Relocating to another country is a stressful experience and requires careful preparation. There are so many things you need to consider before even packing your worldly belongings for the trip to Brussels and finding temporary accommodation is only just one of them.
With this in mind, Fortis bank has put together an expat welcome pack that combines all the services expatriates need to avoid unpleasant surprises upon arriving in Brussels:
Opening a bank account : you don’t have to wait until you actually move to open an account. You can do so from home, and have your employer deposit your allowances, or wire the amounts of your choice to your new account.
Getting your bank card immediately : upon arriving in Brussels, you can collect your bank card at any Fortis branch. Once you have retrieved your card, you will have access to Phone and PC banking, available in English, Dutch, French and German.
Free American Express card: The Welcome Offer Expat provides you with an American Express card. This card is free of charge as long as you work and live in Belgium.
Car insurance available immediately : whereas a non-resident can only insure his car when it is registered with the relevant administrative authorities (for those who are not familiar with Belgian red-tape, this takes time!), the “welcome offer expat” makes sure that you can use your car immediately.
Household insurance: the household insurance “Theft”. You should know that as a rule, Theft insurance option can only be taken up after 2 years of residency in the country.
Europe Assitance Prestige with immediate effect: you benefit from the services of this international organization that provides 24/7 assistance in the event of accident or breakdown, at home or abroad.
And last but not least, Fortis has created its own free Expat Service Line, a multilingual help line you or your family can call for advise about housing, child care, health care, social benefits, car rental…
The Expat Service Line is available from Monday to Saturday from 8.30am to 8pm
In practice,
- you open your account with Fortis.
- You will then receive a confirmation mail with your account number.
- With the account number (which is also your access code) you can register on the special web address mentioned in the confirmation mail.
- The day after registration, your access to the Expat Service Line will be activated
- From then on, you can call the Expat Service Line n° + 32 2 541 91 57
If you are already a resident in one of our furnished apartments, please note that the Welcome Offer Expat kits are available at the reception in 28 rue Souveraine, and our main office in 331 avenue Louise.
Future residents may download the application form from the Fortis web site (click on "Expat in Belgium > Welcome Offer Expat > How to apply
For more information about the Welcome Offer Expat : www.fortisbanking.be/expatinbelgium
