Belgium
Working &
Living
Advantages, salaries and other benefits
- A convenient geographical location, which makes contact with the “homefront” cheaper and easier. Belgium is not a large country, making all cities easily and quickly accessible.
- You don’t need to speak the local language. The locals are used to foreigners, so being able to communicate in English or French is usually enough.
- The local population is also used to European immigrants.
- Housing is usually cheaper than in neighbouring countries.
- The minimum wage in Belgium is among the highest in the European Union. In addition, Belgium also has strict labour laws in place to protect the rights of workers at national level.
- Health insurance: first-class and cheap (approximately EUR 7.50 per month), as well as relatively short waiting lines.
- A system of meal vouchers is often available (a daily voucher for purchasing food and beverages).
- Belgium provides an attractive system of financial child support.
- The salary package includes vacation money and a 13th month.
- The foreign workforce is paid the same salary as the local Belgian workforce from the beginning. Cheap labour is prohibited by law. This means you earn a competitive salary from DAY ONE.
- Pension rights are assigned to all recipients according to Belgian standards.
- Although Belgium has relatively high income taxes, thanks to child support, affordable housing and a reasonable cost of living, disposable income is often higher than in the Netherlands, Sweden, France and Great Britain (based on a study by Deloitte).
- Salaries are paid in euros, which reduces currency exchange risks (compared to Scandinavia or the UK, for example).
Why Belgium?
Belgium Facts
Belgium has an advanced high-income economy. It features a high standard of living, quality of life, healthcare and education. It is categorized as “very high” in the Human Development Index and also ranks as one of the safest and most peaceful countries in the world.
Belgium is a federal constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system, and a population of nearly 12 million people. The country is divided into three highly autonomous regions: Flanders in the north, Wallonia in the south, and the Brussels-Capital Region. Belgium is home to two main linguistic groups or communities: the Dutch-speaking, mostly Flemish community, which constitutes about 59 percent of the population, and the French-speaking community, which comprises about 40 percent of all Belgians. A small German-speaking community, numbering around one percent, exists in the East Cantons.
Belgium is located in the heartland of Europe’s most prosperous region. The purchasing power of its residents and those living within 500 km of the region makes it a prime business location. Brussels, the capital of Belgium, is home to numerous international corporations and intergovernmental decision-making organizations, such as the EU and NATO.
Belgium has world-famous knowledge centres and R&D initiatives. The World Economic Forum and many other international spectators rank Belgium among the world’s elite in R&D and innovation.
Belgium is one of Europe’s main logistics hubs. Its infrastructure offers advantages when it comes to setting up European logistics or distribution activities with the seaports of Antwerp, Zeebrugge, Ghent and Ostend and the airports of Brussels, Antwerp and Ostend Bruges. Furthermore, the road, rail, waterway, and pipeline networks of Flanders are among Europe’s densest – ensuring fast connections with the European hinterland.
The workforce of Belgium is multilingual, highly-educated, and loyal. It is also the 4th most productive labour force in the world, thanks to its diverse culture and the close proximity of internationally recognised, top-ranked universities and educational institutions.
Easily accessible and centrally located, the Port of Antwerp is key to Flanders’ renowned chemical industry. A state-of-the-art pipeline network facilitates product interchange. Antwerp is the largest chemical cluster in Europe, and the second largest worldwide.
According to the World Trade Report, Belgium is one of the top 15 exporting countries in the world. Its exports per capita are among the world’s highest.
Some famous Belgian companies with a global footprint include Van Hool (buses, trailers), Solvay (chemicals), Materialize (3D printing), FN Herstal (arms), Delhaize (supermarket chain), Katoen Natie (logistics), Neuhaus (chocolate), Jan Den Nul (maritime infrastructure), Cartamundi (cards and games), Barco (digital projection and imaging technology), Anheuer-Busch Inbev (Stella, Leffe and other beers), Janssens (pharmaceuticals), Bekaert (steel wire). Did you know that nearly 80 percent of the world’s billiard balls are made in Belgium? Saluc AC, established in 1923, has its own chemical plant to produce phenolic resin, which gives Aramith balls their characteristic high-gloss androck-hard finish.
Belgium’s famous national football team The Red Devils has held top spots in the FIFA world rankings.
Belgium is known for its quality of life in the field of food, drink,
culture, entertainment, and festivals.
Belgium is also known for its inventions, which include plastic, the
saxophone, the Body Mass Index (BMI), Imodium and contraceptive
pills. The country has also made significant contributions to the
World Wide Web.
Belgium offers multicultural diversity, with large, expanding
communities (including shops and restaurants) of foreign descent.
Belgium is the place where Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated.
He suffered a crushing defeat in the Battle of Waterloo, a city south
of Brussels, in 1815.
