- Home » Expat News » Practical help for new expat arrivals in Brussels
Practical help for new expat arrivals in Brussels
| Published: | 15 Sep at 6 PM |
Want to get involved?
Become a Featured Expat and take our interview.
Become a Local Expert and contribute articles.
Get in touch today!
Become a Local Expert and contribute articles.
Get in touch today!
Brussels is a hotspot nowadays for professional expats from the UK, with settling in made easy via everything from a Welcome Desk to newsletters and practical guides.
Settling in to a totally new environment is perhaps the most confusing aspect of becoming an expat, wherever in the world you’ve landed. Those heading for Brussels, however, are given a comprehensive head start including all they need to know as regards avoiding hassles, learning about the city and coming to grips with Belgian bureaucracy.
Paperwork is a seemingly never-ending nightmare wherever you’re located, but newbies in Brussels are fortunate to be able to turn to the city’s Expat Welcome Desk. Independent help, advice and ready-made tools allow newcomers to avoid panic attacks, and the Desk’s years of assisting expats with rental lease requirements and the reams of documentation needed to register as a Brussels resident have made this service an essential for new arrivals.
Another essential for easy assimilation into the city is the Expats in Brussels Guide. Packed with helpful information on everything from getting a work pemit through finding accommodation to importing your dog, its easy-to-understand advice can save time, trouble and money. Practical issues including registering a car, choosing the right school for your children, finding the nearest doctor and even a guide on getting around the city on a bicycle are all covered, with the guide found at the Expat Welcome or ordered online.
The Brussels’ Expat Newsletter is sent out via email from Visit Brussels, and is aimed at the city’s international community. It gives comprehensive information about the city’s cultural life, expat events, workshops and urban initiatives, and makes sure new arrivals are aware of laws governing rubbish collection and other household matters.
For more informal and often fun activities, the smart concept of Meetups has now arrived in the city. Originally started in New York and now expanded worldwide, its weekly newsletter puts you in touch with meetings, events, meals, beer tastings and much more. Anyone can start a Meetup group simply by registering on the website and posting details of what, when and where.
If you’re in Brussels as part of the EU initiative, the Thursday evening meetups in the square fronting the EU parliament building are a must. Here you’ll find interns, lobbyists and EU staff, all enjoying tasty offerings from the food trucks and Belgian beer in the bars.
Settling in to a totally new environment is perhaps the most confusing aspect of becoming an expat, wherever in the world you’ve landed. Those heading for Brussels, however, are given a comprehensive head start including all they need to know as regards avoiding hassles, learning about the city and coming to grips with Belgian bureaucracy.
Paperwork is a seemingly never-ending nightmare wherever you’re located, but newbies in Brussels are fortunate to be able to turn to the city’s Expat Welcome Desk. Independent help, advice and ready-made tools allow newcomers to avoid panic attacks, and the Desk’s years of assisting expats with rental lease requirements and the reams of documentation needed to register as a Brussels resident have made this service an essential for new arrivals.
Another essential for easy assimilation into the city is the Expats in Brussels Guide. Packed with helpful information on everything from getting a work pemit through finding accommodation to importing your dog, its easy-to-understand advice can save time, trouble and money. Practical issues including registering a car, choosing the right school for your children, finding the nearest doctor and even a guide on getting around the city on a bicycle are all covered, with the guide found at the Expat Welcome or ordered online.
The Brussels’ Expat Newsletter is sent out via email from Visit Brussels, and is aimed at the city’s international community. It gives comprehensive information about the city’s cultural life, expat events, workshops and urban initiatives, and makes sure new arrivals are aware of laws governing rubbish collection and other household matters.
For more informal and often fun activities, the smart concept of Meetups has now arrived in the city. Originally started in New York and now expanded worldwide, its weekly newsletter puts you in touch with meetings, events, meals, beer tastings and much more. Anyone can start a Meetup group simply by registering on the website and posting details of what, when and where.
If you’re in Brussels as part of the EU initiative, the Thursday evening meetups in the square fronting the EU parliament building are a must. Here you’ll find interns, lobbyists and EU staff, all enjoying tasty offerings from the food trucks and Belgian beer in the bars.
Comments » No published comments just yet for this article...
Feel free to have your say on this item. Go on... be the first!
