type of room yourself. The payment by the health insurance fund remains

identical for the various types of room. However, the hospital can make you pay a supplement if you

choose an individual or a double room. Your social security documents are required at your admission and

an advance can be required.

Replacement incomeIf in case of disease or an accident you are not able to work any more and the consequence is a loss of

income, you can request a substitutional income paid by the health insurance, called ‘daily allowances in

case of disease’. Those allowances are decreasing in time and vary according to the working status : wor-

ker or employee (see the following tables). The 1st day of disease is not paid by the employer, nor by the

insurance company (mutuelle). The replacement income only consists of part of your income.


Week 1 Week 2 Week 3+4 From the 31st day After 1 year

Payment of the employer

100 % of the income

85,88% of the income

25,88 % of the income

Allowance of the health insurance

60 % of the income

60 % of the income for a head of the

household or for an isolated person

55 % for a cohabi-ting person

60 % for a head of the household45 % for

an isolated person

60 % for a cohabiting

person

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3+4 From the 31st day After 1 year

Payment of the employer

100 % of the income

100 % of the income

Allowance of the health insurance

60 % of the income

60 % of the in-come for a head of the household or for an isolated

person55 % for a coha-

biting person

60 % for a head of the household

45 % for an isolated per-

son60 % for a cohabiting

person * This table is only applicable to employees who have completed their trial period. For employees who are still in their trial period the same regulations as for the workmen apply.

Note : people who have the right to unemployment insurance and who come to find employment in Bel-gium must be in possession of the E 119 form. This document is according to the example of form E 303/3 concerning the unemployment insurance.

More information :

> www.minsoc.fgov.be > www.europa.eu.int/eures

WORKERS

EMPLOYEES*


The unemployment insurance

The ONEM (National office of Employment) examines

and determines the right to the allowances. The pay-

ment of the allowances is carried out by an organiza-

tion of payment. An unemployed person has to intro-

duce a claim for allowances at the organization of his

choice : trade unions (FGTB, CGSLB or CSC) or CAPAC

(auxiliary organization of payment of the Unemploy-

ment allowances). This claim has to be introduced with a

C4 document which is delivered by the employer at the

time of a dismissal or a suspension of contract.

Admission requirements :

If you are ... You must prove ... During ...Less than 36 years old 312 days of professional activity 18 months before the claimBetween 36 and 50 years old 468 days of professional activity 27 months before the claimMore than 50 years old 624 days of professional activity 36 months before the claim

How high are the unemployment allowances ?

Cohabitingwith dependents

Isolated Cohabiting

First period 60 % 60 % 55 %Second period 60 % 44 % 35 %Third period 60 % 44 % Fixed allowances

Note : the 1st period is 1 year, the 2nd varies individually.

For all additional information, to know the exact amount of the allowances or to know the list of regional offices :

ONEM Boulevard de l’Empereur, 7 1000 BRUXELLES Tél. 02 515 41 11 www.onem.be

Pay attention ! The unemployment is not subjected any more to company checks (clocking in). It remains ne-

vertheless subjected to the supervision of the public services of regional employment (Le FOREM, ORBEM,

VDAB and AADG). Those organizations will ask for proof of your wish to find new employment before

they claim the unemployment allowance for you.


Retirement pension

There is no general system for pensions in Belgium. The arrangement makes provision for the pensions

of the paid workers, the self-employed workers and the workers of the public sector. Very often people

profit simultaneously by various benefits according to quite specific rules.

The legislation regarding the pensions of the workers is managed by the National office of the Pensions.

In addition to its central service whose office is qualified to deal with European regulation and bilateral

agreements, the ONP has a provincial network of regional offices.

The pension scheme for the workers includes :

• a pension for a household and a pension for an isolated person

• a pension for the surviving spouse

• a specific regulation for the separated couple

• a regulation for the trans-border workers and seasonal workers

For certain professions we are submitted to specific calculation rules : miners, sailors, pilots and journalists.

The age of retirement is actually the subject of negotiations.

Anyway, the years of activity practised in the Member States of the European Union are added up.

The rate of the retirement pension is calculated according to the duration of the career and the wages

received. Workers with a mixed career, can claim a pension in the different countries of employment

via the qualified services in the place of residence. For all additional information or to find the regional

offices :

ONP - Administration Centrale

Tour du Midi - Place Bara

1060 BRUXELLES

Tél. 02 529 21 11

www.onprvp.fgov.be

www.enseignement.bewww.dgov.bewww.ond.vlaanderen.bewww.enic-naric.net


Studying in Belgium

In Belgium, teaching (from the nursery school to higher education) is a part of the competence of

each community (the Flemish Community, the French Community or the German-speaking Commu-

nity) whereas the vocational training belongs to competence of the Regions (Flemish Area, Walloon

Region, Region of Brussels). The organization of the education depends on the place of the scho-

ols.

Everywhere in Belgium, schooling is compulsory from 6 to 18. Before nursery school, it is possible to regis-

ter your children in a crèche but take care because the demand is bigger than the supply. The demand

is so big that certain crèches have waiting lists for several months and even years.

To familiarize with the ways of enrolment for primary, secondary, or specialized education, for higher

education or universities, do not hesitate to take a look at the sites mentioned above.

To know more about the possibilities to get your diplomas approved by another country, we advise you

to inquire at the Naric centre of your country of origin :

> www.enic-naric.net

21Living and working in Belgium - © Le FOREM 2006 - 33

The organization of schooling

Nursery school1 year

Primary education

23456

Secondary education General and technological education

Section of Transition Professional and technical education

Section of Qualification7 1 A 1 B

8 2 C 1 Pr9 3 G 3 TTr 3 ATr 3 TQ 3 AQ 3 Pr10 4 G 4 TTr 4 ATr 4 TQ 4 AQ 4 Pr11 5 G 5 TTr 5 ATr 5 TQ 5 AQ 5 Pr12 6 G 6 TTr 6 ATr 6 TQ 6 AQ 6 Pr13 7è Prép. Sup. 7è-4è degré

Abbreviations:G : GeneralTTr : Technical transitionATr : Artistic transitionTQ : Technical QualificationPr : ProfessionnalAQ : Artistic Qualification

Higher education has been adapted since the decree of Bologna :

Higher education 1 year

First cycleLong type

Short type234

Second cycle567

Thrid cycle...

There are of course other schooling possibilities, such as for example :

• Special education • IFAPME - Training Institute for Independent workers and small or medium-sized business (www.ifapme.be) • Training in alternation (SYSFAL) • EAD – Distance learning • Jury of the French Community


www.belgium.bewww.vlaanderen.bewww.wallonie.bewww.dglive.be

For your information ...

Some useful addresses :

Phonebooks

Belgopocketwww.belgopocket.be

Phonebook general practitionerswww.infobel.be

Phonebook of Belgiumwww.cherchons.be

Golden Pages www.goldenpages.be

Free activities in Brusselswww.idj.be/gratos

Your guide to living and thriving in Brusselwww.expatsinbrussels.com

The navigator of culture in the French Community www.culture.be

For families with children in the age of 0 to 14 www.famidoo.be

Transports

Brussels Airport www.brusselsairport.be

Belgian railroadswww.b-rail.be

Thalyswww.thalys.com

DE LIJN : Public Transport in the Flemish Region www.delijn.be


STIB - MIVB : Public Transport in Brusselswww.stib.irisnet.be

TEC: Public Transport in the Walloon Regionwww.infotec.be

Written press

Le Soir www.lesoir.be

La Libre Belgique www.lalibre.be

La dernière heure www.dhnet.be

De staandardwww.standaard.be

Het laatste nieuwswww.hln.be

Het Nieuwsbladwww.nieuwsblad.be

Press Radio-Tv

RTBF www.rtbf.be

RTL www.rtl.be

VRTwww.vrtnieuws.net

VTMwww.vtm.be

Institutions

Foreign Affairs, Foreign trade and Development

co-operation www.diplomatie.be

Social Securitywww.socialsecurity.fgov.bewww.socialsecurity.be

Other

New in town : help with integrationwww.newintown.be

This publication is financially supported by the European Community. The information that this booklet contains commits only its author. The European Commission is not responsible for the way this booklet is used.

www.leforem.be - www.europa.eu.int/eures

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