FAQs

Expatival is taking place on Saturday, 17 May 2025, at the International House Leuven, which is in the Comenius Building almost directly opposite the Stadskantoor. The address is: Tiensevest 60, 3000 Leuven. 

You can check out the full event agenda on our workshops page here. In a nutshell, we have 7 parallel sessions of workshops and some bonus options around lunch time.

All day long you will be able to connect, chat to people in the information hall and get involved with activities. 

You can register on the website here to get your free tickets. We're asking for registrations so that we know how many people to expect on the day, for planning and catering purposes. 

Nope, the event is free, hosted by the International House Leuven. On the day refreshments will be available to purchase at the event. 

​

The only exception to this will be the immigration consultations - as per our usual rules these will work with a deposit system. 

The International House Leuven (IHL)  is a non-profit that helps internationals get settled, find work and establish a community in Leuven.

We run events regularly, including info sessions, coffee mornings, careers events, and all sorts of socials. And we have a ton of information available in English (!) on our website as well as details of all our upcoming events: www.internationalhouseleuven.be

You can check us out on social media too: 

Instagram | Facebook page | Facebook group | Meetup 

The IHL is an initiative of the City of Leuven, Leuven MindGate, IMEC, and KU Leuven. 

We will have some drinks and food available to purchase. More information coming soon! 

The International House Leuven is a few minutes walk from the train station, so you can park (cars or bikes) in the underground parking by the station, or take any public transport that stops at Leuven Station.  It's almost directly opposite the Stadskantoor. 

Unfortunately, the building is not accessible and does not have an elevator. The steps are too steep for a ramp, but once inside, all IHL organised parts of the event will be on one floor. We can help carry strollers into the building, and if you need help please let us know so we can find a solution for you. 

Yes, please do, and we will try our hardest to accommodate your needs. Unfortunately the venue is an Art Deco building from the 1930s, which is not up to current accessibility standards (e.g. many stairs, no accessible toilets). We would like this event to be as inclusive as possible, so please contact us in advance so that we can help everyone enjoy the day. 

Lots of curiosity and openness to meeting new people. You might want to bring a notepad and pen so you can take notes of interesting info and share contact details with people you meet. 

Of course, the more the merrier! We'd ask that you register for tickets ahead of time, so we know how many people to expect. You and your guests will be welcome on the day even if you didn't RSVP the exact right amount. 

As much as possible, we will try to cater to all family needs, it is in the first instance an event for adults though. Please feel welcome to bring your kids, we have a few opportunities specifically for kids, like facepainting, and will also have a drop-off point for up to 15 little ones at a time run by a professional company.  

Absolutely! We will have spaces where you can chat to others and really hope that Expatival will also be a day where you can meet new people. In particular, we will have some taster sessions of regular IHL events, like coffee morning, and are organising "human library" style sessions, where you can meet people with specialist knowledge or experience. 

But there's no pressure, you can also just attend the sessions you want without talking to new people if you prefer. 

We'd be delighted to hear from you. We will be looking for plenty of volunteers to help us make this a fun community day, so please be in touch. To volunteer, fill out this link. If you have an idea for a workshop, or would like to provide information then please be in touch. Even if it doesn't work out on the day, there might be other options. 

You can send us an email to: expatival@leuven.be - we will answers as quickly as possibly during office hours.