Personal support
Health centre
Both the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) have a medical service on campus.
For information about VUB Health Care Centre, please see www.vub.ac.be/english/infofor/prospectivestudents/healthcentre.html
The ULB Medical Service can be reached at 02/650 29 29.
Legal advice
"Info-Droit ULB", the legal advice office of the ULB, can advise on a range of legal questions ranging from rental contracts to family allowances and taxation.
You can also contact FORSTIS (Foreign Student Help Service) at the International Relations and Mobility Office on the VUB campus for advice and information. See www.vub.ac.be/english/home/international.html
Student counselling office
A student counselling office can help students with career plans and academic performance. A Centre for Social, Legal and Relational Problems is available at the VUB, at which psychological and social workers to help with social, personal, and relational problems.
At the ULB "Psycampus", you can get in touch with a psychologist, a psychiatrist, and a social worker.
The VUB can also provide counselling assistance. Please see the weblink above for information about the VUB Health Centre.
Health Insurance
Health insurance is compulsory in Belgium. Students have a choice of a variety of means of ensuring that they are covered during their stay in Belgium according to their status. Some are able to transfer their rights from their home country whilst others take out cover specifically for their time in Brussels.
The European Health Insurance Card makes it easier for people from the European Union’s 27 Member States plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland to access health care services during temporary visits abroad. Details on the card can be found at: http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=559&langId=en
Students who have no earned income in Belgium, or who are not EU citizens, must join a health insurance plan. Students from outside the EU are advised to make appropriate inquiries before arrival about travel insurance that will cover medical expenses during their stay in Belgium. Indeed, the University of Kent at Brussels recommends that non-EU nationals obtain travel insurance from their home country that includes health cover for their period of stay in Belgium. The following websites offer specific "student/scholar abroad" packages and may be of interest:
- http://www.internationalsos.com/buymembership/index.cfm?dcsCode=travelmed20
- http://www.hasbrouck.org/articles/insurance.html
- http://www.goodhealthamericas.com/
If you are not covered yet, either by transferring your insurance from your home country or by a travel insurance that also covers health insurance during your stay abroad, you are advised to see one of the many so called "mutualites" (in French) or "ziekenfondsen" (in Dutch) as soon as possible. Details of some companies can be found below:
EuroMut Health Insurance. Contact: Ms. Charlotte de Raymond, + 32 472 23 63 64 charlotte.deraymond@euromut.be
Partena Health Insurance. Expats Service
Visas
Ordinarily, students from the EU and other Western European countries do not need a student visa to study in Belgium, although they must register with the municipal authorities once they arrive.
Non-EU citizens need a student visa and a temporary residence permit. Application procedures may vary according to the nationality of the applicant. Applicants are advised to check early with the Belgian representatives in their country of residence.
Accommodation
The Brussels School regrets that it is not able to offer campus accommodation.
Both the VUB and ULB reserve their limited campus accommodation for their students who receive bursaries. The remainder of the ULB and VUB students also must take off-campus accommodation.
The School realises that many students may not speak French or Dutch, the two official languages of Brussels, and that it takes time to become accustomed to a new city. In addition to helping students find appropriate accommodation, we are also more than happy to telephone landlords to make appointments.
If prospective students wish to see an example of the type of private accommodation that is available in Brussels at any given time, one of the local newspapers, The Vlan can be consulted online at http://www.vlan.be. It is in French, but it allows you to search in terms of type, price and location. The location of BSIS is at the intersection of three communities (Communes): Etterbeek, Oudergem/Auderghem and Elsene/Ixelles. The cost of a room can range from Euro 200 - Euro 250 per month (usually with all services included). The cost of a studio or apartment can range from Euro 300 upwards. If services are not included, you should count some Euro 40 to Euro 55 per month extra for electricity, heating, and water.
The following websites provide useful information on accommodation.
There is also the possibility of taking over the apartment of a graduating BSIS student, or of sharing accommodation with current students. Information regarding this will be emailed to incoming students in the months before their arrival.
Qualified legal advice is available from the ULB and VUB for rental contracts.