Practical guide for international PhD researchers Antwerp Doctoral School 2 TABLE OF CONTENT WELCOME 4 INTRODUCTION TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ANTWERP 5 Academic system at the university 6 Rules and regulations for PhD researchers 6 Stage 1 BEFORE your stay 7 IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS 8 Student visa 9 • Fees for your visa 10 LIVING IN ANTWERP: FINDING HOUSING 11 The cost of living in Antwerp 12 Temporary accommodation 13 • Hotels 13 • Hostels/temporary housing 13 Preparations for long-term renting 14 • Houses and apartments/flats 14 • Student accommodation (‘Kot’) 16 INSURANCE 18 DRIVING IN BELGIUM 18 FAMILY 18 PETS 18 UNIVERSITY OF ANTWERP 19 Getting here 19 Location of the campuses 20 Stage 2 DURING your stay 21 WHAT TO DO UPON ARRIVAL 22 WHAT TO DO DURING THE FIRST WEEKS HERE 23 Enrolment at the University of Antwerp 23 • Email address 24 • Online tools 24 Initial meeting with the HR department 25 • Categories of Academic Personnel 25 Residence permit 27 Health insurance 28 Other insurances 30 Flemish social protection 31 Bank account 31 Children: Child benefit 31 BELGIAN GOVERNMENT SERVICES 32 Compulsory city and province taxes 32 • Tax letter from the Province of Antwerp 32 • Tax letter from the Federal Tax Office 32 • Town taxes 32 Extension of the residence permit 33 Change of address 33 PRACTICAL INFORMATION ON LIVING IN ANTWERP 34 Accommodation 34 • Renting a house or apartment 34 • Student accommodation ‘Kot’ 37 Antwerp city life 38 • A-kaart 38 Children: childcare & schools 39 Service vouchers (as for cleaning) 40 Laundry 40 Library 40 Medical services 41 Mobile phone/television/internet 42 Recycling your waste 43 • Recycling centre 43 PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR INTERNATIONAL PHD RESEARCHERS UAntwerpen.be 3 TABLE OF CONTENT TRANSPORT 44 Public transport (bus/trams) 44 Train 44 Bike 45 Steps- & Scooter-shares 47 Car 48 Taxi 49 PRACTICAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF ANTWERP 50 Activities 50 Buddy project 50 Conflict mediation 50 Culture 51 Doctoral Day 52 Language courses 52 MONDO 53 Students and staff restaurants 54 University regulations and facilities 54 • Active pluralism 54 VABAP 54 Workplace health and safety 54 Stage 3 AFTER your stay 55 OBTAINING YOUR DIPLOMA 56 EARLY TERMINATION OF YOUR PHD 56 DEREGISTRATION IN BELGIUM 57 REGISTERING AS AN ALUMNUS/-A 58 TERMINATION OF CONTRACTS AND INSURANCES 58 General information 59 IMPORTANT TELEPHONE NUMBERS 60 PHARMACIES 60 HOSPITALS 61 STORES 62 IMPORTANT CONTACTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ANTWERP 65 INTRODUCTION TO DUTCH 66 PUBLIC HOLIDAYS 67 Colofon 68 DISCLAIMER: IMPORTANT! All amounts mentioned in this brochure may be subject to changes in the future. Please consult the latest information on the relevant websites. FOR YOUR INFORMATION Many of the websites are not available in English (only in Dutch and French). However, they contain crucial information so they are listed anyway. This document contains links to provide you with even more detailed information: links to external websites are written in orange; links that refer to another chapter in this brochure are written in red. UAntwerpen.be 4 WELCOME WELCOME An exciting new chapter in your life is about to start: you are moving abroad to Antwerp, Belgium, on your own or with your family. It will surely be a new adventure, challenge and experience. We, the University of Antwerp, would really like to welcome you to our city and our university – soon to be your city and your university too. There are many things to take into account when you move abroad. This brochure is aimed at all international PhD researchers, non-European as well as European, and intends to guide you through the practical steps of the moving process so you can start your new adventure as pleasantly as possible. Seeing as many different situations can apply, not every chapter in this brochure might be as relevant to your specific situation, but it will definitely give you a good overview. So far, you have already completed the first steps: you have found a supervisor at the University of Antwerp who has agreed to guide your research. Moreover, you also have funding to cover your stay in Belgium and you have received the official approval of your faculty, department or institute. Please check with your supervisor and your faculty which additional steps you need to take to complete your enrolment. Keep in mind that you need to officially enrol as a PhD researcher at our university (first time: in person) and that annual re-enrolment is mandatory. Some of you may also be registered as members of staff, in the case that your research is funded by the university. We hope this guide will be helpful to you. Good luck and welcome to the University of Antwerp! Enjoy your stay here! DID YOU KNOW? … that you can find a lot of useful information via the helpdesk page for international students PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR INTERNATIONAL PHD RESEARCHERS UAntwerpen.be 5 INTRODUCTION TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ANTWERP [1] The University of Antwerp has Merksem about 20,000 students, making it the third largest university in Eilandje Park Spoor Noord Dam Flanders. 19,6% of our students MAS are international students, with Stadscampus Campus 2 1 Roosevelt 130 nationalities represented. Mutsaard plaats Borgerhout Linkeroever Stadscentrum Centraal The University of Antwerp is Station Deurne characterised by its high standards ANTWERPEN in education, its internationally Zuid competitive research and its Zurenborg [2] entrepreneurial approach. We have 5 campuses spread Berchem across the city of Antwerp: Kiel Nachtegalen park Campus [1] Stadscampus and 3 Middelheim Middelheim museum [2] Campus Mutsaard Campus 4 Hoboken Groenenborger located in the inner city (2000) MORTSEL [3] Campus Middelheim [4] Campus Groenenborger Wilrijk located in Antwerp (2020) Campus Drie Eiken 5 [5] Campus Drie Eiken HOVE [3] and located in Wilrijk (2610) EDEGEM Spread over these campuses are our 9 faculties: Faculty of Business and Economics Faculty of Applied Engineering Faculty of Arts Faculty of Design Sciences Faculty of Law Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences [4] Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences Faculty of Social Sciences Faculty of Science The university also has 20 institutes and 48 related centres (e.g. Antwerp Research Institute for the Arts (ARIA), Institute of Development Policy (IOB), associated Faculty of Nautical Sciences, etc.) [5] PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR INTERNATIONAL PHD RESEARCHERS UAntwerpen.be 6 [1] Academic system at the university Higher Education in Flanders has adopted the Bachelor-Master structure. A 3-year undergraduate cycle leads to a Bachelor’s degree (180 ECTS European Credit Transfer System), followed by a 1- or 2-year graduate cycle (60 or 120 ECTS) leading to a Master’s degree. Advanced Master’s programmes (‘MaNaMa’) offer further specialisation and/or competences in a certain field of study. We also offer postgraduate programmes, which build upon a Bachelor or Master programme. The doctoral degree (PhD) is the highest level of specialisation in [5] scientific research and can only be awarded by recognised universities. The academic year runs from the end of September to June and is divided into 2 semesters. Each semester comprises 13 weeks of lecturing, concluded by a 4-week examination period. July to September is generally a lesson-free period, but the academic and administrative staff continue to work and some courses are provided in this period. Rules and regulations for PhD researchers The document ‘General regulations on obtaining the academic degree of [3] doctor at the University of Antwerp’ applies to all PhD researchers. Here you can find the rules regarding admission and enrolment, supervision and the individual PhD commission, public defence, etc. In its appendix you will also find the ‘charter for PhD researchers’ with an overview of what is expected from you and what is expected from your supervisor and other parties involved in your research. Every faculty also has its own faculty regulations with specific rules regarding the faculty itself and the more practical arrangements (progress reports etc.). [5] [5] PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR INTERNATIONAL PHD RESEARCHERS UAntwerpen.be Stage 1 BEFORE your stay In this section you will find the following subjects ● Important documents ● Finding housing in Antwerp ● Insurance ● Driving in Belgium ● Family ● Pets ● Getting to the University of Antwerp ● Location of the campuses 8 BEFORE your stay IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS Before you come to Antwerp, you may need to arrange the following documents: ￭ Student visa (necessary for all nationalities other than EEA1, Monaco and Switzerland). PhD researchers with an employment contract will have to apply for a visa D as researcher (further information will be provided by the HR Officer) ￭ Proof of travel and health insurance (e.g. European Health Insurance Card) ￭ Legalised documents if applicable (e.g. diploma) ￭ (International) driver’s licence PLEASE KEEP IN MIND that there might be administrative steps (deregistration, taxation, social security, etc.) to take in your own country before you move to Belgium. 1 EEA (=European Economic Area) states are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Island, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands and UK. PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR INTERNATIONAL PHD RESEARCHERS UAntwerpen.be 9 BEFORE your stay Student visa Citizens of countries in the EEA, Monaco or Switzerland do not need a visa and can travel to Belgium with just a regular passport or identity card. If you have a different nationality and wish to stay in Belgium for more than three months, you must apply for a long stay visa (type D) as a student through the Belgian embassy or consulate in your home country. Having a European Union residence permit from another EU country is not sufficient because upon arrival in Belgium you will have to present the same documents to the immigration office as for a student visa (type D) application and the procedure will take much longer.