Belgium is one of the most affluent and stable countries in the world, and it is also the political center of Europe. Belgium harmoniously combines the charm of the past with modern culture and innovation. It is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, and France to the south and west. It is washed by the North Sea to the northwest. Currently, there are flights from Moscow and Saint Petersburg with layovers in Istanbul and Antalya. The travel time with layovers is from 8 hours to a day.

There are a total of 6 international airports in the country: Brussels, Brussels-Charleroi, Ostend-Bruges, Liège, Antwerp, and Bruges.

Belgium is a highly developed post-industrial state with intensive agriculture. The country is distinguished by a high standard of living, world-class education and healthcare, and is especially convenient as an air and ground transportation hub. The economy is formed by private entrepreneurship, thanks to the country’s central geographical location, highly developed transportation network, and diversified industrial and trade base.

There are three official languages in Belgium: French, Dutch, and German.

The ethnic composition in Belgium is divided into: 58% Flemish, 31% Walloons, and 11% mixed and other ethnic groups.

The majority of believers are Catholics, and other recognized religions include Islam and Protestantism. Additionally, Belgians are adherents of Judaism, Anglicanism, and Orthodoxy. The church is separated from the state.

The climate of Belgium is a moderate maritime climate, typical for the whole of Western Europe. The Belgian climate is characterized by mild and rainy winters and cool, rainy summers. Snow is rare in Belgium, and in some years does not fall at all, with occasional winter frosts. Summer is cool; the weather in Belgium is characterized by its cyclonic nature. Heat is a rare and short-lived phenomenon.

Rent

1-bedroom apartment in the city center – €815 1-bedroom apartment on the outskirts – €688 3-bedroom apartment in the city center – €11,237 3-bedroom apartment on the outskirts – €1,026

Dining Out

Dinner in an inexpensive restaurant – from €17
Dinner in a mid-priced establishment – about €75

Food Prices in Belgium
Milk (1 liter) – €1
Eggs (12 pieces) – €3
Loaf of white bread (500g) – €2
Chicken fillet (1 kg) – €10
Beef (1 kg) – €15

Communication and Internet

A monthly mobile phone plan with Lycamobile including calls and 7 GB of data costs €20.

The healthcare system in Belgium is recognized as one of the best in the world. It is divided into public and private sectors, both of which are paid.

There is a mandatory health insurance system based on hospital funds. The main duty of these hospital funds is to reimburse expenses to medical institutions and specialists for providing medical services to insured citizens. All officially employed Belgians and self-employed individuals operating in the country must be registered and make contributions to the Belgian Health Insurance Fund. The size of the monthly contribution to the Health Insurance Fund is fixed at 7.35% of the salary. Health insurance covers 99% of the population, and children under the age of 18 are covered by their parents’ insurance.

Payment within the Public Health Insurance (PHI) services is only for services actually provided and comes in two forms:

• In the form of direct payments, where the patient pays for the services received entirely from their own funds, and then receives a full or partial reimbursement of their expenses from the hospital fund.
• With the involvement of a third party (in this case, payment for the services provided is made directly by the hospital funds, and the patient only pays the co-payment and the cost of additional and non-reimbursable services from their own funds.

Since state medical services in Belgium are subsidized and not free, most residents additionally purchase private health insurance policies to gain access to private medical services and to expand the insurance package with additional options.

Налоговые ставки в Бельгии являются одними из самых высоких в Европе.
Каждое физическое лицо, являющееся резидентом страны (проводящее на ее территории более 6 месяцев в год), оплачивает налог  от 0 до  50% в зависимости от суммы дохода.

Размер пошлины для юридических лиц зависит от уровня дохода фирмы. Если годовая прибыль превышает 322500 евро, ставка налогообложения равна 33,99%. Если суммарный доход от всех источников меньше указанной суммы, налогоплательщик может рассчитывать на пониженную ставку.

Прирост капитала приравнивается к доходу и облагается по вышеприведенным ставкам, отдельного налога по данному пункту не существует.

Уровень НДС в Бельгии составляет 21%. Для некоторых видов услуг, куда включены фармакология, ресторанный сервис, сбыт твердотопливных материалов и прочее, ставка снижена до 12%. На продовольственные товары первой необходимости и лекарств предусмотрена пошлина 6%.

Размер гербового сбора – 12,5%, государственной пошлины нет.

Образовательная система Бельгии выглядит следующим образом:

базовое образование — дошкольное (2,5–6 лет) и начальное (6–12 лет);

среднее образование (12–18 лет);

высшее образование.

Получение среднего образования в Бельгии является аналогом колледжей в других европейских странах. Высшая ступень относится к учебе в университетах.

В Бельгии достаточно рано начинают проводить профориентацию.

Получить высшее образование в Бельгии можно только на платной основе, кроме случаев  когда студент выиграет грант, то, конечно же, учиться он сможет бесплатно. Остальные студенты обязаны платить плату за обучение, которое начинается от 4 000 евро в год. Однако, некоторые специальности могут стоить и дороже, например, учеба на медицинском факультете может обойтись от 9 000 евро в год , плюс уплата регистрационного сбора, который обычно составляет порядка 500-800 евро и платится лишь один раз. В Бельгии есть три официальных языка – французский, немецкий и голландский. Но несмотря на это, в большинстве университетов обучение проходит на французском и английском языке.