Haute Ecole Libre Mosane

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Think International

Practical information



Plus belle la vie à Liège...!


Liège is a city at the gateway to Europe. It is located 30 minutes from Maastricht, 50 minutes from Aachen, one hour from Brussels, two and a half hours from the North Sea (Ostend), two and a half hours from Amsterdam and four hours from Paris. These cities are very interesting to discover, visit and explore since you can travel very easily with a well-developed train network.

The metropolis Liège nicknamed Cité ardente (literally “burning city”) is a welcoming and lively city and therefore the number one tourist destination in Wallonia. Liège has 200,000 inhabitants and a rich history and culture.

With more than 30,000 students in high schools, colleges of higher education and universities, Liège is a real student city. Its famous “Carré” has many bars, cafés, restaurants, and cinemas where students meet each other and will offer you many opportunities to meet new people.

 

 

 

Other practical information

Further information about For further information about Liège:
www.liege.be
Visiter Liège

Arrival

  1. Two weeks before coming to HELMo, confirm your arrival date to the departmental coordinators, to the person responsible for incoming students (m.habay@helmo.be) and to the ESN team (esn.helmo@gmail.com)   so they can organise your arrival at least 2 weeks in advance. If you know your arrival date before the 10th July, thanks to communicate it as well.
  2. Ways to get to Liège:
==> By plane:

Check Ryanair or Brussels Airlines. Both of them offer special rates for exchange students (click here for Ryanair or here for Brussels Airlines).

From Brussels International Airport (Zaventem): take the train from the airport station to LEUVEN (Louvain). Pay attention: there is an airport tax you need to pay in addition to your train ticket (= Diabolo ticket). Then take the train to Liège Guillemins (LUIK Guillemins). You must buy a Go-pass (= 10 ways anywhere in Belgium for 5,5) instead of one train ticket.

From Brussels South Airport (Charleroi via Ryanair): take a taxi or a shuttle to Charleroi Sud Station then take the train to Liège Guillemins.

Ryanair has started flights to Maastricht/Aachen Airport (30 minutes from Liège) from Girona (Tuesdays and Saturdays) and Alicante (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays) in Spain as well as Bari (Wednesdays and Sundays) in Italy.

Good to know: there is an airport in Liège. Not a lot of flights leave from there. However, the TUIFLY company organises airplanes to Alicante (Tu, Wed, Fri, Sat) and Malaga (Tu, Fri).

==> By train:

In Belgium, any train going to Liège Guillemins (Luik Guillemins) or Liège Palais.
In Europe, the Interrail-Eurail trains will give you the chance to travel everywhere in Europe.
 
==> By bus (Eurolines, Flixbus, ...)

       3. Once in Liège, it is recommended (mandatory for non-European students) to go to the "Cité administrative" to register. You need your ID card or valid passport, learning agreement, acceptance letter, arrival certificate, two passport photos, 8  euros and a proof of your health insurance.
 
  1. To get around the city, there is the TEC bus company which offers a bus network throughout Wallonia. The number 4 bus crosses the whole city, making it easy to go from one place to the other, and it drives frequently during the day.
  

Necessary documents

ID,PASSPORT,VISA:

In addition to the usual travel arrangements, you will need to complete some formalities in your home country.

Choose the correct visa adapt  to your situation (not usually needed if you come from EU).
More information here

For EU students:
You need a valid passport or ID card and a temporary stay permission document depending on your home country (please check with the Belgian embassy or consulate in your country). For more information or questions, please contact Manon Habay.

NO UE:
  • You need a valid passport
  •   Manon Habay will send you the necessary document to apply for a visa. Then,  you need to contact the Belgian embassy or consulate to get the appropriate visa.  She will contact (if necessary) the foreign affairs office once your visa request is made. Do not hesitate to consult this website https://diplomatie.belgium.be/en.
  • Pay the administrative fees
  • You must prove you have sufficient income for your stay in Belgium (minimum € 789 per month). !!WARNING!! This amount does not include bank transfer fees, food, trips, train, buses, and any other extras.
  • A certificate of good conduct and a medical certificate attesting to your good health.
  • Subscribe an health assurance
  • An acceptance letter and registration form from HELMo.  
 

​Bank:

Make sure your bank card has the MAESTRO service, which will allow you to pay in shops and withdraw money from ATMs.
Using a credit card is another option, but this service is more expensive.

Health insurance:

WHICH DOCUMENTS DO I NEED TO RECEIVE HEALTH CARE IN BELGIUM?
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE TO A MEDICAL COMPANY?
  1. If you are a student from the European Economic Area (EEA), you are always covered by the social security system of your country. Go to the local mutual insurance company with your European health insurance card  so you can get vignettes. In case of emergency, you will have to go to the hospital to the relevant department (emergency) with the same card. You can also apply for supplementary insurance through an application form. The contribution is € 13.00/month (rate on 01/01/2020).
      
You have two options:
  • Either you keep all your certificates (including doctor visits, pharmacy receipts, any hospital bills) and you will claim them back when you return to your country of origin.
  • Either you subscribe to a Belgian health insurance fund, which will cost you nothing and you will be reimbursed directly here in Belgium.
 
  1. If you are a non-European student or if you are not covered anymore by social security in your country:
  • Either you are registered in the Belgian population register (as a resident), in which case you must take out insurance with an insurance company with your identity card and you must subscribe to the additional insurance (AC: assurance complémentaire = complementary insurance, €39  per quarter).
  • Either you are not registered in the Belgian population register (as a student), in which case you have to take out insurance with a insurance company with a certificate from the school confirming your registration in a higher education institution. You also need to pay € 63,43 for ‘assurance obligatoire’ (mandatory insurance) per term in order to be reimbursed by the social security. Depending on your own income, it may cost you nothing. You also have to take out a supplementary insurance with the insurance company, amounting to € 39 per term.

HOUSING

You want to find accommodation? Here are some tips !

In Belgium we have ‘kots’ (of private owners). The students usually stay in an individual room, but share the kitchen, living room, shower, and toilet with other students. This type of housing allows you to meet students of all countries and different levels of study.

Look at these links :

Student housing, Bld d'Avroy

https://erasmust.eu/menu-pages/accommodation/

http://www.kotaliege.be/

http://www.meuse-campus.be/ 

http://www.todayinliege.be/The-Student-Hotel-un-chez-soi-loin

Housing anywhere

http://www.chickandkot.be

Airbnb

Immoweb (for students who want to share an apartment or student who stay an entire year)

Facebook’s group: Recherche kot/appartement/colocation à Liege, LIEGE A LOUER - bouche à oreille, Liege a louer: appart-maison bouche a oreille, colocation/kot - Liège (province), Location etudiants liège

http://www.pagesdor.be/ : research « immobilier liège » in order to find an agency which can help you to find accommodation.

If you arrive in Belgium without having an accommodation, don’t worry! You can rent a room in the youth Hostel, l’Auberge Simenon (http://www.lesaubergesdejeunesse.be/Liege-Tarifs?lang=fr) or check Airbnb to find an accommodation.

Some essential information

The rental contract: for every rent, you must sign a rental contract, which is usually for one year (12 months, but you can always negotiate with the landlord). When you sign the contract, you need to pay the security deposit.

The security deposit is an amount of one or two months of rent which is requested when signing the contact. It will be reimbursed after your stay at the end of the rental contract when you give back the key and if there isn’t any damage.

All these information can be found on http://www.studyinbelgium.be where you can find a lot of administrative and practical information for your stay in Belgium.
 

COST OF LIVING :

The minimum amount required to live in Belgium is 666€ per month. This won't be enough to cover all the extra fees. Make sure you do not run out of money during your stay.

Approximative prices

The "centre J" of Liège:  information centre for young people (students) which is situated 5 Boulevard d'Avroy 4000 Liège. You can contact them by email to centrej@liege.be in order to prepare your stay in Liège.