Menu
Expat.com

Moving to Antwerp in Feb 2015

Last activity 16 November 2015 by Melby

Post new topic

Faizan_mqt

Hello Everybody,
I am Faizan from Pakistan. I recently accepted a job offer in Belgium and will be settling in Antwerp arnd Feb 2015 if visa and all other processes go as per plan.
I will be accompanying my wife and 3 year old daughter.
I will be grateful If you can share some valuable tips on general issues that expats face.
I hope you all can guide me to make this a smooth transition for my family.

Cheers and stay blessed
Faizan.

Melby

I'm guessing you meant 2016? :)

Honestly I've never had any "issues" with being an expat here. The only difficulty I've dealt with is the bureaucracy, but as my husband is a native Dutch speaker he simply comes with me to any official city-related things (like to renew my ID a couple mos ago). If you can communicate in English (which it seems you can!), you will be able to get along here quite well, as pretty much everyone here can speak it.

Are there any specific aspects you are wondering about?

Faizan_mqt

Lol - 2016.
Well, our major concern is the language barrier. We are both fluent in English but have absolutely 0 knowledge of French and Dutch. Most of the retailers have their information in either French or Dutch and its been difficult to decipher.
We do plan to learn these languages but not sure if we can invest in the first few months as we will be incurring lot of expenses. Any idea if these courses are available for free in Antwerp?
Secondly, my daughter has just joined a playgroup (Age - 3) and we are worried how she will settle in a French / Dutch public school. Unfortunately, didnt enought time to investigate this area.
Thanks,
Faizan

Melby

Websites will generally only have Dutch & French options, as those are the national languages (along with German, which is on many product labels, but is a minority area of the country so it's not as big a thing), but people pretty much all speak English in Flanders and I never had trouble with politely telling people "Sorry, I speak English..." and then they just switch over, and finish ringing me up or helping me with whatever. Even elderly people near us in stores, if they had cause to say something to us, if they'd heard us speaking in English would simply address us in English, same for cashiers in stores. So I don't think you will have much trouble until you're able to learn. :)

If you sign up for the language courses through the city, which they will ask you about doing that and the course for general living here when you go to get your ID and all that, then it's not entirely free (or maybe it was free if you did both? but since my husband is Dutch I didn't need to waste time with the other one) but they are cheap. There's also books in at least the Permeke library (possibly other branches as well) for learning Dutch, if you wanted to try out that method.

Ah the school is not something I know much about, but kids adapt quite easily, at such a young age I think she would start picking up the language very quickly and settle in without much trouble.

Articles to help you in your expat project in Antwerp

  • Working in Antwerp
    Working in Antwerp

    Antwerp is famous for its harbor and diamonds. It's located in Flanders, north of Belgium. Conditions apply to ...

  • Accommodation in Antwerp
    Accommodation in Antwerp

    Antwerp is a city with many aspects that welcomes foreigners from all around the world. We'll advise you on ...

  • A guide to Brussels' neighbourhoods
    A guide to Brussels' neighbourhoods

    A very safe and laid-back city to live and work in, Brussels has many different sides for expats and tourists to ...

  • Buying property in Brussels
    Buying property in Brussels

    Compared with other European capitals, buying property in Brussels is very affordable. Consequently, it's ...

  • Work permit in Belgium
    Work permit in Belgium

    When moving to Belgium, you'll probably need to work to maintain a decent lifestyle. Suppose you're lucky ...

  • Accommodation in Leuven
    Accommodation in Leuven

    Leuven is home to a lot of students but also attracts expats because of the companies implemented there. So, where ...

  • Tax in Belgium
    Tax in Belgium

    Like everyone else, expats in Belgium have to pay taxes. Here's a description of how Belgian taxes work.

  • Opening a bank account in Belgium
    Opening a bank account in Belgium

    If you plan to live in Belgium long-term, opening a bank account is a good idea. Not only will you need a ...

All of Antwerp's guide articles