# Study costs & money in Belgium

> Tuition, living-cost context, banking, taxes and practical money guidance for students planning to study in Belgium.

Source of record: https://versityspot.com/study-abroad/belgium/costs
Confirmation: 16 of 16 sections confirmed against their official source (last 2026-08-08).

## Bank Accounts

A Belgian account opens with passport, residence registration and enrolment proof; the big banks run free student accounts and the itsme digital identity app, tied to your Belgian ID card, becomes the login for everything official.

Rent and mutuality payments run on domiciliation (direct debit) smoothly once the account exists.

*Source: https://www.nbb.be/en*

## Taxes

Belgian student employment has a dedicated social-security quota. For the first 650 eligible student-job hours in a calendar year, the reduced solidarity contribution applies instead of ordinary social-security contributions. The student share is 2.71% and the employer share is 5.42%; after the quota, ordinary contributions apply to further hours.

The 650-hour quota is calculated across employers, so use Student@work to track what remains and provide an employer with the official certificate when needed.

Social-security treatment is not the same as income tax. Whether you ultimately owe income tax, whether withholding occurs, and whether your earnings affect a parent’s tax position depend on your income and household circumstances. File any required tax return and use FPS Finance guidance for the current annual thresholds rather than treating the 650-hour quota as a tax-free allowance.

*Source: https://www.studentatwork.be/*

## Common questions

### What should international students know about banking in Belgium?

Free student accounts; itsme becomes your administrative key.

### What should international students know about taxes in Belgium?

The first 650 eligible student-job hours use reduced social contributions; track the quota through Student@work.