Living Working Leuven Internet April2012

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Living & Working in Leuven



L i v i n g w o r k i n g i n L e u v e n Page 1

1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 4

BELGIUM ........................................................................................................................................... 4 IMEC ................................................................................................................................................ 5

2. ARRIVAL IN BELGIUM ................................................................................................................. 6

A. PRIOR TO ARRIVAL ........................................................................................................................... 6 RELOCATION ...................................................................................................................................... 6 DOCUMENTS ...................................................................................................................................... 6 B. UPON ARRIVAL ................................................................................................................................ 6

3. ACCOMMODATION .................................................................................................................... 8

SEARCHING HOUSING ........................................................................................................................... 8 COST (INDICATIVE PRICES) ..................................................................................................................... 8 RENTAL CONTRACT .............................................................................................................................. 8 DEPOSIT ............................................................................................................................................ 8 SUPPLEMENTARY EXPENSES(UTILITIES) ..................................................................................................... 9 FIRE INSURANCE .................................................................................................................................. 9 WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF PROBLEMS? ....................................................................................................... 9

4. HEALTH CARE ........................................................................................................................... 10

GENERAL PRACTITIONERS& SPECIALISTS .................................................................................................. 10 DENTAL CARE ................................................................................................................................... 10 MEDICAL BILLS AND REIMBURSEMENT..................................................................................................... 10 PHARMACIES .................................................................................................................................... 10 HOSPITALS ....................................................................................................................................... 11 THERMOMETERS ............................................................................................................................... 11 VACCINATIONS ................................................................................................................................. 11 SOS – EMERGENCY SERVICES AND NUMBERS ............................................................................................ 11

5. SOCIAL SECURITY & INSURANCES ............................................................................................. 12

SOCIAL SECURITY ............................................................................................................................... 12 INSURANCES..................................................................................................................................... 12

6. MONEY MATTERS ..................................................................................................................... 15

PAYMENT ........................................................................................................................................ 15 TAXES ............................................................................................................................................. 16

7. DAY CARE & BABY SITTING ....................................................................................................... 17

DAY CARE SERVICES ............................................................................................................................ 17 BABYSITTING SERVICES ........................................................................................................................ 18

8. EDUCATION .............................................................................................................................. 19

SCHOOL SYSTEM ................................................................................................................................ 19 FURTHER EDUCATION ......................................................................................................................... 20

9. TRANSPORT .............................................................................................................................. 21

GETTING THERE................................................................................................................................. 21 GETTING AROUND ............................................................................................................................. 21

10. COMMUNICATION ................................................................................................................ 25

POSTAL SERVICES ............................................................................................................................... 25 GETTING CONNECTED ......................................................................................................................... 25 CABLE TELEVISION AND DIGITALTV ........................................................................................................ 25

11. SECURITY, POLICE & LEGALITIES ........................................................................................... 26

LEUVENPOLICEHEADQUARTERS ........................................................................................................... 26




BIRTHS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS .......................................................................................................... 26

12. DAY-TO-DAY LIFE .................................................................................................................. 27

SHOPPING ....................................................................................................................................... 27 LAUNDRETTES AND DRY CLEANING ......................................................................................................... 28 DINING ........................................................................................................................................... 29 ENVIRONMENT ................................................................................................................................. 29 SPORTS ........................................................................................................................................... 30 CULTURE ......................................................................................................................................... 31 LIBRARIES ........................................................................................................................................ 33 RELIGION ........................................................................................................................................ 34

13. HR CONTACT INFORMATION ................................................................................................ 36

HR DESK ......................................................................................................................................... 36 RELOCATION .................................................................................................................................... 36




Dear colleague,

I‟d like to welcome you to Belgium, to Leuven and foremost to imec ! Iam delighted you are joining us.

Joining imec means working in a new environment, and living in a whole

new country with its typical habits, lifestyle, and arrangements. Movingto a new country is indeed quite adventurous, and it provokes a lot ofquestions and requires many preparations.

That is why imec wants to support you and your family as much aspossible during this transition. This brochure is prepared as anintroductory guide: it offers information concerning Belgium andLeuven, and the daily life over here. It also provides imec specificinformation. I hope it will help you to better understand the Belgianway of doing things, so that your stay with us will become aninteresting and lasting experience.

We tried to be as comprehensive as possible on a large number of topics, but we are fully aware thata brochure cannot address all possible items or issues that you will face. Please know that you can callon any of us at the imec Human Resources Department to assist you in finding your way at imec or inLeuven. Or send us an e-mail if that is more convenient.

I look forward to having you come on board, and wish you an exciting and successful stay with us.

Sincerely,

Hubert De Neve

Executive Vice President

Human Resources

Contact details Human resources Department

Tel. +32 (16) 28 77 99

e-mail: [email protected]




1. INTRODUCTION

Belgium

Synopsis

Belgium is a small, densely populated country(11 million inhabitants with 360 people/km²),with three official languages: Dutch, Frenchand German. Its capital, Brussels, doubles asthe capital of the European Union.

It is fashionable among Belgians and non-Belgians alike to complain about the level ofbureaucracy in the country and the inordinatenumber of holidays that Belgians enjoy. In fact,economic productivity is among the highest inthe world, and the anarchic streak in theBelgian character ensures that bureaucratsnever gain the upper hand. Belgium is also avery safe country and Leuven, we can assureyou from a lifetime of personal experience, iswithout a doubt a safe university town.

Politics and Languages

Despite its small size, Belgium has a uniqueand complex institutional and politicalstructure. Belgium itself is a democraticmonarchy with a King, a parliament (house ofCommons) and a senate (House of Lords).The country is divided into three languagegroups, Dutch-speaking (6,55 million), French-speaking (4,35 million) and German-speaking(74,000), each with their own administration,mainly in charge of cultural and educationalaffairs. In addition, there are three regions,linked to economic interests, again with theirown governments: Flanders (in the north),

Wallonia (in the south), and Brussels (in thecenter). The federal government mainly has

authority over foreign affairs, immigrationissues, social security and defense. Belgium has10 provinces; Leuven is the capital of theProvince of Flemish Brabant.

Leuven is situated in Flanders and is part of

the Dutch-speaking community. Brussels andthe language border with Wallonia are veryclose. Although seven governments mightseem a touch exaggerated for such a smallcountry, and the situation is often derided byBelgians and non-Belgians alike, this system isa typical embodiment of one of the mostattractive features of the Belgian character:the art of compromise. When Belgiansdisagree, they try and find the middle ground.No civil wars or ethnic conflicts have evertaken place between Belgians.

The Belgian Character

The one thing that most non-Belgians wouldagree on when first confronted with Belgianson their home turf is that they are reservedand introvert. This impression usually lastsuntil their first visit to a Belgian‟s home, wherethey will be very cordially welcomed and fedlarge amounts of excellent food and drink. ABelgian feels most relaxed and comfortable inthe midst of his close circle of family andfriends. Family ties are very important – witness the weekly exodus of Belgian studentsfrom Leuven, who routinely spend everyweekend at home with their parents andchildhood friends. Friendships are enduring;once you have made a Belgian friend, you willfind that it is very hard to get rid of him.

Most Belgians own their own homes andspend a lot of time and money in constantlyrenovating, decorating and improving them.They tend their gardens meticulously, lovegood food and drink and benefit from anexcellent social security and health-caresystem.




Leuven

The city of Leuven is an agglomeration of fivecommunities: Leuven, Heverlee, Kessel-Lo,Wilsele and Wijgmaal. Leuven has more than95,000 inhabitants. If we add to this the46,000 post-secondary and 11,000 high-schoolstudents, it should come as no surprise thatthe streets are filled with young faces and thatthe city lives at a student‟s rhythm: hecticweeks at the beginning of the academic yearand, later, relative calm periods during holidayand examination time. The centuries-longpresence of the university has also left itsmarks in other areas of city life. Thepopulation of Leuven has a high average levelof education, probably because many studentsremain in Leuven after they have graduated.

Read more on www.leuven.com and www.kuleuven.be

Imec

Imec is Europe‟s largest independent researchcenter in nano-electronics and nano-technology. Imec is headquartered in Leuven,

Belgium, and has offices in Belgium, theNetherlands, Taiwan, US, China, Japan andIndia. Its staff of more than 1,950 peopleinclude over 550 industrial residents and guestresearchers.

Imec's More Moore research targetssemiconductor scaling for the 22nmtechnology node and beyond. With its Morethan Moore research, imec invents technologyfor nomadic embedded systems, wirelessautonomous transducer solutions, biomedicalelectronics, photovoltaics, organic electronicsand GaN power electronics.

Imec's research bridges the gap between thefundamental research at universities and R&Din the industry. It has unique processing andsystem know-how, intellectual propertyportfolio, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and astrong and worldwide network position. Thismakes imec a key partner for shaping thetechnology of the future.




2. ARRIVAL IN BELGIUM

A. Prior to arrival

Relocation

Imec does not work with an externalRelocation Company to organize yourrelocation. But the imec relocation officersare at your disposal during your preparationas well as upon your arrival in Belgium. Theywill help you with relocation matters from thestart until your first days in Belgium, such asthe search for temporary or permanenthousing.

Once we get a clear view on the expectedarrival date, you can start thinking aboutbooking the flight. Depending on what goodsyou are planning to move over, additionalarrangements will have to be made concerninginternational moving companies, customs (importing goods), etc.

Working with a Belgian moving company canhave certain benefits at the border. Thefollowing Belgian moving companies haveEuropean and overseas partners and serve adoor to door service:

ZIEGLER RELOCATIONTom Goovaerts- Moving ConsultantDieudonné Lefèvre street, 1601020 Brusselstel : +32 2 422 22 84e-mail : [email protected]

TRANSWORLD INTERNATIONALClement Vanophemstraat 783090 OverijseBelgiumTel : +32 2 687 50 90e-mail : [email protected]

ROMULUS Arthur De Coninckstraat 93070 KortenbergBelgiumtel : +32 2257 59 [email protected]

GOSSELIN MOVING NVBelcrownlaan 232100 Deurne

BelgiumTel : 0032 3 360 55 00www.gosselingroup.eu

TEAM RELOCATIONSBudasteenweg 2B

1830 MachelenBelgiumTel : +32 2 253 25 50www.teamrelocations.com

Documents

Travel documents

Before coming to Belgium the imec relocationofficers will inform you about the rightprocedure to follow.

Which documents you need will depend onyour status: e.g. whether you are a payrollemployee or a resident, or whether you arecoming from an EU country or not.

Documents for non EU assignees

A work permit is required for non EUassignees.

Documents for non EU payroll employees

Because imec has a recognized status as aspecialized research institute it is exemptedfrom the work permit application. Instead, therelocation officers will provide you with adocument called “Host Agreement”. If you arecoming from a visa submitted country you canuse this “Host Agreement” to apply for you rD-visa.

B. Upon arrival

Residence permit

As a future employee in Belgium you arerequired to register at the Foreigner‟s Officein your city of residence. For Leuven this iscalled Town S ervices (“Stadsdiensten” ) andthe office is situated next to the railwaystation.

The procedure and the documents to besubmitted depend on whether you are an EUcitizen or not. Issuing time can be 6 weeks.

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.zieglerrelocation.com/


http://www.transworld.be/


http://www.romulus.be/

http://www.teamrelocations.com/



http://www.romulus.be/


http://www.transworld.be/


http://www.zieglerrelocation.com/





City of Leuven: Town Services

Foreigners‟ office – Stadsdiensten – DienstBevolking – afdeling Buitenlanders

Ask for your ticket at the counter, at the

latest one hour before closing time.

Professor Van Overstraetenplein 1, B-3000Leuven Tel. 016 27 20 00 – Fax 016 27 29 95

Open: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday from 12:00noon to 8:00 p.m.

Identity card

The card you receive after registering at thetown services is your official residence permit.It also functions as your identity card inBelgium. This is an extremely importantdocument and you are required to carry itwith you at all times.

Extend the validity of your identity card

You should report in person to the LeuvenForeigners Office, preferably before the expirydate of your identity card. Bring a proof ofextension of work permit/contract.

Loss of your identity card

If you lose your identity card, you must reportthis in person at the Foreigners Office andsign an official declaration of loss. Bring alongthree passport photographs as well. After aninvestigation by the police, you will be given aduplicate identity card.

Visit from the police officer

After you register at the Leuven ForeignersOffice, your neighborhood police officer willdrop by your Leuven address to verify thatyou actually live there. If you are not at home

at the time of the officer‟s visit, you willreceive a letter inviting you to report to thepolice station in your district. Make sure youdo this as soon as possible in order to avoidmisunderstandings or future administrativeproblems.

Change of address

Every time you change your address withinLeuven, you must report your new addresswithin eight days to the Foreigners Office. Ifyou are moving to another town or city inBelgium, you must report to the ForeignersOffice or town hall of your new city or town.

You are likewise required to inform thehealth-insurance, and other relevant offices ofyour change of address.

Leaving Belgium

If you temporarily have to leave Belgium for aperiod longer than three months, you mustcontact the Foreigners Office to find out whatadministrative procedures you must follow.

Before leaving Belgium permanently, pleasemake sure that you visit the Foreigners Officeto turn in your Belgian identity card. If youever need to come back to Leuven, this willsave you and the city‟s officials a great deal oftime and trouble.




3. ACCOMMODATION

Searching housing

We advise you to start looking for housingfacilities as soon as possible, because findingappropriate accommodation takes time.

Usefull websites (all available in English):

Immoweb – www.immoweb.be

VlanImmo – www.immo.vlan.be

Vitrine – www.vitrine.be

Logic-Immo – www.logic-immo.be

Cost (indicative prices)

Hotel around € 100 per night(breakfast included)

Small studio between € 300 and € 500per month (furnished butwithout hotel facilities likesheets, cleaning, etc.)

Apartment between € 600 and € 1500per month depending oncomfort and number ofbedrooms (most likely forrenting at least on an annualbasis).

Aparthotel between € 1000 and € 1500per month (separatebedroom and hotel facilities)

House at least € 1000 per month(most likely for renting at

least on an annual basis).

Rental contract

A rental contract between you and thelandlord must be concluded in writing. Theremust be at least three copies: one for thelandlord, one for you (the tenant) and one forthe compulsory registration of contract.

In this written contract the followinginformation must be included: the identity ofthe landlord and the tenant, the starting dateof the contract, an indication of all the rooms

and parts of the rented building and the rentalprice. The contract is definitive when bothyou and the landlord sign it.

Your landlord is obliged to register thewritten rental contract. He must present it to

the registration office in the place where theproperty is situated. This will give the rentalcontract a “fixed date” and will make itbinding on third parties. From this fixed date,you are legally protected against eviction bythe new owner if the leased premises are sold.

There are different types of rental contractsdepending on the duration of lease. Ask yourlandlord detailed information on the durationof the lease (1, 3 or 9 year contract), thepenalty when leaving before end of contract,deposit, expenses, etc. before signing thecontract. Contact the imec relocation officersif you need assistance with the legal aspects.

Deposit

When you conclude a contract, the paymentof a deposit is required. For rooms, a depositof one month‟s rent is common. For studiosand apartments, deposits may amount to 2 or3 month‟s rent. This sum should never beconsidered as payment for rent and can onlybe used to compensate for damage to the

rented property, caused by the tenant or bythird parties to whom the tenant has grantedaccess.

The deposit or its balance will be reimbursedupon return of the keys and after the landlordhas inspected the state of the property. Thelandlord should have the opportunity to drawthe final bill for heating, electricity, etc. beforehe can return the balance of the deposit.




Supplementary expenses(utilities)

If the cost of heating, electricity, water, etc. isnot included in the rent, it should be clearlystated in the contract how these costs will becalculated. If each housing unit is equippedwith an individual electricity and gas meter,the tenant and the landlord should make anote of the meter reading at the beginning andat the end of the rental period. The tenantpays for these units at the rate stipulated inthe contract. If no individual meters areavailable, the landlord is allowed to divide thetotal costs proportionally among the residentsof the house. Many contracts state that thetenants have to pay a monthly advance for thecosts, over and above the cost of the rent.

When the final bill is submitted, tenants areentitled to see the individual invoices for thevarious utilities. Tenants of apartments andhouses usually have an individual contract withthe gas, electricity and water utilitycompanies. In this case they will receive theinvoices directly from the companyconcerned.

Fire insurance

Fire insurance is not a legal requirement.However, if you are renting it usually forms acondition of the lease. Therefore tenants mustinsure their premises against damages causedduring occupancy. The tenant is responsiblefor damage caused by fire, water and forbroken glass in windows or doors. Standardlease contracts state that the tenant mustdeliver a proof of insurance to the ownerwithin 30 days of signing the lease.

If you want to insure damage to your personalbelongings (furniture etc.), you need to takeout separate insurance coverage. This is anextra option next to your fire insurance.

What to do in case of problems?

In case you need advice about your rentalcontract or you have problems with yourlandlord you can always contact ourrelocation officers. Imec is member of thetenants association specialized in legal issues.Our relocation officers will be happy to giveyou our registration number so that you cancontact this organization for information:

Huurdersbond Vlaams BrabantEén Meilaan 10 – 3010 Kessel-LoTel : 016/25 05 14Email : [email protected]




4. HEALTH CARE

General practitioners &specialists

You are free to choose your care provider.Under the Belgian national health care system,you can make an appointment directly with aspecialist without requiring a referral fromyour family doctor, but your GP is often thebest person to advise you on choosing aspecialist.

A GP can solve most medical problems. If theGP decides that you should consult aspecialist, he/she will refer you to one who isbest qualified to deal with your problem.There are many advantages to consulting a GPfirst, before seeing a specialist:

GP‟s are easier to reach; there couldbe a long waiting list to consult aspecialist.

A GP will keep your medical historyon file. This is important sinceinformation from previous medicalexaminations may be relevant to yourpresent condition.

With certain medical conditions, it isnot always clear which specialist isbest qualified. On your own, youmight have to try several specialistsbefore finding the right one, whereasa GP can quickly diagnose yourproblem and refer you to the properspecialist.

Most medical doctors speak English, Frenchand Dutch. 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.

Dental care

You are normally free to choose any dentist,but you should check the conditions of yourhealth insurance to see if they restrictreimbursement to dentists who are approvedby the insurer or national health system. It isadvised to go to the dentist once a year; orelse your reimbursement will be less. Thisdoes not apply to doctor‟s visits.

Medical bills and reimbursement

It‟s normal practice in Belgium to pay yourdoctor directly. You‟ll be given a receipt,which is also the form you need to complete

to claim reimbursement. You will pay the fullcost for a consultation but you will bereimbursed afterwards (see also chapter 5Insurances).

Pharmacies

In Belgium, drugs and medicines are only soldin pharmacies (to be recognized by the greencross). In the yellow pages of the phonedirectory pharmacies and drugstores are listedunder the word “apotheken”. Or check theonline directory http://goldenpages.truvo.be. They are open every day except Saturdayafternoons, Sundays and holidays. Whenclosed, all pharmacies will post in theirwindow a list of after-hours pharmacies(“wachtdienst”). This information is alsopublished in the weekly newspaper Passe-Partout (see the section entitled “Apothekersvan dienst in Leuven en omliggende”). Or call0900 10 500 for the pharmacy on duty in yourneighborhood.




Hospitals

University Hospitals

www.uzleuven.be016 33 22 11 for all University Hospitals

Gasthuisberg

Herestraat 49, B-3000 Leuven (Emergency)

Sint-Pieter

Brusselsestraat 69, B-3000 Leuven

Sint-Rafaël

Kapucijnenvoer 33, B-3000 Leuven

Pellenberg

Weligerveld 1, B-3041 Pellenberg

Non-university hospital

Heilig-Hartziekenhuis

www.hhleuven.be

016 20 92 09

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. Readingsfrom the armpit will be one degree lower thanthose taken orally. Always tell the doctorwhich method you have used.

Vaccinations

Parents are required to vaccinate their babiesand young children at regular intervals. InBelgium, this service is o rganized by “Kind enGezin”. Please contact them if you hav echildren below 3 years of age.

www.kindengezin.be/algemeen/english-pages.jsp

SOS – Emergency services andnumbers

In cases of emergency, always give youraddress and telephone number. Speak slowly.

It would be useful for you to learn a fewwords or expressions related to such cases inDutch or French.

100 Ambulance and fire department

101 Police emergency number

112 International emergency number

105 Red Cross Flanders ambulance service

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




5. SOCIAL SECURITY &INSURANCES

Social security

Belgium offers high-quality health care that isamong the best in Europe. Foreigners are alsoentitled to certain allowances and to socialservices. The benefits which you may enjoy asa foreigner are strictly dependent on theconditions under which you are resident onBelgian soil.

The Belgian social security system is based onthe payment of social contributions on yourincome from work. These social contributionsserve to finance the social security system.Each month the employer pays between 30and 40% on top of your salary into the socialsecurity fund. The employee also pays aproportion of his gross salary in social securitycontributions (13.07%). This fund is then usedto pay social security:

Allowances in the event of sickness Unemployment benefits Allowances in the event of incapacity

for work through sickness orinvalidity

Allowances in the event of accidentsat work

Allowances in the event of industrialdisease

Family allowances Pensions

Is the social security refundable?

In Belgium our social security includes a verygood health and disability and unemploymentcoverage, based on the principle of solidarity:everybody contributes. So the social security

is not refundable, because you can benefit oursocial security once you are ill, hospitalized,etc.

Information for imec residents

As your home office continues to be youremployer and as such continues to pay yoursalary, they have to check if social securitycontributions are due in Belgium. Inaccordance to international law, socialsecurity contributions are due in the hostcountry (country where the work is done)

even when your company does not have alegal entity over here. European countries

and countries with bilateral social securitytreatie s (i.e. USA, Canada, Turkey …) cancontinue to submit their employees to socialsecurity in the home country during a certainperiod of time, provided they can confirm thiswith a document that proves the employee to

be submitted in the home country (E101 formin the EC). Non-EC and countries with nobilateral treaties should submit theiremployees to local Belgian social security.

Not being submitted to Belgian social securityalso means that no legal rights can be built upin Belgium (child allowance, unemploymentinsurance, legal pension, health care). That iswhy it is imperative that the home companyalways takes care of sufficient insurancecoverage for its employees. We stronglyadvise the home company to contact an

international insurance provider to cover forthe health care, hospitalization, travel accidentinsurance, repatriation and disability.

Since imec is not the employer, we are notallowed to do anything in this field.

There is a possibility also to affiliate with a„mutual insurance company‟ in Belgium. For afee of approximately 75 € a month, theemployee will be covered for basic medical,dental and hospitalization treatment.

Insurances

Health insurance

All residents of Belgium, Belgian or othernationalities, are required by law to becovered by health insurance. It is also in yourown best interest. Without insurancecoverage, the cost of medical care can quicklyspiral out of control. For instance, a singlenight‟s stay in the hospital can cost up to €

300 not including treatment or medicine. Astandard health-insurance policy willreimburse about 75% of the cost of a doctor‟svisit, medicine and hospitalization. Some(critical) medical expenses are fully refunded.The basic health insurance will not cover allhospital costs; as an imec employee you profitfrom the company‟s hospitalization insurance(see further).

Mutualities

For regular medical expenses such as doctorvisits, you need to enroll at a mutuality on apersonal account (this is obligatory in




Belgium). A mutuality actually pays the biggestamount of your doctor ‟s bill and medicinesprescribed by your doctor. Your owncontribution is approximately 60 euro peryear.

There are different mutualities from whichyou can choose: Socialistic Mutuality, LiberalMutuality, Christian Mutuality, NeutralMutuality and Independent Mutuality. They allprovide the same basic service, but there canbe a small difference in price and in the extraservices that they provide. Euromut, anIndependent Mutuality, comes by regularly atimec and can help you with your enrollment.More info: http://www.euromut.be .

Hospitalization insurance

In addition to the compulsory basic insurancepackage, you can also take a hospitalizationinsurance to have the following costs covered:

Room supplements (for private anddouble room)

Doctor supplements Ambulance fees (reimbursed via

Complementary Insurance – 80%) Non-reimbursable medications Personal remainder fee (part of the

official fee not covered bycompulsory insurance)

Costs related to the comfort of thepatient (telephone, television, etc.)

Be careful: there is a waiting period of 6months for a new membership. This meansthat the above costs are not covered duringthat period.

In order to avoid that you have to pay thehospital bills by yourself, we advise yourcompany to take a private hospitalization

insurance with a company in Belgium or aprivate international hospitalization insurancein your home country to cover the costsduring these 6 months.

SIS Card

When you take out health insurance you willreceive a membership card (known as the SIScard), an information booklet and a number ofstickers. Please take your SIS card and stickersevery time you go to the pharmacist, visit adoctor, go to a hospital or to the health-

insurance office. You may be asked to showyour SIS card or use one of the stickers.

If you have to go to the hospital and you don‟thave your SIS card you will get an invoice ofthe total cost. Don‟t pay it but bring it to thehealth insurance company. They will take careof a corrected invoice.

Coverage outside Belgium

Whether or not you have coverage abroad(i.e. outside Belgium) depends on a number ofcriteria. Just to be sure, you should contactyour own health insurance company to getadvice.

Coverage for family

When coming to Leuven for a visit, yourparents, partner, siblings or friends are notcovered by your health insurance policy. Wewould advise your guests to take out atemporary private insurance to cover theirperiod 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, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta,Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria andRomania) or a nationals from Algeria, Tunisia,Turkey, and the former Yugoslavia, you shouldobtain a European Health Insurance Card(EHIC) proving you already have insurancecoverage in your home country. Any medicalcosts you may incur will be reimbursed by aBelgian health-insurance company if you showthem the EHIC. This also applies to the costof drugs and medication: ask for a 704N format the pharmacist‟s.

Care insurance (“Zorgkas”)

In 2002 the Flemish government introduced

the care insurance. It is a collective insuranceto provide financial assistance to seriously illpatients. Every year, you will receive a bill of25€ for this insurance when you live inFlanders and are at least 25 years old. You areobliged to pay this bill before December 31 st.

Work-related accidents

For payroll employees

Imec automatically covers you for accidentson the way to and from your company and for

accidents on the workplace itself. All otheraccidents must be covered by your private

http://www.euromut.be/







insurance.

For industrial residents

This is different for industrial residents atimec. Their company is responsible for the

insurance of accidents which are work-related. For more information, you can alwayscontact the imec legal department.

Third party liability insurance

This policy protects the head of thehousehold and all people for whom he isresponsible, from third party damage claims.This policy covers any damages to thirdparties caused by you or one of your familymembers. Personal injury is not covered bythis policy, only damage to third parties. Theinsurance also covers the costs of legalassistance. This insurance is not obliged, butstrongly recommended, especially if you havechildren.

Car insurance

Each car owner is obliged to have civil liabilitycar cover whereby the insurance company ofthe car deemed responsible for the accident,pays for the repairs, injuries, or death causedto the other party. Premiums are based oncar‟s horsepower and the accident record ofthe insured. Based on a bonus point system,annual rates jump rapidly, with point increasesfollowing accidents where the insured is atfault, whilst descending only a single point foreach year of unclaimed accidents, until thelowest level is achieved. You can choose therange of your car insurance coverage.

See also chapter 6 for information on imecspecific insurances.




6. MONEY MATTERS

Payment

The Belgian currency is the Euro since the 1 st of January 2002. The Euro is the currency ofthe following sixteen countries of theEuropean Union: Belgium, Germany, Greece,Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, theNetherlands, Austria, Portugal, Finland,Cyprus, Slovakia, Malta and Slovenia.

Euro notes: € 5, € 10, € 20, € 50, € 100, € 200and € 500 note.

Euro coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cent piecesand the 1 and 2 euro pieces.

Opening a bank account

Belgium has a very efficient and modernbanking system. Branches of the principalBelgian and international banks can be foundin all larger Belgian cities. Among the bestknown banks in Belgium are the following:ING, KBC, Dexia, Argenta, BNP Paribas andCitibank.

Belgian bank accounts can be “currentaccounts” (zichtrekening), “savings accounts”(spaarrekening) or “term accounts”. The firstare customarily used for current transactions,payments or transfers; the second are self-explanatory; and the third are interest-bearingaccounts fixed for a given period of time, andfor which the rate of interest varies accordingto the ups and downs of the investments ofthe bank.

After opening a bank account, customersreceive a debit card, which needs to be signedand activated by choosing and confirming apersonal “PIN code”.

These services are attached to your bankaccount:

Cash withdrawals, either at one of thebranches of the bank or at any ATMmachine.

Debit card payments for items bought inshops or commercial centers.

Forms to transfer money directly fromthe bank account to another bankaccount. This is very useful for paying rentand utility bills such as water, electricity,internet and telephone. To be able tomake 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.

Standing orders with the bank for makingregularly recurring payments such as rent,gas, electricity, water or telephone. Thisis highly recommended since thepayments are made even if customersforget or are away for a period of time.

Most banks provide Home-Banking

possibilities via internet.

There is a possibility to open your bankaccount before your arrival in Belgium. Mostbanks also have a special service for expats,e.g.:

ING: www.ing.be/expat KBC: www.kbc.be/expats

Payments and account statements

Payment by bank transfer is a very commonmethod of paying bills in Belgium. Thecompanies will normally indicate on their bills

http://www.ing.be/expat



http://www.kbc.be/expats








how they prefer to be paid. Payments bycredit card such as Visa, Mastercard/Eurocard,American Express, etc. are also commonpractice. For a small fee to cover postage,Belgian banks will mail daily, weekly ormonthly transactions statements for a current

account. The easiest way of obtaining accountstatements is to print them out at a “self -banking” terminal.

Taxes

Belgian residents

The Belgian tax year for personal income taxbegins on 1 January and ends on 31December. If you are liable to Belgiantaxation, you will receive a tax return(declaration/aangifte) during May relating tothe previous year‟s income. This form must becompleted and returned by mid July (you willfind the exact date on the tax return from). Ifyou don‟t receive a return, request one at theMinistry of Finance before 1 June or you willrisk a penalty!

The taxpayer reports the amount of histaxable income, deducting personal and otherallowances. In Belgium, married couples, andcouples having made a legal declaration of

cohabitation, make a joint income declaration.

Foreigners in Belgium

Payroll employees

Foreigners taking up residence in Belgium areliable, in principle, to taxation on theirworldwide 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.

Some of the imec foreign payroll employeesare eligible to the status of non-resident inBelgium, which implies a special tax regime.

This special status is granted by the FiscalAuthorities and allows a lower taxassessment. There are however very strictconditions for this non-resident status.

The Recruitment & Selection Team and theHR Services at imec will give you informationand assist you during application and actionsduring the year.

Industrial residents

The situation is different for industrialassignees coming from outside Belgium. Asimec is not their employer, we cannot giveany information on this subject. We thereforeadvise you to contact a special tax advisor likePriceWaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young,KPMG, etc.




7. DAY CARE & BABYSITTING

Day care services

There are a number of day-care centers in theLeuven area. Bear in mind that most day-carecenters have long waiting lists, in some caseslonger than one year, so you are stronglyadvised to apply for a place as soon aspossible, from the moment you know that youare pregnant. There are several channelsthrough which organized day-care can befound:

Kind en Gezin

They will send you a list of officiallyrecognized and approved childcare services inyour region. They also run consultancyservices for infants in each commune once ortwice a week. Babies and toddlers can beexamined here by Kind en Gezin nurses anddoctors and they can get vaccinated withoutany cost. These nurses will also provideinformation on child minding services in yourarea.

Hallepoortlaan 27 – B-1060 BrusselTel: 02 542 12 11www.kindengezin.be

Imec & KUL Day-Care

As an imec payroll employee you can apply fora place at the Day Care Center “De Villa”.For more information, see chapter 6 (worklife benefits).

The KULeuven day-care centers listed belowwelcome children between six weeks andthree 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 withthe daily care and education that he/sherequires. Children are placed in small groups.The same person remains in charge of thesame children throughout their stay there.

Babyhome Tervuursevest 105, B-3001 HeverleeTel. 016 32 92 92Open: from 7:45 a.m. to 6:15 p.m.

PeutertuinDe Croylaan 8, B-3001 HeverleeTel. 016 32 24 51

Open: from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

De Villa @ imecSteengroevenlaan 1, B-3001 HeverleeTel. 016 23 32 58Open: from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

KabouterbergHerestraat 49, B-3000 LeuvenTel. 016 33 08 60Open: from 6:15 a.m. to 8:15 p.m.

„t GrootparkGroot Park 17, B-3360 LovenjoelTel. 016 46 31 12Open: from 7:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Day-Care for Sick Children -KabouterbergHerestraat 49, B-3001 Heverlee

Mrs. Christine Broossens Tel. 016 33 0860

City of Leuven Day-Care

Kindercentrum Craenendonck can help you inyour search for a day-care centre: they canprovide an address list of day-care centers,private individuals who care for children, andfacilities for after-school care. KindercentrumCraenendonck provides the following services,all at this address:

Kindercentrum Craenendonck, Lei 10, B-3000Leuven [email protected] - www.leuven.be

De Girafant, Kerkhofdreef 2, B- 3001 Heverlee [email protected] tel. 016/ 27 28 40Open: Weekdays from 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Regular day-care centreThe day-care centre receives children from6 weeks to 3 years of age. They are placedin small groups according to age. The costdepends on the parents‟ income.

Kinderdagverblijf CraenendonckTel. 016 27 19 10Open: Weekdays from 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Day-care in a host family for children under12This service helps you to find a place foryour child with a host mother or hostfather. The cost depends on your income.Stedelijke Dienst OpvanggezinnenTel. 016 27 19 11Open: 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 Margr ietje„t Margrietje offers a flexible solution forchildren up to 3 years. Children can comefor a maximum of 20 hours a week.

Tel. 016 20 04 79

Open: Weekdays and Saturday (also duringholidays) from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Hotline for Sick and Disabled ChildrenIf your child is sick and you are unable tostay at home to look after him/her, acaretaker will come to your home to takecare of your child. Maximum 10 hours aday between 7:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Tel. 016 20 04 95 or 0475 65 16 72Open: Weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00noon and from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. (except

Fridays). Sundays from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Babysitting services

Student Employment Office

The Student Employment Office of theKULeuven can help you find a babysitter-student to take care of your children.Applications should be made a few days inadvance.

Student Employment OfficeNaamsestraat 80, B-3000 LeuvenTel. 016 32 44 34, [email protected] from 9:00 a.m. tot 5:00 p.m

Babysitting Services of the “Gezinsbond”

Parents interested in making use of thisservice may consult the Gezinsbond‟s registerwhich provides the names of the babysitters,as well as the number of hours that they arewilling to work. The babysitters have beenscreened beforehand and are insured. The

prices are fixed per hour. In addition, you paya small annual fee to the Gezinsbond. You

have to be a member of the Gezinsbond to beable to use this service. When your child isborn in Leuven, you automatically receive afree membership of the Gezinsbond for oneyear.

For information and referral services:Baplu Lydia, Mob. 0497 60 35 10




8. EDUCATION

School system

Schools in Belgium provide education fromnursery school to secondary school at little orno cost, and their academic standards areconsistently high. International pupils arewelcome in the public school system. Theycan study either in Dutch or in French,depending on the language of the town ordistrict in which the school is located.

All kindergartens, primary and secondaryschools have a five-day school week (Mondayto 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

When choosing between different schools,

there are many factors to bear in mind.Consider for instance the distance betweenyour home and school. Your local doctor,friends or colleagues can be most informativeabout the reputation of schools in the area.

There are three international schools in theBrussels area : these are private schools.

The International School of Brussels (ISB)Kattenberg 191170 BrusselsTel : +32 2 661 4212www.isb.beThe British School

Leuvensesteenweg 193080 TervurenTel : +32 2 767 3098

The European School of Brussels (Woluwe) Avenue Oscar Jespers 751200 BrusselsTel : +32 2 774 22 11

School fees

Except in private schools no fees are paid forkindergarten, 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 andday-care after school hours. Bear in mind thatprivate schools have fees.

Subscription

Parents are encouraged to examine and visitseveral schools in their area first to seewhether one might be right for their children.As the waiting lists are long, they are advisedto apply for a place as soon as they have madetheir choice. A full list of schools in Leuvencan be found on: www.leuven.be Click on„onderwijs‟ (= education), then click on „ lijstvan onderwijsintsellingen ‟ (= list of schools).

In Leuven there is a school that providesspecial Dutch lessons for children who do notspeak Dutch yet:

Sint-Albertus CollegeGeldenaarksebaan 1773000 LeuvenTel. 016/40 50 60

School calendar

Kindergarten: September 1 to June 30Primary school: September 1 to June 30Secondary school: September 1 to June 30School Holidays:One week in early NovemberTwo weeks at ChristmasOne week in February or early MarchTwo weeks at EasterTwo months in the summer: July and AugustHigher Education: September to July (varies)

http://www.isb.be/

http://www.leuven.be/



http://www.isb.be/




Playground activities during schoolholidays

Imec

In July and August, imec offers to all its co-workers summer day-care for childrenbetween 2.5 and 12 years old. Moreinformation is available at the Intranet.

KULeuven

University Sports Centre organizes sportsactivities during two weeks in July and Augustat the price of € 60,00 per week.

Universitair SportcentrumTervuursevest 101, B-3001 HeverleeTel.: 016 32 91 30 016 32 91 31Fax: 016 32 91 95 [email protected]/sport/sportkampen.htm

City of Leuven playground activities

During school holidays, children can go to aplayground to play with children of their ownage from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in Leuven,Heverlee, Kessel-Lo and Wilsele. They canplay in groups oriented around a specifictheme, or they can choose what they want todo.

The “Grabbelpas” - activities (only in Leuvenfrom 7:30 a.m. till 6:00 p.m.) offer workshopssuch as handcraft, sport, culture, daytrips, …during school holidays. The fee is dependingon the kind of activity. 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)

You have to pay a onetime fee of € 5.00 for a“Youth Centre Pass”. You need to sign up forall these activities at Jeugdcentrum Vleugel F,Brusselsestraat 61a, B-3000 Leuven

More information (addresses, prices, programme, etc.)on the website www.leuven.be/jeugd or tel. 016 24 6690.

Further education

(Non) university education

Belgium has an extensive network of

university and non-university education. Youcan study in the Flemish, French and Germanspeaking part of Belgium. Information aboutthe different programs, cost, admissionrequirements, is available on:

www.diplomatie.bewww.highereducation.be

Language education

Instituut voor Levende Talen (ILT )

The Institute of Modern Languages organizesDutch courses throughout the academic year,both for beginners and for advanced students.These courses can be followed eitherintensively (12 h/week) or regularly way (6h/week). Intensive courses are held in themorning, while regular courses can befollowed in the afternoon or in the evening.

ILT - Dekenstraat 6, B-3000 LeuvenTel: 016 32 56 60 Fax: 016 32 56 [email protected] ilt.kuleuven.be

CLT Language Centre Centrum voor

Levende TalenThe CLT Language Centre runs languagecourses mainly in the evening. You can studyArabic, Chinese, English, French, German,Modern Greek, Italian, Japanese, Polish,Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish andTurkish.

CLT - Dekenstraat 4, B-3000 LeuvenTel: 016 32 56 61 Fax: 016 32 56 [email protected] www.clt.be

ACE Groep T

ACE-Group T organizes language courses thatfocus on oral communication. You can followcourses on Italian, English, French, Dutch forforeigners, Chinese, Thai, Spanish andGerman.

ACE Groep T - Vesaliussttraat 13, B-3000 LeuvenTel: 016 30 11 16 Fax: 016 30 10 40www.groept.be

Imec

Contact HR Learning & Development forinformation about the language courses

(English & Dutch) organized by [email protected]




9. TRANSPORT

Getting there

The national airport of Belgium is located atZaventem, Brussel. More information availableon www.brusselsairport.be/en/

Imec is about 20 km from the airport. You cantake a taxi (around €50 fare) or publictransport to reach imec. By train, there is adirect connection every 20 minutes fromBrussels Airport to Leuven.

Getting around

Cars

Driving license

EU Citizens: can drive with a European drivinglicense in Belgium.

In case you want to switch your own drivinglicense into a Belgian one, you need to get anofficial translation (preferably in Dutch orFrench), done by a sworn translator inBelgium. You can ask a list of legally certifiedtranslators at the local council office.

NON EU Citizens: only tourists can drivewith an international driving license, orpersons who are in the process of getting aresidence permit in Belgium

In order to obtain a Belgian driving license,you need to submit the following:

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 certifiedtranslators at the local council office.

After you have submitted these documents tothe town hall, they will send your file to thepolice and this can take up to 3 weeks.During these 3 weeks you are not allowed todrive a car.

The police will send an approval to the townhall and then they will invite you to come andcollect the driving license.

Importing cars

Experience has learned that importing a car isnot advisable. Importing a car can be veryexpensive because the car is not conform toBelgian standards and also a lot of customsadministration is involved.

Buying a car

When buying a new car, the car dealer willtake care of the paperwork. At this point,you need your residence permit. You will begiven a registration form to complete, and youwill need to insure the car. Once allformalities are completed, registrationdocuments will be sent to you, as well as theback license plate. You will also need to pay a“mise en circulation/belasting op deinverkeerstelling” tax as well as annual roadtax. If your car is equipped with a MPGengine, motor diesel engine, you will have topay an additional tax.

When buying a second hand car, the car mustbe delivered with a “contrôle technique/technische controle” certificate. Just as whenbuying a new car, you will need to completethe registration form and insure the carbefore receiving the license plate.




Leasing/renting a car

Belgium tax legislation makes leasing far moreattractive than in many other countries. Theadded advantage, of course, is that all therepair bills are covered and the paperwork is

arranged by the leasing company.

In case you want to rent a car for a short orlong term, you can contact Hertz or Avis:

Avis Head Office LeuvenNieuwstraat 283360 Leuven (Korbeek-Lo) Tel : 016 25 00 55Fax : 016 25 02 [email protected]

Hertz BelgiumKolonel Bourgstraat 1201140 BrusselsTel : 02 717 32 01Fax : 02 717 32 02www.hertz.be

When showing your imec badge, you can get adiscount at the company below:

Autocenter Hein N.V.Steenweg op Wezemaal 1493110 RotselaarTel : 016 58 06 57Fax : 016 58 34 [email protected]

Parking

If you park on the street in Leuven, beware ofthe blue zones (parking allowed for two hoursmax, parking disc is obliged) and/or parkingmachines (payment in advance). If you are aninhabitant of Leuven, you can request aninhabitants card so you don‟t have to pay or

put your parking disc in your car. There aremany parking facilities in Leuven:

There are a lot of car parks, where youwill have to pay.

A better alternative is perhaps theoutlying car parks in Heverlee (e.g.Bodart, Engels Plein parking lots), most ofwhich are free. An overview of all parkingfacilities in the city centre can be foundon the Leuven website: www.leuven.be.

There is also P+BUS parking. If you parkon the edge of the shopping centre, in the

car park of De Bond and on the Sint- Jacobsplein, you can take the bus to thecity centre and back free of charge. Youpark cheaper in these car parks and stillyou are as quickly in the city centre asotherwise. For further information about

the above issues, you‟re welcome tocontact the mobility advisors [email protected] or 01632 93 01 and 016 32 93 02.

Traffic Rules

Please note that the police are very strict onchecking the traffic rules. High fines andpenalties will have to be paid in case you don‟trespect them. Also be aware that automaticcameras are watching you. You can quicklylose your driving license for speeding etc.

Driving do’s and don'ts

Drive on the right and overtake on theleft.

Give priority to vehicles coming from theright.

Trams have priority. If a tram or busstops in the middle of the road to allowpassengers off, or on, you must stop.

The minimum driving age in Belgium is 18. Front and rear seat belts are obligatory

everywhere. Children must be at least 12 years of age

before they can sit in the front seat(unless a safety seat is fitted).

Belgium has strict drink driving laws, only0.5 promille is allowed.

Speed limits: on the motorway 120km/h(74 mph), on open roads 90km/h (45

mph), in town 50km/h (30mph). Belgian motorways are toll-free.




Dipped headlights should be usedbetween dusk and dawn; driving onsidelights only is illegal.

Using a mobile phone while driving is notallowed; the use of ‟hands free‟ equipmentis allowed.

Carrying a warning triangle in your carand a fluorescent jacket is obliged. Following documents should always be in

your possession when driving a car:driving license, vehicle registrationdocument (V5), certificate of motorinsurance, road signs.

Taxi

You will find taxi companies online onwww.goldenpages.truvo.be or call 1207(national information number) and ask for ataxi company in the neighborhood.

Trains

Leuven is an important hub in the Belgianrailway network.

From Leuven station, there are connectionsto every other major Belgian railway station.You can find the best connection and itineraryusing the online search engine:

www.b-rail.be (possibility to buy tickets online)

Leuven Railway Station

Martelarenplein 16, B-3000 LeuvenTel. 016 21 21 11International Information & Eurostar, Thalys, HST:02 528.28.28

Heverlee Railway Station

Naamsesteenweg 180, B-3001 Heverlee.

Go Pass and Rail Pass

With a Go Pass (-26 years old) or Rail Pass(+26 years old), you can make 10 one-waytrips in second class. You will get the mostbenefit if you travel between two stations thatare far apart (e.g. Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent, ...).

Practical Tips

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 thatall members of the group travel together.

Bus

De Lijn (Flemish Bus Company)

Belgium has an extensive bus network thatoperates in and between most cities. You canfind time schedules on the bus stops along theroad. Destinations, route planner, timeschedules and more information you will findon the website.

Bus lines nr. 2 and 616 will drop you at theimec 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 20Info Groups: Tel. 016 31 37 [email protected] - www.delijn.be

Travelling through Europe withEurolines

Eurolines has direct and inexpensiveconnections from Leuven to 500 destinationsin Europe.

www.eurolines.com - [email protected]




Bicycles

Cycling is healthy, cheap and cool.Furthermore, in a city like Leuven it is oftenthe quickest way to get from one place toanother.

Bicycle Rental and Repair

VELO is a non-profit organization thatpromotes the bicycle as an ecological meansof transport in the city by recycling, rentingand repairing bikes. VELO offers a bike rentaland repair service and is organized as atraining and employment project in the socialeconomy.

You can rent a safe, fully equipped andregistered second-hand bike with a solid lockat VELO. A rental contract will be drawn up(please bring your passport, studentcard/badge and bank account number) andyou must pay the rental price plus a deposit.You can also come to repair your own bike atthe bike repair shop or have your bikerepaired for a small price. At VELO you canalso report bike theft and have your bikeregistered (engraving + bike ID).

Minderbroederstraat 12 U, B-3000 LeuvenTel. 016 33 74 [email protected] - www.velo.be

Some Bicycle Repair Shops

A-Bikes, Gemeentestraat 37, Kessel-LoHuis Boydens, Diestsestraat 205, LeuvenRijwielen Cadans, Naamsestraat 123, LevuenRijwielen Hugo Jacobs, Diestsestraat 192, LeuvenFietsen Koen, Martelarenlaan 201, Kessel-LoFietsen Niclaes, Naamsesteenweg 76, Heverlee

Global Action Plan Cyclists

The Leuven Police has developed a globalaction 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 directionand not giving way. These four priorities wereset up on basis of accident statistics of the lastyears. During the academic year, trafficsurveillances will be held which will focus onthe movement summary offences by cyclists.The following website contains all theinformation about the Belgian Highway Codespecialized in cycling with lots of pictures oftraffic situations in Leuven.

https://www.kuleuven.be/transportation/pdf/guideforcycling.pdf

Bicycle Theft and the Bicycle Office

A good lock to secure your bicycle is veryimportant and always recommended. InLeuven you can get your bicycle engraved withan ID number. This is no guarantee againsttheft, but it can help retrieving your bike. Forfree engraving, go to the bicycle office of thelocal police on Wednesdays from 1:00 to 3:30p.m. and on Thursdays from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m.

Fietsendienst (Bycicle Office) Mechelsestraat 162-168, B-3000 LeuvenTel. 016 21 09 90 - www.leuven.beOpen:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from8:00 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

Bicycle map

You can download the map of bicycle routesfrom the City of Leuven web site. This map

provides an overview of all safe bicycle routeshttp://www.leuven.be/vrije-tijd/toerisme/wandelen-en-fietsen/



http://www.leuven.be/vrije-tijd/toerisme/wandelen-en-fietsen/










10. COMMUNICATION

Postal services

Mail is delivered by the postman to youraddress. The red post boxes are situated intowns, shopping centers and road sides.

National mail can be placed in any letterbox inBelgium or posted at a post-office counter andmay be open or sealed. For information aboutprices and sizes, see www.depost.be.

Post Office addresses in Leuven

Leuven PhilipsPhilipssite, B-3001 Heverlee,tel. 016 50 93 60Open:Weekdays from 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. andfrom 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 70Open:Weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. except forThursday : 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Heverlee AmbassadeNaamsesteenweg 380, B-3001 Heverlee,Tel. 016 40 60 06Open:Weekdays from 9:00 a.m.to 12:30 pm. andfrom 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

Getting connected

General information

Country Code for Belgium: 32 - Area codeLeuven: (0)16: international call, skip „0‟ (003216 …); when calling within Belgium, alwaysdial the full area code, 016. Other examples ofarea codes: Brussels: 02; Antwerp: 03; Ghent:09; Bruges: 050; Louvain-la- Neuve: 010.

Useful Numbers

National Information: 1207

International Information: 1204

Fixed Lines

There are two main providers in Belgium(Belgacom and Telenet) and several smallerones (Tele2, Scarlet, ..) for fixed lines andinternet connections. Contact the localtelecom shops for more information.

Mobile Telephones (Cell phones)

Newcomers from most European countriescan continue to use their mobile telephones inBelgium if their contract includes a roamingfeature, although this will be rather costly inthe long term. However, newcomers from theUnited States are generally unable to use theirAmerican cell phones in Europe. Mobiletelephones or cell-phones are widely availablein specialized shops and large retail outlets.

Calling Cards

Calling cards have two main advantages overregular lines: since the card is pre-paid there isno bill at the end of the month; and calls canbe made from any telephone (public, private,mobile, etc.). Calling cards for internationalcalls are available at newsagents, post offices,supermarkets, train stations and night shops.Always ask which card is the most suitable forthe call and the country you want to call.

Cable television and digital TV

Each commune provides exclusive rights tovarious cable TV operators and each operatorchooses the channels it wishes to offer. The

cable operator can also provide internet andtelephone services. Contact your localtelecom shops to establish which operator isauthorized to provide services in yourcommune.




11. SECURITY, POLICE &LEGALITIES

Leuven Police Headquarters

The police department is in charge ofmaintaining law and order. Police officers arethere for your security whenever you needthem.

Philipssite 4, B-3001 HeverleeTel. 016 21 07 40 Fax: 016 21 07 [email protected]

Open:Weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon andfrom 12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (or byappointment)

For emergencies (24 hours a day) pleasecontact:

Interventieafdeling Algemene PolitiezorgPhilipssite 4, B-3001 HeverleeTel. 016 21 06 10 Fax: 016 21 06 09

The national emergency number is 112.

The local district station Leuven Center is at

Grote Markt 83000 LEUVENPhone (016) 21 09 00 (switchboard)

e-mail: [email protected]

Opening Hours: from 0.00 to 24.00 (for allemergencies)

Quarter Section: from 08.00 to 22.00, Sat 08.30to 12.30

Births, marriages and deaths

Registry Office Burgerlijke Stand

Prof. Van Overstraetenplein1, B-3000 Leuven

Tel. 016 27 20 00 – Fax 016 27 29 95 www.leuven.be

Births

You are obliged to inform the Registry Officeof the birth of your baby within 15 days afterthe birth. The hospital will give you thenecessary papers and information. Ask the HRServices at imec or at your home company forinformation on including your child in theinsurance policy.

Civil Marriages

The municipal authorities in Belgium onlyrecognize civil weddings, not church weddings.If you plan to have both a civil and a religiousmarriage ceremony, the civil ceremony musttake place first. You do not need to have bothon the same day. All information concerningmarriage and the documents required, can beobtained at the Registry Office.

Deaths

The Registry Office must be informed of alldeaths. If death occurs in a hospital, thisformality will be normally done by theundertaker, but has to be paid. You can dothis yourself, but you then need to inquire atthe Registry Office. If death occurs outside ahospital, a doctor must be called first tocertify the death and to determine the causeof death. After that, the registry office must beinformed. It is advisable to ask for severalcopies of the death certificate, since they maybe needed for insurance, bank matters,embassies, etc




12. DAY-TO-DAY LIFE

Shopping

Most supermarkets and shops are open everyday except on Sunday. Some will have aclosing weekday. There are a fewsupermarkets that do open on Sunday, e.g. GBExpress (Brusselsestraat 60, Tiensevest 10 andNaamsestraat 48, open until 8 p.m), Super GBPartner (Koning Albertlaan 147, Kessel-Lo),Evin‟s Winkel (Leeuwerikenstraat 23,Heverlee). Bakeries are usually open onSundays and holidays. Many night shops openafter 6 p.m. until late at night. EveningShopping in the centre of Leuven on

Thursdays until 8:00 p.m.Foodshops

AldiWeldadigheidsstraat 58 and J. P.Minckelerstraat 76, Leuven

Lidl J.P. Minckelerstraat 116, LeuvenVlinderlaan 2, Kessel-Lo

Colruyt

Lombaardenstraat 2, LeuvenTiensesteenweg 237, Kessel-LoGroenveldstraat 71, Heverlee

GBTervuursevest 113

GB ExpressBrusselsestraat 60Tiensevest 10Naamsestraat 48

AD DelhaizeTervuursevest 19Brusselsestraat 31Tervuursesteenweg 154

Indicative prices as per Jan 1 st, 2012 (pleasenote that vegetable and fruit prices arestrongly influenced by supply and weatherconditions):

Bread – white, sliced: € 2 .10

Milk, 1 liter, skimmed: € 0.66

Eggs, white (container of 6): € 1.68

Rice, 500g: € 1. 50

Pasta, 500g: € 0. 50

Sausage, 1kg: € 6

Steak, 1kg: € 1 3

Grilled chicken, per kg: € 8

Apples, 1kg: € 1

Carrots, 1kg: € 0.76

Pizza, medium: + 9 €

Markets

Wednesday afternoon from 3:00 p.m.:

A. de Becker-Remyplein (Kessel-Lo, food andgoods)

Friday-morning:

Mgr. Ladeuzeplein (food and goods),Hooverplein (food), Brusselsestraat (flowers).

Saturday:

Flee market(M. de Layensplein, Mechelsestraat)Food(vegetables, cheese, etc.) on Brusselsestraat

Sunday morning until 1:00 p.m.:

At Heverlee railway station

(Naamsesteenweg, Waversebaan, food andgoods)




Supplies

BlokkerBondgenotenlaan 58(furniture, household, electronic appliancesand school supplies at very affordable prices)

CasaDiestsestraat 93/2(furniture, household, electronic appliancesand school supplies at very affordable prices)

HemaParijsstraat 2(clothes, houseware, gadgets and food)

IkeaWeiveldlaan 19(close to E40), Zaventem(Interior)

DomoBondgenotenlaan 169(interior)

Clothes

C&ABondgenotenlaan 64

H&MBondgenotenlaan 69

ZaraBondgenotenlaan 75-79

WibraBondgenotenlaan 74

INNODiestsestraat 67

Health and beauty products

Kruidvat

Diestsestraat 55Bondgenotenlaan 95 Jodenstraat 1

Second hand shops

SPITIJzermolenstraat 10-12

RawetteParijsstraat 53A (only clothing)

CyaankaliDiestsestraat 217 (only clothing)

‘t Pand Tiensestraat 22 5 (children‟s clothing )

International food shops

Thai House Supermarket

Alfons Smetsplein

Asian MarketNaamsestraat 28

African food shop VoodooTiensestraat 220

La Méditerrannée for north-African foodMaria-Theresiastraat 52

Fair Trade Shop (products from Africa, Asiaand Latin-America)Tiensestraat 273Naamsesteenweg 133

Laundrettes and dry cleaning

Pressing nr 1L. Melsensstraat 4

Strea NetTervuursesteenweg 187

AtomicBrusselsestraat 214

De LelieMaria Van Belstraat 7

De Gouden DraadTiensestraat 204

Quick ShopDiestsestraat 224

TapolinoSlachthuislaan 1

Het Leuvens StrijkatelierFrederik Lintstraat 37

Wassalons het PoederkeA. Vesaliusstraat 16

De WashoekTervuursevest 12

For prices, ‘how to use a washing machine’, seebrochure ‘Housekeeping tips’,www.kuleuven.be/socialservices/pdf/housekeepingti ps.pdf

http://www.kuleuven.be/socialservices/pdf/housekeepingtips.pdf







Dining

Leuven has a lot of restaurants, cafes and pubssituated mostly in the centre, around theGreat Market. You will find a list with

restaurants on the website of Leuven.www.leuven.be or on www.resto.be

Environment

The educational and civil authorities are fullycommitted to sustainable development andthe creation of an environmentally friendlycity. They encourage citizens and students toreduce their garbage production, to properlysort their garbage, to use energy in aresponsible and sustainable way and to adoptsustainable transportation.

Waste Prevention, Selection and Reduction

In Leuven garbage needs to be sorted. Themore garbage you produce, the more brownbags you will need and they cost money. Youcan reduce your garbage by buying fewerpackages, by using glass instead of plasticbottles, etc. The following paragraphs explainthe different kinds of waste, and how they arecollected.

Paper and cardboard

Paper and cardboard are collected separatelyfrom other garbage. You can include any kindof paper, provided it‟s clean and has no plasticattached to it. All paper needs to be tied upwith string or twine and left in front of thehouse or residence on collection days.

Glass

Glass should be taken to one of the big glass

containers located throughout the city. Lightbulbs or flat glass (for instance from awindow) are NOT allowed! Always rinse outglass bottles. Colored glass usually goes in aseparate container from clear glass.

KGA (Small dangerous waste)

Most people have quite a lot of waste that isdangerous if it is dumped or burned since itmight lead to soil contamination. Batteries canbe taken to supermarkets and deposited inthe green boxes provided especially for old

batteries. Expired or unused medication canbe taken to any pharmacist‟s but please

remove the paper from the box. There arealso collections of small dangerous waste suchas leftover cleaning products, used cooking oil,cosmetics, writing materials, etc, by theLeuven ‟chemobiel‟. Dates and places will beannounced via the website of the city

(www.leuven.be) and via the municipalinfobrochure „Stad Leuven info‟. Or you canbring it to one of the guarded containerparks(See www.ecowerf.be).

ContainerparkHeverleeGrauwmeer , B-3001 HeverleeTel. 016 40 07 35Open:Tuesday to Friday from 12:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.Closed on Monday, Sunday

Containerpark Kessel-Lo Aarschotsesteenweg 210, B-3010 Kessel-LoTel. 016 29 64 43Open:Tuesday to Friday from 12:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.Closed on Monday, Sunday

Containerpark Kessel-LoDiestsesteenweg 504, B-3010 Kessel-LoTel. 016 47 01 13Open:Tuesday to Friday from 12:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.Closed on Monday, Sunday

http://www.leuven.be/adressen/stadgebouwen_terreinen/containerpark_grauwmeer.jsp

http://www.leuven.be/adressen/stadgebouwen_terreinen/containerpark_grauwmeer.jsp




GFT (Kitchen and garden waste - greenbox)

Vegetables, fruit and garden waste belong inthe green bag. Coffee filters, teabags andeggshells are also allowed. Please do not put

anything else in the green bag! In a number ofresidences and houses green boxes are usedinstead of bags.

PMD (Plastic, Metal and Drink cartons -blue bag)

It is important that you know what goes in theblue bag, since it will not be picked up if itcontains the wrong things.

Always allowed: washed “tetra packs”, plasticbottles, metal cans, aluminum tins and trays(from lasagna for instance).

Never allowed: butter tubs, yoghurt cups,plastic bags, plastic objects, aluminum foil,badly rinsed tetra packs.

Everything else (brown bag)

All the household garbage not mentionedabove has to go into the brown bag. Largeobjects like furniture are collected five times ayear. You have to put a special sticker on itthat can be purchased at the “Stadswinkel”(see below). If the furniture can still be used,or if you want to get rid of an electronicappliance that still works, contact Spit (seebelow).

You can find all the information on the free„waste collection calendar‟, which outlines thegarbage pick-up schedule. You can find thisonline on the website of Leuven, or you canget a copy at the town hall. The environmentadvisors also provide an English translation.

Where to buy garbage bags and stickers

City Shop – StadswinkelWaversebaan 66, B-3001 Heverlee (at HeverleeCity Hall) - Tel. 016 30 90 56Open:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday andFriday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.and from1:00 to 4:30 p.m.Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from1:00 to 8:00 p.m.

City Registry Office - Bevolkingsdienst stad Leuven

Prof. Van Overstraetenplein 1, B-3000 LeuvenOpen:

Only on Thursdays from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.(only stickers).

You can also find garbage bags in mostsupermarkets, except at Aldi.

SPIT (second-hand shop)

Spit is a centre that recycles household items.You can bring them your old furniture,electric appliances, bicycles, clothes, etc. Allitems should be in a condition that allowsthem to be re-used. Spit personnel can pickup articles from your house. After repairs arecarried out, these items are then sold in Spit‟sshop.

Second Hand Shop (Kringloopwinkel)IJzermolenstraat 10-12, B-3001 HeverleeTel. 016 65 29 35 Fax: 016 35 92 [email protected] www.spit.beOpen:Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Sports

KULeuven Sports Centre

As an imec employee you can apply for a

sports card from the KULeuven.The Sports Centre features a state-of-the-artfitness room for which you need to pay asupplement. To book a tennis court, soccerfield, or any other facility call or drop by thesports secretariat. If you and your team mateshave a sports card, everything is free. Youonly need to pay extra for indoor tennis.

The Sports Centre organizes several recurringevents: Bike&Run, Indoor Athletics Meeting,the Flemish University Competition, the

Belgian University Competition, Sports Campsfor kids, Badminton Competition, ..

Tervuursevest 101, B-3001 HeverleeTel. 016 32 91 30 Fax: 016 32 91 [email protected] - www.kuleuven.be/sports

Open: Weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 12.00 noonand from1:00 to 6:00 p.m. (5:30 during thesummer months)

Sport Clubs in Leuven

The Sports Office has a comprehensive list ofsport clubs in the Leuven area. This list is




continuously updated. Its content comes frominformation collected by the staff of the SportsOffice. It is available in every municipal sportsfacility.

Prof. Van Overstraetenplein 1, B-3000 Leuven

[email protected] www.leuven.be

Leuven has several sports facilities: swimmingpools, indoor and outdoor facilities.

Swimming Pools Stadionlaan 4, B-3010 Kessel-Lo016 25 34 80

Aarschotsesteenweg 730,B-3012 Wilsele-Putkapel016 44 33 88

Sportoase,Philipssite 6,B-3001 Heverlee016 74 07 40www.sportoase.be

Indoor Sports Facilities Sportoase,Philipssite 6,B-3001 Heverlee016 74 07 40www.sportoase.be

Sportcomplex Kessel-Lo,Stadionlaan 4, B- 3010 Kessel-Lo016 25 34 80

Sporthal Wilsele-centrum Aarschotsesteenweg 163, B-3012 Wilsele016 44 51 36

Turn- & sportzaal BoudewijnstadionDiestsesteenweg 288, B-3010 Kessel-Lo016 89 52 12

Sporthal KHLeuvenHertogstraat 178, B-3001 Heverlee

Outdoor Sports Facilities BoudewijnstadionDiestsesteenweg, B-3010 Kessel-Lo016 25 12 21

Den Bruul

Brouwersstraat, B-3000 Leuven016 22 95 51

Atletiek Arena Gaston RoelantsDiestsesteenweg, B-3010Kessel-Lo 016 25 12 21

Fit-o-meterHeverleebos, Naamsesteenweg, Heverlee

Jeugdvoetbalcentrum BruineveldDomeinstraat 61, 3010 Kessel-LoFor information concerning fees & prices contactthe staff in charge of the facility or call the sportsoffice: 016 44 26 50

Culture

Leuven is a young and dynamic city where it isalmost impossible to get bored. Apart fromthe numerous cafes and restaurants, there isalso a large variety of cultural activities.

Tourism IN&UIT Leuven

In&Uit (literally “In&Out”) is located in theside wing of City Hall. It is a central receptiondesk where you can pick up all kinds ofinformation and documentation concerningleisure in Leuven. Basically, In&Uit informstourists as well as residents about how theycan spend their free time in Leuven. You canlearn about Leuven‟s major sights, attractionsand ongoing expositions, and about what isgoing on in music and performing arts.Moreover, In&Uit sells visitor tickets for CityHall and other places of interest and entrance

tickets for local cultural activities.This iswhere you can obtain your free copy ofLeuven‟s culture and leisure magazine „Uit inLeuven‟. And while you‟re there, also take alook at the media screens showing the culturaland tourist highlights of the moment.

The Leuven Cultural Centre

The Leuven Cultural Centre, with 200,000visitors and approximately 280 activities perseason, is the most important organiser ofperforming arts in the re gion. They‟ll bringyou a fascinating mix of theatre, dance,classical and non-classical music, workshops,




lectures, children‟s performances, and muchmore. There is always something foreverybody.

30CC

30CC organizes performances, concerts andshows at many different venues around thecity: 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), andsometimes even on the city‟s street corners.After the performance you can alwayscontinue chatting and meeting people in any ofthe various halls where these activities areheld. There is also a cultural café - Improvisio- in the main area of 30CC (Romaanse Poort,Brusselsestraat 63). 30CC also has asupporting function for the musical company“La Petite Bande”, and the theatre companies“Braakland/ZheBilding” and “fABULEUS”. Youcan also contact the centre to rent some ofthe facilities mentioned above.

Brusselsestraat 63, B-3000 LeuvenTel. 016 23 84 27 Fax: 016 29 [email protected] - www.30CC.be/

In&Uit LeuvenCity HallNaamsestraat 1, B-3000 LeuvenTel. 016 20 30 20 Fax 016 20 30 [email protected] - www.inenuitleuven.be

STUK

STUK is an important venue in Leuven andone of the most important arts centers inFlanders. Its programming features theatre,dance, films, music, fine arts, and new media.

In addition to the big names, you can also findthe work of innovative newcomers. Prices arein general very affordable. The opening week,at the beginning of the cultural season, is aunique opportunity to get to know STUK.

STUK also has an elegant „grand café‟ whereyou can drink or eat something, read anewspaper or a book or go on internet forfree. Friday evenings you can listen to a DJ andevery Sunday evening you can enjoy a free jazzconcert („Jazz on Sunday‟).

CinemaZed (see further on this page) isincorporated into STUK and offers a wide

range of films.

Naamsestraat 96, B-3000 LeuvenTel. 016 32 03 [email protected] - www.stuk.be

Movie Theatres in Leuven

Kinepolis Leuven

Kinepolis is a large movie theatre companylocated in most big cities of Belgium.

Bondgenotenlaan 145-149, B-3000 LeuvenTel. 016 31 96 00www.kinepolis.be

Cinema Zed

Cinema Zed is a not-for-profit movie theatrescreening primarily films from the alternativecircuit.

Naamsestraat 96, B-3000 LeuvenTel. 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 10:30p.m.www.cinemazed.be

Museums

Municipal Museum M. Leuven

Museum M is located in the centre of Leuvenand displays art from Leuven & Brabant fromthe middle ages until the 19 th century.

Willemsstraat 7, 3000 LeuvenTel. 016 22 69 06 Fax 016 23 89 30

[email protected] - www.leuven.be/vrije-tijd/museum/




M/Treasury of Saint Peter’s Church

Grote Markt, B-3000 LeuvenTel. 016 29 51 33

*From March 16 to October 15:

Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.Sundays and public holidays from 2:00 p.m. to5:00 pm *From October 16 to March 15: closedon Monday

Libraries

Imec Library

Imec has its very own library with scientificpublications and books ! It‟s permanentlyaccessible for consultation and reading, if youhave a valid imec badge.

KULeuven University Library

The university library system is composed ofmore than 30 libraries spread out over thevarious campuses. The Central library has aspecial mission: to collect and preserve oldbook collections and to preserve olddocuments of general interest. In the readingroom you will find an extensive collection ofencyclopedias, bibliographies and referenceworks; in addition, there is a collection ofbasic reference works for each discipline.Most books and periodicals are kept in closedstacks but you can request them at thecirculation desk. Faculty or departmentlibraries house books and periodicals in theirrespective fields.

The beautiful Campus Library Arenberg (W.

de Croylaan 6, Heverlee) is the main libraryfor researchers in the fields of Science,Bioscience Engineering, Kinesiology andRehabilitation Science.

University Library

Mgr.Ladeuzeplein 21, B-3000 LeuvenTel. 016 32 46 60 Fax: 016 32 46 [email protected]

Leuven Public Library “TW EEBRONNEN ”

The mission of the Leuven public library is topromote knowledge and general cultureamong the inhabitants of Leuven. The libraryhas two floors, each with its own openinghours and distinct character.

The upper floor houses the readingroom

Here you will find reference works in severallanguages, journals, newspapers and weeklyperiodicals (also in languages other thanDutch). There is a documentation centre thatprovides information on the province ofVlaams-Brabant and its various communities,internet PC‟s, online catalogues of thecollections. The reading room has plenty ofseating, working tables and a few screened-offstudy carrels.

The lower floor houses the lendinglibrary

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 bysubject and a diverse collection of comicbooks. But there is more. The library presentsa large collection of CD ‟s and DVD‟s and acollection of reference works on music,movies and stage arts. You can borrow library

items for four weeks.To be able to borrow library materials, youneed a library card. When you‟re over 18,there‟s a small annual fee, when you‟re younger than 18, it‟s for free . Most of thematerials in the library can be lent free ofcharge; only CD ‟s and movies have a lendingfee.

Rijschoolstraat 4, B-3000 LeuvenTel. 016 22 65 [email protected]

www.leuven.be/bibliotheek




Opening hoursMonday: closedTuesday: 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.

Religion

Masses in Dutch

Roman-Catholic

Church of St John the Baptist Groot Begijnhof

Groot Begijnhof, 3000 Leuven0472 45 49 11Sundays at 11:00 a.m.Saturday evenings at 6:15 p.m.Wednesday evenings student celebration 6:15p.m.

Protestant Service

Jesuit Church

There is a Protestant service in Dutch everySunday at 10:00 a.m.

Waversebaan220, B-3001 Heverlee.Tel. 016 22 98 83 [email protected] person: Ernst Veen

Orthodox

The Orthodox Parish of the Holy Apostel andEvangelist Mattheos

All services (liturgy – Sundays at 10:00 a.m. -and vespers – Saturdays at 6:00 p.m.) in Dutchand Old-Slavonic, occasionally with someGreek, English or Romanian.

Contact Person: Priest, Father AlexanderYavarouski, speeks Dutch and Russian,Tervuursestraat 56 (Collegium pro Latina Americaor COPAL), B- 3000 Leuven Tel. 0498 83 45 56

[email protected]/ (website in Dutch,Russian and Greek).

Masses in English

Roman-Catholic

University Parish KULeuven - InternationalCommunity

The University Parish has an English-speakinginternational community whose goal is towelcome people from anywhere in the worldto form a Christian community. They fosteran open atmosphere where people fromdifferent backgrounds, cultures and countries,and various conducts in life, can meet andexperience Christian community in theCatholic tradition.

Every Sunday of the year, at 10:30 a.m., thecommunity celebrates the Eucharist. Theliturgy is followed by a reception wherepeople have the opportunity to meetinformally. The community publishes a weeklybulletin entitled “Bridges”. It containsreflections, news, and spiritual-theologicalinsights. It is available at the Sunday liturgy.

Sacraments (baptism, confirmation, firstcommunion, reconciliation, and marriage) areprepared and celebrated as community events.

Minderbroedersstraat 15, bus 0.09, B-3000Leuven Tel. 016 32 08 13 or 016 32 08 [email protected] www.kuleuven.be/upResponsable: Reimund Bieringer

Masses in English: Sundays at 10:30 a.m.

Holy Spirit College

Naamsestraat 40, B-3000 LeuvenIn English: Sundays at 11:30 a.m.

Anglican

The Anglican community of St M&M‟s: St.Martha and St. Mary of Bethany AnglicanChurch of Leuven

The Anglican community M&M‟s has acelebration every Sunday evening at 6:30 p.m.in the St. Martha and St. Mary of BethanyChapel, Minderbroedersstraat, 15 (JustusLipsius College).

Justus Lipsius College, Minderbroedersstraat 15, B-3000 Leuven




Contact person: Church [email protected]

Evangelical

The International Church of Evangelicals inLeuven

Services in the Pauscollege, Hogeschoolplein3, on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (separate nurseryand Sunday School for children under 12).

Pauscollege,Hogeschoolplein 3, B-3000 LeuvenWorship Service: Sundays at 10:00 a.m.Contact persons: Kees & Toos RosiesBeekstraat 39, 3051 Sint-Joris-WeertTel. 016 40 54 67 or 0475 83 27 46 -www.icel.be

Masses in French

Roman-Catholic

University Parish KULeuvenFrench speaking community

The University Parish has also a french-speaking, african community. The communitycelebrates the Eucharist at 11 a.m. in thechapel of Leo XIII-seminary, entrance viaVesaliusstraat 2.

Tiensestraat 124, B-3000 LeuvenTel. 016 32 55 85www.kuleuven.be/up/international/francais/Responsable: Catho Schoofs

Masses in French: Sundays at 11 a.m.

Masses in Spanish

Roman-Catholic

Saint Michael‟s Church Sint -Michielskerk

A Roman Catholic Mass is held in Spanish onSundays at 12:00 noon.

Naamsestraat 57A, B-3000 LeuvenTel. 016 20 09 06Contact person: Paul AertsTel. 016 31 63 [email protected]

Masses in Arabic

Muslim

International Muslim Students Association ofLeuven (IMSAL )

IMSAL is the official representative of Muslimstudents of KU Leuven. It has its ownStudents Mosque in Rijschoolstraat 25, wherethe daily five prayers are held in addition tothe Friday prayer preceded by Khutba(sermon) in both Arabic and English. Fridayprayer starts at 1:00 pm (2:00 pm. during thesummer months). Celebration of Islamic feastsand daily collective Iftar in Ramadan arearranged every year.

Rijschoolstraat 25, B-3000 LeuvenTel. 016 33 24 39For contact: [email protected]

Al Fath mosque

The mosque belongs to the resident Muslimcommunity of Leuven. Here the daily fiveprayers are held as well as Friday and Feastsprayers. The Khutbas (sermons) of Friday andEid prayers are delivered only in Arabic.

Penitentienenstraat 33, B-3000 LeuvenContact person: Mr. BachiriTel. 016 20 87 02

Other Cities around Leuven

Brussels and Antwerp have communities ofmost religions, including a large Muslim, Jewishand Orthodox community. Smallerdenominations and religions most likely have acommunity in Brussels, Antwerp and/or

Ghent as well.

http://www.icel.be/

http://www.icel.be/



13. HR contact information

HR Desk

For all practical information on employmentand HR administration:

Tel: +32 16 28 77 99Mail: [email protected]

Relocation

For all practical information on relocation andyour stay in Belgium:

Tel: +32 16 28 13 71Mail: [email protected]

[email protected]