We can’t wait to welcome you to our research and teaching community. You’ll not only enjoy a beautiful environment and the company of ambitious peers, you’ll also benefit from development opportunities, research support and a strong focus on health and well being.

Onboarding procedure for new employees

After the recruitment of a new employee has been initiated through the specific recruitment procedure, an HR officer from the Personnel and Organization Department contacts the new employee to request personal information and specific documents. Based on this information, a contract or scholarship agreement can be drawn up and, for example, the salary can be determined.

International employees must also be informed about

• about moving to Belgium and how best to organize it;
• In addition, authorizations from the Belgian and Flemish authorities are sometimes needed to work and reside in Belgium and a visa may have to be applied for;
• Upon arrival, the employee is expected to register in Belgium and complete a number of administrative tasks. A personal welcome is also provided.

Information about all these, and many more, is provided during the onboarding process for new employees. The intensity and guidance of the onboarding process depends on the type of employee. The websites, brochures, personal or via TEAMS contact moments and information in emails are used to inform the new employees. ODIS assists in the retrieval of the personal documents and information.

Our working environment

You’ll find a stimulating, supportive environment at Ghent University that also supports your work-life balance and offers a wide range of supplementary benefits to professorial and research staff.

Training opportunities

Your development is a key element of Ghent University’s mission. We provide a comprehensive and continuously updated training offering to all employees, including administrative and technical personnel, academic and scientific personnel, as well as PhD scholarships recipients and postdoc researchers.

Work permit requirements

Once you’ve accepted a position at Ghent University, there are specific immigration procedures  based on your nationality and the length of your stay that you must complete before coming to live and work in Belgium. It is the university’s responsibility as an employer to apply for the authorisations you need using information that you provide. It’s your responsibility to provide the requested translations of your official documents and make sure they are legalized or apostilled.

Single Permit

A relative new procedure to obtain proof to work and live in Belgium is in place: the Single Permit. The university’s HR department will get in touch with you regarding the needed documents and conditions once you’ve accepted an employment offer.

Entry visa

Once the single permit is granted, as a non EEA national, you must apply for a long stay visa to enter Belgium at the nearest Belgian embassy in your home country, which will be placed in your passport. Submit early – processing times may be long. For stays that not exceed 90 days a short stay visa might be required.

Administration before arrival

Preparing certain documents and information before moving to Ghent will simplify your arrival and give you a head start for the mandatory registrations. During the onboarding process as new staff member you will be well informed on the specific requirements to collect certain documents. A general overview can be found here.

Contact

Do not hesitate to contact the HR-department (singleresidencepermit@ugent.be or 09 264 32 99) if you have any questions or need further clarification.

Diploma equivalencies

If your diplomas are non-European, you may have to get official proof that the foreign diploma has the same value as the equivalent diploma from Flanders. This is something you must do yourself, beginning with a certified, legalised translation of the documents. Read more about diploma equivalency procedures.

Our relocation policy

Incoming staff are greeted by our DPO Welcome Team and can participate in quarterly receptions where you can get to know the university, its leaders and your colleagues and peers. Your new department will also welcome you to the team.

If you transfer your main place of residence from abroad to Belgium, the members of the professorial staff might be entitled to a relocation fee.

Preparing for your journey

All set to make the journey to Ghent? Arrange your travel plans and review the Ghent University faculty map to orient yourself in this lovely medieval city. Watch a video on how to travel from Brussels International Airport to Ghent Sint-Pieters railway station, the city’s largest rail stop.

Explore the different ways of traveling to Ghent, and learn more about the public transportation system in Belgium.