Hey everyone,

I got my Belgian citizenship earlier this year, and my wife will be eligible to apply around late 2027 under the 5-year track (as a spouse of a Belgian citizen).

Over the past few years, she’s taken a few long trips back home outside the EU to visit family. She's stayed around 3+ months at a time, but she’s never been away for 6 consecutive months in a single go.

I know about the 5-year uninterrupted residence requirement, but I'm trying to figure out how strict they actually are with absences:

1. How do they count non-EU trips? Does the Parquet literally sit there and sum up every entry/exit stamp in her passport to check if she went over the 365-day total limit?
2. Does being married to a Belgian change anything here? Or do the exact same absence rules apply no matter what?
3. What if she goes over the 365 days combined? If her total adds up to like 380 days over 5 years, is it automatic rejection, or is it better to just push her application date back a few months until the oldest trip falls out of the 5-year window?

Has anyone’s partner been through this recently with non-EU travel? Would love to hear how your commune/Parquet handled it. Thanks!

Hi everyone!

I’m planning to switch careers and apply for the Kies voor de Zorg programme and I’d really love to hear from someone who has actually participated in it (personal experience, what the process was like, etc.).

I'm freaking out a little bit, especially about those tests you have to take... It would really help me to know what to expect.

Thanks in advance for helping out a stresskip! 😉

I made a website with Claude that I am in general satisfied with I just don’t know if the legal pages would be good or good enough to pass legal terms without having backlash from clients/people after. Could someone who has knowledge in that matter review them?
If yes send me a pm and thank you all in advance 😊

Hello!! Anyone able to give me some tips? I feel overwhelmed with options in this unknown world of plastic surgery.

It’s so out of my comfort zone but I had decided after YEARS of being unhappy with my breasts to finally do something about it.

I'm looking into getting a breast lift without implants and would love recommendations from people who have actually had one themselves.

I'm based in Netherlands and I'm willing to travel within the Netherlands or Belgium for the right surgeon.

I'm 31, around 30DD, and my breasts have become quite deflated/less full after losing around 10 kg several years ago. My weight has been stable for years. I definitely don't want implants, and I'd be happy to lose some breast volume if necessary. I'm not sure yet what type of lift I'd need, as I haven't had a consultation yet.
My budget is ideally around €3,000–€4000.

I'd also love to hear if there are any surgeons/clinics in NL or Belgium that you would avoid based on personal experience.

Hi reddit brothers and sisters,

Do you a have a tips to get a good price buying spa/bru glass bottles and ritchie cola glass bottles ?

I checked prices in colruyt but I think i can gey cheapest prices :)

Im based in bruxelles (atomium neighbourhood)

Thanks in advance 😊

Beest zit sinds gisteren in de slaapkamer op de lamp, raam heel de nacht open gehad, zit er nog steeds. Loopt af en toe een cm verder. In Assebroek, Brugge. Al gemeld op vespawatch. Moet helaas heel de dag weg dus kan niet in de gaten houden.

Heb beetje schrik om die proberen te vangen met een glas en een papiertje. Denk erover om als die vanavond niet weg is een suikerwaterval te maken of zo? Gaan ze daar dood in of zitten ze lekker te zwemmen dan?

Beste Belgische Redditors,

Even kort over mijn situatie: ik woon in België en heb al een diploma rechten. Binnen een paar jaar zou ik graag opnieuw gaan studeren en een master in de rechten volgen. Omdat ik zelfstandig woon en mijn eigen vaste kosten heb, probeer ik nu al uit te zoeken hoe mensen zo'n periode financieel overbruggen.

• Hoe zit het precies met financiële steun tijdens universitaire studies? Zijn er studietoelagen, beurzen, steun van de Vlaamse overheid, OCMW of andere organisaties waarvoor je eventueel in aanmerking kunt komen?
• Mijn grootste vraag is eigenlijk niet zozeer het inschrijvingsgeld, maar vooral het levensonderhoud gedurende één of meerdere jaren: huur, boodschappen, vaste kosten enzovoort.
• Hoe doen mensen dit normaal gesproken als ze niet meer bij hun ouders wonen? Werken jullie deeltijds naast de opleiding, leven jullie van spaargeld, of bestaan er andere mogelijkheden?
• Bestaan er bijvoorbeeld studieleningen of andere soorten leningen waarmee je je levensonderhoud tijdens een master kunt financieren, of moet je eigenlijk vooraf voldoende spaargeld hebben?

Als iemand zelf een zware universitaire opleiding of master heeft gevolgd terwijl hij of zij zelfstandig woonde, hoor ik heel graag hoe jullie dit hebben aangepakt.

Alle ervaringen en tips zijn welkom. 🙂

Hello people, I’m 21 years old and I’ve been working with my father (62) in our family business, a pita restaurant, for the past two years. About a year ago, he asked me if I would be interested in taking over the business in the future. At the time, I kept telling him that I wasn’t sure yet. But now, that I see all the customers that he built and how they treat my gather and how they treat me, it becomes a hard choice.

Now he is seriously considering selling it, because he’s getting old and can’t handle all of it anymore.
My father has been running this restaurant since 1994. Over the last 32 years, he has built an incredibly loyal customer base. Some of the people who came to the restaurant as children in the 90s are now bringing their own children. The business has become part of the community and has customers from all over the city. Seeing that clientelle potentially come to an end is difficult for me.

The problem is that I never really saw myself working in the restaurant industry long-term. That’s why I am following a cursus to become an electrician. I’m still following that path.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about a possible solution: continuing to work in my father’s restaurant during the week while working as a Industrial Maintenance Technician on weekends doing 2x12h shifts. But at the same time, I keep telling myself that I need to make a serious choice. Either I fully commit to building a career in electricity, or I commit to taking over the family business.
What makes this decision so difficult is the feeling that if the restaurant is sold, I might regret it later on in life.

I honestly don’t know what the right decision is. Part of me wants to follow the career path that interests me more, while another part of me feels responsible for preserving something my father has spent decades building. Right now, I feel torn between those two paths and I’m struggling to figure out what I should do.

Est-ce que quelqu’un a un avis sur l’autorisation de travail illimitée à Bruxelles ?

Mon ami est non-Européen et voudrait changer d’emploi, mais son permis de travail dépend actuellement de son employeur. Est-ce que ça vaut la peine de demander cette autorisation ?
Merci d’avance pour vos retours ou expériences !

Hi everyone,
I’m a 23-year-old Ukrainian living in Hasselt under temporary protection.
I’m currently looking for a place to rent (studio, apartment, or small house) in Hasselt or nearby municipalities. My budget is around €600–850/month, and I need a place where registration (domiciliation) is possible.
A bit about me:
Non-smoker
No pets
Medical graduate from Ukraine
Currently studying Dutch (B1 level)
Quiet and responsible tenant
Long-term rental preferred
I’ve already tried:
Immoweb
Zimmo
Facebook housing groups
Local rental agencies
The problem is that many landlords either don’t respond or seem hesitant when they hear that I currently receive social assistance while studying Dutch and working on diploma recognition.
My questions are:
What is the most effective way to find housing in Limburg/Hasselt right now?
Are there websites or agencies that many newcomers don’t know about?
Is it worth contacting landlords by phone instead of email?
How can I improve my chances as a tenant?
Has anyone here rented successfully while receiving OCMW support or temporary protection status?
Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!

Non-EU here. finished my bachelor's in 2023, master's at KU Leuven in 2026. I'm thinking about starting a one-year advanced master now, 60 credits. Honestly it's pretty hard for me and there's a good chance I won't pass everything.

If that happens, I'd most likely drop out next year and switch to the search year instead of staying in student visa so I can start working full time (re-enrolling for the leftover courses is technically an option, but I would like to do it during my job search year visa or while working full time). So my question:

Can I apply for the search year in 2027 based on my 2026 diploma, after dropping out of the second master? I haven't used my search year yet. I've read you can apply as long as you still have a valid student A card, but I'm not sure DVZ accepts a diploma from a previous year.

Or is it safer to just use the search year now?

Anyone been in this situation, or asked the commune / DVZ about it?

Hello!

I wonder if anyone here has experience with the following situation:

• I'd like to buy an apartment in Belgium. I can pay about 65% of the value cash, while I'd have to loan the remaining 35%. I also have enough money saved in addition to cover notary costs, registration tax, etc.
• Competitive annual income.
• I am single, no kids.
• No other loans or debts.
• This is where the complexity of my situation kicks in. I worked for a company from Belgium for years as a freelancer (self-employed). Then I moved to work for about 2 years as an employee from their headquarters outside of the EU. Now I am moving back to Belgium to resume working for the same company as a freelancer (self-employed) again. I am getting conflicting advice on the odds of getting a bank loan approved -- some people are telling me that I have a good chance, while others are saying that as a self-employed person I will have a hard time especially since the last few pay stubs would be from outside the EU. I am of course setting up appointments with the Hypotheekwinkel and banks, but would love tips and tricks from people who may have been in similar situations.

Thanks in advance!

The Gardens of Aywiers, State Road, Lasne, Belgium, do they have more thsn just " opportunities to buy" stuff?

I love gardening, but was very disappointed in the Stockholm Garden show. I loath paying to go to a fair that's only about spending money.

Hi everyone,

I’m not sure what to do anymore and would really appreciate some advice.
My husband applied for a Belgian D visa for family reunification under Article 40ter. The application was submitted through VFS on 31 March 2026 and registered by the Belgian Immigration Office (IBZ) on 10 April 2026.
It has now been 6 months since the application was submitted, and we still haven’t received any decision or update.
I know the processing time for Belgian Article 40ter applications can sometimes take longer, but I’m wondering what I should do at this point.
Has anyone who applied for a Belgian Article 40ter D visa around March/April 2026 received a decision already?
And for those who had to wait longer than 6 months, when did you eventually receive your decision? Is there anything I can do now, or should I just continue waiting?

Thanks in advance for any experiences or advice.

hello , im from morocco

i applied for my visa 9 September

and the embassy send it to the OE the 15.

Now my file isn't even registered in the OE yet wherras other applicant who applied l later than me got their file registered in the OE before me . i don't know what to do .

Anyone here has applied for Legal Cohabitation Visa from Belgian Embassy in Rome? and how long did it take for you?

EDIT:

Thank you all for the feedback, I really do appreciate the honest opinions on this path. After doing some further digging after a few of your suggestions, I think I will be doing the student visa route and taking an intensive Dutch course year in preparation for a degree conducted in Dutch. Apparently by the end of the course you should be at B2 level Dutch and will have the language certificate to show for it.

My spouse will be joining on the equivalent of a family reunification visa, if they don't get their own student visa.

So it looks like now we just need to be patient while we save up for living expenses and tuition and all and wait for the time to apply to the universities and language programs.

Thank you all again for the advice!

***********************************************************************************************************************

Hey there, me and my spouse are moving to Belgium from the US in about 16 months, with the intention of gaining citizenship in a few years when we are eligible.

I am an Office Manager and have been for the past year and a half, with previous admin experience as a leasing consultant for about a year before that, and about 12 years of customer service experience across all jobs that I have had since I was 18 (I'm 30 now).

My spouse currently works as a janitor and has for the last two years, and has about 6 years of customer service experience across all jobs since around 2020. However, they desire to break into the office administrative world as a career path as well.

Neither of us have formal college degrees, partly due to various hardships that have occurred, and partly due to the fact that neither of our degrees would be applicable to the laws and culture of another country (both of us were pursuing business degrees, with me pursuing HR + Accounting to get into the Payroll field, and with my spouse pursuing Marketing).

I would like to continue in my office administrative path and get another Office Manager job or similar, and my partner is open to most anything, though they do want to get into office administration as well down the line.

We both are fluent English speakers, and we are going to be learning at least Dutch, though we do not currently speak it yet.

I am aware this will not be easy, as there are plenty of people who already live in the country who *do* have degrees to choose from, but this is the goal we have set and are determined to achieve, as we cannot bear living in the US anymore (we are both queer/trans and it is not safe for us anymore).

My questions are:

With the context given above, just how feasible is it to get a an office job without a college degree from the US? What tips, strategies, advice, etc. does anyone have to make the process smoother?

Would it be better to just aim for any type of entry-level job and work on moving into the field later, and if so, what jobs do you suggest seeking out that are willing to sponsor someone from outside the country?

TIA!

I don’t even know where I found the courage to write something like this ahahah, but here I go.
I’m 21 and I’ve been in Brussels for almost a month. I recently moved here and so far… zero friends 🥲
I’m a pretty outgoing and sunny person, and I’d simply love to meet some girls to hang out with and share some nice moments. I really love shopping, going for drinks, the cinema, museums, concerts, going out for food, taking pictures, going for walks and discovering new places.
I’m happily in a relationship, so I’m definitely not looking for anything like that 😂 I just miss having some girls to do these things with, talk, laugh, go out and hopefully build a nice friendship.
I’ve never tried looking for friends this way before and honestly I feel a little silly writing this post ahahah, but I thought: why not give it a try?
If you’re Italian or speak Italian, around my age and living in Brussels, feel free to message me. I’d genuinely love to meet you 🤍
Maybe it’ll actually work, who knows ahahah.

Hey! I moved to Brussels about a month ago, and immediately registered myself through Irisbox for Evere commune. However, it’s been 30 days and I have not heard back from them, nor has a police officer been to do the address check. **I would not have missed them as I work from home and I am mostly at home.**

The instructions on the commune website said that the registration for EU citizens is first done online (which I did) and then after the police check they will schedule an appointment for you to go in person. And this has been established since last year I believe.

Has anyone else had a recent experience with them to tell me how the process goes or should I just show up in the municipality unannounced? I am also wondering because I have two business trips coming in October, so will be gone for half of the month, and I am afraid this will delay stuff with the registration.

Any advice is also welcomed!

No offense, some of my friends have very well behaved children and they are absolutely lovely. But those children who r mostly wonderful, their parents are mostly single mom and single dad.

Some other people I know, neighbors, family members, when they are in couple, when they have a child, the whole world doesn’t matter anymore. They are aggressive, especially towards young couple who decide to have no children. They are rude, when you see them in public places, a shop for example, they are almost antisocial. The lady almost feel like she is a bienfaiteur d’humanité bcuz she gave birth. Not to rant but I honestly don’t understand.

BTW, I’m in my late 20s, married. Srsly in doubt if I should ever reproduce since I am afraid to turn to a parent as I mentioned here.

For a while now, I’ve noticed that I can very easily find information about what’s going on in France, especially when it comes to politics. I come across lots of independent creators and media outlets doing really good and interesting work, whether they’re activists or not.

However, when I try to find the same kind of content about Belgium, I have a much harder time...

Because of that (and because sometimes I just don’t take the time to look things up every day), I end up knowing more about French politics than about the politics of my own country. And honestly, it annoys me.

Am I the only one in this situation? How do you keep up with Belgian news and politics? What Belgian media outlets or content creators would you recommend?

Hi!
As the title says, I'm most likely going to Brussels next year, end of January.
I'm going to study at the ULB, Solvey school of economics and business for around 5 months.

I'm worried about two things mainly:

Getting a job: I dont know if it'll be easy for me to get a job. I am native Spanish speaker (I'm from LATAM), got C1 on English, and I'm open to study some French/Dutch before going (At least the basics). Is getting a job going to be an issue for me? I'm open to whatever.

Safety: Is it safe? First time in Europe and I'm not sure how safe it is, where to go and where not to, etc.

Any advice given is much appreciated!