what to expect when you’re expecting (a residency permit)

08Sep09

Ultimately I imagine that this blog will be more than just tips for moving to belgium as a student, and that you guys will see other things like… oh I don’t know…photos or comments on life around me. I mean that has to be more interesting than fill form A and send to office B. But until I’m at the point where paperwork is not a regular part of my life (sorry had to laugh at that. i mean i live in belgium, for pete’s sake), I’ll keep posting in the hope that it will help someone else. So where was I…

Filed under: moving, tips for moving   |  Leave a Comment

do and don’t’s of moving

06Sep09

Listen I’m sure these notes are so clear to you guys, but I honestly had no idea. I’ve never really moved like this, and I learned a lot over the process. So here they go:

DO pack your belongings in strong sealable preferably plastic containers

DON’T pack them in flimsy cardboard boxes that will barely hold your things together. The customs people had to resecure my boxes with tape.

Filed under: Uncategorized   |  1 Comment

now where was i…

06Sep09

Ah yes! I was describing the process with the paperwork and everything. Honestly it was a much simpler process than I expected. I filled out every form I thought could be useful. And in the end, I need not have worried as much as I did.

Filed under: belgium, moving, tips for moving   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: apostille, belgian student visa, immigration, moving to belgium

I’m here.

05Jan09

Okay this is more than a little embarrassing, but I just haven’t had time to update. Mea culpa. I want to accomplish what I set out to do, and that’s give the detailed account of how I went from thinking about living in Belgium to actually living here. But perhaps blogging is not my forte.

So, I will finish the timeline, even though I’m techincally at zero weeks and counting, and give you…the rest of the story.

Filed under: belgium, communication, moving   |  2 Comments

i get by with a little help from my ‘rents

07Nov08

Please don’t ask me why I see this information before it’s nearly too late, but at least I’ve been catching it in time. If you’re west of the Mississippi, and filing through the Los Angeles Consulate General, you must have a sponsor fill out the financial support declaration. You can’t do it on the strength of your bank account alone.

Filed under: belgium, tips for moving   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: belgian student visa, financial support, financial support declaration, student visa

moving home…

05Nov08

Oh god. The time has come. I doesn’t make any sense for me to keep my apartment for the last month I’m here. So I’m about to ask my parents to *gulp* let me move back home.

Filed under: communication, moving   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: daughter, father, fighting, moving home, parents

do you have your medical certificate and FBI check?

05Nov08

Well if not, you need to get them…

Here’s another tip from me to you: the medical certificate will be dated for the time when you actually see the doctor, not from the time you actually get all results in. This is a pretty simple one to figure out. So simple, I can’t believe my thought process going into it.

Filed under: belgium, moving   |  2 Comments
Tags: financial support, financial support declaration, fingerprinting, medical certificate, notary public, UGent

more layers than an onion

04Nov08

Earlier I mentioned that I would go over the steps for getting your apostille. I neglected to mention that there are three things you should do to prepare for the day

• Give yourself an entire afternoon; possibly an entire day 
• Bring a checkbook and some cash
• Get a smoothie when you’re done (you’ve earned it!)

Filed under: moving   |  1 Comment
Tags: apostile, apostille, belgium visa, immigration, moving, moving to belgium, tips for moving

it’s been a while…

21Oct08

and i’m really sorry about that. when you’re counting down the weeks they freakin’ fly. I’m actually down to a little under ten weeks until I leave. where to begin. 

so. after much deliberation I decided to go to school. I’ve detailed the reasons in an earlier post. Every path to expat status is unique, so I won’t pretend to guess at what’s best for your specific relationship. I just realized that I wasn’t ready to be married, but I was ready to be with my love. I also wasn’t ready to move without a purpose. I couldn’t bear the thought of just floating around living off someone when I had my whole life setup in San Francisco. 

So school it is. First step: application.

Filed under: belgium, moving, school, tips for moving   |  1 Comment
Tags: apostille, belgian student visa, essay, expat, expatriate, Ghent University, going back to school, masters, preparatory year of dutch, student visa, UGent, Universitet Gent

red tape

10Mar08

I posted this message over in the expatica forums, but I thought it might be nice to have here as well for those looking to get started in their journeys to Belgium.

Filed under: belgium, moving   |  1 Comment
Tags: belgium, cohabitation visa, expat, expatica, immigration, moving to belgium, red tape, visa