I recently read an article in the ‘ Economist’ (November 7th, 2015) stating that a quarter of firms provide no help for repatriates at all when it comes to bringing the employees home.

Most of the time they have to adjust to a lower standard of living back home and aren’t given a properly defined job or return to their job they had before without keeping into consideration their international experience.

Are you a returning expat and do you want to share your story please contact me @ julie@expatrelocationbelgium.com

As a relocation consultant one of the services that I offer is assistance with opening a bank account. KBC, ING and BNP are the 3 major banks that expats use. Personally I strongly recommend BNP as to me I had the best experiences with this bank.

If you need help, do not hesitate to contact me.

If relocating to Brussels, Antwerp or any other city in Belgium, be sure to take the following into consideration:

• Belgium is a small country, and most places are less than an hour’s drive away from the center (Brussels, the capital). For instance, you can live in Antwerp and commute to Brussels (by train or by car) if you so desire.
• There are different official languages depending on the region. Despite its small size, Belgium has three official languages: French, Dutch and German. French is spoken in Brussels and Wallonia (roughly speaking the South), Dutch is spoken in Brussels and in Flanders (the North) and German is spoken in a small region by the border with Germany (in the East).
• Despite the differences in official languages, most people understand at least a bit of English. Brussels and Antwerp are very international and cosmopolitan cities, and you can get around with English in most circumstances. Beyond that, Flanders is your best bet if you want to be understood, as most Flemish people are highly proficient in English.