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Moving to Leuven: A Starter Guide

Welcome to Leuven! This guide provides essential information to help you settle in quickly and comfortably as you join our lab.

Introduction to Leuven

Leuven is a charming university city located in the Flemish region of Belgium. Home to KU Leuven, one of Europe's oldest and most prestigious universities, the city offers a perfect blend of historic architecture, vibrant student life, and modern research facilities.

Keep in mind that Leuven is compact. With a bike (which you can obtain through KU Leuven), you can reach most places within 15 minutes. Many locations are within walking distance, except for some areas like Rega campus.

Finding Accommodation

Housing in Leuven can be competitive, especially at the beginning of the academic year. We recommend starting your search early.

Housing Resources

Neighborhoods to Consider

Leuven is one of the more expensive cities for rent in Belgium. If you're looking for more affordable options, consider these nearby areas:

  • Heverlee - Southern suburb, home to the Arenberg (Engineering) campus
  • Kessel-Lo - Eastern suburb with good connections to the city center
  • Wilsele - Northern suburb
  • Terbank - Small area between Leuven and Heverlee, close to the University Hospital and the Rega

Types of Accommodation

  • Kot: Typically a student room with shared facilities (bathroom, kitchen)
  • Studio: Self-contained small apartment with private facilities
  • Apartment: Larger units, unlikely students will live here unless sharing with others or owned by parents
  • House sharing: Renting a room in a shared house

Getting around

Walking

Leuven is a compact city, and most places are within walking distance. The city center is pedestrian-friendly, making it easy to explore on foot.

Cycling

Cycling is the most popular way to get around Leuven. KU Leuven offers bicycle rental services through KU Leuven Bike. The city is very bike-friendly with dedicated cycling paths.

Public Transportation

  • De Lijn: Local buses serve the city and surrounding areas. Consider getting a Buzzy Pazz or Omnipas for regular travel.
  • As a student you can also get a student buss pass. This pass is only valid for bus lines within the Leuven area, outside the area you still need to buy an extra ticket. You can request your bus pass while registering or online at the KULeuven site. A student bus pass costs €25/year.
  • NMBS/SNCB: Trains connect Leuven to other Belgian cities. Leuven's train station is centrally located. Tickets can be purchased at the station or online They have pretty good website and app. If you are not travelling at peak hours, arrival times are pretty reliable.

Information on how to recover expenses through KUL can be found here: KU Leuven recovery public transport

Car Sharing

Car sharing services like Cambio are available if you need occasional access to a car. Carpooling can also be done with Mpact - Taxistop

Administrative Matters

City Registration

All new residents must register at the city hall (Stadskantoor) of the place of Living Bring:

  • Passport/ID card
  • Rental contract
  • Passport photos

List is not exhaustive please check KUL HR guideline

Banking

There are multiple banks where you could get an account. However, if you don’t speak French or Dutch and/or you do not have a Belgian ID number, it is recommended to open the account in a bank where you would be able to communicate in English and open an account with your foreign ID. You need to provide an address and your work contract or similar.

Major banks in Leuven include:

  • KBC
  • BNP Paribas Fortis
  • ING
  • Belfius

Transfering money home can be done through services like Wise.

Health Insurance

Belgium requires mandatory health insurance. KU Leuven's HR department can guide you through the process of joining a "mutualiteit" (health fund). See the HR page

Daily Life

Shopping

  • Grocery stores: Delhaize, Colruyt, Albert Heijn, Aldi, Lidl
  • Markets: Weekly market at center (Friday) see a complete list here
  • Shopping areas: Diestsestraat and Bondgenotenlaan are the main shopping streets
  • Foreign stores: Various international shops are available for diverse products at Brusselsestraat.

Healthcare

  • University Hospitals: UZ Leuven (Gasthuisberg) is one of Belgium's largest hospitals
  • Pharmacies: Well-distributed throughout the city, with after-hours service rotation

Social Life and Recreation


center: 50.88064768590708, 4.69079680784868
zoom: 14
Rega,rega,50.8789663,4.6688726,https://maps.app.goo.gl/2hbZy1bpXGhfLm6bA
Malz,bar,50.8799407,4.6979099,https://maps.app.goo.gl/9fJxF2T5ZEFBVTpy7
Metafoor,bar,50.8783753,4.6989375,https://maps.app.goo.gl/ySan7TcTM72eVGXQ6
Giraf,bar,50.8792276,4.6994904,https://maps.app.goo.gl/pMujoQdiuQQYFBA17
MOK,cafe,50.8670606,4.3609163,  https://maps.app.goo.gl/eZXbpKyq2k8nBPR88
Onan,cafe,50.8785781,4.6990592,  https://maps.app.goo.gl/TMVsfv19AoWzHBFe6
Noir,cafe,50.8766985,4.7005916, https://maps.app.goo.gl/68XEiZgXw737j6XVA
Swartehond,cafe,50.8766985,4.6980167, https://maps.app.goo.gl/oQJ6KcJ73rHFh4xr5
OPEK,cafe,50.8781656,4.6927774,  https://maps.app.goo.gl/hptZjzFRGgmkJE8B6
University café, cafe,50.8787888,4.7008323, https://onan.be/nl/locations/kup-kuleuven/
Rega
Bar
Cafe
Restaurant

This guide is maintained by the ECV Lab at KU Leuven. Feel free to suggest additions or improvements!