Finding an IT placement in Brussels

Brussels has internships in software development, data, cybersecurity, cloud support, business analysis and IT project coordination. International organisations, consultancies, public bodies, banks, telecoms firms and smaller software companies all recruit here. The working language depends on the employer. English is common in international teams, but French or Dutch can be essential in client-facing support, public-sector work and local consultancies.

Do not describe every opportunity as a job. An internship agreement, insurance and supervision arrangements may be required even where the tasks look similar to entry-level employment. Pay also varies. Some employers offer an allowance or reimburse transport and meals; others offer no payment. An Erasmus+ grant can contribute to mobility costs, but it is not a salary.

Sort out eligibility before you spend weeks applying. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can generally move to Belgium without a visa, though municipal registration becomes relevant for longer stays. Students from outside those countries must check Belgian immigration requirements for their exact residence status and the proposed placement. Your host company cannot reliably answer this for you.

• Ask your university's international office if it can issue and sign a traineeship agreement for Belgium.
• Read the host's offer carefully: it should identify the dates, supervisor, learning tasks, location, insurance responsibility and any allowance.
• If you already hold a Belgian student residence permit, ask the Immigration Office or your municipality how the proposed internship fits your status before signing.
• If you will come from another country, use the Belgian Immigration Portal and the Belgian embassy or consulate responsible for your residence country for the visa route.
• Keep copies of your passport or identity card, enrolment certificate, transcript and health-insurance evidence ready. Employers often request them late in the process.

Search in the language used by the employer, not just in English. A search for “software engineering internship Brussels” reaches international firms. “Stage informatique Bruxelles”, “stagiaire développeur”, “stage développeur web”, “data analyst internship” and “stage cybersécurité” can reveal different listings. For Dutch-speaking employers, also try “IT-stage Brussel”, “stage software developer” and “data stage”.

• Use the careers pages of Brussels employers first. They often state application windows, language requirements and agreement conditions more clearly than job boards.
• Check Actiris, Brussels' public employment service, alongside EURES for vacancies and labour-market information.
• Search LinkedIn with a job alert for Brussels, but verify every role on the employer's own site before sending documents.
• Ask your department for companies that have signed its internship agreement before. That can remove a major administrative obstacle.
• Approach smaller firms directly only with a focused proposal: name the team area, your availability and the skills you can contribute.

Set alerts for both “internship” and “stage”. In Belgium, French-language listings commonly use stage or stagiaire, while an English-only search can miss them. Do not apply only to roles labelled IT intern: junior data, technical support, QA, product operations and digital transformation placements can still contain substantial technical work.

A one-page CV is usually enough for a student application. Put your programme, expected graduation date, technical stack and language level near the top. Do not rate yourself “expert” in five programming languages. Name the tools you used and the work you actually completed.

1. 1
   Match one project to the role

   For a backend role, link to an API, database design or tested service. For data work, show a notebook, dashboard or documented analysis. Remove private data and credentials before publishing anything.

2. 2
   State your availability precisely

   Write the earliest start date, latest end date and required weekly hours. Include that your university can provide an agreement, if that is true.

3. 3
   Write a short role-specific note

   Refer to the team's product or technical area, then explain one relevant skill or project. A generic motivation letter sent to 30 employers is easy to spot.

4. 4
   Prepare for practical screening

   Expect a short coding exercise, technical conversation or discussion of your projects. Be able to explain your own decisions, bugs and trade-offs.

Technical portfolio

A small, accessible record of work that lets a recruiter inspect your practical skills. For IT students, this is usually a GitHub profile, a deployed project, a design case study or a concise project page.

Internship agreement

The document signed by you, the host and usually your university that sets the learning objectives, dates, supervision, insurance and responsibilities for the placement.

For a placement starting in September, begin searching in January or February. Larger employers may close applications in spring; smaller teams can recruit later, but their internal approval and agreement signing can still take weeks. If you need a visa, use the offer date as the start of paperwork, not the end of the search.

For Erasmus+ traineeships, your institution also uses a Learning Agreement for Traineeships and sets its own selection and grant process. Apply through your home institution rather than assuming the host can award Erasmus+ money.

1. 1
   Confirm the host can take an intern

   Before treating an interview as a likely placement, ask if the organisation has a named supervisor and can sign your institution's agreement.

2. 2
   Get learning objectives approved

   Send the proposed tasks to your academic coordinator. A role consisting mainly of routine administration may not meet your course requirements.

3. 3
   Check insurance and liability

   Find out who covers accidents at work, third-party liability and medical care. Your university's cover may be limited to placements it has formally approved.

4. 4
   Sign before the first day

   Do not start on an informal verbal arrangement. Keep the final signed agreement and any annexes in a cloud folder and on your phone.

Brussels is compact on a map but commuting can still shape your placement. Check the office address before booking a room. Saint-Gilles, Ixelles, Etterbeek and the city centre suit many students, but the best choice depends on your workplace and the metro, tram or train line you will use. If the office is near Brussels-North, Brussels-Central or Brussels-Luxembourg station, living close to a direct rail or metro connection may matter more than the municipality name.

• Budget for a rental deposit, the first month's rent, utilities, local transport, food and set-up costs. Do not build a budget around an internship allowance until it is written into the offer.
• View a room in person or by live video call. Avoid paying a deposit to a landlord who will not provide a contract, address and clear identity.
• Ask whether the advertised rent includes heating, electricity, internet and municipal charges. “Charges included” means different things in different listings.
• If you will stay more than a short visit, check registration requirements with the commune where you live. The process and appointment availability can differ between communes.
• Keep your university and host contact details available for your first week, especially if your arrival date changes.

Brussels has 19 communes, each with its own municipal administration. Do not leave registration questions until your residence document, bank account or other local procedure depends on an address.

Erasmus+ can support an eligible traineeship in Belgium, but selection, grant agreements and deadlines are managed by your sending university or other participating organisation. The Programme Guide sets the framework; your institution decides its internal process and can have an earlier deadline than the host company's recruitment deadline.

• Check the minimum and maximum mobility period that applies to your study cycle and the current call.
• Ask your Erasmus+ office about grant calculations, inclusion support, green-travel support and payment timing.
• Keep evidence your institution requests, such as arrival and departure confirmations, the signed Learning Agreement and a traineeship certificate.
• If you are a recent graduate, ask before graduation. The selection and agreement normally need to be arranged while you are still enrolled.
• Do not accept a fully remote arrangement on the assumption that it will qualify for trainee mobility funding.

The grant is intended to help with additional mobility costs. You still need a personal budget and should read the grant agreement before committing to housing.

Make a shortlist of 20 to 30 suitable employers, then prepare one CV version and two or three portfolio links that match the roles you want. At the same time, ask your university for its agreement template and Erasmus+ deadline. That prevents you from losing a suitable offer because the paperwork starts too late.

If you want a vetted host search and help arranging your arrival, Piktalent's [placement-finding and arrival support](/premium-services) is one option for students seeking an IT internship in Brussels.

1. 1
   This week

   Set French, Dutch and English vacancy alerts; update your LinkedIn headline; and ask one lecturer or supervisor to review your CV.

2. 2
   Before each application

   Check the location, required language, start date and agreement requirement. Record the closing date and contact person in one spreadsheet.

3. 3
   After an offer

   Confirm supervision, agreement, insurance, immigration status and housing budget before you book travel.