Long-Term Business Travel: 7 Tips for Stays of 1–11 Months

Updated: 27 October 2026

For a business trip longer than about four weeks, a furnished apartment usually works better than a hotel: you get a kitchen, room to work and one monthly price instead of a nightly rate. Globexs rents furnished apartments for 1 to 11 months in Belgium (from €1,300 per month) and in Spain, and the average Globexs stay in Belgium is 5.3 months. Here are seven tips for long-term business travellers, from choosing where to stay to settling in during the first week.

Hotel, aparthotel or furnished apartment?

The right choice depends mostly on how long you stay.

Option	Works best for	Space	Price model	Feels like home after a month?
Hotel	Trips of a few nights to 2–3 weeks	One room	Per night	Rarely: no kitchen, little space to work
Aparthotel / serviced apartment	2 to 8 weeks	Studio or small flat	Per night or per week	Partly: kitchenette, shared building services
Furnished apartment for 1–11 months	Assignments and projects of one month or more, teams of 1 to 50	One or more bedrooms, living room	One monthly price	Yes: your own kitchen, living space and address

For a detailed cost comparison in Belgium, read Hotel vs furnished apartment in Belgium.

1. Choose the apartment by your commute, not by the photos

On a long stay you make the same journey every working day, so the location matters more than the interior. A slightly larger place, ideally with a second bedroom you can use as an office, is easier to live in for months than a compact suite in the centre. In Antwerp, people working at the port live in very different areas from those working near Central Station: our guide to the best neighbourhoods in Antwerp by commute compares them. For Brussels, see business apartments in Brussels by district.

2. Plan for the project to change

Projects get extended, people rotate and teams grow. Choose housing that can follow the project. With Globexs, a stay is extended with one email, and a company can replace one employee with another under the same contract with an addendum. Teams from 1 to 50 people can be housed in Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent. More on how this works: employee rotation in corporate housing and corporate housing in Belgium.

3. Sort out the paperwork in week one

Set aside time early for the local administration, because other steps often depend on it.

• Belgium. EU citizens staying longer than three months apply for registration with the commune within three months of arrival; non-EU citizens on a long-stay visa report to the commune within eight working days. Our guide to registering with the commune in Belgium explains each step. In a Globexs apartment, registration is possible with the owner's written permission, and it does not change the rent, contract or deposit. Official information: belgium.be and the Immigration Office. If your employer posts you to Belgium, see housing posted workers in Belgium.
• Spain. EU citizens staying longer than three months register as residents and receive the certificado de registro. The Globexs legal department in Valencia handles NIE, TIE, residence permits and visa applications.
• Everywhere. Keep digital scans of your passport, contract and insurance, and tell your bank you will be abroad so your card is not blocked.

Renting with Globexs is simple on the paperwork side: individual tenants need only an ID document, with no payslips, employer letter, guarantor or local bank account. See renting in Belgium without a Belgian bank account.

4. Make the apartment work as an office

Ask before booking where you will work: a real table, a good chair and a quiet corner make a difference over months of calls. If you prefer to work among people, a coworking space gives you a desk, meeting rooms and local contacts. In Valencia, start with our list of coworking spaces in Valencia.

5. Get around like a local

A monthly public transport pass is almost always cheaper than taxis or a rental car on a long stay. If you do need a car, check parking before you book: in Belgium the listing shows whether there is a private spot (usually around €100 per month extra) or street parking.

6. Keep a routine: food, sport and packing

A kitchen is the easiest way to eat well and spend less over several months: shop at local markets and try the local cuisine, which also gives you something to talk about at business lunches. Join a gym or a running group in the first week, before work fills your evenings. Pack for one month, not for the whole stay: packing cubes keep a suitcase organised for weekend trips, and you will buy things locally anyway.

7. Build a social life early

Loneliness is the most underestimated part of long business travel. Plan one social activity a week: a sports club, a language exchange or an expat network such as InterNations. In Spain, Globexs tenants are part of Globexs Community, with events and local partner perks included for mid-stay tenants. In Valencia, see our guide on how to meet other expats in Valencia.

How Globexs works for business travellers

• Furnished apartments for 1 to 11 months, extended with one email
• Check-in the same or the next day once the contract is signed and the first payment arrives by instant transfer
• Only an ID document needed; no local bank account
• In Belgium, teams of 1 to 50 people; employees can be replaced under the same contract
• Belgium from €1,300 per month: Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent; Spain: Valencia and other cities

Frequently asked questions

Is a hotel or an apartment better for a long business trip?

For stays of a few nights to two or three weeks, a hotel is usually easier. From about one month, a furnished apartment gives you more space, a kitchen and one monthly price, which makes long stays more comfortable and easier to budget.

How long can I rent a furnished apartment with Globexs?

From 1 to 11 months. If the project runs longer than planned, you extend the stay with one email; this also applies to corporate clients.

What documents do I need to rent as a business traveller?

An ID document is enough for individual tenants. Globexs does not ask for payslips, an employer letter, a guarantor or a local bank account.

Can my company replace me with a colleague during the stay?

Yes. The company keeps the same contract and signs an addendum that changes the tenant, so the new colleague moves into the same apartment.

Do I need to register with the commune on a long business trip to Belgium?

It depends on your nationality and length of stay. EU citizens staying over three months apply for registration within three months of arrival, and non-EU citizens with a long-stay visa report within eight working days. Check the details on belgium.be and in our commune registration guide.