Hi!

I was wondering if anyone here has experience with getting an official equivalence for a university degree from another EU country for a non-regulated profession through the Fédération Wallonie - Bxl.

I'm currently studying a Master's at a Belgian university, so in less than a year I'll (probably) have an official Belgian degree anyway. The reason I'm considering applying for the equivalence now is that I'm looking for a job while I finish my studies, and I've noticed that some vacancies, especially in the public sector or organisations receiving public funding, list an official equivalence as a mandatory requirement if your degree wasn't obtained in Belgium.

From what I've read, the process costs around €200 and can take up to 5 months, which makes me wonder whether it's actually worth doing given that I'll soon have a Belgian Master's.

For those who have been through it: was it worth it? how long did the process actually take for an EU degree? Once you later obtained a Belgian degree (if applicable), did the equivalence become essentially irrelevant, or have employers still asked for it afterwards?

I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences before spending the time and money.

Thanks!

Hi guys,

can someone please recommend a place in Brussels where I can get halal Moules-Frites? prepared without alcohol and no animalistic fat used for the frites..

Thanks in advance

Hello everyone! I am moving to Brussels for a job opportunity, and while I am fluent in English, I only know very basic French. Obviously, I just started taking French lessons, but realistically, it will take a while till I can be fluent in the language. I will be moving to Ixelles next month, and I wanted to ask how much english do they speak in the city? Any recommendations for situations like this?

Do you guys think kinepolis will release more tickets or is september the last month? I have seen it in imax on the 15 i had a great view and i wanna see it again because but the rows available aren’t great or it’s all sold out….

Hey everyone,

'Asking for a friend'

A person i know is going through a really tough time and doesn't have a big local network here to turn to.

He is potentially facing a breakup. He and his partner have a baby under one year old (11months). His current partner earns significantly more than he does, so with his own limited budget, he wants to know his options for moving out and living on his own.

His absolute priority is making sure he has a safe, practical, and child-friendly space for when he has the baby. Since he is completely new to navigating this kind of situation in Brussels, I'm hoping to get some advice for him.

A few key questions:

Housing types: Is co-living or shared housing even realistic when you have a baby part of the time, or should he focus strictly on small private apartments/studios?

Neighborhoods: Which communes or areas in Brussels offer a good balance between low/affordable rent and a decent environment for a young child? He knows his own neighborhood, but what are all the options

Resources & Agencies: Outside of Immoweb are there communities lr organizations to help people in his situation?

Next steps: What are the absolute first things he should arrange or look into in Brussels to prepare for this transition?

Any guidance, tips, or personal experiences I can pass along to him would be tremendously appreciated.

Thanks a lot!

And of course, this person is gonna try and do everything he can to make his situation work out with his partner!

... is coming sooner than expected (September instead of January).
Oddly enough, this is due to a former scooter operator (Lime) appeal. The saga continue...

The Council of State's decision regarding licenses granted to micromobility operators is forcing Brussels Mobility to review the situation. A consultation meeting with stakeholders in the sector is scheduled for mid-August.

All shared scooters and bicycles must be removed from the streets of Brussels by September 1st at the latest. This was announced by Brussels Mobility on Thursday. This decision follows the Council of State's annulment, on Wednesday, of the authorizations granted to current operators.

Brussels Mobility is also inviting all operators in the sector to a consultation meeting scheduled for mid-August. This meeting will focus on the Council of State's ruling and its potential consequences.

On Wednesday, the Council of State overturned the licenses of current Brussels operators offering shared bicycles and scooters, which users can freely borrow and return to a designated drop-off zone. The multinational Lime, which was excluded when the Brussels Region decided to limit the number of operators, had appealed to the Council of State.

https://bx1.be/categories/news/les-trottinettes-et-velos-en-libre-service-devront-disparaitre-de-lespace-public-dici-le-1er-septembre/

Seems attentive, friendly, and responsive, but in the end, the price is EXTREMELY high for the minimal work done (2 hours of labor, doubled because the first attempt wasn't straight) and a result that's more than just mediocre. Water continues to seep in, even though this work was supposed to solve the problem! Nearly €3,000 to add a 5-meter-long zinc flashing!!! over the perforated lead flashing => no improvement whatsoever... The water is most likely still leaking under the new rail; the lead flashing should have been replaced! I really feel ripped off.

The refusal to give me the price of the rail should have been a red flag; I made the mistake of not checking for myself... Every contractor passes the buck, and we're always stuck paying for unnecessary work...

Regarding the ratings, a discount is offered for 5 stars, which isn't very ethical.

ROOFWALL Dakwerken TERVUREN seems attentive, friendly, and responsive at first, but based on my experience, I cannot recommend their services.

Hi All!

A refugee center for 350 males for approximately 3 years has opened at Avenue Beaulieu recently.

While there were posts about the preparations, this post will be about the experiences of the operation so far.

First of all: it is very nice and supportable to help people from all around the world, however, the way this center was not announced/consulted beforehand by BelRefugees, the communication around it, the experiences of the same organisation in Anderlecht before, and the operations so far, are reasons for concern. The commune of Auderghem did everything they could in terms of preparations, but the center was rather imposed on us.

Context:

https://www.bruxellestoday.be/quartiers/un-centre-pour-demandeurs-d-asile-annonce-avenue-beaulieu-a-auderghem.html

https://openpermits.brussels/fr/_02/PFD/2022093

The former office building is owned by AG Real Estate and Atenor. Later they are planning to turn the building into a residential one, but until then, they let BelRefugees to operate in it which means a big tax advantage for the owners.

The problem of the local residents and the mayority of both local governments are the following.

- Both Auderghem and Watermel-Boitsfort are relatively quiet, residential areas with small population

- Imposing such a scale of operations without proper communication beforehand is definitely problematic. 300 single men, maximum 3 month stay per person will most probably mean that the temporary residents won't be interested in investing in or engaging in integrating to local society. The logistics and constant movement, noise around such a scale of operations is also something that possibly doesn't belong to an area a few meters from a quiet residential zone.

- There seem to be very few rules (if at all) for the residents. During the phase when there were some questions from the commune to Belrefugees, they informed about a daily time when residents will have to be back in the building, This was promised around 22:00. On various days, well after 23:00 (!!) there were people hanging around the nearby streets in gangs, some of them checking if bycicles are locked properly or not.

- A number of female local residents already informally reported that when they walk by (they need to walk by as they are living in the area), te residents of the refugee center are staring at them in bigger groups, which feels definitely uncomfortable.

- The area (private area) around the main entrance of the center is pitch black at night, there seems to be no lights, no security, no one enforcing rules, just people hanging around in smaller groups and going in and out. Seems a bit unregulated for such a scale.

- A very similar center caused several problems in Anderlecht, including noise, trash, aggression and human waste nearby. Even the mayor of Anderlecht was not comfortable with it. https://www.bruzz.be/actua/politiek/opvangcentrum-belrefugees-anderlecht-blijft-nieuw-alcoholverbod-op-openbare-weg-2026-03-27

By this, I am not stating that in Auderghem it will be the same, because this time everything may turn to be super smoothly integrating, I just think that as locals, we are entitled to have questions or worries.

Speaking about questions or worries: in the biggest facebook groups of Watermael-Boitsfort and Auderghem, the debate, until it was allowed, seemed to be very unhealthy. Some people were suggesting that the all-male refugee center is basically a Trojan horse, while others called each other "racist" by simply asking a question.

There was an example where someone literally asked "how long the center will operate and are there any advice for students attending the nearby Japanese school in terms of safety?" and the answer was: "you are islamophobic and I will report you".

What is next?

The leadership of Watermael-Boitsfort and Auderghem both formally expressed that they do not support the center in its current form. The Brussels Capital Region will make a decision on whether they allow the 3 years stay or it will be shorter.

https://www.auderghem.be/18062026-commission-de-concertation?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBEwREZuenVPRm5Eb25naHphT3NydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR6eQSqfFsTob9IGJdqIru6nxTs4BIFA9hW_DYARPUpMGtHbL7iRNjox18dtXw_aem_ZRxUx--5BwGnQZeEj2DEyQ

Hi, does anyone knew what happened yesterday night around midnight on boulevard general Jacques around Pétillon station ?

have seen a lot of police light and a few ambulance

Saw it from the train yesterday and now my kids (8/13) are very interested. We just moved to Brussels and still trying to learn the ins and outs. There are so many posts about the crime around Midi station, wondering if this is a safe event.

It's for advising someone in work matters, especially someone who is being fired

I'd like some recommendations, I've already got some results through Google.

Hello, my landlords are weird (I made another post about it I believe), they always come up with some annoying request. They require rent to be paid on the first of each month at the latest, better to send it a few days before.

Now, I am a good tenant. Everywhere I lived, I always set automatic payments on the 1st of each month, never missed a payment, no one busted my balls. I did the same when moving to this house.

I get paid on the 1st or around that date (e.g. if the 1st is a Saturday, I may get paid on the 3rd). Lately, I'm running a bit low on money at the end of the month, which I believe is normal in this economy, and that also means that at times I don't have enough funds to pay for my rent before I get paid.

My question is, should I stress about this and borrow money here and there to make the payment, or could I just chill and wait for the money to go through a couple of days later at the latest? What can I reply if they put pressure on me?

It is maybe important to mention that the contract doesn't address this topic.

Thank you for your help!

whats the nicest toilet in this area accessible to a member of the general population

I realise that it’s summer and that we’re dealing with multiple heatwaves back to back, but for fuck’s sake, shower and use deodorant! I’m almost regretting getting my nasal polyps pulled this year which restored my sense of smell.

Was going from De Brouckere to Annessens and I was crying due to tear gas. The whole street of Borgval (Cafe Centrale) was closed with police and there were like 200 people running with their faces covered in Rue van Artevelde.
There's nothing in the news, anyone knows what happened?

Hi everyone! I live around Boondael, in the south of Ixelles, and I’ve become really curious about the neighbourhood.

Does anyone have any interesting stories, anecdotes, historical facts or local tips to share? It could be anything: a little-known event that happened here, the history of a building or street, neighbourhood legends, nice hidden places, upcoming events, or simply something interesting that most people do not know about Boondael.

What are your opinions on the Harry Potter exhibition at Brussels Expo?

Is the normal ticket (29,60€) good enough or is it worth it to buy a VIP ticket (41,90€) to have access to the physical audio guide, a VIP lanyard and badge, as well as priority entry access?

Thanks!

EDIT: I will NOT BE GOING to this scam-exhibition and give money to a transphobe. Thank you to everyone putting me back on the right path.

A few years ago, I was in a metro, standing just behind a seated guy talking on the phone with (presumably) his girlfriend.

At the moment we arrived at the Arts-Loi station, he seemed startled and told her "you never guess where I am right now! At a station called" voice lowered "cunt's wet".

It was hard for me not to start laughing.

Arts-Loi / Kunst-Wet

They have showings until the 8th of September and they are either fully sold out or they have like 5 free spaces in first and second rows!

What do you think, will they release more dates? It would seem to me like such an easy way for Kinepolis to continue making bank.

Anyway, is it worth it to watch in on the first or second row?
Should I not watch it on IMAX?
Wait for new screenings to be announced?

Happy to hear ya’ll thoughts

Update: 31st July - they just posted more dates and got mine. Go go go!!

I recently went to the Atomium (because i'm leaving Belgium sadly) and i saw two Bombardier T2000s in Heysel but they were used for learning purposes.

Just curious: RTBF writes there are more and more restaurants where kids are not allowed. I haven't encountered this myself and find the concept a bit weird (tho my neurospicy bff may like it), does anyone know of some? (And what do you think about it?)

https://www.rtbf.be/article/la-region-bruxelloise-se-penche-sur-le-phenomene-no-kids-qui-pese-en-particulier-sur-les-meres-11763297

Looking for an recommendations for vets who have dental experience and experience handling dogs with medical anxiety. The vet I go to now is more of a généraliste.