Belgium
België Belgique Belgien
Learn how to participate in national and European Parliament elections while studying abroad as a citizen from Belgium. Check out the table below for document requirements, registration procedures, and useful links.
- Voting is mandatory
- Minimum age required to vote: 16
- For more information, check out the official webpage
How can I vote from abroad?
Vote
by proxy
This voting mode is available.
- Upfront registration required
- Required documents:
For being able to appoint a proxy voter, Belgian citizens have to register in advance, and the form can be found on the official website of the Federal Public Service of the Kingdom of Belgium. When requesting vote by proxy, the voter has to take into account the following regulations: the proxy cannot have already accepted the proxy of another voter, the proxy needs to have a Belgian nationality, the proxy must agree; the proxy has to have an extract of the power of attorney as an annex to his own invitation - power of attorney form.
More info at this link.
- Digital request allowed
Vote
electronically
This voting mode is not available.
Vote
by post
This voting mode is available.
- Upfront registration required
- Required documents:
After registering for voting by post/mail, the Belgian national who lives abroad recieves - at the address indicated on the registration form - an electoral envelope including a ballot paper, a return envelope, an identification form and an explanatory note. The documents are sent from Belgium no earlier than 24 days before the election and must reach Belgium no later than the day of the eleciton, before the polling stations close.
More info at this link.
- Digital request allowed
Vote
from the embassy
This voting mode is available.
- Upfront registration required
- Required documents:
- approved application form for voting in embassy/consulate
proof of identity (Belgian ID or a passport)
More info at this link.
- Digital request allowed
European Parliament elections
Belgian citizens living in another EU member state or in a third country and who are registered at the consular post in their country of residence have the obligation to vote. Belgian citizens eligible to vote and who reside abroad must choose a voting method in advance: voting in person or by proxy in a polling station in Belgium, or in a consular post in their country of residence, or by mail.
- Upfront registration required
- Registration deadline:
- Minimum age required to vote in the EU elections: 16
- Check out the official webpage
Cost of living
| Price | |
|---|---|
| a room in a 3 bedrooms shared flat in the city centre | 389€/month |
| a meal | 15€ |
| a cappuccino | 2.88€ |
These are average costs of living for Belgium. Costs can differ accross cities and locations. For more details, you can check numbeo website.
Inclusion
| Rank | Value | |
|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Index | 2 | 74.24 |
Source:
Rainbow Europe, 2021.
Check out Belgium profile on InclusiveMobility.eu
Rainbow Europe
Rainbow Europe by ILGA-Europe illustrates the legal and policy situation of LGBTI people in Europe. It ranks all 49 European countries on a scale between 0% (gross violations of human rights, discrimination) and 100% (respect of human rights, full equality), on the basis of laws and policies that have a direct impact on the LGBTI people’s human rights in under 6 categories: equality and non-discrimination; family; hate crime and hate speech; legal gender recognition and bodily integrity; civil society space; and asylum.
Discover InclusiveMobility.eu
The InclusiveMobility.eu is the European platform about inclusion and support services offered by higher education institutions, national agencies, and ministries for education to international students. In its current version, the platform aims to provide to students with disabilities all the information they need to study abroad.
Quality of life
| Rank | Value | |
|---|---|---|
| Human Development Index | 14 | 0.931 |
| World Press Freedom Index | 11 | 11.69 |
Human Development Index
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistic composite index of life expectancy, education, and per capita income indicators, which are used to rank countries into four tiers of human development. A country scores a higher HDI when the lifespan is higher, the education level is higher, and the gross national income GNI (PPP) per capita is higher.
World Press Freedom Index
The World Press Freedom Index is an important advocacy tool based on the principle of emulation between states, published every year by Reporters Without Borders. It is a snapshot of the media freedom situation based on an evaluation of pluralism, independence of the media, quality of legislative framework and safety of journalists in each country.
ESN sections supporting international students
- ESN Antwerp
- ESN Geel
- ESN Gent
- ESN HEC Liege
- ESN HELMo
- ESN HEPL
- ESN Hasselt
- ESN ICHEC ECAM Brussels
- ESN KULBrussels
- ESN Leonardo Kortrijk
- ESN Leuven
- ESN Louvain-la-Neuve
- ESN Mechelen
- ESN Mons
- ESN Saint-Louis Brussels
- ESN ULB Brussels
- ESN ULiège
- ESN VUB EhB Brussels
Higher education institutions
Mobility opportunities
This information is not available at the moment.
