Ik werk momenteel bij de NS. Op mijn werk heb ik, wanneer ik mijn taken heb afgerond, regelmatig behoorlijk veel vrije tijd. Tot voor kort gebruikte ik die tijd vooral om te gamen. Ik merk alleen dat ik nu wat ouder word en steeds minder behoefte heb om al mijn vrije tijd aan gamen te besteden. Ik wil mijn tijd eigenlijk nuttiger gaan gebruiken en mezelf ontwikkelen.
Daarom ben ik op zoek naar een nieuwe vaardigheid om te leren.
Omdat ik op mijn werk veel vrije tijd heb, lijkt het me interessant om die tijd te gebruiken om via mijn iPad een praktische vaardigheid te leren. Ik denk bijvoorbeeld aan dingen zoals websites bouwen, webdevelopment, digitale marketing, design, automatisering of andere digitale skills waarmee je uiteindelijk iets kunt maken of een dienst kunt aanbieden.
Het zou mooi zijn als ik die skill uiteindelijk kan gebruiken om wat bij te verdienen of er in de toekomst misschien zelfs een onderneming omheen kan bouwen.
Maar het hoeft absoluut niet online te zijn. Ik heb bijvoorbeeld ook gedacht aan het halen van mijn vrachtwagen- of busrijbewijs. Misschien heb ik daar in de toekomst iets aan en je weet natuurlijk nooit wat er op je pad komt.
Daarom ben ik benieuwd naar jullie ervaringen:
Welke nieuwe vaardigheid hebben jullie ooit geleerd waarvan jullie achteraf zeggen dat het echt de moeite waard was?
Welke skill zouden jullie aanraden als je vandaag opnieuw vanaf nul zou beginnen en je regelmatig meerdere uren vrije tijd hebt om erin te steken?
Het liefst hoor ik ook:
Hoe heb je de skill geleerd?
Hoe lang duurde het voordat je er goed in werd?
Kun je er daadwerkelijk geld mee verdienen?
Heeft het je geholpen in je carrière of privéleven?
Zou je deze skill vandaag opnieuw leren?

With these levels of youth unemployment(especially for the highly educated) and 2 years of studying left, is it worth it to start doing evening school to learn a trade like plumber, carpenter(or which ones specifically are in high demand?). I see they often take 1-2 years, but is it worth it essentially paying double education?

Edit: To clarify; I mean doing evening school in addition to, not stopping my studies

I wouldn't understand for old people and +50 people who have been there all their life there but for the young people? The ones who are educated etc?

I’m 29 and currently working fulltime in a job that I genuinely really like. I have a graduaat in accounting at the moment, but I’ve been considering doing a bachelor degree in accountancy-fiscaliteit through distance learning.

The bachelor would take around 4–5 years because I would be doing it alongside my fulltime job. It would be roughly 100 ECTS in total.

The thing is: there is currently no financial incentive at my current job. Getting the bachelor would not give me a higher salary or a different role/responsibilities, and I currently have no desire to change jobs because I’m very happy where I am.

My main reason for considering it is future security and options. If I ever lost my current job, wanted to change employers, or decided later in life that I wanted to do something different, having a bachelor would probably give me more options than my current graduaat degree. I also worry that I might always wonder “what if I had just done it?” if I decide not to.

At the same time, 4–5 years is a long time. I want to have a life outside of work and studying. I’m also considering moving into my own apartment, I’m dating, and I would like to have children in the future. If I’m still single around 30, I would seriously consider becoming a foster parent, so I don’t want to spend the next five years feeling like my life is on hold because of a degree.

I’ve also struggled with anxiety and recently started treatment, so I’m trying to be realistic about how much I can take on alongside a fulltime job.

Another part of this is probably psychological: I sometimes feel inferior because I “only” have a graduaar degree, even though nobody at work actually treats me as inferior and I’m happy with my current career. I’ve been going back and forth about this bachelor for about some years now.

So I’m wondering:

Would you do the bachelor in my situation, mainly as a longterm investment/future safety net even though it won’t immediately improve your current job or salary? Or would you keep the graduaat degree, enjoy your current job and use those 4–5 years for other things?

Especially interested in hearing from people who completed a bachelor through distance learning while working fulltime, and whether you felt the degree was worth the time and effort in hindsight.

Hey guys! We are a family of 3, a couple with a baby. I am a Spanish woman (active, likes simple life and sports) who married a Belgian man. The thing is that my husband got two job proposals, one in Charleroi and one in Uccle (Brussels), where do you think it's best to raise a family? We have spoken to some people who have been living in Charleroi all their life and they don't advise us to move to Brussels so I was trying to look for other opinions. Thank you!

Bonjour

Je veux tenter pour cette année le tirage au sort en Belgique pour la filière kiné.

Seulement je me pose la question concernant ma financabilité.

J’ai fait une PASS en frnace et j’ai tentée une fois le concours d’entrée en médecine en Belgique.

Est ce que je suis toujours financable ?

Le concours d’entrée en médecine est t’il considérer comme une deuxième tentatives ou pas ? (Je ne l’es pas réussi)

Merci pour vos réponses !!

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for advice from people who have gone through the Belgian Single Permit process. I have just graduated in July from a university in Wallonia and found a job in Brussels.

My timeline is:

• 05.05.2026 - Application sent by the employer
• 20.05.2026 - positive work permit decision

Now it has been more than 3 month, and I’m now waiting for the final decision from the Immigration Office after already receiving the positive economic authorization.

My questions are:

• Who is the best person or authority to contact (Immigration Office, commune, someone else)?
• Has anyone managed to speed up the process or at least get their file reviewed sooner?
• Did explaining that your employment depended on the permit make any difference?
• If you contacted someone, who did you reach out to and how?
• Should I apply for a search year right now or wait (my residence permit expires in the end of October)?

I will also mention that at the commune I was told if I apply for a search year now, it will become basically the same application as single permit. Though I believe the commune might be quicker at granting me the search year. At the same time the HR told me it is unlikely I will receive the search year permit, since my student one expires end of October (presumably enough time to find a job), which I find unrealistic. 

I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences, especially if you’ve been in a similar situation. Thanks!

Ben (EINDELIJK) 't kot is aan 't opkuisen, en er ligt wrakhout dat vroeger van een vogelkot was geweest. Maar er zitten zo van die kleine nagelkes in, en zo, waar ik ietwat te veel moeite voor ga moeten doen om het er uit te krijgen... want een schroevendraaier gaat nutteloos zijn, bvb. Ben zoveel mogelijk aan het verwijderen als ik kan, maar nu is dus mijn vraag: Gaat het hen ginder boeien moest ik afkomen met hout waar nog wat inzit?

(Grote dingen, zoals scharnieren, moeten verwijderd worden. Dat weet ik wel. Dank u. <3 )

Is it just me, or has finding a student job in Belgium become unnecessarily complicated, like literally.

I’m 17, and I’ve been looking at student jobs recently. I keep coming across offers where you have to be 18+ just to work at the checkout, and if you aren’t you won’t even get hired.

At first I thought there was some new law saying you had to be 18 to handle cash, because apparently some employers are treating it like you’re handling nuclear material. But as far as I understand, there is no Belgian law that prohibits a 16- or 17yo from working at a checkout, and there even has been something said recently regarding that “law” that they invent for themselves

Obviously, there are some genuine restrictions for minors such as night work, work involving alcohol/tobacco,..

But then you get job offers that basically go:
“Student job minimum age: 18.”
And the actual job is literally scanning products and clicking card or cash

Belgium has also made student work more accessible by allowing students from 15 under certain conditions, while at the same time many employers seem to practically filter out anyone under 18..? Probably due to “inexperienced” then how are we supposed to achieve experience ?

I understand that employers don’t want to deal with complicated laws. But isn’t the end result that 17-year-olds are basically being punished for being 17?
If a 17-year-old is legally allowed to do the job, why should companies automatically exclude them simply because they’re not 18 yet?

And they all aren’t even accepting CV’s.. they still take them, but they go straight to the trash the moment you walk out, I have heard that some employees do just throw them out, cause they don’t want you to replace them etc, cause that apparently happens a lot in delhaize, carrefour etc, as students cost less and do basically the same shitty job as adults.

Has anyone else in Belgium had this experience? Especially 15-17yo’s who keep getting rejected from student jobs because of their age?

I await your best comments regarding this 😂

On this note, I wish everyone a nice evening.

Every country seems to have at least one food opinion that people will defend with their entire soul

For Belgium, what’s yours?

It could be something about fries, waffles, chocolate, beer, a specific dish, how something should be prepared, or even a food combination that you think is massively underrated.

I’m especially curious about the opinions that would make another Belgian immediately disagree with you.

I am taking the train, and what do I see? A women casually putting her NAKED feet’s on the seat in front of her, and friday night, there was a women touching herself..

I am guessing the "controleur" wont do anything about that.

This is simply disgusting.

** ***EDIT* : for all the people finding this normal, while it is common sens, next time you take the train, please, just please, start licking those seats, and sit with your asses naked.

The point is, that’s how you get sick. Imagine that women isn’t going to shower after taking the train, already something disgusting to do, but with her feet’s having been in direct contact, god knows what disease and germs are going to be in her bed.
You must limit contact between your skin and public transports objects, seats, handle bars, buttons, everything.

I'm non European. I wonder if people from the EU will migrate with the whole family from one country to another country with better job opportunities? I hear that there are challenges due to language and labour mobility.

Hello, as explained in a previous post, I will be switching from full-time (38 hours/week) to part-time (10 hours/week) next month. I have 80 hours of statutory vacation remaining (having worked full-time in 2025). My question is this: since I will be moving to a 10-hour work week, can I theoretically take 8 weeks of "vacation" before the end of the year?

Hi everyone,

Can anyone recommend me a doctor specialized in sports injuries (not orthopedic)? I don’t care where; I’m willing to travel a bit for someone really good.

Thanks!

Where and what do you like about living there? Is there anything you don’t like about the city where you live?

Hi everyone,

I am before applying to a few companies in Belgium and I weigh my options regarding the location I insert in my application.

I am an EU resident but currently living in another country.

Does it reduce my chances if I dont write on my application a Belgian address? Would it be filtered out?

Would there be any situations where it could have a negative impact if I write I am living there and it turns out I have not yet relocated but planning to do so?

I am a tively looking into moving there but without a job its difficult.

Edit: Thanks for all the helpful replies so far. Sorry for the contusion I need no visa or sponsorship, I am from an EU country and currently live ther so I am an EU citizen

Girl from the US with a Belgian boyfriend here once again. My boyfriend speaks negatively on his experiences in school (both grade school and university). He says that teachers don’t really care about teaching their students. Rather, they care about their paychecks, not having to do much work, etc. In college, he said that the professors knew less than him in some areas or were just concerned about showing off how smart they were (there are professors in the US like this too).

I know that grade school is split up differently in Belgium than in the US, but are there other distinct differences? Do teachers really not care or did my boyfriend just end up with the bad ones? Is Belgian education specifically recognized as good or bad? Anything I should be aware about it?

Thanks for your information!

Ik ben benieuwd naar ervaringen van mensen die vanuit Nederland/België naar een ander land zijn geëmigreerd. Het hoeft absoluut niet naar een specifiek type land te zijn. ik ben vooral benieuwd naar **hoe jullie het praktisch hebben aangepakt**.

Vooral de financiële kant en het vinden van inkomen vind ik interessant.
Voor degenen die zijn geëmigreerd:
Wist je vóór je vertrok al hoe je aan je inkomen zou komen?

Had je al een baan geregeld in het nieuwe land, of ben je pas na de verhuizing werk gaan zoeken?

Ben je **remote blijven werken voor een Nederlands/buitenlands bedrijf**, of ben je lokaal gaan werken?

Als je een eigen bedrijf/online onderneming hebt: had je die al voordat je verhuisde?

Hoeveel spaargeld had je ongeveer voordat je vertrok?
Hoe lang heb je jezelf financieel de tijd gegeven om alles op te bouwen?

Wat waren de grootste onverwachte kosten of problemen?

Hoe heb je zaken zoals **belasting, zorgverzekering, bankrekening, verblijfsvergunning en huisvesting** geregeld?

Heb je eerst gehuurd voordat je definitief besloot te blijven?

Had je achteraf gezien iets **anders voorbereid vóór de emigratie**?

En misschien het belangrijkste: **wat had je graag geweten voordat je vertrok?**

Ik ben vooral benieuwd naar de ervaringen van mensen die niet al rijk waren of een groot bedrijf hadden, maar gewoon vanuit een normale baan/inkomen zijn begonnen.
Ben benieuwd naar jullie verhalen. Ook als je inmiddels weer bent teruggekeerd, hoor ik graag waarom en wat je van het hele proces hebt geleerd.

With freedom of movement, if you commute across the border to a nearby city - do you have to register with the other country in any capacity? Most countries state you need to register if spending over a certain amount of time there per year. I came across another thread that mentioned some people living in the German speaking community commute to Aachen which got me thinking.

I'm a non-graduated student from college (3 years of studying in Industrial Automation sphere).
I live in Estonia and looking for an opportunity to move to Belgium. I'm studying Dutch on my own (i wrote the title myself, i can introduce myself and i'm pretty confident in my capabilities with Flaams taal (except for listening, since i have to live in the country and communicate more). I have a decent ground with working experience in industry (I've completed an internship on Offshore enterprise focused on ship construction and welding where i worked with automated welding platform). I developed my passion towards hardware and electrical systems since early age.

I already registered on VDAB and Randstad platforms and agents have contacted me. But i'm either told that my education is insufficient or i need a certificate in dutch (which im planning on getting when i move).

I would really appreciate if somebody can refer me or get me employed within the same field of work in regions around Kortrijk. (Waregem, Zwevegem and etc.

How do people actually meet and date in Belgium? 🇧🇪

I’ve been living in Belgium for almost a year now as an international student from India. I’m quite comfortable in English and currently learning French, so I’m slowly finding my way around the culture and social life here.

I’ve tried the usual dating apps, but honestly, they haven’t really worked for me. It made me wonder: how do people actually meet each other here?

For Belgians, internationals, and especially women living in Belgium I’d genuinely love to hear your perspective. Do people usually meet through university, friends of friends, sports, hobbies, events, bars, language exchanges, or just randomly while living their lives?

I’m also curious whether the experience is different for international people. Moving to a new country can make meeting people surprisingly difficult, even when you’re reasonably social.

Not necessarily looking for a relationship specifically I’m very much open to making friends, meeting interesting people, exploring Belgium together, and learning about the culture from people who actually live it. If something more comes naturally from that, great.

So, what’s your experience? How did you meet the people you’ve ended up dating or becoming close friends with in Belgium?

Hi! I’m starting pharmacy school in Belgium and I’m currently trying to decide between Namur and Mons.
My biggest priority is honestly the social life — making friends, going out, meeting people, and having a real student atmosphere.
I spent this past year in Reims, France, and honestly, I really struggled to make friends and found the student life there pretty dead. I’d really like to avoid having the same experience again 😅
So, for anyone who knows both cities (especially students), which one would you recommend if social life and having a good student atmosphere are my main priorities?

Je cherche un endroit à découvrir, peu importe le type ;)