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Practical Information

All you need to know about the practical aspects of life in Belgium: cost of living, housing, transport, telephone, internet, medical services, etc.

Accommodation

UCLouvain Accommodation Office offers 5,725 university units (rooms in shared flats, studios, flats, and family apartments) on the Louvain-la-Neuve and Brussels Woluwe and Mons campuses, primarily...

Budget / Cost of Living

Naturally, planning a budget depends on specific situations. Generally speaking, a single person should plan on an annual budget of approximately €13,200. Families and shared households...

Getting around Belgium

Public transport

Driving in Belgium

Belgium has a dense network of motorways, none of which are tolled. Road conditions are excellent, service stations are plentiful. Traffic congestion in Brussels can be heavy. Signs can sometimes...

Postal Services

    The Belgian postal service, bpost, operates post offices Monday to Friday from 8:30 or 9:00 am to 4:00 or 5:00 pm. Some are open late Fridays and Saturday mornings....

Telephone / Internet

There are three main mobile phone service providers:

Banks / Payments

Several banks have campus branches, which are generally open from 9 am to 3 pm on weekdays and have 24-hour ATM service:

Smoking

Smoking is prohibited in any public building in Belgium, including all university buildings, student accommodation, pubs and restaurants (though separate smoking rooms are permitted under strict...

Waste Management

Recycling is important in Belgium. Rubbish is sorted at the source – in other words, in the household – into specific coloured sacks that must be purchased at local supermarkets, or into similarly...

Doctors, Hospitals and Pharmacies

Belgium’s health service functions well. Financed by the state and national and private insurance, its many hospitals are modern, well managed and offer high-quality care and treatment. Bills are...

Emergency numbers

For emergencies, from any phone in Belgium:

Religions

Freedom of religion and separation of church and state are guaranteed by the Belgian Constitution. Belgium’s religious tradition is Catholic, although Protestant churches, mosques, synagogues and...