How to plan, finance and invest as an Expat in Belgium?
Those who participated last week in the Expat Financial Affairs 2018 in Belgium at the BNP Paribas Fortis offices got their money’s worth. Throughout 6 different sessions, the nearly 400 participants received very specific information on investment and real estate taxation, pensions for expats and many other topics.
Settling down in a new country often takes a lot of effort and resources. One spends quite some time understanding the new culture, mastering the language and trying to fit in, while also trying to understand how to take care of more immediate and practical issues, such as key legal and financial questions. These latter tasks in particular may require time and research to be completed and may often seem difficult to execute. Information and data are scattered among different experts, offices and fields of expertise, and it may require a lot of time to gather all the details needed. It may also be difficult to have a stimulating and complete one-to-one conversation.
Head of Expatriates at BNP Paribas Fortis, Salvatore Orlando, noted that, “The Expat Financial Affairs has a multifaceted approach with an important added value: at the same time, it offers several practical workshops with the best of the expertise and networking opportunities. It gives a unique and direct connection with specialists, stakeholders and partners who can engage in a one-to-one conversation and satisfy all the curiosities, doubts or questions of the participants”.
On its fifth edition, the Expats Financial Affairs has developed over the last years becoming a “must” event and it gathered several media partners, which were present during the evening with a stand. The event has spread also outside of Brussels, for instance in Ghent and Antwerp. The Expats Financial Affairs pays great attention to the participants’ questions: each participant is unique, each situation different. To gather experts in the same place, on the same day is the added value of this event. The workshop on expat real estate planning in Belgium ended with concrete questions for instance about the impact of the EU succession regulation.
The event is not just a good occasion for collecting some useful information on taxes, investments and pensions, but also an opportunity to meet other expats, enhancing one’s network. It is a welcoming, inclusive and open platform through which expats can help each other, understanding the Belgian society they live in and finding their own space in it.
About the event
The Expats Financial Affairs held its first edition in 2014: the organizers (the British Chamber of Commerce, BNP Paribas Fortis and the Fry Group) perceived at that time the importance of offering a complete and exhaustive set of financial information to expats just arrived or already living in Belgium. The presenters are among the best experts who can offer the most precise, direct and practical solutions to those who are planning their life in Belgium or who already settled down.
The easy access to expertise is unique and innovative: different experts are gathered in one place and at the same time, which makes research and interaction easier and faster. It also offers practical solutions in a concrete and articulated context, offering a 360 degrees approach to each topic.
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