How to Stay Connected with Loved Ones from Belgium

Published on January 17, 2026 and written by Cyril Jarnias

Moving away from your usual circle to live, study, or work is no longer the exception but the norm. From Belgium, many people juggle families scattered across multiple continents, grandparents who are not tech-savvy, and friends who remain in other European countries or across the Atlantic. The good news is that rarely in history have we had so many tools to stay connected. The bad news is that the abundance of solutions can quickly become a headache.

This article offers a practical overview, centered on the reality in Belgium: what really works, what it costs, and how to combine digital and “paper” to maintain strong long-distance relationships.

Technical basics to stay reachable from Belgium

Before we talk emotions, a minimum of infrastructure is required. Without a decent connection or a suitable phone solution, it’s impossible to maintain smooth exchanges with loved ones.

In Belgium, mobile coverage is generally good in cities and large urban areas, more uneven in rural areas. Three major operators dominate the mobile market: Proximus, Orange Belgium, and BASE (by Telenet), each with its own positioning.

Choosing your mobile operator based on your needs

The operator you choose partly determines the quality of your calls, your access to data, and the price of your communications, especially international ones.

The main strengths of each major Belgian player can be summarized as follows:

Operator	Recommended Profile	Main Strengths
Proximus	Heavy users / rural areas / coverage	Best overall coverage, roaming options
Orange Belgium	Price / performance balance	Good data plans, good compromise
BASE (Telenet)	Tight budget / urban	Aggressive pricing, economical solutions

Basic local plans are around €10 to €30 for mobile data, with for example at Proximus “Epic Combo” type offers between €15 and €35 for 8 to 20 GB per month, and at Orange Belgium “Go Plus” offers between €20 and €40 with similar volumes. For intensive use of video calls and messaging, these ranges give a good idea of the necessary budget.

Understanding roaming and international calls

Two issues need to be distinguished: using your phone when you leave Belgium (roaming), and calling from Belgium to abroad (international calls).

Outside the EU, it’s a different story. Proximus offers for example a Daily Roaming Pass for a long list of countries outside Europe, with separate price zones:

Proximus Daily Roaming Pass Zone	Examples of Covered Countries	Indicative Daily Price*
Europe (EU roaming)	France, Germany, Spain, Italy, UK, etc.	Included in most plans
Zone A	USA, Canada, Japan, Brazil, Turkey, Switzerland…	€6.19/day
Zone B	Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Kenya, Vietnam…	€11.15/day

Prices are indicative, VAT included.

This pass allows you to use a certain volume of data, calls, and SMS each day in the chosen zone. If you travel to see loved ones abroad, it’s a way to stay reachable without breaking the bank, provided you monitor the activation days.

For Pay&Go prepaid customers, Proximus also has a “Daily Travel Passport” billed from €5 per day in “Top Destinations”. The day is counted from midnight to midnight (Belgian time), and the pass activates automatically as soon as you make a call, send an SMS, receive a call, or use more than 200 KB of data.

eSIMs and prepaid cards: flexible and economical

Prepaid SIM cards remain a classic, but Belgian regulations now require registration with an ID, even for tourists. For temporary use or juggling multiple countries, eSIMs are gaining ground.

An eSIM is a digital SIM embedded in your phone, activated by scanning a QR code. Many recent smartphones (iPhone XS and later, Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy S, etc.) are compatible. The advantage is twofold: you can keep your Belgian number while adding a local or regional data plan without handling a physical card, and easily switch between plans.

Marketplaces like Airalo, aloSIM, Holafly, Nomad or Global Yo offer data plans for Belgium or for all of Europe:

eSIM Provider	Example Offer Belgium / Europe	Typical Price Range
aloSIM	“Belganet” 1 GB / 7 days, up to unlimited 10 days	~$4.50 to $32
Airalo	Europe packs 1 GB / 7 days to unlimited data / 15 days	$5 to $35
Nomad	Belgium 1 GB / 7 days to 50 GB / 30 days	$4.50 to $45
Global Yo	3 to 10 GB for 7 to 30 days (Belgium)	~€8 to €25

For someone based in Belgium who travels often to see loved ones in other countries, or for a loved one coming to visit, these solutions are often cheaper than a standard roaming plan, especially if most communication happens via video calls over Wi‑Fi or data.

Messaging and video calls: the heart of daily connection

Once the technical layer is in place, the essence of the connection lies in messaging and video conferencing apps. In Belgium, figures show massive use of these tools, especially among 16–24 year olds, of whom 98% use the internet regularly and two-thirds use instant messaging.

Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram: the winning trio

Available data indicates that Facebook remains the dominant network in Belgium, with over 67% market share of social networks in 2024. Facebook Messenger is the most used messaging application in the country: 44% of Belgians reported using it daily in 2017, ahead of WhatsApp, Snapchat, iMessage and Skype. Among 19–24 year olds, this proportion is even higher.

Instagram, with over 3.6 million users at the end of 2019, reaches about 30% of the population, especially 19–24 year olds. In other words, if you want to reach your Belgian loved ones, betting on this trio (Facebook, Messenger, Instagram) is often the simplest strategy.

Staying in touch from Belgium with loved ones abroad then comes down to a few habits:

For loved ones more reluctant to use Facebook, WhatsApp is a universal alternative: end-to-end encrypted video calls, group chats, sending photos and voice messages. The app doesn’t limit call duration, but restricts video conversations to eight participants, which is still enough for a core family.

Video conferencing tools: from one-on-one to large meetings

One-to-one video calls with parents or a partner can happen via FaceTime (if everyone is on Apple), WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or Skype. But as soon as it’s about gathering a large scattered family, it’s better to turn to more robust video conferencing platforms.

Several free or freemium services are widely used in Belgium:

Service	Max Participants (free)	Max Duration Free Meeting	Useful Features for Families
Zoom	100	40 minutes	Very widespread, easy to use
Google Meet	100	60 minutes	Integrated with Google accounts
Microsoft Teams	100 (free version)	60 minutes	Chat, file sharing, blur background
Jitsi Meet	~100+	No theoretical limit	Open-source, no account needed
Whereby	Up to 50 (12 visible)	Variable limits depending on offer	Simple meeting link, in the browser
Signal	40	Not limited in practice	Strong privacy orientation
Discord	25 to 50 on video	Flexible	Ideal if you already have a family server

For large families spread across multiple time zones, the challenge isn’t just technical. Studies on long-distance relationships show that more than 60% of long-distance couples struggle with time differences. For a family, it’s the same: identifying a common weekly “window” is crucial.

Optimizing call quality

Sound and video quality have a direct impact on how loved ones feel. Some best practices, based on observations on video conferencing platforms:

– preferably use a wired connection (Ethernet) for the host of a large family call ;

– favor a headset or headphones with a microphone to avoid echoes ;

– reduce the number of open applications to save resources ;

– choose tools that adapt resolution based on bandwidth, like WhatsApp, Google Duo or Imo, which consume relatively little data.

As an indication, a 4-minute video call on WhatsApp consumes about 12.7 MB. On monthly data plans of 10 to 20 GB, there is therefore some leeway, but you need to keep this parameter in mind if you call very frequently on 4G/5G outside of Wi‑Fi.

Social media: sharing your life without getting lost

Social media isn’t just for passing time: one of the main reasons declared by users is to “stay in touch with family and friends“. Global studies mention nearly 67% of users who use them for this purpose. In Belgium, more than 50% of the population logs into social networks at least once a day, with a peak of 80% among 16–24 year olds.

Structuring your online presence for your family

From Belgium, you can use these platforms as a “life feed” for your distant loved ones:

For families scattered across multiple countries and languages, these tools have the advantage of allowing non-verbal communication: a photo, a video, a few emojis are enough to convey a mood even when the language barrier makes long texts more complicated.

Data shows that in Belgium, 38% of social media users share photos, videos, and films daily, and 41% watch online videos every day. Betting on visuals is therefore consistent with usage.

Private blogs, family apps, and digital stories

For some, classic networks aren’t suited for very intimate content or long family stories. More specialized solutions exist:

These mediums are valuable for keeping track of memories, especially when several generations are scattered between Belgium, other European countries, and the rest of the world.

For elderly loved ones: connected photo frames and simplicity

A frequent difficulty for expatriates or students in Belgium: how to include grandparents or elderly loved ones who are not comfortable with smartphones and apps? This is where connected digital photo frames become interesting.

Why a connected frame can be a game-changer

For a senior, a digital photo frame that updates itself is the modern equivalent of an album placed in the living room. The benefits are clear:

As a loved one living in Belgium, you can thus “enter” the living room of your parents or grandparents every day, even if they are thousands of kilometers away.

Features to prioritize for family use

Not all frames are equal. For intergenerational use, the following points are essential:

Today there is a very wide range, from simple and affordable frames to premium models that also serve as digital art displays.

Brand / Model	Key Points for Family
Familink	Pre-activated 4G SIM, no need for home Wi‑Fi
Pix‑Star	Designed for seniors, free lifetime cloud, remote management
Aura (Carver, Mason…)	Very refined display, unlimited storage via the app
Nixplay	Very widespread, limited free cloud storage (10 GB)
Frameo, Aeezo…	More affordable brands, simple apps

In practice, many families pre-load the frame with dozens of photos before gifting it, then regularly add to it from Belgium whenever a new event occurs: graduation, trip, birth, daily life.

Letters, postcards, and packages: the tangible link from Belgium

The all-digital approach has its limits. A postcard from Brussels, a package with Belgian chocolates, or a handwritten letter can have a much stronger emotional impact than a simple WhatsApp message. From Belgium, several services facilitate these shipments.

Sending mail and cards via bpost

For letters and postcards, bpost remains the main point of passage. Some basic rules:

– you will need “Europe” or “World” stamps depending on the destination ;

– mail to neighboring countries generally takes 2 to 3 business days, 3 to 6 days for the rest of Europe, and 5 to 20 days for the rest of the world, depending on local conditions ;

– you can deposit your mail in the red mailboxes, at a post office or Post Point, or order stamps via bpost’s eShop.

International shipments can also be registered, insured, or treated as priority mail, useful for important documents or irreplaceable souvenirs.

Packages and customs regulations: avoiding bad surprises

As soon as it comes to packages containing goods, especially outside the EU, the customs dimension enters the conversation. A package destined for a loved one abroad must be accompanied by adequate documents:

– an invoice or customs declaration mentioning a precise description of the items (e.g., “men’s wool sweater” rather than “gift”), a reason (“gift”) and a realistic value ;

– a 6-digit HS (Harmonized System) code for each type of merchandise ;

– the appropriate customs forms (formats vary by carrier, but the principle remains the same).

Generally speaking, it’s better to:

– check the lists of prohibited or restricted products in the destination country ;

– inform the recipient that they might have to pay fees upon delivery if you haven’t chosen a “duties and taxes paid” option ;

– pack securely, with a complete address and a local phone number.

Sending packages from Belgium to loved ones (clothes, toys, Belgian specialties, letters, printed photos) remains a powerful gesture, provided you anticipate the paperwork a bit.

Managing time differences and emotional distance

The difficulties faced by long-distance couples are also found in scattered families: feeling like you’re living different days, inability to talk spontaneously, frustration linked to schedules.

Research on long-distance relationships mentions more than 60% of couples facing time zone problems. For families, the same solutions apply.

Building a realistic communication routine

Living in Belgium with loved ones in North America, Africa, or Asia means dealing with differences ranging from a few hours to over ten hours. Rather than hoping for constant spontaneous exchanges, it’s more effective to formalize a routine:

Tools like shared calendars (Google Calendar, TimeTree) or sites like World Time Buddy help visualize these overlaps and plan family calls, especially when multiple time zones are involved.

Accepting and organizing asynchronous communication

The other pillar is asynchronous communication. Rather than waiting for everyone to be available at the same time, it’s better to multiply the “little stones” left at different times:

– voice messages on WhatsApp, Telegram, or Messenger, which your loved ones listen to when they wake up ;

– short videos of the Grand‑Place, Namur, or the Belgian coast sent on a delay ;

– “bookend messages”: a morning message from Belgium, an evening recap.

Creating shared online activities

Technology also allows you to recreate shared moments, beyond simple conversation.

Many activities can be experienced together remotely:

– game nights via video conference (Pictionary, family quizzes, “Family Fact or Fiction” where you guess if an anecdote is true or made up) ;

– simultaneous movie watching using “Watch Party” functions on certain platforms or a coordinated start ;

– cooking sessions where everyone prepares the same recipe live ;

– family book clubs with video discussion.

Platforms like Jackbox Games, Kahoot, Board Game Arena, Tabletopia or simpler solutions (Pictionary via screen sharing, customized bingos) can fuel these rituals. For very scattered families, these regular meetings become genuine digital traditions.

Low-cost international telephony: when data isn’t enough

Sometimes loved ones have neither a smartphone nor a stable connection, or they are in countries where popular apps are restricted. In these cases, good old voice over the phone remains essential, but it can be expensive if you rely on standard rates.

Specialized services like BOSS Revolution, Rebtel, Ooma or KeepCalling offer attractive rates for calling from (or to) Belgium, especially to foreign landlines and mobile phones.

For an expatriate based in Belgium who wants to stay in very regular contact with a loved one who remained in a country with limited infrastructure, this type of solution can complement internet calls. The important thing is to compare rate grids carefully depending on the country and type of number (landline, mobile, special number).

Staying connected without burning out: finding the balance

With the avalanche of possibilities — social media, messaging, video conferencing, frames, packages, letters — the risk is wanting to do everything, all the time, to the point of generating more stress than connection.

Data on usage in Belgium shows a very connected country: 73% of the population used a smartphone in the last three months, 76% practice online banking, 60% ordered goods or services online in the past year. Among younger people, the use of networks and streaming is almost systematic. Yet, the feeling of closeness doesn’t depend solely on time spent online, but on the quality of interactions.

A few simple principles can guide a personal strategy for staying close to your loved ones from Belgium:

From Belgium, a country extremely well placed at the heart of Europe and very well served by digital infrastructure, you practically have all the levers at hand to maintain, or even strengthen, your long-distance family ties. The challenge is no longer so much about finding a tool, but about inventing, with your loved ones, the uses and traditions that suit you.