Social customs in Belgium

• • You will often hear that in Belgium you can do anything, that there is always a way to arrange things. That’s not entirely true. We are very creative and compromise a lot, but we will not go against the law. It might be borderline though... the grey zone, as we call it ☺

  • It rains more in Holland! We enjoy on average 1,392 hours of sunshine per year.

  • We always complain about the weather, come rain or shine!

  • Belgians frown a lot, but that does not mean we are unhappy. You get used to it ☺! Once, you know us, you will see that we love to have fun, eat and drink.

  • We eat our fries with mayonnaise , not ketchup.

  • Tips are included in the bill, but it is appreciate if you round it up.

  • Paperwork: very elaborate (keep calm and keep smiling :-))

Daily Practicalities

• • No shopping bags in shops (unless you pay), bring your own shopping bags (ISB bag).

  • Shops, banks, post offices, etc. are closed on Sundays and Public Holidays. Some neighborhoods stores might be open on Sunday.

  • Many Supermarkets have a post office service. Post offices are less present nowadays, but in order to offer the same facilities for clients, shops such as “Press Shop” can propose what they call a “post corner” where you can also retrieve boxes, packages from external distributors (if the delivery at school is not possible) and send letters, envelopes, registered envelopes…etc.

  • In case you have a drug prescription from the doctor, the nearest pharmacy from school is Pharmaduo. If you absolutely need some drugs on Sunday afternoon/evening or Saturday, we also have pharmacies on duty open during weekends. To have this list, please google “pharmacie de garde” and enter your address and postal code.

  • Size does matter! If you shop for your bed at Ikea, pay attention that sizes are different! We have a double bed 140x200 cm, 160x200 cm, 180x200 cm.

For a single bed it’s 80x200 cm or 90x200cm. The closest Ikea from school is the one from Zaventem (if you download the Ikea App, you will have everything you need to organise your visit).

• • There are 19 Communes in Brussels, ISB is in Watermael - Boitsfort, each have a Mayor, Tow House (Commune) and Police Force.

  • Belgian ID card: always carry on you, or a copy. This is a very important document. It is your responsibility to always have a valid document (we’ll send a reminder at renewal time). Please provide a copy to HR, for our files.

Transportation

• • Inside Brussels, we have the main public transport company called STIB (metro, trams & buses), and for trains we have the SNCB.

There is also collaboration with DE LIJN (Flemish public transport company) and TEC (Wallonia public transport).

3 different types of tickets are possible depending on where you need to go and which transports you will take :

° STIB : entire STIB Network (except from Brussels Airport Line 12)

° BRUPASS : Valid in BRUPASS-zone , which includes the entire STIB Network (except from Brussels Airport Line 12), the TEC and De Lijn urban networks in the Brussels-Capital Region and SNCB rail network in the Brussels-Capital Region (2nd class).

° BRUPASS XL : Valid in Brupass XL-zone , which includes the Brussels-Capital Region and the extended area on the entire STIB network (except from Brussels Airport with line 12), the TEC and De Lijn urban networks and in 2nd class on the SNCB rail network.

=> For occasional users, you can either :

° Pay directly in the bus, tram or at the metro station : Hold your bank card, smartphone or smartwatch against the grey validating machine. Once it "beeps", your journey has been validated (cap of 7,5€ per day)

° Buy a MOBIB card in a Bootik or online for 5€, then upload tickets in advance (1 or 10 journeys) valid during 18 months as from the purchase date.

=> For regular users, monthly or annual passes (with unlimited journeys can be purchased (also with a MOBIB card).

In case you decide to commute to ISB by public transports, ISB will purchase an annual pass for you (in some cases, it may be a monthly pass). Please see the possible commuting options in the tab "Benefits @ ISB".

• • Villo! We also have in Brussels the possibility to rent bikes. You can take a bike from a specific “station” in Louise for example, and drop it off at another station nearest Boitsfort Train station. You can use your Mobib Card (public transport pass) to upload your Villo pass and be able to use bikes.
    Others companies offer this kind of mobility with electronic bikes : Billy Bike , Bleu Bike

• • If you have a car or plan to have one, it’s easy because we drive on the right side of the road. But, you need to be careful and pay attention to the information panels. Usually they are at the beginning of the streets or you might have symbols on the road.

Do not forget that trams and buses have always priority, even on pedestrian crossings. Also Belgium applies the "priority from the right" at street intersections.

Finally, please also not forget to exchange your driving license.

• • Depending on the communes, you cannot park everywhere and whenever you want. Sometimes you will need to pay a ticket to stay, and sometimes you will just need to add a parking disc. Your relocation agent will be able to help you regarding the change of driving license if not EU.

  • Not fancying to have your car but renting a shared car ? Plenty of companies will offer you this possibility : Poppy, Cambio,

  • Electric shared Scooters ("Trotinettes") or actual shared Scooters : You prefer to use this kind of technology (we advise you to be careful if you drive one of these of course), then Dott, Lime, Felyx

Accommodation

• • Our relocation Agent will be able to guide you in the search of an apartment or house in Brussels or its suburbs as all communes and neighborhoods are different.

  • Always consider the commuting time to ISB from your selected accommodation as some neighborhood have better public transportation connections than others.

  • Most apartments / houses in Belgium are rented unfurnished. You can move your own furniture to Belgium or buy some new furniture (Depôt Design, Maison du Monde, Ikea, Alterego, Les Petits Riens for second-hand furniture, ..). Some companies also rent furniture (In-Lease, W Furniture Rental, ..).

  • Pay attention when you are looking for your apartment : lovely old Belgian apartment buildings with high ceiling, oak parquet and big windows (maisons de maître) are beautiful of course, but the only slight problem they might cause is the noise of your neighbor’s footsteps upstairs if there is no carpet... (or any potential noise that might affect your sleep) If you don’t care about it, good for you! Otherwise you might want to invest in comfortable earplugs ;-). Also they can be difficult to warm in the winter (always check if the buildings have glazing with the relocation agent / owner).

  • Garbage: recycle your garbage (depending the commune):

    • Fruit & vegetable (green/orange bag)

    • Metal & plastic (blue bag)

    • Rest (white or pink bag)

    • Paper & carton (paper bag, cardboard box)

Famous Belgians

Below some very famous people, some you even didn't know they are Belgian. And there is more here .

Food

• Some specialties might strike you as odd, but we invite you to taste them ! Between the most known ones you have :

  • • Steak- frites – salade, sauce champignons crème, poivre vert, béarnaise

    • Moules – frites (seasonal, now)

    • Poulet – frites – compote

    • Stoemp – saucisse

    • Asperges à la Flamande

    • Filet Américain

    • Dame Blanche

• This beautiful website will guide you if you are looking for something in particular : Brussels' Kitchen

• You can use google map if you have no idea of what you want to eat, you just have to write for example "restaurant ixelles" and...enjoy your meal !

• Otherwise you prefer to have something delivered to your door step ? Well, try Uber Eats or deliveroo !

Interesting sites

Meanwhile, please find below some interesting sites about Brussels, housing and Belgium.

• Useful information about Belgium Visa procedures: http://diplomatie.belgium.be/en/

• Interesting site for relocating in Brussels is: http://www.expatica.com/be/main.html

• Website for housing: http://www.immoweb.be/en/

• What to do in Belgium ? https://www.365.be/en/ and http://www.riebedebie.be/en

• There is an Expat Club in Brussels ! Expat Club

• For fun in Brussels : http://www.brusselslife.be/en

• The Bulletin: http://www.xpats.com/

• Cost of living : https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/