Bowtime

Hello all!

I am living in the UK (Since I was born), but a couple of months ago I started a relationship with someone who lives in Belgium.

We have been exploring options on who should go where really and there are both benefits and drawbacks for either choice.

I was really just looking for some help on what stuff I would need to do if I was to move to Belgium. She already has a house so I would not need to buy/rent a home if I moved and more, contribute to costs as you could say.

Qualification wise, I have a level 3 BTEC diploma from a UK College (For everyone else, the education establishment you go to before university/college) in Computing, and I currently work as a IT technician for an English school.

I know about 3 words in Dutch. So I would need to learn that somewhere hopefully

So based on that, what do you reckon my odds would be on finding a job / learning dutch as a foreign language (in antwerp) & is there much of an british expat community around antwerp?


Sorry for the long post. As I hope you will understand, i want to get some information before making the leap of faith

Thanks!

Jerseygirl

Hello and welcome to BE.

As your post contains a lot of detail I have moved it over to our General Europe forum. Unfortunately we do not have a forum dedicated to Belguim...but hopefully the lovely people who frequent this forum will be able to help you.

Good luck.

bronty

Go for it. If you don't you will never know and could live to regret it. What is the worst that can happen? You come home?
Good luck and enjoy, you only live once, and everyone has advice.

Domino

To put it politely................

WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING ASKING US ??

if you don't know what to do then you don't know anything.

is she worth giving up your life in the UK ?

do you fancy the idea of living another European country ?

I'm sorrry, but asking us - the majority in late 50's and 60's, been there done that and have no regrets, or was offered but didnt have the guts to do it and have so many regrets...........

If I read you right, you have already decided, so go to Belgium and build yourself another life.
Remember you may be eligible to get a job at the EU hq at Brussels.

If it goes wrong then you can come home with your tail between your legs, but at least you will be able to build on the experience, instead of having no experience to build on.

I for one don't want to hear from you again until you let us all know when you get there, what you are doing, how its going.
there are many many people out there who just watch/read but don't post who will also be interested

kind regards
Dom

EsuriJohn

You could contact JonBXL on the forum who lives in Brussels. His wife is Flemish so mirrors what you are doing.

Bowtime

I don't know what to do though. Who do I need to tell? Do i need to tell the embassy in Brussels?
Will my qualifications mean anything?

So many questions

bronty

Do not get ahead of yourself. You are under the impression that you have to make commitments now and that is the end. Rubbish.......
Do not do anything. Go and see....Treat is as a holiday at first.
Spend a few days to see what is there and what the possibililties are.
Most of all do you like what you see?
If not....come home.
There will be people who speak English, there will be people who will assist you if you need it. There is really no more to say.

Domino

you are dithering and I am starting to change my mind about how committed you are

As Bronty says - make an exploratory visit, spend a week there, make a prior appointment with the embassy and discuss things with them
get the feel of the place, how much alike it is to the UK, just "different"
theory says your certificates are transferrable (EU law says so) but if there is a language problem then an employer will not take you on, no matter how cheap you sell yourself.
remember you have your love to keep you warm (?)

so it goes pear-shaped - you gave it a whirl and you can add it to the CV as experience.
just remember that from something so small at the beginning a huge market for you Bowtime is waiting out there - if you can get there. There are many Brits in the area and other local countries - just look at LinkedIn to see them.

so - what is keeping your moored to the UK, a huge anchor chain, a piece of thick hemp OR a piece of string.??

dmu

Hi, is your "some one who lives in Belgium" actually Belgian? Maybe a detail, but they surely know the ropes, work possibilities, etc... and a companion is the best one to teach you the language...
After two month's of acquaintance, it will be an adventure to move in with them and live the Belgian life!
I've just been on a trip to Amsterdam and can say that, speaking German, I could understand most of the written signs, but impossible to understand the spoken language. I presume that most Flemish people speak English, but this won't help when you've got bi- or trilingual candidates running after the same jobs that you apply for....
Go for it, and if it doesn't work out, then chalk it up as experience!

Bowtime

Thanks for everyone's quick replies

@Domino, I'm not doing it hastily (like everything else I seem to do) and would rather find out what I need to do before I go.
Unless something major happens I will probably go for a few months to see how it turns out. I dont want to turn up in Antwerp one day and forget to say to the UK Govt that I was leaving (Do I have to do this btw?).
I assume I have to goto the embassy in Brussels to tell them where I plan on living from now on.

And the only thing keeping me in the UK currently is my job which is a apprenticeship (As its hard to get jobs in the IT industry out of college with no degree, an apprenticeship was the only way to go) and the training finishes in April '13 so Im waiting for that really. Although its only a level 2 qualification (GCSE Level for everyone who doesnt know) its work bugger all, but I cant really put on my CV... "Left job & training in UK mid term to live in brussels with partner", as then people will question that. I was already questioned alot when I left my previous job due to the management being, very very hard to work with.

@dmu- Yes she is.

Domino

right, now we are getting to the bones a bit.
lets get one thing straight - no one has to "report to the embassy" when in another country. they dont have the staff for all that malarky. you might advise them as a matter of courtesy, when you get round to it. But if you should move you will have to tell them. It is usually the local authorities who will be more interested.

so finish your apprenticeship, your girlfriend understands that (?) and will wait, try to arrange alternate visits over the next 6m, giving you time to get to know her and the area she lives in, the locals, the "feel" of the place.
ask at the embassy if they know of any jobs/employers, also check EU headquarters, they employ thousands.

by trawling BE past posts you will find out more about the area, get maps, download from google if necessary, learn about the area.
most of the Belgians speak fairly reasonable English, although the older ones may not.
also look for expat jobs on the internet and start preparing.

kr

dmu

If it's Brussels, then you'd learn French with your gf and there may be work opportunities in the EU organisations (although I imagine there are competitive exams to take to get in and your lack of languages would let you down).
But you said in your first post that she lived in Antwerp.

Domino

I am getting confused with where you are at education wise,

but then at my age, born before the 60's, we didnt have all these certificates and things, we just had an education

but that aside you may like to look at The European Job Portal
http://ec.europa.eu/eures/main.jsp?a...ntCategory=482

this can be the first step to employment in the EU and includes those at their Brussels HQ.
When/if you leave the UK you should notify DWP who will issue you with an S1 form transferring your UK medical rights to Belgium. An EHIC is only for holidays.
http://brussels.angloinfo.com/inform...thcare-abroad/

handy hints on moving abroad can be found at
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/BritonsL...road/index.htm

Bowtime

Sorry, I meant antwerp. Had been a long day at work when typing the OP.

People asking for password changes all day kills your brain a bit after a while

I have a BTEC Level 3 Diploma in IT support. I am currently doing an apprenticeship at level 2 BECAUSE its near-on impossible (or just really good luck) to get a job out of college with no experience. So the qualification wont be worth the paper its printed on but its the year's experience im looking for.

Domino

its only oldies like me that knock certificates, having been to the school of hard knocks where certificates mean nothing.

However, they are part of the employment pattern of modern life, you need them to not only prove the training you have had but also to prove to a potential employer that you can stay the course and knuckle down to more learning. From that an employer may find they have something to build on.

But I have seen people who have arrived for interview with a display folder of all their certificates to impress and succeeded - but proved to be absolutely useless. Like the guy who had one, was put in charge of company telephones but just couldnt get his head round VOIP, and as to "multi-moding" .

As you are finding, the only true experience is "hands on". All the certificate does is prove you have raised yourself out of incompetance far enough to be relatively safe.