Feeling home @ IMEC_v3.pub

Transcription

feeling home@imec:
a brochure about living & working
in Leuven
Table of content
Foreword
3
1.
a
Introduction
1.1.Belgium
1.2. Leuven
4
4
6
2.
a
Arrival
2.1. General information
2.2. IMEC specific information
8
8
9
3.
Accomodation
a
3.1. Practical information
3.2. Relocation
10
10
11
4.
a
Social security
12
12
13
5.
a
Insurances
13
13
14
6.
a
Health care
15
15
7.
a
Money matters
17
17
18
8.
Education
19
9.
a
Transport
9.1. Getting there
9.2. Getting around
23
23
23
10. Communication
27
11. Security, police & legalities
29
12. Day-to-day life
12.1. Contact
a
12.2. Shopping in Leuven
12.3. Dining
12.4. Environment
12.5. Sport
12.6. Culture
12.7. Libraries
12.8. Religion
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30
30
32
32
34
35
37
38
2
Foreword
Dear colleague,
We want to welcome you at Belgium, Leuven and foremost at IMEC.
Joining IMEC means working in a new environment but also living in a whole new country,
with it’s own typical life-style, habits, arrangements, etc.
Moving to an other country is a great adventure, it creates a lot of questions and will take
many preparations. During your first days you will probably be overwhelmed with
impressions and information.
This brochure contains information concerning Belgium, the daily life in Leuven and IMEC
specific information. It will help you to better understand the Belgian idiosyncrasies and
way of being so that your day-to-day life in Leuven soon becomes a positive and fruitful
experience. We hope that it will already answer some questions about relocation, housing,
family and other practical problems that everybody has to face when arriving in this country.
Of course this brochure will not answer all your questions. The Relocation Officers - Marion
Van Tichelen and Veronique Vanautgaerden - at the personnel administration of IMEC will
be happy to help you during the process of relocation and your first days in Belgium. Please
feel free to contact them with any question you might have about finding your way around at
IMEC or in Leuven and in Belgium.
You can contact them on
[email protected]
[email protected]
IMEC wishes you an interesting and successful career!
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1
Introduction
1.1. BELGIUM
Name Three Famous Belgians
Synopsis
Before coming here, hardly anyone is able to name
even three famous Belgians. We hope that, by the
time you leave Leuven, you will be able to identify
at least the following ten:
Belgium is a small, densely populated country
(10,39 million inhabitants with 339 people/km²),
with three official languages: Dutch, French and
German. Its capital, Brussels, doubles as the capital
of the European Union. Belgians enjoy their
“creature comforts”: most own their own homes
and spend a lot of time and money in constantly
renovating, decorating and improving them. They
tend their gardens meticulously, love good food
and drink, benefit from an excellent social security
and health-care system, and insist on having their
roads and highways brightly lit at night (the
illuminated “Belgian Window” can apparently be
seen from space).
Politics and Languages
Despite its small size, Belgium has a unique and
complex institutional and political structure.
Belgium itself is a democratic monarchy with a
King, Albert II, a parliament (house of common)
and a senate (House of Lords). The country is
divided into three language groups (three
communities), Dutch-speaking (6 million), Frenchspeaking (4 million) and German-speaking (70,000),
each with their own administration in charge mainly
of cultural and educational affairs. In addition, there
are three regions, linked to economic interests,
again with their own governments: Flanders (in the
north), Wallonia (in the south), and Brussels. The
federal government mainly had authority over
foreign affairs, immigration issues, social security
and defense. Belgium has 10 provinces; Leuven is
the capital of the Province of Flemish Brabant.
Leuven is situated in Flanders and is part of the
Dutch-speaking community. Brussels and the
language border with Wallonia are very close.
Although seven governments might seem a touch
exaggerated for such a small country, and the
situation is often derided by Belgians and nonBelgians alike, this system is a typical embodiment
of one of the most attractive features of the Belgian
character: the art of compromise. When Belgians
disagree, they try and find the middle ground. No
civil wars or ethnic conflicts have ever taken place
between Belgians.
♦ Hieronymus Bosch
♦ Pieter Breughel and sons
♦ Peter Paul Rubens
♦ Victor Horta
♦ Adolphe Sax
♦ Father Damien
♦ Jacques Brel
♦ Hergé (creator of Tintin)
♦ Peyo (creator of the Smurfs)
♦ Jean-Claude Van Damme
♦ Justine Henin
♦ Kim Clijsters
Climate
The Belgian, maritime climate is characterized by a
mixture of sunny periods and precipitation that is
rather equally spread over the year. It is rather
variable and moderate (average temperature in
January: 1°C, in July: 16° C). Extreme temperatures
can occur in summer and winter time.
Rich Past, Thriving Present
Some Belgian towns, notably Tongeren and
Tournai, date back to Roman times, when Julius
Caesar declared ancient Belgians to be the «of all
Gauls», after conquering them of course. In the
High Middle Ages (1200-1500) many Belgian cities
flourished and expanded. The ports of Bruges and
Antwerp were among the largest and busiest in
Europe, cathedrals rose up everywhere, elaborate
town halls proudly proclaimed the city-dwellers’
new-found freedoms and wealth. At that time, only
Northern Italy could boast a similar level of
development and culture. Many different countries
ruled over what is now known as Belgium,
including the Spanish, Austrians, French and Dutch.
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1
Introduction
Finally, Belgium gained its independence in 1830,
drew up a constitution and imported a monarch
from among the German nobility. It entered the
Industrial Era at an early stage, and is now firmly
established primarily as a service economy with
over 70% of the working population employed
outside of agriculture and industry. The standard of
living in Belgium is among the highest in the world.
Religion
Historically, Flanders is a predominantly Catholic
region. Even though churches nowadays draw only
a minority of the inhabitants, Catholicism is still the
most important religion. Weekly masses,
celebrations and services like marriages,
communions, and funerals take mostly place in the
catholic churches. However, all world religions are
represented in Flanders (freedom of religion is
guaranteed in the Belgian Constitution), and even
smaller denominations usually have at least one
established community and place of worship in one
of the larger cities.
The state currently recognizes six religions (and a
non-confessional community since 1993): Roman
Catholicism (representing the majority of
believers), as well as the Protestant, Orthodox,
Jewish and Anglican religions. Islam was added in
1976. Islam is currently the second largest religion
in Belgium due to the wave of immigration of
foreign workers.
“There are no Belgians”
“Your Majesty, there are no Belgians” – a Belgian
politician once famously exclaimed to the king. This
statement exemplifies the attitude of many Belgians
towards their own country. Although the politician
in question meant to refer to the fact that Belgium
is divided into different linguistic groups, it also
reflects the high degree of self-criticism
characteristic of almost all Belgians. There is no
such thing as a patriotic Belgian. Attractively
modest though this attitude might seem, it does
lead to a distorted image of Belgium abroad. After
all, who will take a country seriously when even its
own citizens deride it?
As a foreigner in Belgium, you will find that most
Belgians will agree whole-heartedly with any
criticism you have to offer of their country,
customs or politics. To redress the balance, we
would like to reiterate that the standard of living in
Belgium is among the highest in the world, its
citizen benefit from an excellent (almost free)
educational system, universal health-care and
social-security coverage, usually own their own
homes, and have never started or engaged in an
armed conflict, either internally or internationally,
except for a futile attempt of self-defense against
the Germans in World Wars I and II.
This lack of pride in its own achievements
contributes largely to Belgium’s indeterminate, or
non-existent, identity abroad. Chocolate springs
most readily to mind when foreigners are asked
what they know of Belgium, an embarrassed silence
usually follows further enquiries. Whereas other
small countries, such as the Netherlands, Portugal
or Norway, have been successful in projecting a
coherent image of them to the outside world,
Belgians have never really tried.
The Belgian Character
The one thing that most non-Belgians would agree
on when first confronted with Belgians on their
home turf is that they are a reserved and
introverted people. This impression usually lasts
until their first visit to a Belgian’s home, where they
will be very cordially welcomed and fed large
amounts of excellent food and drink. A Belgian
feels most relaxed and comfortable in the midst of
his close circle of family and friends. Family ties are
very important – witness the weekly exodus of
Belgian students from Leuven, who routinely spend
every weekend at home with their parents and
childhood friends. Friendships are enduring; once
you have made a Belgian friend, you will find that it
is very hard to get rid of him.
Another attractive feature of the Belgian character
is the trend towards egalitarianism. There are no
obscenely wide gaps in income, the rich are never
super rich, the poor are provided for, and the
number of homeless people might well be the
smallest in the entire industrial world. It is
fashionable among Belgians and non-Belgians alike
to complain about the level of bureaucracy in the
country and the inordinate number of holidays that
Belgians enjoy. In fact, economic productivity is
among the highest in the world, and the anarchic
streak in the Belgian character ensures that
bureaucrats never gain the upper hand. Belgium is
also a very safe country, with a remarkably low
crime rate. Brussels, according to some surveys, is
the safest capital in the world in terms of the
murder rate.
Leuven, we can assure you from a lifetime of
personal experience, is without a doubt a quite safe
university town. The main crime element to watch
out for is bicycle thieves.
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Introduction
A very short introduction to Belgian
popular culture
Some aspects of Belgian popular culture hardly
need an introduction. Most people will not need
any encouragement to try out the hundreds of
delicious Belgian beers. According to one
commentator, Belgian beer is “a heavenly liquid
which Belgians have perfected thanks to centuries
of intense contemplation by silent orders of monks.
Beer is the very essence of the land, the blood of
the nation, heaven served in a variety of peculiarly
shaped drinking receptacles.”
A lesser-known attraction, and one that routinely
creates confusion among the non-Belgians, is the
figure of Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas).
Affectionately known as de Sint, he is often
described as the Belgian (and Dutch) version of
Santa Claus. However, he has no connection with
Christmas. Dressed in magnificent red robes and a
bishop’s mitre, Sinterklaas visits Belgian (and
Dutch) children’s homes on the eve of December
5, and climbs the roof seated on his white horse,
accompanied by his faithful servant Zwarte Piet
(Black Peter) to surreptitiously deliver presents
through the chimney. The Sinterklaas tradition is
much older than any mention of Santa Claus or
Father Christmas, and dates back to a legend about
the 4th century Bishop of Smyrna (now Izmir in
Turkey) who once miraculously saved some
children from captivity and death. Extravagant
amounts of chocolate are consumed by both adults
and children to celebrate the Sinterklaas feast.
An excellent opportunity to observe Belgians
having fun in large numbers outdoors is on the
occasion of a local kermis. A kermis is a typically
Belgian type of fair, complete with noisy fairground
rides, bumper cars, smoutebollen (a variety of
doughnut), escargots (snails) and frites (fries)
stands, and the penetrating cries of lottery ticket
vendors (“Everybody wins!”). When you arrive in
Leuven during the first 3 weeks of September, you
will witness what the kermis is!
Though a kermis can be enjoyed by most people, it
is quite a different matter to participate in a Belgian
carnival. Though hardly comparable to the
bacchanalia in Rio de Janeiro, carnival in Belgium
can get very lively indeed. Some towns with a
particularly strong carnival tradition are
completely taken over by noisy parades and rowdy
drunks for two, three or even four days before Ash
Wednesday, the official end of the carnival season.
For a more artistic experience, the carnival in
Binche (Wallonia), famous for its colorfully clad
Gilles with their eerie blank-faced masks, is highly
recommended, and was recently elevated to the
status of a UNESCO World Heritage tradition.
Read more on www.belgium.be
1.2. LEUVEN
History of Leuven
Leuven is very proud of both its past and its
heritage, and rightly so. Although the first
references to the town can be traced back as far as
the 9th century and in spite of its strategic location
on the river Dyle, it was not until around the 11th12th century that Leuven began to develop as an
important trading centre within the Duchy of
Brabant. It was at this time that its first town wall,
churches, monasteries and abbeys were built.
The town's once flourishing cloth trade had fallen
into decline by the 14th century, but a new golden
age dawned with the 15th century. The university
was founded, various industrial concerns flourished
and the main market square with its fine Gothic
town hall was laid out. The building of paved roads,
the canal in the 18th century and the expansion of
the brewery created a great impetus for trade and
population growth. Unfortunately, this prosperity
came to a sudden end under the reign of Joseph II
when the French invaded.
The most significant development for Leuven in the
19th century was the building of the railway station
and the construction of Bondgenotenlaan leading to
it. The two World Wars in the 20th century
destroyed much of Leuven and a great deal of the
reconstruction work lasted well into the nineteensixties.
Leuven has developed into a well-equipped,
modern town with a thriving service industry
economy and with a good balance of old and new
buildings combining to offer a well-designed
infrastructure to suit the demands of today's
modern town with a rich tradition. On January 1st
January 1995, Leuven became the capital of the
province Flemish Brabant.
Places of interest in Leuven are: abbeys, beguinages,
churches, museums, the Great Market Square, the
Old Market, Square, cemeteries, public parks and
of course the Catholic University of Leuven.
The University of Leuven was founded almost six
hundred years ago. The University's academic fame
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1
Introduction
has attracted scholars and scientists as Justus
Lipsius, Gerard Mercator and Andreas Vesalius
who all have made valuable contribution to
theintellectual life. The University of Leuven can
look back on a glorious past, but it also moves with
the times. The University's educational concept is
modern, with research activities focused on the
needs and aspirations of contemporary people and
society. The University of Leuven is famous not just
within the borders of Belgium, but far beyond as
well. Being a very lively city of and for students,
Leuven aspires to maintain that reputation. In
contrast to most university cities, Leuven does not
have a closed campus. The University buildings are
spread throughout the city and were originally built
for completely different purposes.
The city of Leuven is an agglomeration of five
communities: Leuven, Heverlee, Kessel-Lo, Wilsele
and Wijgmaal. Leuven has more than 90,000
inhabitants. If we add to this the 35,000 postsecondary and 11,000 high-school students, it
should come as no surprise that the streets are
filled with young faces and that the city lives at a
student’s rhythm: hectic weeks at the beginning of
the academic year and, later, relative calm during
vacation and examination periods. The centurieslong presence of the university has also left its
marks in other areas of city life. The population of
Leuven has a high average level of education,
probably because many students remain in Leuven
after they have graduated. Employment is primarily
in the tertiary and quaternary sectors; though
Leuven’s global image is also influenced by the city’s
other large employer, Inbev (Beer brewery).
Read more on, www.leuven.com and www.kuleuven.be
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D ocumen t Titl e
2 Arrival
2.1 GENERAL INFORMATION
Travel documents
Before coming to Belgium you will be informed
about the right procedure to follow.
Which documents you need will depend on your
status: e.g. whether you are a student or a resident,
or whether you are coming from a EU country or
not.
Work Permit (for non EU assignees)
A work permit is required for non EU assignees. It
is the responsibility of the host company to apply
for the work permit. For citizens of new EU
member states, a transition regulation applies.
Host Agreement or Gastenovereenkomst
(for EU payroll employees)
For non EU payroll employees who intend to stay
in Belgium for more than three months with the
purpose of carrying out a profession or being
employed normally a work permit must be
obtained from the Ministry of Labor before their
arrival in Belgium. Imec has been recognised as a
specialised institute for research and therefore our
payroll employees are exempted from the work
permit application. Instead, the relocation officers
will provide you with a host agreement or
‘gastenovereenkomst’. With the original document
in Dutch, you can apply for the D-visa if you are
coming from a visa submitted country.
related to the expiration date of the work permit.
The end date of the residence permit is equal to
the one on the work permit + 1 month. With each
renewal of the work permit, a renewal of the
residence permit has to be acquired at the town
hall. Since the work permit is limited to an overall
period of 4 years, the residence permit is limited to
that same period.
City of Leuven: town services
Foreigners’ office – Stadsdiensten— Dienst
bevolking – afdeling buitenlanders
Professor Van Overstraetenplein 1, B-3000 Leuven
Tel. 016 27 20 00 – Fax 016 27 29 95
Open:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:00
a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Thursday from 12:00 noon to 8:00 p.m.
Ask for your ticket at the counter, at the latest one
hour before closing time.
Identity card
The card you receive after registering at the town
services is your official residence permit. It also
functions as your identity card in Belgium. This is an
extremely important document and you are
required to carry it with you at all times! Take care
not to lose it.
Extend the validity of your identity card
For students and people coming via
KULeuven
Students will receive the procedure from IMEC and
the KULeuven will inform the registered KUL
students, visiting professors, etc. about the
procedure to follow.
Residence permit
As future employee in Belgium you are required to
register at the Foreigner’s Office in your city of
residence. For Leuven this is called town services
(Stadsdiensten ) and the office is situated next to
the railway station.
The procedure and the documents to be submitted
depend on whether you are an EU citizen or not.
Issuing time can be 6 weeks.
The duration of this residence permit is directly
You should report in person to the Leuven
Foreigners’ Office preferably before the expiry date
of your identity card. Bring a proof of extension of
work permit/contract, a new letter of appointment
or grant attestation.
Change of address
Every time you change your address within Leuven,
you must report your new address within eight
days to the Foreigners’ Office. If you are moving to
another town of city in Belgium, you must report
to the Foreigners’ Office or town hall of your new
city or town.
You are likewise required to inform the healthinsurance, and other relevant offices of your change
of address. At the end of your stay in Belgium and
before your actual departure, you should give
notice of your departure to the Foreigners’ Office
and hand in your identity card.
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2 Arrival
Loss of your identity card
town services (dienst bevolking) where a copy will
be taken and records updated.
If you lose your identity card, you must report this
in person at the Foreigners’ Office and sign an
official declaration of loss. Bring along three
passport photographs as well. After an investigation
by the police, you will be given a duplicate identity
card.
Other foreigners permanently residing in Belgium
and driving in the country may use an International
Driving license initially, but should apply for a valid
Belgian driving license on being issued an identity
card.
Leaving Belgium temporarily
If you temporarily have to leave Belgium for a
period longer than three months, you must contact
the Foreigners’ Office at city hall to find out what
administrative procedures you must follow.
A Belgian driving license will be given automatically
to some nationals including Switzerland and
Norway. Other nationals may need to take a
Belgian driving test to qualify.
An application must be made at the local town
services, usually at the same time as residence
registration. It is required that you provide an
existing driver's license, two passport photographs
and a residence permit.
2.2. IMEC SPECIFIC
INFORMATION
Depending on your status, you will find detailed
instructions in the separate guideline for students,
residents etc.
Town Services—Stadskantoor
Visit from the police officer
After you register at the Leuven Foreigners’ Office,
your neighborhood police officer will drop by your
Leuven address to verify that you actually live
there. If you are not at home at the time of the
officer’s visit, you will receive a letter inviting you
to report to the police station in your district.
Make sure you do this as soon as possible in order
to avoid misunderstandings or future administrative
problems.
Before leaving Belgium permanently, please make
sure that you visit the Foreigners’ Office to turn in
your Belgian identity card. If you ever need to
come back to Leuven, this will save you and the
city’s officials a great deal of time and trouble.
Driving license
EU citizen can continue to drive under their
current driving license but must submit this to the
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3 Accomodation
3.1. PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Searching housing
It is advisable to start looking for housing facilities
as soon as possible, because finding appropriate
accommodation takes time.
A usefull website to start with is :
Immoweb – www.immoweb.be
This website covers nearly all real estate agencies.
Cost
Hotel
around € 100 per night
(breakfast included)
Small studio
between € 300 and € 500 per
month (furnished but without
hotel facilities like sheets,
cleaning, etc.)
Furnished flat
month (separate bedroom and
hotel facilities)
Apartment
month depending on comfort and
number of bedrooms but most
likely for renting at least on an
annual basis
House
at least € 1000 per month but
most likely for renting at least on
an annual basis
Rental contract
A rental contract between you and the landlord
should be concluded n writing. As of 15 June 2007,
however, all rental contracts must be concluded in
writing. There must be at least three copies: one
for the landlord, one for you (the tenant) and one
for the compulsory registration of contract.
In this written contract the following information
must be given: the identity of the landlord and the
tenant, the starting date of the contract, an
indication of all the rooms and parts of the rented
building and the rent. The contract is definitive
when both you and the landlord sign it.
Your landlord is obliged to register the written
rental contract. He must present it to the
registration office in the place where the property
is situated. This will give the rental contract a
“fixed date” and becomes binding on third parties.
From this fixed date, you are legally protected
against eviction by the new owner if the leased
premises are sold.
There are different types of rental contracts
depending on the duration of lease. Ask your
landlord detailed information on the duration of
the lease (1, 3 or 9 year contract), the penalty
when leaving before end of contract, deposit,
expenses, etc. before signing the contract.
Conctact the IMEC relocation officers if you need
assistance with the legal aspects.
The deposit
When you conclude a contract, the payment of a
deposit is required. For rooms, a deposit of one
month’s rent is usual. For studios and apartments,
deposits may amount to 2 or 3 month’s rent. This
sum should never be considered as payment for
rent and can only be used to compensate for
damage to the rented property, caused by the
tenant or by third parties to whom the tenant has
granted access.
The deposit or its balance will be reimbursed upon
return of the keys and after the landlord has
inspected the state of the property. The landlord
should have the opportunity to draw the final bill
for heating, electricity, etc. before he can return
the balance of the deposit.
Supplementary expenses (utilities)
If the cost of heating, electricity, water, etc. is not
included in the rent, it should be clearly stated in
the contract how these costs will be calculated. If
each housing unit is equipped with an individual
electricity and gas meter, the tenant and the
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3 Accomodation
landlord should make a note of the meter reading
at the beginning and at the end of the rental period.
The tenant pays for these units at the rate
stipulated in the contract. If no individual meters
are available, the landlord is allowed to divide the
total costs proportionally among the residents of
the house. Many contracts state that the tenants
have to pay a monthly advance for the costs, over
and above the cost of the rent.
When the final bill is submitted, tenants are entitled
to see the individual invoices for the various
utilities. Tenants of apartments and houses
normally have an individual contract with the gas,
electricity and water utility companies. In this case
they will receive the invoices directly from the
company concerned.
Fire insurance
What to do in case of problems?
In case you need advise about your rental contract
or you have problems with your landlord you can
always contact our relocation officers. IMEC is
member of the tenants association specialized in
Legal issues. Our relocation officers will be happy
to give you our registration number so that you
can contact this organization for information:
Huurdersbond Vlaams Brabant
Eén Meilaan 10 – 3010 Kessel-Lo
Tel : 016/25 05 14
Email : [email protected]
www.wetswinkel-leuven.be
3.2. RELOCATION
Fire insurance is not a legal requirement however,
if you are renting it usually forms a condition of the
lease.
Tenants must, therefore, insure their
premises against damages caused during occupancy.
On the basis, the tenant is responsible for damage
caused by fire, water and for broken glass in
windows or doors. Standard lease contracts state
that the tenant must furnish proof of insurance to
the owner within 30 days of signing the lease.
IMEC does not work with a Relocation Company
to organize your relocation.
The fire insurance includes a Third Party Liability
for accidents to non-family members. It is also
important to have your own household content
insured
Once your registration at IMEC is final and we get
a clear view on the expected arrival date, you can
start thinking about booking the flight. Depending
on what goods you are planning to move over,
additional arrangements will have to be made
concerning: international moving companies,
customs (importing goods), home company budget
for relocation, etc.
Besides
the
insurance
agents
(Verzekeringsmaatschappijen) most of the banks
also offer policies
If you want to insure damage to your own
property, you need to take out separate insurance
coverage. Tenants of apartments and houses
normally cannot insure themselves through the
landlord’s policy. They need to take out individual
insurance to cover the risks of damage both to the
landlord’s property and to their personal
belongings. An individual policy is obviously more
expensive, and may amount to € 75.000 or more
per year, depending on the coverage and the value
of the property and furnishing insured.
But the IMEC relocation officers (Marion Van
Tichelen and Veronique Vanautgaerden) are at
your disposal during your preparation as well as
upon your arrival in Belgium. They will help you
with relocation matters from the start till your first
days in Belgium.
Specific difficulties can occur while trying to bring
along valuables, antiques, a car, … For each and
every topic and depending on the country where
the goods are coming from, rules can be different.
That is why it is imperative to check everything
with the airport and flight company before the
shipment of the goods.
11
4
Social Security & Insurances
4.1. SOCIAL SECURITY
Belgium has a very extensive social security system.
Foreigners also are entitled to certain allowances
and to social services.
The benefits which you may enjoy as a foreigner
are strictly dependent on the conditions under
which you are resident on Belgian soil.
The Belgian social security system is based on the
payment of social contributions on your income
from work. These social contributions serve to
finance the social security system. Each month the
employer pays between 30 and 40% on top of your
salary into the social security fund. The employee
also pays a proportion of his gross salary in social
security contributions. This fund is then used to
pay social security:
♦ Allowances in the event of sickness
♦ Unemployment benefits
♦ Allowances in the event of incapacity for work
through sickness or invalidity
♦ Allowances in the event of accidents at work
♦ Allowances in the event of industrial disease
♦ Family allowances
♦ Pensions
Social services
Everyone in Belgium is entitled to social services
from the public social welfare centre, OCMW.
They provide social services so that everyone can
live with dignity. They investigate what help is most
appropriate given the personal or family
circumstances, and offer the appropriate means to
meet people's needs.
USA, Canada, Turkey …) can continue to submit
there employees to social security in the home
country during a certain period of time providing
they can confirm that with a document to proving
the employee to be submitted in the home country
(E101 form in the EC). Non-EC and countries with
no bilateral treaties should submit there employees
to local Belgian social security.
Not being submitted to Belgian social security also
means that no legal rights can be build up in
Belgium (child allowance, unemployment insurance,
legal pension, health care). That is why it is
imperative that the home company always takes
care of sufficient insurance coverage for its
employees. We strongly advise the home company
to contact an international insurance provider to
cover for the health care, hospitalization, travel
accident insurance, repatriation, and disability …
This is clearly a responsibility of the home country.
Since IMEC is not the employer, we are not
allowed to do anything in this field.
There is a possibility also to affiliate with a ‘mutual
insurance company’ in Belgium. For a fee of
approx. 75 € a month, the employee will be
covered for basic medical, dental and
hospitalization treatment.
Again, it is extremely important that the home
company takes care of all insurance related issues.
We kindly ask the home HR-departments to
inform their employees of the insurance coverage
before sending over people.
As mentioned before the most important fields to
cover are:
♦ Health care
♦ Hospitalization
♦ Repatriation
♦ Work-related accident
Information for IMEC Residents
As your home office continues to be your
employer and as such continues to pay your salary,
they have to check out if social security
contributions are due in Belgium. In accordance to
international law, social security contributions are
due in the host country (country were the work is
done) even when your company does not have a
legal entity over here. European countries and
countries with bilateral social security treaties (i.e.
♦ Travel accidents
Besides these employee related insurances, it
seems advisable to obtain liability insurance in case
one of your employees would damage IMEC and/or
one of its other residents.
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4
4.2. INSURANCES
Health insurance
All residents of the country, Belgian or otherwise,
are required by law to be covered by a healthinsurance policy. It is also in you own best interest.
Without insurance coverage, the cost of medical
care can quickly spiral out of control. For instance,
a single night’s stay in the hospital can cost up to €
300 not including treatment or medicine. A
standard health-insurance policy will reimburse
about 75% of the cost of a doctor’s visit, medicine
and hospitalization.
SIS Card
When you take out health insurance you will
receive a membership card (known as the SIS card),
an information booklet and a number of yellow
stickers. Please take your SIS card and stickers
every time you go to the pharmacist, visit a doctor,
go to a hospital or to the health-insurance office.
You may be asked to show your SIS card or use
one of the yellow stickers.
If you have to go to the hospital and you don’t have
your SIS card you will get an invoice of the total
cost. Don’t pay it and bring it to the health
insurance company. They will take care of a
corrected invoice.
Coverage outside Belgium
Whether or not you have coverage abroad (i.e.
outside Belgium) depends on a number of criteria.
Just to be sure, you should contact your own
health-insurance company to get advice.
Coverage for family
When coming to Leuven for a visit, your parents,
partner, siblings or friends are not covered by you
health-insurance policy. We would advice your
guests to take out a temporary private insurance
policy to cover their period of stay in Belgium.
EEA Nationals
If you are a EEA national (Austria, Denmark,
Finland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden,
the United Kingdom, Liechtenstein, Iceland,
Norway and the new gary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta,
Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Romania) as
well as the nationals from Algeria, Tunisia, Turkey,
and the former Yugoslavia, you should obtain a so
called European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
proving you already have insurance coverage in
your home country.
Any medical costs you may incur will be
reimbursed by a Belgian health-insurance company
if you show them the EHIC. This also applies to the
cost of drugs and medication: ask for a 704N form
at the pharmacist’s.
Care insurance
In 2002 the Flemish government introduced the
care insurance. It is a collective insurance to
provide financial assistance to seriously ill patients.
Every year, you will receive a bill of € 25 for this
insurance when you live in Flanders and are at least
25 years old. You are encouraged to pay this bill
before December 31st.
Hospitalization
The basic health insurance will not cover all
hospital costs and medical costs in case of
hospitalization can amount quickly. Therefore an
extra insurance on top of your basic compulsory
health insurance is advisable. Hospitalization
insurance will relieve the financial burdens after a
hospitalization.
Repatriation
In case of serious illness or injury during a holiday
or stay abroad you will get assistance (24 hours a
day), repatriation for the sick or injured person and
reimbursement of the medical costs abroad. Ask if
your health insurance covers this.
Travel accidents
During holiday or work-related travel problems
can occur. A car accident with your own car,
sickness, theft, loss of personal goods, etc. Check if
you are specifically insured for problems abroad.
Work-related accidents
IMEC automatically covers you for accidents on the
way to and from your company and for accidents
on the workplace itself. All other accidents must
be covered by your private insurance.
Third party liability insurance
This policy protects the head of the household and
all people for whom he is responsible, from third
party damage claims. This policy covers any
damages to third party parties caused by you or
13
4
one of your family members. Personal injury is not
covered by this policy, only damage to third parties.
The policy also covers the costs of legal assistance.
Everyone needs to be covered, even if you are
without family.
Car insurance
Each car owner is obliged to have civil liability car
cover whereby the insurance company of the car
deemed responsible for the accident, pays for the
repairs, injuries, or death caused to the other
party. Premiums are based on car’s horsepower
and the accident record of the insured. Based on a
bonus point system, annual rates jump rapidly, with
point increases following accidents where the
insured is at fault, whilst descending only a single
point for each year of unclaimed accidents, until the
lowest level of 1 is achieved. You can choose the
range of your car insurance coverage.
4.3. IMEC SPECIFIC
INFORMATION
IMEC provides hospitalization insurance for IMEC
payroll employees, as well for IWT, FWO and FRIA
scholars.
Disability and death insurance is provided for IMEC
payroll employees.
Travel insurance is provided for IMEC payroll
employees and any other co-worker making a
business trip on behalf of IMEC. You are covered
against sickness, accidents, proven theft and loss of
personal goods.
A Pension Plan is for IMEC payroll employees from
the age of 25 having a contract of unlimited
duration.
More information about these extra-legal will be
given by the HR Services on your arrival at IMEC
and is available on the IMEC Intranet.
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5
Health care
5.1. GENERAL INFORMATION
Medical bills and reimbursement
There are three different levels of health care
service in Belgium:
If you do not require hospitalization, 75% of you
medical expenses will be reimbursed by you healthinsurance-company. You will pay the full cost for a
consultation with a general practitioner (about
€20) but, you will be reimbursed for about €15
afterwards.,. In cases of hospitalization, the hospital
will charge you a supplement (the charges not
covered by the insurance policy).
♦ General practitioners (GPs)
♦ Specialists
♦ Specialists at a local or an academic hospital
General practitioners (GPs) and
specialists
If you have a health-related problem, it is best to
see a general practitioner first rather than going
immediately to the hospital.
The main costs are paid directly by the insurance
company to the hospital. Fees for convenient
extras (e.g. a private room, telephone costs) will
never be reimbursed by the insurance company.
When buying drugs, reductions amount to 60%.
The pharmacist charges you only the noninsured
amount upon presentation of your SIS card.
A GP can solve most medical problems. If the GP
decides that you should consult a specialist, he/she
will refer you to one who is best qualified to deal
with your problem. You can usually reach a GP
during office hours and in emergencies even at
night. If your regular GP is unavailable when you
call, you will be referred to another GP. There are
many advantages to consulting a GP first, before
seeing a specialist:
♦ GP’s are easier to reach; there could be a long
waiting list to consult a specialist.
♦ A GP will keep your medical history on file. This
is important since information from previous
medical examinations may be relevant to your
present condition. It also means that the GP does
not need to repeat medical tests or examinations
you may already have had. This can save you a lot
of money, time and possible discomfort.
♦ With certain medical conditions, it is not always
clear which specialist is best qualified. On your
own, you might have to try several specialists
before finding the right one, whereas a GP can
quickly diagnose your problem and refer you to
the proper specialist.
Most medical doctors speak English, French and
Dutch. When discussing your condition, however,
please try to make yourself clear, and speak slowly
and calmly. For consultation, make an appointment
or go to the doctor’s office when he/she is available
for general consultation. If necessary, the GP will
refer you to a specialist in a private or a local
hospital, or to the University Hospitals.
Pharmacies
In Belgium, drugs and medicines are only sold in
pharmacies (to be recognized by the green cross).
In the yellow pages of the phone directory
pharmacies and drugstores are listed under the
word “apotheken”. Or check the online directory
http://goldenpages.truvo.be. They are open every
day except Saturday afternoons, Sundays and
holidays. When closed, all pharmacies will post in
their window a list of after-hours pharmacies
(“wachtdienst”). This information is also published
in the weekly newspaper Passe-Partout (see the
section entitled “Apothekers van dienst in Leuven
en omliggende”). Or call 0900 10 500 for the
pharmacy on duty in your neighborhood.
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5
Health care
Hospitals
SOS – Emergency services and numbers
University Hospitals
In cases of emergency, always give your address
and Telephone number. Speak slowly. It would be
useful for you to learn a few words or expressions
related to such cases in Dutch or French.
www.uzleuven.be
016 33 22 11 for all University Hospitals
♦ Gasthuisberg
Herestraat 49, B-3000 Leuven (Emergency)
♦ Sint-Pieter
Brusselsestraat 69, B-3000 Leuven
100
Ambulance and fire department
101
Police emergency number
112
International Emergency number
105
Red Cross Flanders ambulance service
106
Teleonthaal
070 25 70 25
Doctors on call
070 25 40 40
Dentist on call
0900 10 500
Pharmacies on duty
(after hours and on weekends)
070 24 52 45
Poison antidote centre
070 34 43 44
Card stop for bank and credit cards
02 649 95 55
Suicide prevention centre
♦ Sint-Rafaël
Kapucijnenvoer 33, B-3000 Leuven
♦ Pellenberg
Weligerveld 1, B-3041 Pellenberg
Non-university hospital
♦ Heilig-Hartziekenhuis
Naamsestraat 150, B-3000 Leuven (Emergency)
Thermometers
In Belgium we use Celsius thermometers. These
are larger than the Fahrenheit ones, and are usually
placed in the armpit. Readings from the armpit will
be one degree lower than those taken orally.
Always tell the doctor which method you have
used.
Vaccinations
Parents are required to vaccinate their babies and
young children at regular intervals. In Belgium, this
service is organized by “Kind en Gezin”. Please
contact them if you have children below 3 years of
age.
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6
Money matters
6.1. GENERAL INFORMATION
which the rate of interest varies according to the
ups and downs of the investments of the bank.
After opening a bank account, customers receive a
debit card, which needs to be signed and activated
by choosing and confirming a personal “PIN code”.
These services are attached to your bank account:
♦ Cash withdrawals, either at one of the
branches of the bank or at any ATM machine
♦ Debit card payments for items bought in shops
or commercial centers.
♦ Forms to transfer money directly from the
bank account to somebody else’s bank
account. This is very useful for paying rent and
utility bills such as water, electricity, internet
and telephone. To be able to make use of this
service customers need to go in person to a
branch of their bank.
♦ Transfers from any “self-banking” machine of
any branch of the bank.
The Belgian currency is the Euro since the 1st of
January 2002. The Euro is the currency of the
following twelve European Union Countries:
Belgium, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Ireland,
Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria,
Portugal, and Finland.
Euro notes: €5, €10, €20, €50, €100, €200 and
€500 note.
Euro coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cent pieces and
the 1 and 2 euro pieces.
Opening bank account
Belgium has a very efficient and modern banking
system. Branches of the principal Belgian and
international banks can be found in all larger Belgian
cities. Among the best known Belgian banks are the
following: ING, KBC, Dexia, Fortis, Argenta and
Citibank.
Belgian bank accounts can be “current
accounts”
(zichtrekening),
“savings
accounts” (spaarrekening) or “term accounts”. The
first are customarily used for current transactions,
payments or transfers; the second are selfexplanatory; and the third are interest-bearing
accounts fixed for a given period of time, and for
♦ Standing orders with the bank for making
regularly recurring payments such as rent, gas,
electricity, water or telephone. This is highly
recommended since the payments are made
even if customers forget or are away for a
period of time.
♦ Most banks provide Home-Banking possibilities
via internet.
Payments and account statements
Payment by bank transfer is a very common
method of paying bills in Belgium. The companies
will normally indicate on their bills how they
prefer to be paid. Payments by credit card such as
Visa, Mastercard/Eurocard, American Express, etc.
are also common practice. For a small fee to cover
postage, Belgian banks will mail daily, weekly or
monthly transactions statements for a current
account. It is a good idea to make use of this
service. An alternative to the daily posting service
is the “poste restante”, whereby transaction
statements are kept at the bank for the customer
to pick up. The easiest way of obtaining account
statements is to print them out at a “self-banking”
terminal.
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6
Money matters
Proton: electronic payments for small
amounts
Most Belgian banks in Leuven include a special
facility on their debit cards, which is called ‘Proton’.
Think of ‘Proton’ as a 21st century electronic coin
purse. As holder of the current account, you will
be able to ‘load’ the ‘Proton’ chip on your debit
card up to a maximum amount of €125 only and
the ‘loading’ is done in your bank’s self-service
ATM machine. You can use your debit cards
‘Proton’ facility to pay (small amounts) in many
stores and shops that avail of a ‘Proton machine’.
There are no PIN codes to remember; all you have
to do is press the button ‘OK’ on the machine and
your payment is done.
Taxes
The Belgian tax year for personal income tax begins
on 1 January and ends on 31 December.If you are
liable to Belgian taxation, you will typically receive a
tax return (declaration/aangifte) during May relating
to the previous year’s income.. This form must be
returned completed by mid July (you will find the
exact date on the tax return from).If you don’t
receive a return, request one from the Ministry of
Finance before 1 June or risk a penalty!
The taxpayer reports the amount of his taxable
income, deducting personal and other allowances.
In Belgium, married couples, and couples having
made a legal declaration of cohabitation, make a
joint income declaration.
6.2. IMEC SPECIFIC
INFORMATION
Taxes
Foreigners in Belgium
Foreigners taking up residence in Belgium are liable,
in principle, to taxation on their worldwide income.
This includes:
♦ Income from real estate property.
♦ Income from personal property, such as
dividends, interest on loans and bonds, and
income from capital invested in partnerships.
♦ Income from
including
occupation
and
businesses,
• Salary, wages, pension, as well as
remuneration of directors and
statutory auditors of companies.
• Fees and other remuneration of
professional men and women.
• Tradesmen’s profit and those earned
as a partner of a business enterprise.
Some of the IMEC foreign payroll employees are
eligible to the status of non-resident in Belgium,
which implies a special tax regime. This special
status is granted by the Fiscal Authorities and
allows a lower tax assessment.
The Recruitment & Selection and HR Services at
IMEC will give you information and assist you
during application and actions during the year.
More information is available on the IMEC intranet.
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7
Education
7.1. DAY CARE & BABY SITTING
Day-Care Services
♦ De Villa @ IMEC
Steengroevenlaan 1, B-3001 Heverlee
Tel. 016 23 32 58
Open: from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
There are a number of day-care centers in the
Leuven area. Bear in mind that most day-care
centers have a long waiting list, in some cases
longer than one year, so you are strongly advised
to apply for a place as soon as possible, from the
moment that you know that you are pregnant.
There are several channels through which
organised day-care can be found :
♦ Kabouterberg
Herestraat 49, B-3000 Leuven
Tel. 016 33 08 60
1) Kind en Gezin
♦ Day-Care for Sick Children - Kabouterberg
Herestraat 49, B-3001 Heverlee
Mrs. Christine Broossens Tel. 016 33 08 60
Hallepoortlaan 27 – B-1060 Brussel
Tel: 02 542 12 11
www.kindengezin.be
♦ ‘t Grootpark
Groot Park 17, B-3360 Lovenjoel
Tel. 016 46 31 12
3) City of Leuven Day-Care
They will send you a list of officially recognized and
approved childcare services in your region. They
also run consultancy services for infants in each
comune once or twice a week where young babies
can be examined by Kind en Gezin nurses and
doctors and they can get vaccinated without any
cost. These nurses will also provide information
on childminding services in your area.
2) IMEC & K.U.Leuven Day-Care
As an IMEC payroll employee or equivalent others
you can apply for a place at the Day Care Center
“De Villa”. The center “De Villa” is owned by
IMEC, but is operated by the K.U.Leuven as part of
its group of Day Care Centers. A place at “De
Villa” or in another K.U.Leuven day-care centre is
not guaranteed as they all have waiting lists.
The following K.U.Leuven day-care centers
welcome children between six weeks and three
years of age. The cost depends on your income and
includes meals and regular costs. Nappies and
bottle formula are not included. The day-care
centers provide your child with the daily care and
education that he/she requires. Children are placed
in small groups. The same person remains in charge
of the same children throughout their stay there.
♦ Babyhome
Tervuursevest 105, B-3001 Heverlee
Tel. 016 32 92 92
♦ Peutertuin
De Croylaan 8, B-3001 Heverlee
Tel. 016 32 24 51
Kindercentrum Craenendonck, Lei 10, B-3000 Leuven
[email protected] - www.leuven.be
Anyone looking for child-care is strongly advised to
begin early. Usually, there are long waiting lists.
Kindercentrum Craenendonck can help you in your
search: they can provide an address list of day-care
centres, private individuals who care for children,
and facilities for after-school care. Kindercentrum
Craenendonck provides the following services, all
at the above address:
♦ Regular day-care centre
The day-care centre receives children from 6
weeks to 3 years of age. They are placed in
small groups according to age. The cost
depends on the parents’ income.
Kinderdagverblijf Craenendonck
Tel. 016 27 19 10
Open: Weekdays from 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
♦ Day-care in a host family for children under 12
This service helps you to find a place for your
child with a host mother or host father. The
cost depends on your income.
Stedelijke Dienst Opvanggezinnen
Tel. 016 27 19 11
Open: 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon and also on
Thursdays from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
♦ Limited day-care centre ‘t Margrietje
‘t Margrietje offers a flexible solution for
children up to 3 years. Children can come for a
maximum of 20 hours a week.
Tel. 016 20 04 79
Open: Weekdays and Saturday (also during
vacations) from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
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7
Education
♦ Hotline for Sick and Disabled Children
If your child is sick and you are unable to stay at
home to look after him/her, a caretaker will
come to your home to take care of your child.
Maximum 10 hours a day between 7:00 a.m. and
6:30 p.m.
Tel. 016 20 04 95 or 0475 65 16 72
Open: Weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
and from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. (except Fridays).
Sundays from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
All kinder gardens, primary and secondary schools
have a five-day school week (Monday to Friday) and
Wednesday afternoon off.
The choice of schools includes :
♦
Schools run by the government, provinces
and communes
♦
Catholic Education
♦
Alternative Education (Steiner, Freinet,
Montessori)
♦
Private schools
Babysitting Services
Student Employment Office
The Student Employment Office of the Catholic
University of Leuven can help you find a babysitterstudent to take care of your children. Applications
should be made a few days in advance.
Student Employment Office
Naamsestraat 80, B-3000 Leuven
Tel. 016 32 44 34, [email protected]
Weekdays from 9:00 a.m. tot 5:00 p.m
Babysitting Services of the “Gezinsbond”
Parents interested in making use of this service may
consult the Gezinsbond’s register which provides
the names of the babysitters, as well as the number
of hours that they are willing to work. The
babysitters have been screened beforehand and
they are insured. The prices are fixed per
hour. In addition, you pay a small annual fee to the
Gezinsbond. You have to be a member of the
Gezinsbond to use this service. When your child is
born in Leuven, you automatically and for free
become a member of the Gezinsbond for one year.
For information and referral services:
Baplu Lydia, Mob. 0497 60 35 10
7.2. SCHOOL SYSTEM
Most English speaking expatriates coming to reside
temporarily in Belgium opt for an English-language
education for their children. These international
private schools allow a child to follow the same
curriculum and to continue his education
uninterrupted as the family moves around the
world.
When choosing between a Belgian school and a
international school , there are many factors to be
borne in mind.
The location : consider the distance between the
home and school
The reputation : your local doctor, friends or
colleagues can be most informative about schools
in the area.
School fees
Except in private schools , no fees are paid for
kindergarten, primary or secondary education,
which is subsided by the government. However,
you will receive a monthly bill for various incidental
expenses such as trips, swimming, school magazine,
drinks, meals and day-care after school hours.
Schools in Belgium provide education from nursery
school to secondary school at little or no cost, and
their academic standards are consistently high.
International pupils are welcome in the public
school system. They can study either in Dutch or in
French, depending on the language of the town or
district in which the school is located. Schools in
Flanders can organize special Dutch lessons for
children who do not speak Dutch yet (OKAN
classes)
20
7
Education
The Britisch School of Brussels
Subscription
Parents are encouraged to examine and visit
several schools in their area first to see whether
one might be right for their children
As the
waiting lists are long, they are advised to apply for a
place as soon as they have made their choice .
A full list of schools in Leuven can be found on :
www.leuven.be
click on ‘onderwijs’ (= education),
then click on ‘overzicht scholen’ (= list of schools)
OKAN school in Leuven
Sint-Albertus College
Geldenaarksebaan 177
3000 Leuven
Tel. 016/40 50 60
The International School of Brussels
Kattenberg 19
1170 Watermael Bosvoorde
Tel : 02/661 42 11
[email protected]
Leuvensesteenweg 19
3080 Tervuren
Tel : 02/766 04 30
[email protected]
www.britishschool.be
School calendar
All kindergarten, primary and secondary schools
have a five-day school week (Monday to Friday)
from around 8.30 am till around 16.00 pm. Note:
there is no school on Wednesdays afternoons!
Kindergarten: September 1 to June 30
Primary school: September 1 to June 30
Secondary school: September 1 to June 30
School Holidays:
One week in early November
Two weeks at Christmas
One week in February or early March
Two weeks at Easter
Two months in the summer: July and August
Higher Education: September to July (varies)
www.isb.be
School classification
ENGLISH
Type of school
DUTCH
Type school
FRENCH
Niveau d’école
2,5 - 6
Kindergarten or Nusery school
Kleuterschool
Jardin d’enfants
6 - 12
Primary or Elementary school
Basisschool
Ecole primaire
12 - 18
Secondary school containing
general, technical or vocational
education
Secundaire of middelbare
school
Ecole moyenne
Higher education
Hoger onderwijs
Enseignement supérieure
University education Bachelor Master
Universitair onderwijs
Enseignement universitair
Non-univesity education
Hoger niet-universitair
onderwijs
Enseignement supérieure
non-universitaire
Age
From 18
21
7
Education
Playground activities during school
holidays
7.3. FURTHER EDUCATION
In July and August, IMEC offers to all its coworkers summer day-care for children between 2.5
and 12 years old. More information is available at
the Intranet.
Belgium has an extensive network of university and
non-university education. You can study in the
Flemish, French and German speaking part of
Belgium. Information about the different
programmes, structure of the higher education,
cost, admission requirements, … is available on
www.highereducation.be and www.diplomatie.be
K.U.Leuven
Language education
University Sports Centre organizes sports activities
during two weeks in July and August at the price of
€ 60,00 per week.
Instituut voor Levende Talen (ILT )
IMEC
Universitair Sportcentrum
Tel.: 016 32 91 30 016 32 91 31
Fax: 016 32 91 95 [email protected]
www.kuleuven.be/sport/sportkampen.htm
City of Leuven playground activities
During school holidays, children can go to a
playground to play with children of their own age
from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in Leuven, Heverlee,
Kessel-Lo and Wilsele. They can play in groups
oriented around a specific theme, or they can
choose what they want to do. The fee is € 5.00 a
day or € 2.50 for half a day (reductions possible).
The “Grabbelpas”- activities (only in Leuven from
7:30 a.m. till 6:00 p.m.) offer workshops such as
handcraft, sport, culture, daytrips, … during school
holidays. The fee is depending on the kind of
activity.
The Institute of Modern Languages organizes Dutch
courses throughout the academic year, both for
beginners and for advanced students.
These coursess can be followed either intensively
(twelve hours/week) or regularly way (six hours/
week). Intensive courses are held in the morning,
while regular courses can be followed either in the
afternoon or in the evening.
ILT - Dekenstraat 6, B-3000 Leuven
Tel: 016 32 56 60 Fax: 016 32 56 56
[email protected] ilt.kuleuven.be
CLT Language Centre Centrum voor
Levende Talen
The CLT Language Centre runs language courses
mainly in the evening. You can study Arabic,
Chinese, English, French, German, Modern Greek,
Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian,
Spanish, Swedish and Turkish.
CLT - Dekenstraat 4, B-3000 Leuven
Tel: 016 32 56 61 Fax: 016 32 56 95
[email protected] www.clt.be
Leuven: 4-15 years (Easter and summer)
Heverlee: 3-15 years (Easter and summer)
Kessel-Lo: 3-15 years (only summer)
Wilsele: 3-12 years (only summer till aug.15)
ACE Groep T
ACE-Group T organizes language courses that
focus on oral communication. You can follow
courses on Italian, English, French, Dutch for
foreigners, Chinese, Thai, Spanish and German.
You need to sign up for all these activities at
Jeugdcentrum Vleugel F, Brusselsestraat 61a,
B-3000 Leuven. You have to pay a onetime fee of
€ 5.00 for a “Youth Centre Pass”. See you in the
holidays!
ACE Groep T - Vesaliussttraat 13, B-3000 Leuven
Tel: 016 30 11 16 Fax: 016 30 10 40
More information (addresses, prices, programme, etc.) on the
website www.leuven.be/jeugd or tel. 016 24 66 90.
Contact HR Learning & Development for
information about the language courses organized
by IMEC.
www.groept.be
IMEC
[email protected]
22
8 Transport
8.1. GETTING THERE
Airport
The national airport of Belgium is located at
Zaventem, Brussel. More information available on
www.brusselsairport.be/en/
IMEC is about 30 km from the airport. You can
take a taxi (around €50 fare) or public transport
(train, bus) to reach IMEC.
There are also regional airports in Belgium. The
most known is Brussels South Charleroi Airport.
Information, accessibility and operating airlines is
available on www.charleroi-airport.com
♦
♦
♦
♦
your national valid driving license
driving license has to valid before your
arrival in Belgium
residence permit
official translation of your driving license,
done by a sworn translator in Belgium.
Translation should be in Dutch or French.
You can ask a list of legally certified
translators at the local council office.
After you have submitted these documents to the
town hall, they will send your file to the police and
this can take 3 weeks. During these 3 weeks you
are not allowed to drive a car.
The police will send an approval to the town hall
and then they will invite you to come and collect
the driving license.
cost : 16 €
2 passport pictures are requested
Importing cars
8.2. GETTING AROUND
Cars
Driving license
EU Citizens: can drive with a European driving
license in Belgium.
In case you want to switch your own driving license
into a Belgian one, you need to get an official
translation (preferably in Dutch or French), done
by a sworn translator in Belgium. You can ask a list
of legally certified translators at the local council
office.
cost : 16 €
2 passport pictures are requested
NON EU Citizens: only tourists can drive with an
international driving license, or persons who are in
the process of getting a residence permit in
Belgium
In order to obtain a Belgian driving license, you
need to submit the following:
Experience has learned that importing a car is not
advisable. Importing a car can be very expensive
because the car is not conform to Belgian
standards and also a lot of customs administration
is involved.
Buying a new or used car
When buying a new car, the car dealer will take
care of the paperwork. At this point, you need
your residence permit. You will be given a
registration form to complete, and you will need to
insure the car. Once all formalities are completed,
registration documents will be sent to you, as well
as the back license plate. You will also need to pay
a “mise en circulation/belasting op de
inverkeerstelling” tax as well as annual road tax. If
your car is equipped with a MPG engine, motor
diesel engine, you will have to pay an additional tax.
When buying a used car, the car must be delivered
with a contrôle technique/technische controle”
certificate. As with buying a new car, you will need
to complete the registration form and insure the
car before receiving the license plate.
Leasing/renting a car
Belgium tax legislation makes leasing far more
attractive than in many other countries. The added
advantage, of course, is that all the repair bills are
covered and the paperwork is arranged by the
leasing company.
23
8 Transport
In case you want to rent a car for a short or long
term, you can contact Hertz or Avis:
Avis Head Office Leuven
Nieuwstraat 28
3360 Leuven (Korbeek-Lo)
Tel : 016 25 00 55
Fax : 016 25 02 08
[email protected]
www.avis-brabant.be
Hertz Belgium
Kolonel Bourgstraat 120
1140 Brussels
Tel : 02 717 32 01
Fax : 02 717 32 02
www.hertz.be
When showing your Imec badge, you can get a
discount with the company below:
Autocenter Hein N.V.
Steenweg op Wezemaal 149
3110 Rotselaar
Tel : 016 58 06 57
Fax : 016 58 34 78
[email protected]
Parking
Too few parking spots or too many cars?
One thing is clear: it is not easy to find a parking
spot in Leuven or in other big cities in Belgium. No
new parking spots are being created. Moreover,
parking fines are very high and in order to use the
existing parking spots in the best possible way, the
city has introduced time limits by means of parking
machines and blue-zone rules. Exceptions are only
made for inhabitants of the neighborhood and
disabled persons.
You can save a lot of money by using your bicycle
or taking the bus. If you cannot find a parking spot
on the street, you could try one of the many car
parks, where you will have to pay. Or even better,
park at one of the outlying car parks in Heverlee
(e.g. Bodart, Engels Plein parking lots), most of
which are free. An overview of all parking facilities
in the city centre can be found on the Leuven
website: www.leuven.be.
But there is also P+BUS parking. If you park on the
edge of the shopping centre, in the car park of De
Bond and on the Sint-Jacobsplein, you can take the
bus to the city centre and back free of charge. You
park cheaper in these car parks and still you are as
quickly in the city centre as otherwise. For further
information about the above issues, you’re
welcome to contact the mobility advisors at
[email protected] or 016 32 93 01
and 016 32 93 02.
Traffic Rules
Please note that the police is very strict on
checking the traffic rules. High fines and penalties
will have to be paid in case you don’t respect them.
Also be aware that automatic cameras are watching
you. You can quickly loose your driving license for
speeding etc.
Taxi
Starting fee: € 2,40 . Price per kilometer: € 2,15
You will find taxi companies online on
www.goldenpages.truvo.be or call 1207 (national
information number) and ask for a taxi company in
the neighborhood.
Trains
Leuven is an important hub in the Belgian railway
network.
From Leuven station, there are connections to
every other major Belgian train station. You can
find the best connection and itinerary using the
b-rail online search engine.
Leuven Station
Martelarenplein 16, B-3000 Leuven
Tel. 016 21 21 11 Fax: 016 21 21 48
Info for travellers: 016 21 21 21
International Information & Eurostar, Thalys, HST: 02
528.28.28
Found items: 016 21 24 10
Fax: 016 21 24 11
www.b-rail.be (possibility to buy tickets online)
Heverlee Station
Naamsesteenweg 180, B-3001 Heverlee.
GoPass and RailPass
With a Go Pass (-26 years old), you can make 10
one-way trips in second class (price, spring ‘08: for
€ 46.00. You will get the most benefit if you travel
between two stations that are far apart (e.g.
Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent, ...). If you hold a RailPass
(+ 26 years), you can make 10 one-way trips in
second class (price, spring ‘08: € 71).
24
8 Transport
Practical Tip
On Fridays and weekends, ask for a “Weekend
Ticket”. When you travel alone, you get up to a
40% discount. When travelling with friends, the
first passenger gets a 50% discount. The 2nd, 3rd,
4th, 5th and 6th passengers get a 70% discount,
provided that all members of the group travel
together.
Bus
De Lijn (Flemish Bus Company)
Belgium has an extensive bus network that
operates in and between most cities. You can find
time schedules on the bus stops along the road.
Destinations, route planner, time schedules and
more information you will find on the website.
quickest way to get from one place to another.
Cyclists are very welcome in Leuven, but need to
know the traffic rules.
VELO (v.z.w.)
VELO is a non-profit organization that promotes
the bicycle as an ecological means of transport in
the city by recycling, renting and repairing bikes.
VELO offers a bike rental and repair service and is
organized as a training and employment project in
the social economy.
Minderbroederstraat 12 U, B-3000 Leuven,
Tel. 016 33 74 30
[email protected] - www.velo.be
Open: Weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday: from 10:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Bicycle Rental and Repair
Bus lines nr. 2 and 616 will drop you at the IMEC
Campus.
De Lijn
Martelarenplein 19b, B-3000 Leuven
Tel. 070 22 02 00 (general information)
Tel. 016 31 37 11 (province of Vlaams-Brabant)
Info Pass: Tel. 016 31 37 20 Fax: 016 31 37 25
Info Groups: Tel. 016 31 37 17
[email protected] - www.delijn.be
You can rent a safe, fully equipped and registered
second-hand bike with a solid lock at VELO. A
rental contract will be drawn up (please bring your
passport, student card/badge and bank account
number) and you must pay the rental price plus a
deposit. You can also come to repair your own
bike at the bike repair shop or have your bike
repaired for a small price. At VELO you can also
report bike theft and have your bike registered
(engraving + bike ID).
Some Bicycle Repair Shops
- A-Bikes, Gemeentestraat 37, Kessel-Lo
- Huis Boydens, Diestsestraat 205, Leuven
- Rijwielen Cadans, Naamsestraat 123, Levuen
- Rijwielen Hugo Jacobs, Diestsestraat 192, Leuven
- Fietsen Koen, Martelarenlaan 201, Kessel-Lo
- Fietsen Niclaes, Naamsesteenweg 76, Heverlee
Bicycle Safety
Travelling through Europe with Eurolines
Eurolines has direct and inexpensive connections
from Leuven to 500 destinations in Europe.
www.eurolines.com - [email protected]
Bicycles
Cycling is healthy, inexpensive and cool.
Furthermore, in a city like Leuven it is often the
Every year the local police, together with the
K.U.Leuven and the city services, campaign to
increase bike safety in Leuven. Spot checks for
bicycle ownership are held on regular basis. A
police patrol can stop you anywhere at any time. In
the worst-case scenario you will get a fine if the
bike you are riding has been reported as stolen.
The most important pieces of advice to prevent
fines and bicycle theft are these:
- Do not steal a bike
- Lock your bike properly
- Register your bike
- Report theft
25
8 Transport
Global Action Plan Cyclists
The Leuven Police has developed a global action
plan for cyclists with four priorities: driving without
lights when this is obligatory, ignoring a red light
(one also has to stop when turning right!), driving
in the wrong direction and not giving way. These
four priorities were set up on basis of accident
statistics of the last years. During the academic
year, traffic surveillances will be held which will
focus on the movement summary offences by
cyclists. If you want more info on how to prevent
expensive fines check out the website:
www.kuleuven.be/transportation/
GuideforCyclingIn-Belgium.pdf.
It has all the information about the Belgian Highway
Code specialized in cycling with lots of pictures of
traffic situations in Leuven.
Bicycle Theft and the Bicycle Office
Fietsendienst
Fietsendienst
Mechelsestraat 162-168, B-3000 Leuven
Tel. 016 21 09 90 - www.leuven.be
Open:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Fridayfrom 8:00
a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Practical Tips
- Rent a safe, fully equipped and registered
secondhand bicycle.
- To prevent theft, get a solid lock.
- To prevent accidents and fines, respect the rights
of pedestrians and the local traffic rules.
- If your bicycle is stolen, please report it. Bicycle
theft report forms can be found in the offices of
VELO and at the police office. By reporting theft,
you are supplying the police the information they
need to recover your bike and to locate you if they
find your bike.
Bicycle map
Bicycle theft is very common in Leuven. A good
lock to secure your bicycle is very important and
always recommended. In Leuven you can get your
bicycle engraved with an ID number. This is no
guarantee against theft, but it helps to prevent
theft. For free engraving, go to the bicycle office of
the local police on Wednesdays from 1:00 to 3:30
p.m. and on Thursdays from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m.
You can download the map of bicycle routes from
the City of Leuven web site. This map provides an
overview of all safe bicycle routes www.leuven.be/
showpage.asp?iPageID=5892y -to-day life
26
9
Communication
Postal Services
Telephone and internet services
In Belgium mail is delivered by the Postman to your
address. Post boxes are red in color and are
situated in towns, shopping centers and road sides.
Country Number for Belgium: 32
Area Code Leuven: (0)16: international call, skip 0
(0032 16 …); when calling within Belgium, always
dial the full area code, 016. Other examples of area
codes: Brussels: 02; Antwerp: 03; Ghent: 09;
Bruges: 050; Louvain-la- Neuve: 010.
National mail may be placed in any letterbox in
Belgium or posted at a post-office counter and may
be open or sealed. Postage of a standardized letter
costs € 0.54. For international mail: the items may
be open or sealed and weigh a maximum of 2 kg.
See www.depost.be
Useful Numbers
National Information: 1207
International Information: 1204
Post Office Addresses in Leuven
Leuven Philips
Philipssite, B-3001 Heverlee, tel. 016 50 93 60
Open:
Weekdays from 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
and from 1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Tuesdays until 6 p.m.
Leuven Centrum
Jan Stasstraat 12, B-3000 Leuven,
Tel. 016 50 95 60 Fax: 016 50 95 70
Open:
Weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. except for
Thursday : 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Heverlee Ambassade
Naamsesteenweg 380, B-3001 Heverlee,
Tel. 016 40 60 06
Open:
Weekdays from 9:00 a.m.to 12:30 pm. and
from 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Postpunten (in case post offices are closed)
SuperGB Heverlee - Tervuursevest 113, Leuven
AD Delhaize Luna - Tervuursesteenweg 154, Heverlee
SPAR Sint-Jacob - Brusselsestraat 124, Leuven
Fixed Lines
There are two main providers of fixed telephone
lines in Belgium: Belgacom and Telenet.
Belgacom operates a special toll-free number for
expatriate services (0800-32005) if you call from
Belgium, and +32 2 819 80 04 if you call from
abroad). To get a fixed line, phone this toll-free
number or visit one of the Belgacom Teleboutiques
(www.belgacom.be) or go to a recognized
Belgacom dealer. Belgacom has a toll-free customer
service line for general information: 0800-55800.
There is a network of 60 private retailers
authorised to order new lines or sell you Belgacom
equipment. Belgacom Teleboutiques also sell or
rent a full range of Belgacom telephones, fax
machines, answering machines, pagers and mobile
telephones. Belgacom also provides internet and
television.
Telenet provides broadband telephone, internet
and multimedia services via cable. For further
information about Telenet and its services call 0800
66000, free of charge, or consult their website:
www.telenet.be.
27
9
Communication
Cable television and digital television
providers
Cable & Digital TV is available in each commune.
Each commune provides exclusive rights to various
cable TV operators and each operator chooses the
channels it wishes to offer. The cable operator can
also provide internet and telephone services.
Contact your local commune or local telecom
shops to establish which operator is authorized to
provide services in your commune.
Without cable you will receive two Dutch
channels: Eén and Canvas. Cable television will
provide you with more channels, such as: VTM,
KA2, VT4, VijfTV, Vitaya, Jim TV, BBC, RTBF, …
Mobile Telephones (Cell phones)
Newcomers from most European countries can
continue to use their mobile telephones in Belgium
if their contract includes a roaming feature,
although this will be rather costly in the long term.
However, newcomers from the United States are
generally unable to use their American cell phones
in Europe. For them, connection to the Belgian
telephone and mobile networks remains the most
cost-effective solution. Mobile telephones or cellphones are widely available in specialized shops and
large retail outlets. Many specialized dealers are
also official agents for one of the three major
Belgian mobile operators: Proximus, Mobistar and
Base (main shops in Diestsestraat and
Bondgenotenlaan). These operators are authorized
to open an account for you and have various
payment formulas, including pre-paid cards and
subscriptions.
Calling Cards
Calling cards have two main advantages over
regular lines: since the card is pre-paid there is no
bill at the end of the month; and calls can be made
from any telephone (public, private, mobile, etc.).
Calling cards for international calls are available at
newsagents, post offices, supermarkets, train
stations and night shops.
Always ask which card is the most suitable for the
call and the country you want to call.
Radio
Here are some radio channels which you can tune
in to in Belgium:
Radio 1, Radio 2, Klara, Radio Donna, Studio
Brussel and PureFM.
Please don’t sign any contract without fully
understanding its terms and implications!
www.proximus.be
www.mobistar.be
www.base.be
28
10 Security, police and legalities
Leuven Police Headquarters
Births, Marriages and Deaths
The police department is in charge of maintaining
law and order.
Police officers are there for your security
whenever you need them.
Registry Office Burgerlijke Stand
Prof. Van Overstraetenplein1, B-3000 Leuven
Tel. 016 27 20 00 – Fax 016 27 29 95
www.leuven.be
Philipssite 4, B-3001 Heverlee
Tel. 016 21 07 40 Fax: 016 21 07 39
[email protected]
Births
Open:
Weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and from
12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (or by appointment)
For emergencies (24 hours a day) please contact:
Interventieafdeling Algemene Politiezorg
Philipssite 4, B-3001 Heverlee
Tel. 016 21 06 10 Fax: 016 21 06 09
The local district station Leuven Center is at
Grote Markt 8
3000 LEUVEN
Phone (016) 21 09 00 (switchboard)
e-mail: [email protected]
You are required to inform the Registry Office of
the birth of your baby within 15 days of the birth.
The hospital will give you the necessary papers and
information. Ask the HR Services at IMEC or at
your home company for information on including
your child in the insurance policy.
Civil Marriages
The municipal authorities in Belgium only recognize
civil weddings, not church weddings. If you plan to
have both a civil and a religious marriage ceremony,
the civil ceremony must take place first. You do
not need to have both on the same day. All
information concerning marriage and the
documents required, can be obtained at the
Registry Office.
Opening Hours:
from 0.00 to 24.00 (for all emergencies)
Quarter Section:
from 08.00 to 22.00, Sat 08.30 to 12.30
Deaths
The Registry Office must be informed of all deaths.
If death occurs in a hospital, this formality will be
normally done by the undertaker, but has to be
paid. You can do this yourself, but you then need
to inquire at the Registry Office. If death occurs
outside a hospital, a doctor must be called first to
certify the death and to determine the cause of
death. After that, the registry office must be
informed. It is advisable to ask for several copies of
the death certificate, since they may be needed for
insurance, banks, embassies, etc
29
11 Day-to-day life
11.1. CONTACT
Supermarkets, Shops and Markets
The K.U.Leuven organizes activities for their
international students. There are international
students associations (http://international.loko.be),
activities at the International Meeting Centre
Pangaea (www.kuleuven.be/pangaea) and activities
with the International Contact Club (ICC
www.kuleuven.be/icc)
Most supermarkets and shops are open every day
except on Sunday. Some will have a closing
weekday. There are a few supermarkets that do
open on Sunday morning: GB Express
(Brusselsestraat 60, Tiensevest 10 and
Naamsestraat 48, open until 8 p.m), Super GB
Partner (Koning Albertlaan 147, Kessel-Lo), Evin’s
Winkel (Leeuwerikenstraat 23, Heverlee). Bakeries
are usually open on Sundays and holidays. Many
Night Shops open after 6 p.m. until late at night.
Evening Shopping in the centre of Leuven on
Thursdays until 8:00 p.m.
On the intranet of IMEC you will find some
references to other international associations in
Belgium.
11.2. SHOPPING IN LEUVEN
Cost of living
Bread – white, sliced: € 2
Milk, 1 liter, skimmed: € 0.66
Eggs, white (container of 6): € 1.41
Markets
Friday-morning:
Mgr. Ladeuzeplein (food and goods),
H. Hooverplein (food),
Brusselsestraat (flowers)
Wednesday afternoon from 3:00 p.m.:
A. de Becker-Remyplein (Kessel-Lo)
Sunday morning until 1:00 p.m.:
Rice, 500g: € 1.80
Pasta, 500g: € 0.80
Sausage, 1kg: € 7.50
Steak, 1kg: € 14
At Heverlee station
(Naamsesteenweg, Waversebaan)
Saturday:
Flee-market
(M. de Layensplein, Mechelsestraat)
Food
(vegetables, cheese, etc.) on Brusselsestraat
Grilled Chicken, per kg: € 8
Apples, 1kg: € 1.30
Carrots, 1kg: € 0.60
Pizza, medium: + 10 €
Indicative prices as per Jan 1st, 2009 (please note that
vegetable and fruit prices are strongly influenced by
supply and weather conditions)
30
11 Day-to-day life
Food
Aldi
Weldadigheidsstraat 58 and J. P. Minckelerstraat 76
Lild
J.P. Minckelerstraat 116, Leuven
Vlinderlaan 2, Kessel-Lo
Colruyt
Lombaardenstraat 2, Leuven
Tiensesteenweg 237, Kessel-Lo
Groenveldstraat 71, Heverlee
Zara
Bondgenotenlaan 75-79
Wibra
Bondgenotenlaan 74
Carrefour
Vlinderlaan 1, Bierbeek
(also has an extensive collection at very fair prices)
INNO
Diestsestraat 67
GB
Tervuursevest 113
GB Express
Brusselsestraat 60
Tiensevest 10
Naamsestraat 48
AD Delhaize
Tervuursevest 19
Brusselsestraat 31
Tervuursesteenweg 154
Supplies
Blokker
Bondgenotenlaan 58
Casa
Diestsestraat 93/2
(furniture, household, electronic appliances
and school supplies at very affordable prices)
Hema
Parijsstraat 2
(clothes, houseware, gadgets and food)
Ikea
Weiveldlaan 19(close to E40), Zaventem
Domo
Bondgenotenlaan 169
(Ikea-style furniture)
Clothes
C&A
Bondgenotenlaan 64
H&M
Bondgenotenlaan 69
31
11 Day-to-day life
Health and beauty products
De Gouden Draad
Tiensestraat 204
Kruidvat
Diestsestraat 55
Bondgenotenlaan 95
Jodenstraat 1
Quick Shop
Diestsestraat 224
DI
Brusselsestraat 22
Tapolino
Slachthuislaan 1
Second hand shops
Het Leuvens Strijkatelier
Frederik Lintstraat 37
SPIT
IJzermolenstraat 10-12
Wassalons het Poederke
A. Vesaliusstraat 16
Rawette
Parijsstraat 53A (only clothing)
De Washoek
Tervuursevest 12
Cyaankali
Diestsestraat 217 (only clothing)
For prices, ‘how to use a washing machine’, see
brochure ‘Housekeeping tips’, www.kuleuven.be/
socialservices/pdf/housekeepingtips.pdf
‘t Pand
Tiensestraat 225 (children’s clothing and needs)
International food shops
Thai House Supermarket
Alfons Smetsplein
Asian Market
Naamsestraat 28
African food shop Voodoo
Tiensestraat 220
La Méditerrannée for north-African food
Maria-Theresiastraat 52
Fair Trade Shop (products from Africa, Asia and
Latin-America)
Tiensestraat 273
Naamsesteenweg 133
11.3. DINING
Leuven has a lot of restaurants, cafes and pubs.
Situated mostly in the centre, around the Great
Market. You will find a list with restaurants on the
website of Leuven. www.leuven.be Expect to pay
about €1.80 for a drink – cola, water or beer.
11.4. ENVIRONMENT
The educational and civil authorities are fully
committed to sustainable development and the
creation of an environmentally friendly city. They
encourage citizens and students to reduce their
garbage production, to properly sort their garbage,
to use energy in a responsible and sustainable way
and to adopt sustainable transportation.
Laundrettes, laundries and dry cleaning
Pressing nr 1
L. Melsensstraat 4
Strea Net
Tervuursesteenweg 187
Atomic
Brusselsestraat 214
De Lelie
Maria Van Belstraat 7
32
11 Day-to-day life
Waste Prevention, Selection and
Reduction
your green waste is to start composting or to get
some chickens.
In Leuven garbage needs to be sorted. The more
you produce, the more brown bags you will need
and they cost money. You can reduce your garbage
by buying fewer packages, by using glass instead of
plastic bottles, etc. The following paragraphs
explain the different kinds of waste, and how they
are collected.
PMD (Plastic, Metal and Drink cartons blue bag)
Paper and cardboard
Always allowed: washed “tetra packs”, plastic
bottles, metal cans, aluminum tins and trays (from
lasagna for instance).
Paper and cardboard are collected separately from
other garbage. You can include any kind of paper, if
it’s clean and if there is not any plastic attached to
it. All paper needs to be tied up with string or
twine and left in front of the house or residence on
collection mornings between 6:00 and 7:00 a.m.
There is a lot of confusion about what you can and
cannot put in the blue bag. It is very important that
you know what goes in the blue bag, since they will
not be picked up if they contain the wrong things.
Never allowed: butter tubs, yoghurt cups, plastic
bags, plastic objects, aluminum foil, badly rinsed
tetra packs.
Everything else (brown bag)
Glass
Glass should be taken to one of the big glass
containers located throughout the city. Light bulbs
or flat glass (for instance from a window) are NOT
allowed! Always rinse out glass bottles. Colored
glass usually goes in a separate container from clear
glass.
KGA (Small dangerous waste)
Most people have quite a lot of stuff that is
dangerous if it is dumped or burned since it might
lead to soil contamination. Batteries can be taken
to supermarkets and deposited in the green boxes
provided especially for old batteries. Expired or
unused medication can be taken to any
pharmacist’s but please remove the paper from the
box. There are also collections of small dangerous
waste such as leftover cleaning products, used
cooking oil, cosmetics, writing materials, etc, by the
Leuven ’chemobiel’. Dates and places will be
announced via the website of the city
(www.leuven.be) and via the municipal
infobrochure ‘Stad Leuven info’. Or you can bring it
to one of the guarded containerparks.
GFT (Kitchen and garden waste - green
bag)
Vegetables, fruit and garden waste belong in the
green bag. Coffee filters, teabags and eggshells are
also allowed. Please do not put anything else in the
green bag! In a number of residences and houses
little green buckets are used instead of bags. The
most environmentally friendly way to get rid of
All the household garbage not mentioned above
has to go in the brown bag. Large objects like
furniture are collected five times a year. You have
to put a special sticker on it that can be purchased
at the “Stadswinkel” (see below). If the furniture
can still be used, or if you want to get rid of an
electronic appliance, contact Spit (see below).
You can find all the information on the free ‘waste
collection calendar’, which outlines the garbage
pick-up schedule. The environment advisors also
provide an English translation.
Where to buy garbage bags and stickers
You can also find garbage bags in most
supermarkets, except in Aldi.
City Shop - Stadswinkel
Waversebaan 66, B-3001 Heverlee (at Heverlee City
Hall) - Tel. 016 30 90 56
Open:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and
Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.and from 1:00 to
4:30 p.m.
Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 1:00
to 8:00 p.m.(klopt dit nog?)
City Registry Office - Bevolkingsdienst stad Leuven
Prof. Van Overstraetenplein 1, B-3000 Leuven
Open:
Only on Thursdays from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (only
stickers).
33
11 Day-to-day life
Responsible energy use
Everybody is encouraged to consume energy and
water in a sustainable way. Here are some tips that
you can put into practice in your university
residence or student house:
Turn off the lights when you are the last person to
leave a room.
Turn off the screen of your computer if you are
not working on it for an extended period of time.
Put a lid on your pot or pan (60 to 70 % less
energy wasted), and turn off the heat a bit before
you finish cooking. The ideal temperature for your
refrigerator is 5°C; try to avoid a layer of ice in the
freezer. If you open your window, turn off the heat
(but do not forget to put it on minimum when it
freezes).
Second Hand Shop (Kringloopwinkel)
IJzermolenstraat 10-12, B-3001 Heverlee
Tel. 016 65 29 35 Fax: 016 35 92 89
[email protected] www.spit.be
Open:
Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
11.5. SPORTS
K.U.Leuven Sports Centre Leuven
Universitair Sportcentrum
As an IMEC employee you can apply for a sports
card from the K.U.Leuven.
The Sports Centre features a state-of-the-art
fitness room for which you pay supplementary. To
book a tennis court, soccer field, or any other
facility call or drop by the sports secretariat. If you
and your team mates have a sports card, everything
is free. The only thing you pay extra for is indoor
tennis.
The Sports Centre yearly organizes the following
events: Bike&Run, Indoor Athletics Meeting, the
Flemish University Competition, the Belgian
University Competition, Sports Camps for kids,
Badminton Competition, the fence competition
‘Challenge Maître Minnen’.
Tel. 016 32 91 30 Fax: 016 32 91 95
[email protected] - www.kuleuven.be/sports
Do not leave any towels or clothing on the central
heating.
Do not wash your dishes under running water.
Report leaky taps to the landlord.
Copy and print on both sides of the paper.
Realizing that you can reduce consumption without
reducing comfort is already a good start.
Open: Weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 12.00 noon and
from1:00 to 6:00 p.m. (5:30 during the summer
months)
SPIT (second-hand shop)
Spit is a centre that recycles household items. You
can bring them your old furniture, electric
appliances, bicycles, clothes, etc. All items should
be in a condition that allows them to be re-used.
Spit personnel can pick up articles from your
house. After repairs are carried out, these items
are then sold in Spit’s shop.
34
11 Day-to-day life
City of Leuven Sports Office
Prof. Van Overstraetenplein 1, B-3000 Leuven
[email protected] www.leuven.be
The city of Leuven has several sports facilities:
swimming pools, indoor and outdoor facilities.
Fit-o-meter
Heverleebos, Naamsesteenweg, Heverlee
Jeugdvoetbalcentrum Bruineveld
Domeinstraat 61, 3010 Kessel-Lo
For information concerning fees & prices contact the
staff in charge of the facility or call the sports office:
016 44 26 50
City’s Sports Facilities: An Overview
Sport Clubs in Leuven
Swimming Pools
Stadionlaan 4,
B-3010 Kessel-Lo
016 25 34 80
Aarschotsesteenweg 730,
B-3012 Wilsele-Putkapel
016 44 33 88
The Sports Office has a comprehensive list of sport
clubs in the Leuven area. This list is constantly
updated. Its content comes from information
collected by the staff of the Sports Office. It is
available in every municipal sports facility.
11.6. CULTURE
Sportoase,
Philipssite 6,
B-3001 Heverlee
016 74 07 40 www.sportoase.be
Leuven is a young and dynamic city where it is
almost impossible to get bored. Apart from the
numerous cafes and restaurants, there is also a
large assortment of cultural activities.
Indoor Sports Facilities
Sportoase
The Leuven Cultural Centre, with 200,000 visitors
and approximately 280 activities per season, is the
most important organiser of performing arts in the
region. They’ll bring you a fascinating mix of
theatre, dance, classical and non-classical music,
workshops, lectures, children’s performances, and
much more. There is always something for
everybody.
Sportcomplex Kessel-Lo,
Stadionlaan 4, B- 3010 Kessel-Lo
016 25 34 80
Sporthal Wilsele-centrum
Aarschotsesteenweg 163, B-3012 Wilsele
016 44 51 36
Turn- & sportzaal Boudewijnstadion Diestsesteenweg
288, B-3010 Kessel-Lo
016 89 52 12
Sporthal KHLeuven
Hertogstraat 178, B-3001 Heverlee
Outdoor Sports Facilities
Boudewijnstadion
Diestsesteenweg, B-3010 Kessel-Lo
016 25 12 21
Den Bruul
Brouwersstraat, B-3000 Leuven
016 22 95 51
Atletiek Arena Gaston Roelants
Diestsesteenweg, B-3010
Kessel-Lo 016 25 12 21
30CC holds performances, concerts and shows at
many different venues around the city: the
Stadsschouwburg (municipal theatre)
(Bondgenotenlaan 21), the “Minnepoort”
Auditorium (Dirk Boutslaan 62), the “Romaanse
Poort” and the “Wagehuys” (Brusselsestraat 63),
the “Predikherenkerk” (O.L.Vrouwstraat), the
public library “Tweebronnen” (Diestsestraat 49),
and sometimes even on the city’s street corners.
After the performance you can always continue
chatting and meeting people in any of the various
halls where these activities are held. There is also a
cultural café - Improvisio - in the main area of
30CC (Romaanse Poort, Brusselsestraat 63). In
mounting new and innovative projects like
“Kulturama”, “Rode Hond”, “Dubbelspel”,
“Kunstbende”, “Licht Gekanteld”,... 30CC plays a
pioneering role in terms of creating partnerships
and collaboration with the musical groups and arts
companies in the Leuven area.
30CC also has a supporting function for the musical
company “La Petite Bande”, and the theatre
35
11 Day-to-day life
co mp an ies “B r a ak l an d / Z h eB il d in g ” an d
“fABULEUS”. You can also contact the centre to
rent some of the facilities mentioned above.
However, you need to get there early. Contact
them as soon as you know that you want to
organise an event.
Brusselsestraat 63, B-3000 Leuven
Tel. 016 23 84 27 Fax: 016 29 12
[email protected] - www.30CC.be/
Tickets:
In&Uit, Naamsestraat 1,B-3000 Leuven
Open:
Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Booking by phone: Tel. 016 20 30 20
Online tickets: on www.30CC.be
information on www.stuk.be where you can also
buy tickets on line.
STUK has also an elegant ‘grand café’ where you
can drink or eat something, read a newspaper or a
book or go on internet for free. Friday evenings
you can listen to a DJ and every Sunday evening
you can enjoy a free jazz concert (‘Jazz on Sunday’).
CinemaZed (see further on this page) is
incorporated into STUK and offers a wide range of
films.
Tel. 016 32 03 20
[email protected] - www.stuk.be
Tourism IN&UIT Leuven
In&Uit (literally “In&Out”) is located in the
sidewing of City Hall. It is a central reception desk
where you can pick up all kinds of information and
documentation concerning leisure in Leuven.
Basically, In&Uit informs tourists as well as
residents about how they can spend their free time
in Leuven. You can learn about Leuven’s major
sights, attractions and ongoing expositions, and
about what is going on in music and performing
arts. Moreover, In&Uit sells visitor tickets
for City Hall and other places of interest and
entrance tickets for local cultural activities (see
above).This is where you can obtain your free copy
of Leuven’s culture and leisure magazine ‘Uit in
Leuven’. And while you’re there, also take a look at
the media screens showing the cultural and tourist
highlights of the moment.
In&Uit Leuven
City Hall
Tel. 016 20 30 20 Fax 016 20 30 03
[email protected] - www.inenuitleuven.be
STUK
STUK is an important venue in Leuven and one of
the most important arts centres in Flanders. Its
programming features theatre, dance, films, music,
fine arts, and new media. In addition to the big
names, you can also find the work of innovative
newcomers. Prices are in general very affordable.
The opening week, at the beginning of the cultural
season, is a unique opportunity to get to know
STUK. You can find all
Movie Theatres in Leuven
The Studio’s
Burgermeesterstraat 30, B-3000 Leuven
Tel. 016 30 07 00
www.studios.be
Kinepolis Leuven
Bondgenotenlaan 145-149, B-3000 Leuven
Tel. 016 31 96 00
www.kinepolis.be
Cinema Zed
Cinema Zed is a not-for-profit movie theatre
screening primarily films from the alternative
circuit.
Tel. 016 32 03 20
Monday to Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.;
Saturday from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Sunday from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30
p.m.www.cinemazed.be
36
12 Day-to-day life
Museums
Municipal Museums M. Leuven
Willemsstraat 7, 3000 Leuven
Tel. 016 22 69 06 Fax 016 23 89 30
[email protected] - www.leuven.be/M
M/Treasury of Saint Peter’s Church - M/
Schatkamer van Sint-Pieters
Grote Markt, B-3000 Leuven
Tel. 016 29 51 33
*From March 16 to October 15:
Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sundays and public holidays from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 pm
*From October 16 to March 15: closed on Monday
M. M from «Museum Leuven»
Due to important renovation works, the Museum
will be closed from May 2006 until the autumn of
2009. Since October 2007 the Museum operates as
M.M for Museum Leuven. Until 2009 M brings rather, takes - its collection to the public. Three
different partners will be hosting the museum
pieces, each of them for one year. In 2006-2007 the
Leuven shops and businesses took the first turn
(Hors d’oeuvre), followed by the public sector in
2007-2008 (Main Dish) and finally by the Leuven
enterprises in 2008-2009 (Dessert). In 2009 M will
reopen with a new museum display and the
prestigious exhibitions as Rogier van der Weyden
14\1464 - Master of Passions and an exhibition with
new work by the Belgian contemporary artist Jan
Vercruysse.
11.7. LIBRARIES
K.U.Leuven University Library
The university library system is composed of more
than 30 libraries spread out over the various
campuses. The Central library has a special mission:
to collect and preserve old book collections and to
preserve old documents of general interest. In the
reading room you will find an extensive collection
of encyclopaedias, bibliographies and reference
works; in addition, there is a collection of basic
reference works for each discipline. Most books
and periodicals are kept in closed stacks but you
can request them at the circulation desk. Faculty or
department libraries house books and periodicals in
their respective fields.
The beautiful Campus Library Arenberg (W. de
Croylaan 6, Heverlee) is the main library for
reseachers in the fields of Science, Bioscience
Engineering, Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Science.
University Library
Mgr.Ladeuzeplein 21, B-3000 Leuven
Tel. 016 32 46 60 Fax: 016 32 46 91
[email protected]
Leuven Public Library
“TWeeBRONNEN ”
The mission of the Leuven public library is to
promote knowledge and general culture among the
inhabitants of Leuven. The library has two floors,
each with its own opening hours and distinct
character.
Rijschoolstraat 4, B-3000 Leuven
Tel. 016 22 65 22.
[email protected]
www.leuven.be/bibliotheek
Opening hours
Monday: closed
Tuesday: 12:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 12:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Thursday: 12:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m
Friday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
37
12 Day-to-day life
The upper floor houses the reading room
There you will find reference works in several
languages, journals, newspapers and weekly
periodicals (also in languages other than Dutch).
There is a documentation centre that provides
information on the province of Vlaams Brabant and
its various communities, internet PC’s, online
catalogues of the collections. The reading room has
plenty of seating, working tables and a few
screened-off study carrels.
The lower floor houses the lending library
The library has extensive collections on loan:
novels in Dutch, French, English, German, Spanish,
Italian, Arabic and Kurdish; non-fiction works
(books and dvd’s) ordered by subject and a diverse
collection of comic books. You can borrow books
for up to four weeks. But there is more. The
library presents a large collection of cd’s and dvd’s
and a collection of reference works on music,
movies and stage arts. You can borrow library
items for four weeks.
To be able to borrow library materials, you need a
library card. The annual fee for a library card is
€2.50 for persons between 18 and 25; and €5,00
for those older than 26. When you’re younger than
18, membership of the library doesn’t cost you
anything! Most of the materials in the library can be
lent free of charge; only cd’s and movies have a
lending fee. More information can be found in the
users’ regulations.
Practical Tip
In order to register as a library user, and obtain your
library card, you will need to show your ID card.
Enrolment is simple and easy when your ID mentions
your address in Belgium. If you do not have an official
address in Belgium, you can still get your library card,
but then you will be asked to pay a deposit.
11.8. RELIGION
Roman-Catolic
Church of St John the Baptist St. Jan de
Doper Kerk Groot Begijnhof
Masses in Dutch: Sundays at 11:00 a.m., Saturday
evenings at 6:15 p.m., and Wednesday evenings
student celebration at 6:15 p.m.
University Parish K.U.Leuven - International
Community
The University Parish has an English-speaking
international community whose goal is to welcome
people from anywhere in the world to form a
Christian community. They foster an open
atmosphere where people from different
backgrounds, cultures and countries, and various
conducts in life, can meet and experience Christian
community in the Catholic tradition.
Every Sunday of the year, at 10:30 a.m., the
community celebrates the Eucharist. The liturgy is
followed by a reception where people have the
opportunity to meet informally. The community
publishes a weekly bulletin entitled “Bridges”. It
contains reflections, news, and spiritual-theological
insights. It is available at the Sunday liturgy.
Sacraments (baptism, confirmation, first
communion, reconciliation, and marriage) are
prepared and celebrated as community events.
Minderbroedersstraat 15, bus 0.09, B-3000 Leuven
Tel. 016 32 08 13 or 016 32 08 14
[email protected] www.kuleuven.be/up
Responsable: Reimund Bieringer
Masses in English: Sundays at 10:30 a.m.
38
11 Day-to-day life
University Parish K.U.Leuven
French speaking community
The University Parish has also a french-speaking,
african community. The community celebrates the
Eucharist at 11 a.m. in the chapel of Leo XIIIseminary, entrance via Vesaliusstraat 2.
Tiensestraat 124, B-3000 Leuven
Tel. 016 32 55 85
www.kuleuven.be/up/international/francais/
Responsable: Catho Schoofs
Masses in French: Sundays at 11 a.m.
Holy Spirit College Heilige Geest College
Evangelical
The International Church of Evangelicals in
Leuven
Services in the Pauscollege, Hogeschoolplein 3, on
Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (separate nursery and Sunday
School for children under 12).
Pauscollege,
Hogeschoolplein 3, B-3000 Leuven
Worship Service: Sundays at 10:00 a.m.
Contact persons: Kees & Toos Rosies
Beekstraat 39, 3051 Sint-Joris-Weert
Tel. 016 40 54 67 or 0475 83 27 46 - www.icel.be
In English: Sundays at 11:30 a.m.
Orthodox
Saint Michael’s Church Sint-Michielskerk
The Orthodox Parish of the Holy Apostel
and Evangelist Mattheos
A Roman Catholic Mass is held in Spanish on
Sundays at 12:00 noon.
Naamsestraat 57A, B-3000 Leuven
Tel. 016 20 09 06
Contact person: Paul Aerts
Tel. 016 31 63 69
[email protected]
Anglican
The Anglican community of St M&M’s: St.
Martha and St. Mary of Bethany Anglican
Church of Leuven
The Anglican community M&M’s has a celebration
every Sunday evening at 6:30 p.m. in the St. Martha
and St. Mary of Bethany Chapel,
Minderbroedersstraat, 15 (Justus Lipsius College).
Justus Lipsius College,
Minderbroedersstraat 15, B-3000 Leuven
Contact person: Church Warden
[email protected]
www.anglicanleuven.be
Protestant Service
There is a Protestant service in Dutch every
Sunday at 10:00 a.m. at Jesuit Church,
Waversebaan220, B-3001 Heverlee.
Tel. 016 22 98 83
Contact person: Ernst Veen
[email protected]
All services (liturgy – Sundays at 10:00 a.m. - and
vespers – Saturdays at 6:00 p.m.) in Dutch and OldSlavonic, occasionally with some Greek, English or
Romanian.
Contact Person: Priest, Father Alexander Yavarouski,
speeks Dutch and Russian,
Tervuursestraat 56 (Collegium pro Latina America or
COPAL), B- 3000 Leuven
Tel. 0498 83 45 56
[email protected]
www.leuven.orthodoxy.ru/ (website in Dutch, Russian
and Greek).
Muslim
International Muslim Students Association of
Leuven (IMSAL )
IMSAL is the official representative of Muslim
students of KU Leuven. It has its own Students
Mosque in Rijschoolstraat 25, where the daily five
prayers are held in addition to the Friday prayer
preceded by Khutba (sermon) in both Arabic and
English. Friday prayer starts at 1:00 pm (2:00 pm.
during the summer months). Celebration of Islamic
feasts and daily collective Iftar in Ramadan are
arranged every year.
Rijschoolstraat 25, B-3000 Leuven
Tel. 016 33 24 39
For contact: [email protected]
www.imsal.be
39
11 Day-to-day life
Al Fath mosque
The mosque belongs to the resident Muslim
community of Leuven. Here the daily five prayers
are held as well as Friday and Feasts prayers. The
Khutbas (sermons) of Friday and Eid prayers are
delivered only in Arabic.
Penitentienenstraat 33, B-3000 Leuven
Contact person: Mr. Bachiri
Tel. 016 20 87 02
Other Cities around Leuven
Brussels and Antwerp have communities of most
religions, including a large Muslim, Jewish and
Orthodox community. Smaller denominations and
religions most likely have a community in Brussels,
Antwerp and/or Ghent as well.
11. 9. PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
In the Belgian system there are 10 fxed holidays :
1
2
New years Day
Easter Monday
1 January
Depending on the
year
3
“Feest van de
arbeid”
Ascension Day
1 May
5
Pentecost Monday
Depending on the
year
6
National holiday
21 July
7
15 August
8
“OLV Hemelvaart”
All Saints
9
Armistice day
11 November
10
Christmas Day
25 December
4
Depending on the
year
1 November
On these holidays, all shops, banks and public
services will be closed.
40

Feeling home @ IMEC_v3.pub

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