experience” an expat in belgium expatsdoc.mediaplanet.com/all_projects/12108.pdf · cally, as...
TRANSCRIPT
EXPATS
Eddy Bonne, president of the Association of Belgian Relocation Agents: “The race for talent rules the international market.”
GLOBAL MOBILITY
St. John’s International School is widely regarded as one ofthe best international schools in Europe.
See the article inside: St. John’s prepares children academicallyand socially to reach their full potential.
www.stjohns.be
CompanionshipCompanionshipCompanionshipIntegrityIntegrityIntegrity
RespectWaterloo, Belgium - [email protected]
Ebba Isaksson“It truly is an enriching experience”
Immigration lawHow to become an expat in Belgium
Renting vs buyingFurniture solutions for expats
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TO BECOMEAN EXPAT
TO BECOME
4REASONS
2 · MARCH 2013
“45,000 Belgians become expats each year”
Anissa Benchekroun Actiris International Manager
PAGE 4
EXPATS, 1ST EDITION,MARCH 2013
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CHALLENGE
“Explore the colourful world of global mobility”
“With a demographic shift taking place that has not been seen since the Middle Ages, global mobility is one of the hottest topics of the decade and 2012 was hailed as the year in which the race for talent ruled the international market”, declares Eddy Bonne, president of the Association of Belgian Relocation Agents.
The need to devel-op global lead-ership and the growth of new business ven-tures abroad has prompted a mas-
sive rise in global mobility. Ac-cording to the International Organization for Migration, the number of migrants has increased dramatically during the last 10 years from 150 mil-lion in 2000 to 214 million to-day, which equals 3.1% of the global population.
Globalization
1 Companies are increasing-ly recognizing the benefi ts
that can be gained from interna-tional assignments. It is no lon-ger just the multinationals that have overseas operations, but small and medium sized compa-nies are going global too. Al-though expatriate assignments are very expensive and will cost between 1.5 and 4 times what a local employee would cost, the strategic benefi ts to be gained vastly outweigh the cost factor.
Economy
2 With the economic pres-sures and fi nancial insta-
bilities of recent years the onus has been placed on cost-cut-ting exercises and the develop-ment of di� erent types of as-signments. Short-term assign-ments and extended business travels have become increas-ingly popular forms of expatri-ation, leading to rising num-bers of so-called ‘global no-mads’ who are in and out of a country in a matter of days, weeks or months.
Immigration
3 Relocation is a big com-mitment for expats and
it represents a substantial in-vestment for the company. It is essential that the assign-ment is successful and there is much to be considered. Im-migration procedures can be lengthy and tax regulations complex, so make sure you are well informed. Profession-al advice throughout this pro-cess is invaluable and will pay for itself many times over. We
have all heard the horror sto-ries surrounding short-term assignments that took longer than planned, leading to substantial fi nes and tax in-creases for both employer and employee.
Return on investment
4 A good service provider will be able to help you
develop a carefully considered framework that o� ers a maxi-mum return on investment, both fi nancially and strategi-cally, as well as help the expat settle in to their new home country with minimum stress. Housing, schools, busi-ness travel, insurance, social security, taxes and more are just a few of the things to be considered.
Explore the colourful world of global mobility with us as we discover what’s involved in moving to and working in Belgium.
“The need to develop global leadership and the growth of new business ventures abroad has prompted a massive rise in global mobility”
Eddy BonnePresident of the Association of Belgian Relocation Agents
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ventures abroad has prompted a massive rise in global mobility”
MARCH 2013 · 3
NEWSCOMPARISON
Renting vs buying furniturePersonal interiorIf you have a specific taste, a standard set of rental furniture may not be what you are look-ing for. However, most rent-al companies are able to fur-nish your house with the ex-act furniture you had in mind, although that kind of service can be significantly more ex-pensive than a standard rental package.
FlexibilityRental furniture is available from a period of one month up to three years. If you re-turn home earlier than was planned, you only pay for the period you actually used the furniture. For short tempo-rary missions renting may be the safest option.
ServiceRental costs include insur-ances and the immediate re-placement of any piece that is broken or defective. You don’t have to worry about moving the furniture in either, since the rental company takes care of everything.
MOÏRA LENS
That’s why expats who are looking for a temporary resi-dence might want to widen their scope. Not only would that give them a wider choice in the types of houses they can rent, but renting an un-furnished house or apart-ment also allows expats to decorate their interior as an actual home, even if they are not shipping their personal furniture to Belgium.
Safe and warm Everyone likes to live in a place where he or she can feel at home, and that is espe-cially true for expats. When you are staying in a foreign country it is all the more im-portant to create a safe and warm home-environment. Although a fully furnished house or apartment is prob-ably the easiest solution, many expats decide to rent a house they can decorate to their personal taste. Fur-thermore, the choice in fur-nished residences is rather limited on the Belgian rent-
al market. It’s not that easy to find a house with a small garden that is also furnished.
Personal furnitureShipping your own furniture to Belgium can be quite ex-pensive, especially for people who are moving here with their entire family. For ex-pats who are here on a tem-porary mission it is proba-bly not the best option. That is why their employers often provide them with a budget to buy furniture locally, or –
even better - to rent it from a furniture rental company.
Furniture rentalRenting your furniture is prob-ably the most flexible solu-tion if you are planning to live and work in Belgium for only a few years. You can generally choose between a standard set that contains everything you need from furniture to elec-tronic tools, cutlery and even linen, and VIP packages that al-low you to pick your furniture à la carte. The average cost for
such a furniture rental service is about 300 Euros per month based on a 3-year contract, and includes the installation, the immediate replacement of de-fective pieces, and insuranc-es. Also, if people are shipping their own furniture to Bel-gium rental furniture can be supplied while waiting for the shipment, which allows the expat and his family to move into their home right away.
Furniture solutions for expats
MOÏRA LENS
Although furnished apartments are available on the Belgian rental market, these are often quite small and not always equipped with contemporary furniture.
rent your furnitureensure your comfort
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HOME. When you are staying in a foreign country it is all the more important to create a safe and warm home-environment. Many expats decide to rent a house they can decorate to their personal taste. PHOTO’S: PRIVATE
4 · MARCH 2013
NEWSPREPARATION
Tempted to travel?Moving to word abroad involves major changes that require preparation. Consider the following:
PHILIPPE VAN LIL
INTERNATIONAL DIMENSION
PREPARATION
Tempted to travel?
INTERNATIONAL DIMENSION
1REASON
Since 1948, the number of Belgians who leave to work abroad has been increasing-ly and continuously growing. They are estimated at 45,000 per year today, whereas the estimate was 30,000 per an-num about 15 years ago. Those 45,000 Belgians include no less than 20,000 from Brus-sels! Moreover, it can be seen that the migrant population is becoming older and more male-oriented: the number of 25-35-year-olds going abroad is becoming more prominent than ever before. In total, 70% of the Belgians who become expats are between 25 and 44 years old.
As Anissa Benchekroun has emphasised: “In addition to the 45,000 Belgians who go abroad annually, there is also a degree of circular mobility concerning foreigners. They come to work and live among us and then leave our land to set up shop elsewhere. This is mainly the
case of the French, the Germans, the Italians, the Dutch, the Japanese and the Americans.”
Numerous reasonsExpatriation is clearly at-tracting more and more peo-ple. And, on the basis of cur-rent statistics, one can easi-
ly predict that this trend will be further accentuated in the years to come: “Currently, nearly 10% of Brussels appli-cants are interested in work-ing abroad, as opposed to merely 3% in 2009.” The rea-sons for this attraction are nu-merous: the employment cri-sis in Belgium, the desire to add an international dimen-sion to one’s career and the ex-perience that certain young people have already been able to acquire in another coun-try. “There is a visible correla-tion between those who have already left to acquire expe-rience abroad, Erasmus stu-dents, for example, and those who are leaving in order to work there.”
Job applicationsLet’s further note that in Brussels, foreign job applica-tions mainly concern posts in administration (21%), management (10%), the arts (9%), commerce (9%) and Ho-reca (7%). In reality, the offers can be for open-ended, tem-porary or seasonal jobs, or for traineeships.
“Forty-fi ve thousand Belgiansbecome expats each year”
PHILIPPE VAN LIL
■ Question: Forty-fi ve thousand Belgians become expats each year. Who are they?
■ Answer: Anissa Benchekroun, Actiris International Manager, enlightens us on the subject.
Construct your mo-bility project well.
Take into account, for ex-ample, the legal condi-tions of living or working in the host country, the real objective of your proj-ect, and your knowledge of the country’s language and culture.
Protect your rights by completing a series
of administrative formali-ties. Ask yourself: ‘Have I notified organizations such as the post office, the municipality, or the bank?’, ‘How transferable are my rights (sickness, pension, unemployment, family allowances)?’, etc.
Don’t forget emotion-al changes, such as
the absence of family and friends, or the creation of new social networks on the spot.
■ The Belgian Diaspora: some 560,000 people, 350,000 of whom are registered with consulates abroad.
■ 85% become expats in Western countries, half of
which are in Europe. ■ 15% become expats
outside of the West, including a major part in Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, the Congo andMorocco.
ALL OVER THE WORLD
actiris_international_LB_119X227.indd 1 22/02/13 14:26
Anissa BenchekrounActiris International Manager
EVOLUTION. Currently, nearly 10% of Brussels applicants are interested in working abroad, as opposed to merely 3% in 2009. PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
MARCH 2013 · 5
INSPIRATION
Private jet:A private jet is a small aircraft with 5-10
passengers fi tted with jet en-gines that is specifi cally in-tended for business and pri-vate purposes. They can be owned by private individuals or larger companies.
Fractional ownership:
It works like a condo timeshare: clients buy
a ‘fraction’ of an aircraft in the fl eet and then pay hour-ly and monthly fees for the provider to crew, fly and maintain it. The bigger the share, the more hours you can fl y.
Safety:There are no shortcuts taken in safety. Re-
liable operators do need to comply with all European and Belgian requirements and are rewarded with a medal for fl ight safety. Only 7 operators in Europe have obtained the gold medal for 40 years of safe fl ying.
POSSIBILITIES
They don’t travel for conve-nience, but through necessi-ty. Using airlines might seem cost e� ective but is far from time e� cient.
Serving 3.000 airports in Eu-rope vs 300 for the regular com-mercial airlines, business avi-
ation gives the opportunity to hard-working managers and CEO’s to land as close as pos-sible to their fi nal destination. They are able to attend a board meeting in Berlin in the morn-ing, meeting investors in Ge-neva in the afternoon, be back in the evening for a lecture in Brussels and spending pre-cious family time at the break-fast table the morning after.
Different optionsFlights can be ordered up un-til 90 minutes prior to depar-ture. Although there are a va-
riety of options, the most com-mon one is to charter a plane. ‘You call, they haul’ chartering is similar to calling a cab and is charged by hour. The plane comes when you call, picks you up where you ask, brings you to your destination, waits for your return, and fl ies you back to the starting point, or wherever you want to go.
When your charter needs augment, you can buy a Jet Card which is similar to a discount card at restaurants. If you agree to pre-purchase blocks of time, the operator discounts hourly
costs. In all cases, 100% of the charter costs are deductible.
Not only multinationalsThe market has radically changed over the last fi ve years mainly due to the varying eco-nomical climate. There has been a rise of SMEs (small and medi-um-sized enterprises) and entre-preneurs that are rapidly grow-ing. They use these services to fl y to less accessible areas such as Eastern Europe.
Business aviation: when time effi ciency meets added value
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6 · MARCH 2013
NEWS
When you come to Belgium as a foreign executive, you can, under certain conditions, ben-efit from a special tax status. Thanks to this regime, you will be considered a non-resi-dent who will only pay taxes on what you earn in Belgium, not abroad.
Formal applicationTo benefit from this status, your Belgian employer needs to file a formal application with the Expatriate Tax Di-rectorate in Brussels within a period of six months, as from your starting date in Belgium. In this application your em-ployer will need to prove that
all the conditions are complied with. The employee also needs to do his part.You will need to prove that the centre of your social and economic interests remains located abroad.
Five conditionsThere are several conditions which have to be fulfilled to be granted this expatriate tax regime. First of all, you should not have the Belgian national-ity, otherwise you can’t obtain the special status of expatri-ate. Secondly, only executives, specialized sta� and research sta� will be able to benefit this special tax regime.
Another condition is that you need to be recruited abroad, not in Belgium. Fur-thermore, you can only ben-efit the special status when your stay in Belgium is tem-porarly. You need to prove that you have maintained suf-ficient ties with your home country. Finally, you will most likely not be able to benefit this status any longer, when you quit your job and start
working for another Belgian company than the one that recruited you.
Expatriate allowancesThe special expatriate tax re-gime entitles you to two kinds of benefits. First of all, when you arrive and leave the coun-try, you will receive tax-free allowances to compensate the extra costs involved with your move to and from Bel-gium. You will also get some annual allowances as a reim-bursement for the costs dur-ing your stay in Belgium. This can be for example ahousing allowance, cost of living al-lowance or a tax equalization. There is a maximum amount that you can claim. Secondly, as an expatriate, you will on-ly be taxed on your Belgian in-come, which is exceptional in Europe. Thanks to this special regime, foreign executives are encouraged to come and work in Belgium.
ENTITLED TO MORE FAVORABLE TAX REGIME
■ Question: What are the tax benefits for expatriates in Belgium?
■ Answer: There is a special tax regime in place which entitles the expat to some several tax-free allowances and he/she won’t be taxable in Belgium on his/her worldwide income either.
www.taxpatria.be
TAXPATRIAexpatriate tax assistance
WILL YOU CELEBRATE TAXFREEDOMDAY®*EARLIER THIS YEAR?
*Tax Freedom Day® is the symbolic date on which the average taxpayer stops working for the public treasury and begins earning for himself.
BRUSSELS OFFICECulliganlaan 1B1831 DIEGEM
ANTWERP OFFICESint-Paulusplaats 22000 ANTWERP
BIRGIT JANSSEN
MARCH 2013 · 7
Check whether or not you need a work permit
“Expatriates must check whether they are allowed
to work and, based on that, whether they are allowed to live in Belgium. For non-EU na-tionals, this often means that they have to apply for work permits.”
Applying for a visa“Non-EU residents must apply for appropriate vi-
sas at the Belgian diplomatic or consular o� ces in their home countries. In practice, they
need either a C visa for a short stay (maximum stay of three months over a six-month peri-od) or a D visa for a stay of lon-ger than three months. Some nationalities (e.g. U.S. citizens) are exempt from visa require-ments for short stays and they are allowed to enter the Schen-gen Area based on their pass-ports alone.”
Applying for a residence permit
“Non-EU expats that hold a D visa must register with
the local authorities where they live when they intend to stay for a period of more than three months in order to obtain a resi-dence permit. People that in-tend to stay in Brussels should carefully check the jurisdiction under which their address falls. Tip: Expats should keep a copy of all of their immigration docu-ments (passport, work permit, visa, and residence permit) in order to facilitate the replace-ment process in the event of lost or stolen items.”
Guidelines to live and work in Belgium
Professional income:
1 Employees who come and work temporarly in
Belgium, are only taxable on their Belgian salary. They don’t have to pay taxes on the in-come earned outside the country. Also replacement in-come, pensions and early re-tirement income qualify as ‘professional’ income.
Real estate:
2 Expatriates will only be taxable on properties lo-
cated in Belgium. Other prop-erties they own abroad will be excluded from their taxable income.
Investment income:
3 Generally, foreign execu-tives won’t be taxable on
their investment income in Belgium, unless it consists of dividends or interest which are paid by a Belgian company. All foreign source income escapes taxation in Belgium.
TYPES OF INCOME
3
JOOST HOUTMAN
What should expats be aware of when they want to live and work in Belgium? Jo Antoons, a specialist in immigration law, explains.
SPECIAL TAXCONDITIONSSPECIAL TAX
2REASON
Foreign executives who are considered expatriates for tax purposes in Belgium, can only be taxed on three types of income.
Jo AntoonsSpecialist immigration lawTAX
When you come to Belgium as a foreign executive, you can, under certain conditions, benefit from a special tax status. PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
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8 · MARCH 2013
INSPIRATION
NEW PERSPECTIVESGoing to an international school - where you meet people from all over the world - provides you a new perspective.PHOTO: PRIVATE
“My family moved here almost a year before I did, and they had already been looking at schools in the neighbourhood. The fi -nal decision was up to me, but when I was shown around here I knew that this was where wanted to go to school. The at-mosphere is great, the school has students from almost ev-ery part of the world and the teachers are very close to the students. So I certainly don’t regret my decision. I even pre-fer the international school to my old school in Sweden.”
Enriching Experience“There isn’t anything I miss at the international school, al-though things are organised di� erently here than in Swe-den. In my former school I was
in one class always with the same people, whereas here we all have individual sched-ules so I see lots of di� erent students during the day. Per-haps the relationship with my fellow students was tighter in Sweden, but the fact that I meet so many di� erent people makes up for that. It is fasci-nating to talk to students who have another background and who come from other coun-
tries because it gives you a new perspective. It truly is an enriching experience.”
English, Swedish and French“Before I started at this school, I was a bit nervous about having to speak English all the time, but after one month I felt quite comfortable. Even with my Swedish friends I often speak English because we don’t
want to exclude people who don’t understand us. I also have friends from the UK, the States, Australia, and Africa even, so I am now used to speaking Eng-lish. Swedish is still part of my teaching programme, though, as is French. I just love to study languages and this certainly is the right place for that.”
Extracurricular activities“What is also quite fun about this school is that there is such a wide choice in extracur-ricular activities. I have even joined the choir, although I am actually a very bad singer. We get together once a week to practice for about two hours. That is not nearly enough to improve my singing, but we have a great time together.”
After graduation“Lately, I have been think-ing a lot about what I want to do when I graduate. I have thought about studying in the US, but I might apply for a university in the UK instead. Apart from languages I am al-so interested in human rights, so maybe law is good option. But fi rst I have to graduate from high school.”
Ebba Isaksson is an 11th grade student at one of Belgium’s finest international schools in Waterloo. She followed her parents to Belgium last summer, and will finish high school here in 1,5 years. “Even if I could return to my old school in Sweden, I wouldn’t,” she says. “I like it better here.”
MOÏRA LENS
WATERLOO
“An international school is an enriching experience”
■ Belgium has about 10 international schools, most of which are situated in and around Brussels. Antwerp and Ghent also have an international school.
■ International schools educate between 500 and 1,500 students on average, and often have
more than 50 nationalities represented.
■ English is usually the main language but there are extensive language programmes, including Spanish, German, Swedish, Korean and Dutch. Some schools offer bilingual education in English and French.
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS IN BELGIUM
“It’s fascinating to talk to students who have another background and who come from other countries”Ebba IsakssonStudent
SERVICE
Moving abroad made easierBefore arriving in your guest country, there are many aspects of your move that a service providing company can do for you.
Your service providing company can start by
helping you fi nd the perfect place, as well as with per-forming various administra-tive tasks such as your regis-tration at city hall. The com-pany should provide you with hassle-free installation of es-sential utilities such as gas, electricity, telephone, televi-sion, and Internet. These are tasks that are time consum-ing for expats and add stress to your arrival in a new coun-try when you’ve left your fam-ily, friends, and environment behind you.
Once this is behind you and you are well settled,
the service providing compa-ny will still remain at your side for all the conciergerie and home services, such as fi nding a handy man, a doctor, a cleaning lady or even fur-nishing your apartment. They are there to organise a private venue such as a birthday, fam-ily activities or house warm-ing party and even a greater business event by your side within your budget.
When leaving the coun-try, a service providing
company can help you to sell or rent your property, pay at-tention to the closing of your accounts with utility provid-ers as well as fi nancial institu-tions. Doing so, the company will help you to save a lot of time and you can concentrate on other, more important things.
MOÏRA LENS
NEW PERSPECTIVES
NEW
3REASON
MARCH 2013 · 9
INSPIRATION
“We don’t feel like expats anymore”
What motivates people to pack up and live abroad? Is it easy to integrate? We posed these questions to two Belgians who started new lives in America and the Czech Republic.
How did you end up in the countries where you now live?
■ Wendy: “I was married to an American and I urged him to fi nd a job in the USA, which he eventually found in Florida.”
■ Bert: “During my Applied Economics and Internation-al Relations studies I fell under the spell of Central and East-ern Europe. I obtained a schol-arship in 1999 which saw me move to Budapest in Hungary, after which I started working at a major company. In 2001 I was sent to Prague as an expat to fol-low their Czech companies. In 2006 I decided to settle perma-nently in Prague, after which I bought an apartment and founded a company. I am very happy here, both socially and professionally.”
Was it difficult for you to integrate?
■ Wendy: “It was terribly dif-fi cult. I thought at fi rst that both of the countries have Western societies, so what could be so di� erent? It turns out a lot, from opening a bank account right up to shopping. All of the habits are di� erent.”
■ Bert: “Actually, no. The Czech Republic is very similar to Belgium and that means that behaviour in general is also not very di� erent. Prague is also a pronounced international city with lots of entertainment op-tions and a rich cultural life. It is relatively easy for me to make
initial contact with new people and to make friends.”
What are the main differences with Belgium?
■ Wendy: “Americans are much more open, you can just start talking to almost anyone. It is very di� cult to make real friends here, however, because people often remain superfi -cial. There are also many oth-er everyday things that are dif-ferent: the way you greet peo-ple, going out to eat, holiday ar-rangements...”
■ Bert: “Obviously the lan-guage, but also the commu-nist past that is still found entrenched in the mentali-
ty of the population now and again. Sometimes the people lack a sense of initiative.”
What do you miss most about Belgium?
■ Wendy: “The atmosphere and cosiness. Sitting at café ter-races, Belgian fries... and I miss my family and friends. When a baby is born or when there is a wedding it bothers me when I cannot be there with them, but I defi nitely want to stay in America. I would not be able to live in cold, damp Belgium any-more. It’s great to wake up with sun shining every day!”
■ Bert: “Of course my fam-ily and a few good childhood friends. Occasionally I also miss some of the local cuisine, but Belgium is never far away - Prague is after all only about 900 km from Brussels - so I am nev-er really overcome with a feel-ing of nostalgia. Prague has be-come my new home and after all these years I do not feel like an expat anymore. I am living proof that the European idea certainly works for some. As a Belgian I have travelled exten-sively and I studied and worked throughout the entire Europe-an Union. I have since become a successful entrepreneur in the Czech Republic, I have ac-quired property here and I feel completely at home...”
Wendy Kanters
Bert Stiers
10,000 - 15,000 €
Profile: 43 years old, has lived in Florida (US) for 16 years. Works as an investment offi cer
Profile: 41 years old, has lived in Prague (Czech Republic) for 7
years. Works in his own company that provides consulting services
Find a good place to live in Brussels
■ accommodation price per square metre at the bottom of Avenue Louise in Brussels
Choose a place that suits you
1 The most sought-after dis-tricts of Brussels are close
to Ixelles, mainly in the areas around Place du Châtelain, Place Brugmann, Avenue Molière, Place Flagey and the Sablon. These districts are the most animated, with shops, public transport and parks in the immediate vicinity. They are consequently much sought-after by expats, often looking for city life. Choose your area according to your needs.
Consider the lesser-known districts
2 At only fi fteen minutes from the heart of Brus-
sels, two splendid districts de-ploy their charms, namely
Fort-Jaco and Waterloo, often wrongly neglected. Moreover, they are also somewhat green-er than most other districts of Brussels.
Pay heed to the price differences
3 Accommodation prices are particularly varied in
Brussels. At the bottom of Ave-nue Louise, you would have to pay at least €10,000 to €15,000 per square metre, while in the Sablon district , you would get away with €4,000 to €5,000 per square metre. In the Place du Châtelain area, the prices vary between €3,500 and €4,000 per square metre. Districts such as Schaerbeek and Molenbeek, still under development, are more a� ordable.
When, as an expat, you decide to live in Brussels, you must of course search for a suitable place to live. Here are some tips for finding your feet in the Belgian capital.
All habits are different in
Florida, from opening a bank account to shopping
Wendy Kanters
Prague has become my
new home and after all these years I do not feel like an expat anymore
Bert Stiers
INSPIRATIONWendy KantersProfile:for 16 years. Works as an investment offi cer
Bert Stiers
43 years old, has lived in Florida (US) for 16 years. Works as an investment offi cer
41 years old, has lived in Prague (Czech Republic) for 7
years. Works in his own company that provides consulting services
3TIPS TO FIND A PLACE TO LIVE
BIRGIT JANSSEN
INSPIRATION
CAROLINE STEVENS
10 · MARCH 2013
ANALYSISQuestion: What extras are awarded to expats? Reply: In addition to a regular salary, expatriates also enjoy a variety of fi nancial and other benefi ts. An overview is provided below.
Destination
The destination of the expat also has a bearing on the benefi ts awarded to expats. Unusual desti-
nations such as China and the United Arab Emirates qualify for higher salary payments and benefi ts, which is known as a hardship allowance, while the opposite applies to Western European countries where expatri-ates will be faced with fewer adjustment prob-lems.
Cost of living allowance
Often the cost of living in expat destinations is higher than in the home countries of expats.
Companies try to compensate for this by payinghigher wage levels. Salaries are adjusted based on the ‘cost of living allowance’, which is the di� erence be-tween the cost of living in the destination country and
in the home country.
Additional financial compensation
Employees who have accepted assignments abroad could
until recently count on a ‘mobility premium’. This incentive could be as high as up to ten percent of the gross annual salary, but these days employ-ees are increasingly volunteering to work abroad and as a result this premium is of-ten reduced or even omitted. Housing costs are also met for expats by the employer through a ‘housing allowance’. The budget set aside for this purpose depends on a number of factors, such asfamily status and salary level. The employer will also cover some travel expenses.
Training
Before departing expats are given professional guidance to facilitate their integration in their
destination countries, which includes languagetraining to assist with communication on profession-al and private levels. Expats also often receive some form of cultural training to help them fi t in with the customs of the destination country. To ensure that the return of expats to their home country also proceeds smoothly they are also provided with personal guid-ance during this process.
Family
The decision to work abroad for a limited period of time has a major impact on the families of
expats, especially on their partners and chil-dren. Partners who are not employed in their home country can be provided with sup-port to fi nd volunteer work or to study in the country of destination of the ex-pat. If the children of the expats join them in the destination country they will be o� ered both adminis-trative and fi nancial assistance. On an administrative level as-sistance is provided to identify a suitable school for the children. Costs involved with the care and education of the children will nearly always be covered by the employer. This is not limited to only registration fees, but also includes the cost of textbooks and transporta-tion to and from school using a school bus.
ates will be faced with fewer adjustment prob-lems.
in the home country.
mployees who have accepted assignments abroad could
until recently count on a ‘mobility premium’. This incentive could be as high as up to ten percent of the gross annual salary, but these days employ-ees are increasingly volunteering to work abroad and as a result this premium is of-ten reduced or even omitted. Housing costs are also met for expats by the employer through a ‘housing allowance’. The budget set aside for this purpose depends on a number of factors, such asfamily status and salary level. The employer will also
customs of the destination country. To ensure that the return of expats to their home country also proceeds smoothly they are also provided with personal guid-
he decision to work abroad for a limited period of time has a major impact on the families of
expats, especially on their partners and chil-dren. Partners who are not employed in their home country can be provided with sup-port to fi nd volunteer work or to study in the country of destination of the ex-pat. If the children of the expats join them in the destination country they will be o� ered both adminis-trative and fi nancial assistance. On an administrative level as-sistance is provided to identify a suitable school for the children. Costs involved with the care and education of the children will nearly always be covered by the employer. This is not limited to only registration fees, but also includes the cost of textbooks and transporta-tion to and from school using
ConclusionThe basic idea behind the system is a principle of ‘no loss, no gain’. According to this principle expats should neither profi t, nor su� er any losses due to a foreign as-signment and employees should be given the opportunity to maintain the lifestyle that they are used to in their home country. With some comp anies expats could
even count on a few additional benefi ts.
NO LOSS, NO GAIN
MARCH 2013 · 11
NEWS
TOOLS FOR SUCCESS The Europass portfolio is one of the tools developed by the European Commission in order to help its citizens to express their skills in a uniform manner over the whole of the European territory.PHOTO: JULIE VOS
The Europass portfolio is one of the tools developed by the European Commission in or-der to help its citizens to ex-press their skills in a uniform manner over the whole of the European territory. This port-folio provides citizens with fi ve types of documents that constitute a true passport for mobility within the Old Con-tinent. They are available in every European language.
EfficiencyThe first is the Curriculum Vitae, in which you are invited to present yourself e� cient-ly. Patrick Meuwissen, Man-ager of the Europass Centre, is delighted: “We have exceed-
ed the threshold of 20 million CVs! Currently, it is above all the 20-28 age group that is us-ing it. But the 15-20 age group, for example for exercise pur-poses or in search of trainee-ships, is not far behind.” This European CV has a signifi cant advantage: “This form particu-larly highlights the candidates’ aptitudes and skills, which is what the employers are look-ing for most. This might be an oversight on a traditional CV.”
Everyone is then free to send his or her CV to potential em-ployers, temp agencies, public employment services such as Forem or the databases that ex-
ist at the European level, such as Eures.
The second document is the language passport, which al-lows self-appraisal of your linguistic skills and qualifi-cations. Please note: you can download these fi rst two doc-uments from the Europass website free of charge, with instructions, examples and models for support.
Record knowledge and skillsThe three other documents are the ones delivered by the competent teaching and train-ing authorities. First, is the
Mobility Europass, which al-lows you to record the know-ledge and skills that you have acquired in another European country. Patrick Meuwissen: “This can concern theoretical, technical, linguistic, IT, cultu-ral, social or other skills. It is to some extent a letter of recom-mendation standardised at the European level. The Mobility Europass can be two to three pages long.”
Next we have the Descrip-tive Supplement of the cer-tifi cate, which point by point develops the knowledge and skills that teaching and vo-cational training certifi cate holders have acquired.
Lastly, the Diploma Supple-ment describes the knowl-edge and skills acquired by higher-education diploma holders.
Clearly expressing your vocational qualifications and skills is no easy matter. Even less if you have to address a European employer from a country other than your own. Don’t despair: Europass is an ideal tool for achieving it.
PHILIPPE VAN LIL
The European curriculum vitae: a passport for mobility
“The European CV particularly highlights the candidates’ aptitudes and skills, which is what the employers are looking for most”Patrick MeuwissenManager of the Europass Centre
INSPIRATION
Training in Europe: tricks of the trade
■ Erasmus: this teach-er-student exchange pro-gramme between Europe-an universities and poly-technics is enjoying an in-creasing success. To date, it involves some 200,000 students annually. It has a 2009-2013 budget of 950 million.
■ Ploteus: this portal pro-vides a plethora of informa-tion about study and train-ing opportunities in the European Union, educa-tion and training systems, exchanges programmes and scholarships, as well as everything you need to know about the host coun-try (cost of living, etc.).
■ Euroguidance: this is the National Careers Ad-vice Centre network. It provides specific informa-tion on the education and training supply in Europe.
■ Euraxess: this portal is specifically intended for researchers who are look-ing for mobility within Europe. In addition to the useful information it pro-vides, it also includes job offers.
PHILIPPE VAN LIL
! More information:http://europass.cede-
fop.europa.eu/fr/home
! More information:http://ec.europa.eu/
ploteus
IMPROVE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
IMPROVE KNOWLEDGE
4REASON
TRY EUROPASS CVto improve your mobility !
Curriculum Vitae
PERSONAL INFORMATION Edmond Walshe
12 Strawberry Hill, Dublin 8 Éire/Ireland
+353 12341111 +353 12341112
Yahoo! Messenger (YIM) edmond.walshe
Nationality Irish
JOB APPLIED FOR Building electrician
WORK EXPERIENCE
1996 - Present Building electrician
Walshe Electrical Ltd, 40 Harold’s Cross Park, Harold’s Cross, Dublin 6.
Senior Electrical Technician of a ten person team
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
September 1995 - September 1997
Advanced Certificate Craft - Electrical Instrumentation
FÁS, Middle Abbey Street, Dublin 1
- comply with national building regulations, national electrical installation rules and with national
legislation related to occupational health, safety and the environment.
- interpret electrical equipment manufacturers' specifications and drawings to determine correct
installation, maintenance, test and repair procedures
- interpret project plans, specifications and drawings to determine the location, types and quantities of
materials required to install electrical wiring systems, equipment, controls and protective devices
- plan the sequence of operations, select and use materials, hand and power tools and work
techniques that are appropriate to a range of electrical installation and maintenance projects
- use test instruments to locate malfunctions in electrical and electromechanical systems and
equipment- work alone or as part of a team to ensure that project deadlines are met
PERSONAL SKILLS
Mother tongue(s) English
Other language(s) UNDERSTANDING SPEAKING WRITING
Listening Reading Spoken interaction Spoken production
French B1 B2 B1 B2 A2
Levels: A1/2: Basic user - B1/2: Independent user - C1/2 Proficient user
Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
Communication skills I have worked in various types of team projects from rewiring newly built estates to electrical
maintenance of various corporate businesses.
Organisational / managerial skills I am a senior electrician which also involves organising teams to carry out various work projects.
Job-related skills - knowledge of ETCI regulations governing temporary installations.
- much experience in installing motor control circuit wiring, relays, overload units, protective devices
and push button indicators.
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