Spanish law student completed a 4-month traineeship at a Brussels public-affairs consultancy
Result: Authored two policy memos on EU digital regulation; converted to a paid junior consultant role at programme end
🇧🇪 Belgium
Erasmus+ Internships and Mobility Programs in Brussels
Piktalent organises Erasmus+ internships and mobility programs in Brussels, Belgium for higher-education institutions, VET providers and individual students. Each placement includes a vetted host company, accommodation, insurance and on-site coordination. Brussels is the political capital of the European Union and Piktalent's leading destination for internships in EU institutions, public affairs consultancies, international NGOs and trade associations, alongside a growing fintech and bilingual professional services market in the Quartier Européen and Louise districts.
In short
- Location
- Brussels, Belgium
- Programmes
- Erasmus+ KA131, KA171, VET, HEI, BIP, job shadowing
- Duration
- 2 weeks – 12 months
- Includes
- Placement, accommodation, insurance, 24/7 support
Cost of living for interns in Brussels
Mid costTypical monthly intern budget in Brussels based on Piktalent-arranged shared accommodation. Figures are indicative and updated against current placements; Final pricing is confirmed with your proposal.
- Room
- €450–700/mo
- Daily expenses
- €300–400/mo
- Total monthly
- €750–1,100/mo
- Erasmus+ grant
- Erasmus+ grant covers the majority of monthly cost of living for most participants.
What Piktalent delivers in Brussels
Every mobility programme in Brussels is fully managed end-to-end — so coordinators at sending institutions can focus on academic outcomes while we handle logistics, compliance and on-the-ground support.
Accommodation
Vetted, safe housing in Brussels within commuting distance of the workplace — typically shared apartments or student residences.
Insurance
Travel and liability insurance covering the full mobility period, aligned with Erasmus+ requirements.
24/7 support
Local coordination team in Brussels plus a 24/7 emergency line throughout the placement.
Host company matching
Placement matched to the participant's field of study and learning objectives across our Brussels host network.
Mentoring & orientation
Airport transfer, city orientation and weekly check-ins with the on-site coordinator in Brussels.
Documentation
Learning agreements, mid-term and final reports, Europass certificates and all paperwork required by the sending institution.
Mobility programmes
Erasmus+ mobility programmes we run in Brussels
Brussels is Piktalent's flagship destination for HEI mobility in political science, EU studies, law and public administration. The Schuman roundabout and Etterbeek host the densest cluster of Piktalent placements; group mobilities of 8–12 participants are routinely organised for VET institutions in tourism and hospitality across the city centre and Grand Place area.
Also available to individual students
À la carte support services in Brussels
Accommodation
Vetted housing close to the host company in Brussels — apartments, residences or host families.
Insurance
Health, accident and liability cover compliant with Erasmus+ and host-country requirements.
Visa & documentation
Guidance on visas, residence permits and host-country paperwork for non-EU participants.
Language courses
Pre-departure and on-site language training to speed up workplace integration in Brussels.
TEFL — Teach English Abroad
Accredited TEFL certification — open enrolment, no internship required.
Internship job portal
Browse and apply directly to open internship positions in Brussels and across Europe & the USA.
Why Brussels for internships and mobility programs
Brussels' working environment is uniquely international — most professional teams are 60–80% non-Belgian, and English is the working language across EU institutions, lobbying firms and most NGOs. The pace is meeting-heavy and consensus-driven, with afterwork drinks at Place du Luxembourg ('Plux') being a core part of the policy-community network.
Economy
Brussels is a key economic hub in Belgium, attracting international companies and offering an internship market that spans early-stage startups, established SMEs and multinational employers.
Key sectors
Active host-company sectors in Brussels: eu affairs, business, tech, international organisations. Each Erasmus+ internship is matched to the participant's field of study.
International environment
English is the working language in most international placements in Brussels. Teams are typically multinational, and incoming Erasmus+ participants integrate alongside an established alumni network.
Home to the European Commission, European Parliament, Council, EEAS and 200+ trade associations — unmatched concentration of policy internships
Major NATO and SHAPE presence creates demand in defence policy, security studies and translation
Strong public-affairs consultancy market (Hill+Knowlton, FleishmanHillard, APCO) hires interns year-round
Trilingual environment (French, Dutch, English) but English dominates EU institutions and most professional roles
Direct Eurostar/Thalys connections to Paris, London and Amsterdam — easy weekend mobility during the placement
Active Erasmus+ alumni network and dedicated newcomer support via Bruxelles International
Available internship fields in Brussels
Piktalent offers Erasmus+ internships in Brussels across the fields below. Each link opens a dedicated page with host-company examples, durations and learning outcomes.
How an Erasmus+ internship in Brussels works
Four steps from first brief to final report. Plan twelve weeks of lead time for a quality mobility programme in Brussels.
- 1
Brief & matching
Share participant profiles, dates and target field. Piktalent matches each intern to a vetted host company in Brussels.
- 2
Learning Agreement & paperwork
We co-sign the Erasmus+ Learning Agreement, issue insurance and confirm the mobility programme details with the sending institution.
- 3
Pre-arrival & accommodation
Vetted accommodation in Brussels is booked before arrival; pre-departure briefing covers culture, transport and emergency contacts.
- 4
On-site support & reporting
Local team in Brussels runs check-ins, monitors the internship and delivers final reports plus Europass Mobility documents.
Internship examples in Brussels
Recent placements managed by Piktalent in Brussels.
Who is Brussels best for?
Brussels works particularly well for the participant profiles below. If your sending institution matches one of these, we typically have host capacity within 2–4 weeks.
- 1Political science, EU studies, international relations and law students
- 2Communications and public-affairs students targeting policy advocacy careers
- 3French- or Dutch-speaking participants who want to leverage their language
- 4VET hospitality and tourism cohorts looking for a multilingual European capital
Frequently asked questions about internships in Brussels
Other cities in Belgium
Compare Brussels with other Piktalent destinations in Belgium.
Related cities by sector
Other Piktalent destinations with overlapping host-company sectors to Brussels — useful when comparing cost, language and lead time across the same field.
From the blog — Brussels & Belgium
Plan your internship program in Brussels
Tell us your sector, dates and group size — we'll send a tailored proposal for Brussels within 48 hours.