Living in Belgium

Depending on your nationality, different travel documents are required to enter and stay in Belgium or travel within the EU:

 • Citizens of EEA countries, Switzerland and Monaco can travel within the EU with a national ID card—no passport or visa needed.

 • Non-EEA citizens need a passport and the appropriate visa.

 • Type C (Schengen visa): For stays under 3 months, allowing travel within the Schengen Area.

• Type D (Student visa):

Required for stays over 3 months. Always carry your passport and residence permit when travelling, even for short trips (e.g. to Maastricht, Netherlands). 

Train travel in Belgium and beyond is easy and affordable, with special passes available for different age groups and travel needs:

• Youth Multi: 10 second-class trips for travellers under 26 (64, or 62 euros via the app).
• Standard Multi (Rail Pass): Similar to Youth Multi, but for all ages (105, or 102 euros via the app).
• High-speed trains:
•  • Eurostar: Connects Brussels, Antwerp and Liège to Paris, Amsterdam, London, Lille and many more: b-europe.com/EN/Trains/Eurostar.
• • TGV: Fast trains to France.
• For more details on Belgian train travel, visit belgiantrain.be/en.

Travel by Bus:

The name of the local bus company is “De Lijn”. Bus numbers BP, 44/45/20b/20a/36a take you from Hasselt railway station to Hasselt Campus in 10 minutes. Bus numbers 44/45/20a/20b/36a take you from Hasselt railway station to Diepenbeek Campus in 20 minutes. More information on bus services can be found on the website delijn.be and the app de lijn. Do you only use the bus between Hasselt and Diepenbeek? Then the best option for you is to buy the campuspas. For only 20 euros per year, you can use the bus between Hasselt and Diepenbeek unlimited. Check beforehand if your bus stop lies within the radius of the campuspas. The campuspas is valid from September 15 until September 14 the next year.

As a student at UHasselt you can profit from a bunch of discounts and support programs to go to the campus (in a sustainable manner). You will find an overview and more information about how you can utilize these benefits on the transportation pages.

If you need a local mobile connection in Belgium, you can choose from several major telecommunications providers:

• Proximus

• Base

• Mobile vikings

• Orange

• Telenet

• Lycamobile

Getting a SIM card

You can purchase a local SIM card and top up your balance directly in the arrivals hall at Brussels Airport, at various telecom shops throughout the country, or online via the provider's website.

Digital Banking

Once you have established both a Belgian phone number and a Belgian bank account, you can download your bank's official mobile app. This will allow you to manage digital payments, pay invoices seamlessly, and track your transactions on the go.

The cost of living in Belgium is relatively high. Keep in mind that your first month might be especially expensive, as you will need to cover upfront costs like insurance, rental deposits, and tuition fees. Please make sure to factor this into your budget before arriving.

To help you plan, you can check out the average cost of living in Belgium.

SMART WAYS TO REDUCE YOUR EXPENSES

Looking to save some money? Try these budget friendly options:

• Too good to go toogoodtogo.com/nl-be

• 2nd hand furniture: 2dehands.be/

• Laptop with student discount: campusshop.be/

• Secondhand books: booksinbelgium.be/nl

• Culture & Leisure: Stad Hasselt UITPAS: hasselt.be/nl/uitinhasselt/uitpas

Estimated study costs

In addition to tuition fees, your education will include extra expenses (such as books and materials). We have created an overview of these costs for you. Please note that these are estimated target prices based on the previous academic year, so actual costs may vary slightly.

Health Care

FLEMISH SOCIAL PROTECTION PROGRAMME

This is a compulsory insurance for everyone living in Flanders, starting from the year you turn 26. For more information: www.vlaanderen.be/en/joining-the-flemish-social-protection tel 02 553 46 90

Official Letters, Taxes & Invoices

All international students staying in Belgium for more than 3 months are officially registered as residents. As a result, you will receive several official letters and invoices regarding local and national taxes.

Here is an overview of what to expect and how to handle them:

1. Province Tax (Provinciebelasting)

Everyone living in the Province of Limburg must pay an annual fee of €35.

• Reduction: If you have 'VT status' (Verhoogde Tegemoetkoming) from your Belgian health insurance fund (indicating a low income), you are eligible for a 50% reduction.

• How to apply: Place one of your health insurance identification stickers (kleefbriefje) onto the invoice and return it to the sender. You will then receive a corrected invoice for €17.50.

2. Waste Tax (Afvalbelasting)

You will receive an annual invoice from Limburg.net for waste collection services.

Note: If waste collection fees are already included in your monthly rent, you do not have to pay this twice. Contact Limburg.net directly to inform them and resolve the invoice.

3. General Income Tax (Personenbelasting)

Every year around May or June, you may receive a brown envelope containing your Belgian tax declaration forms, along with a return envelope.

• Did not receive an envelope? You are still required to file your taxes digitally. Log in to myfin.be to submit your declaration.

• Deadline: Your tax return must be submitted before the end of June!

⚠️ If you had NO Belgian income in the previous year:

Even with zero income, you must respond to avoid a fine. Follow these steps:

Log in to your student portal and download/print your Proof of Enrollment at Hasselt University.

Take the red form from the brown envelope, turn to the last page, and find 'Datum' (date)at the bottom. Fill in the current date.

Sign the document next to 'Handtekening'.

Place both the signed red form and your Proof of Enrollment into the provided return envelope and send it by postal mail to the address mentioned (scanning/sending to the Ledeberg scanning center).

Important: If you fail to return this, you could receive a substantial fine.

💼 If you DID earn a Belgian income in the previous year:

If you worked a student job or had another Belgian income, your tax return will be different. Please consult the FPS Finance Website or call their helpline at 02 572 57 57 for guidance.

Planning your time in Belgium? Stay informed about the official public holidays to help you schedule work, travel or leisure activities. For a complete list of national and regional holidays, visit: publicholidays.be