Langues Vivantes: your trusted partner

Langues Vivantes organises language holidays and school programmes in Belgium and abroad. We are members of IALC (International Association of Language Centres) and represent accredited public schools, as well as secondary and higher education schools whose teaching is validated by the relevant local authorities.

Participants are responsible for organising their own travel to the various centres. If necessary, Langues Vivantes can provide administrative and technical assistance. In the case of summer courses in England, bus travel is organised in collaboration with public or private coach companies.

The clauses below represent the specific conditions of our organisation.

1.1 General terms of payment

Registration and payment terms

  1. By enrolling, you accept the general terms and conditions of Langues Vivantes. Enrolments can be sent by post or e-mail using our enrolment form, which can be downloaded or found in our brochure, or sent via our website. For homestays of 12 weeks or more, please also attach (or send us by e-mail) a letter of introduction in the target language, including three photos with commentary, as well as 2 passport photos.
  2. Once we have received your form, we will send you an acknowledgement of receipt. Confirmation of your language study holiday will only be effective once we have received a deposit of €350 (1 week stay), €400 (2- to 4 week stay), €900 (5 to 18-week stay) or €1,800 (19 week stay or more), including transport if requested, or the total cost of the course in the case of an online course. The enrolment will be valid and confirmed and the terms and conditions of the stay will be deemed to be known by the participant as soon as confirmation and payment of the deposit have been received. For all high school programmes, whatever the duration, the deposit is 25% of the cost of the stay, with a minimum of €1800.
  3. For a stay of 1 to 11 weeks, payment of the balance and all related costs must be made no later than 6 weeks before departure (see terms and conditions in point 1.2 if your stay is 12 weeks or more). If a participant registers less than 6 weeks before the departure date, the balance must be paid within one week of sending confirmation of the booking, or immediately if departure is within 15 days.
  4. We will take care of registration with the school, organisation of transfers (optional, on request) and accommodation, as well as any other ancillary services (e.g. assistance with visa applications) at no extra charge. In the fortnight before your departure and only after we have received the full payment for your stay, you will receive the contact details of your host family or information about your residence, practical information about the city, contact people, things to bring with you, etc. and, if applicable, details of the transport booked.
  5. We can also book your plane ticket if you wish. In this case, a €50 booking fee will apply. The ticket price must be paid on acceptance of the proposed journey. A ticket can only be confirmed and issued once full payment has been received.

Method of payment
We accept payment by cheque (France only, payable to Langues Vivantes), bank transfer, credit card or holiday voucher (France only).

In the case of payment by credit card (Visa or Mastercard only), a surcharge of 3% is applied to cover financial and processing costs. There is no surcharge for payment by cheque or bank transfer. It is possible to pay only the deposit by credit card and the balance by cheque or bank transfer.

Late registrations
Late bookings (departure between 17/06 and 05/09: less than 4 weeks before departure; rest of the year: less than two weeks before departure) are accepted subject to availability. If the package you are interested in is not available (full stay), we will offer you other equivalent options. Registrations received less than 2 weeks before departure will be subject to a €50 administration fee for priority processing.

In the event of late registration, payment must be made in full. A supplement of €100 will be charged if a visa is required to cover express courier costs. The address of the accommodation and other useful information will be given to you by telephone or e-mail before departure.

1.2 Terms of payment for language stays of more than 12 weeks

Balance
Unless you have made an individual arrangement and indicated otherwise on your confirmation, the balance of the programme must be paid in 3 equal instalments on the following dates: for departures between June and October: 15 January, 15 March and 15 May prior to departure. For departures between November and May: 15 June, 15 September and 15 December prior to departure.

The balance may be paid in a single instalment if the amount is less than €3,000. The final balance for each stay is due no later than 8 weeks before departure. In the case of late registration (less than 8 weeks before departure), the balance is due immediately. The holiday documents will be sent after receipt of the balance.

Accommodation costs payable on site
Payment is made in advance for course enrolment, travel and insurance, and all or part of the accommodation. For certain formulas, accommodation costs can be paid directly to the host family or local landlord during the stay, by arrangement with your hosts. Participants are then free to cancel their accommodation, subject to the usual compensation or notice period (generally 2 to 4 weeks). The terms and conditions will be specified at the time of registration.

1.3 Payment terms for High School programmes

Once we have received your booking form, we will send you a pre-confirmation of your stay, indicating the total cost of your stay.

On receipt of the pre-confirmation: payment of €100 to cover the cost of the interview and language test. This fee is non-refundable, but can be deducted from the balance if the participant is selected for the programme.

After passing the test and interview: 1st payment of 25% of the remaining balance, with a minimum of €1,500. The file will not be handed over to our partner until this deposit has been paid. If the cancellation guarantee has been taken out, it must be paid with this 1st instalment.

On receipt of official acceptance of the programme: 2nd payment of 25% of the outstanding balance.

14 weeks before departure, payment of the balance due. The documents required to obtain a visa (if applicable), as well as all information concerning the stay (school, accommodation, travel info, etc.) will not be communicated if the balance has not been received.

Method of payment: if payment is made by credit card (Visa or Mastercard only), a surcharge of 2% will be added to cover financial and processing costs. There is no surcharge for payment by cheque or bank transfer. It is possible to pay only the deposit by credit card and the balance by cheque or bank transfer.

2.1 Best Price Guarantee

If, within 15 days of your enrolment, you find exactly the same programme including precisely the same services for the same dates (same school, same town, same course, same accommodation and same duration) offered by another language travel agency, and at a price published in the same currency in an official catalogue of this same agency (excluding all promotional offers, Internet offers or personalised quotes) that is lower than the price paid to LV, we undertake to refund the difference in full. This guarantee also applies to all stays with a private teacher, including stays of one to three weeks.

2.2 Prices for stays outside the Euro zone (United Kingdom – United States – Canada – Australia – New Zealand, South Africa, etc. )

Prices outside the euro zone are based on the reference currency of the destination country. Our fares in euros for these destinations include a small exchange margin. They may fluctuate according to the exchange rate of the reference currency.

If the exchange rate fluctuates by more than 3%, a fare revision may be applied up to 21 days before departure.

2.3 Validity

Fares are valid for the year in which the participant submits his/her application. If a participant registers for a departure in the following year, the prices are guaranteed if the holiday is paid in full before 30/11 of the current year.

Only the prices quoted on the website at the time of online pre-registration are valid. Once registration has been confirmed by payment of the deposit, the price in the reference currency is guaranteed (for a departure in the current year).

Langues Vivantes reserves the right to apply the correct price or to unilaterally cancel a booking if it appears that the price and/or description of the holiday(s) and/or any associated options are manifestly incorrect due to a technical fault or human error.

2.4 Discounts

Family & Friends” or loyalty discounts are granted under the conditions indicated on the “Promotion ” page of our website.

Discounts or promotions may never be combined.

3.1 Travel documents

All participants are assumed to have valid travel documents. For European Union nationals, an identity card is sufficient for stays in Europe (with the exception of the United Kingdom, for which a passport is required). For all stays outside Europe, a passport is required. Depending on your destination and the length of your stay, you will also need a visa. You will receive the documents you need to obtain your visa on receipt of the balance of your stay. Make sure you apply for your passport and visa in good time, as this can take several weeks.

No refund is possible if the visa is refused or if the visa application is not made in time, unless you take out cancellation insurance (see point 4 for refund conditions).

3.2 Transport

All trips, except our summer trip to Bournemouth with accompanied travel from Brussels, or our high school programmes when the flight option has been chosen (see paragraph below).

Except in the case of accompanied travel to Bournemouth, the organisation of transport is the responsibility of the participant and/or his/her parents. However, if you so request, we can take care of booking your ticket (excluding low-cost airlines). In this case, we will go through our partner travel agency and a €50 administration fee will be charged.

Our accompanied trip to Bournemouth from Brussels, offered in the summer for 14-19 year-olds, can only be organised for a group of at least 11 participants.

High School programmes with flights

The administrative costs of booking flights are included in the price of high school programmes with flight option.

In this case, once the enrolment has been accepted and confirmed by our foreign partner, and the application for a study permit or visa has been approved, we will book the trip to the destination.

The ticket booked includes as few stopovers as possible and can be changed.

In the event of a change, the airline’s change fees will apply (these vary depending on the airline, generally around €200), as will any difference in fare class.

All programmes

We accept no responsibility for delays, accidents, strikes, losses or other incidents caused by carriers (coach operators, shipping companies, railways and airlines). We do, however, intervene to limit the consequences of such events. Additional costs caused by unforeseen events linked to the trip remain the responsibility of the participants.

3.3 Internal rules of the school or college

The participant undertakes to familiarise himself/herself with and respect the internal rules of the school or college he/she will be attending, in particular with regard to (compulsory) attendance at all lessons and regular attendance. Participants are not authorised to be absent from the programme, unless specific dispensation is granted by the centre director for medical or other reasons.

3.4 Dates of stay, timetables and duration of courses

By default and unless otherwise stated, courses run from Sunday to Saturday. In the event of arrival before or after these dates, an additional night will be charged. If the stay booked includes a transfer with fixed dates, transfer fees may also be charged. Lessons can take place in the morning or afternoon depending on the level of the participants and the formulas. The duration in minutes of the lessons is specified for each package. Each lesson generally lasts between 40 and 60 minutes (the most common is 45 minutes). Attendance at all lessons is compulsory.

3.5 Public holidays and holidays

Courses do not take place on official public holidays in the host country (list available on request). With the exception of private lessons and stays with a private teacher, these lessons will not be made up or reimbursed.

3.6 Accommodation in host families

Host families are not necessarily “traditional” families; all types of families (traditional or blended families, retired people, single-parent families, single people whose children no longer live at home, etc.) can accommodate our students. The description of the family and/or accommodation received before departure is given for information only; it is not contractually binding.

3.7 Special dietary requirements

A supplement will be charged for any special dietary requirements (vegetarian, halal, etc.). This varies from school to school. However, we cannot guarantee that it will be available at all locations and at all times of the year. Should a requested diet not be available or prevent the normal placement of a participant, the supplement will be refunded in full without entitlement to any compensation or indemnity.

3.8 Age of participants

The ages mentioned in the brochure are given as a guide. Younger or older participants may be admitted to a holiday depending on their motivation and/or the number of places available.

3.9 Problems during the holiday and disputes

In the event of a problem during the stay, the participant must inform our office in Brussels and the local organiser without delay, so that we can investigate and intervene immediately. In the event of a problem that cannot be resolved on site, any complaint must be sent to us by post within 15 days of the discovery of an element that could be contentious. In the event of a serious dispute, the courts of Namur have sole jurisdiction.

3.10 Student status

For all stays, where applicable, the participant retains student status if enrolled full-time in a full-service educational establishment. For stays in a language school, the participant must follow a programme of at least 20 lessons per week in order to be considered a full-time student. On request, Langues Vivantes can send participants a certificate entitling them to family allowances (this mainly concerns Belgian residents).

3.11 Modification of the programme on site

If a participant’s academic or linguistic level proves to be unsuitable after arrival, the academic staff and/or Langues Vivantes reserve the right to change the participant’s enrolment to the most appropriate programme, without compensation or reimbursement. Any difference in price between the old and the new programme, including additional language courses if necessary, will then be charged to the participant.

4.1 Booking changes

Before departure: For each change of booking before departure, we charge a fee of between €45 and €90 for language stays (except for an extension of the duration of the course or an increase in the number of hours of tuition). A change of school before departure is considered a cancellation. For school programmes, stay extension fees are applied; they vary depending on the destination.

During your stay : A change of school during the stay is considered as a cancellation. Once the stay has begun, no reimbursement will be made for voluntary early return or return due to expulsion. In the event of a return due to exceptional circumstances and with the written agreement of the local and Belgian management, any refund or credit note will only cover the remaining months of the course and may be subject to administrative charges. For any other changes during your stay (accommodation options, course intensity, etc.), please contact our head office in Brussels.

Extension of stay : Any request to extend your stay will be accepted subject to availability and without modification costs (with the exception of school programmes), but will be confirmed at the normal rate, as opposed to the degressive “additional week” rate. Any change of route costs will be borne by the participant.

Change of transport: For any trip or transfer booked by Langues Vivantes, in the event of a change of booking after confirmation, the cost of changing or cancelling plane tickets, train tickets or transfers will be charged to you in full, with a minimum of €50 for administrative costs.

4.2 Cancellation by the participant

Any cancellation by the participant must be notified by post or e-mail and will incur cancellation charges. The date from which the calculation of the sums due will be taken into account will be the working day following the date of receipt of the e-mail or letter. If the cancellation also concerns a transport reservation, the amounts invoiced are not refundable under any circumstances and are not covered by the optional cancellation guarantee. The amount of insurance taken out with Langues Vivantes remains payable.

a. Cancellation for all language study holidays:

  • More than 45 days before departure: we retain 100% of the deposit
  • 45 to 20 days before departure: we retain 30% of the total cost of the stay (or the amount of the deposit if this is higher)
  • 19 to 8 days before departure: we retain 60% of the total cost of the holiday
  • 7 to 5 days before departure: we retain 80% of the total cost of the holiday
  • Less than 5 days before departure: we retain 100% of the total cost of the holiday

b. Cancellation for all school programmes: The following cancellation conditions apply to any stay that includes academic courses for all or part of the programme (High School, English College, American or Canadian University, etc.). Once the deposit has been paid and it has been checked that the language and/or academic level is sufficient, LV will send students a more complete enrolment pack, to be returned before the agreed deadline. If this enrolment pack is not returned by the deadline, the enrolment will be cancelled. LV will then be required to pay a fixed fee equal to the deposit to cover administrative and administrative costs. In the event of cancellation by the participant after LV has received the enrolment form, the contract will be terminated automatically.

A conventional and irreducible fixed indemnity will be payable by the participant to LV.

  • More than 180 days before departure: 25% of the total cost of the stay
  • 180 to 46 days before departure: 50% of the total cost of the holiday
  • 45 to 15 days before departure: 80% of the total cost of the stay
  • Less than 15 days before departure: 100% of the total cost of the holiday

c. Cancellation due to 2nd exam session: our cancellation insurance must be taken out to cover this risk. For summer language stays of 1 to 2 weeks in Europe, with the exception of an excess of €50 for administrative costs and the amount of the cancellation guarantee, the entire cost of the stay (excluding transport) will be reimbursed as long as an official certificate of the results is provided to us within 2 days of the results being handed in. This clause applies to stays in Europe from 14/7 to 31/08.

d. Cancellation for online language courses: Online courses are subject to full payment at the time of booking, and are non-refundable in the event of cancellation by the participant.

e. Cancellation insurance: You can take out cancellation insurance to cover the participant who has to cancel before departure (see paragraph 7.2).

4.3 Cancellation by Langues Vivantes

In the event of cancellation of a stay on our part, all sums paid will be reimbursed and a credit note of 100€ will be issued for any other stay, to the exclusion of any other compensation.

5.1 Responsibility of the participant

All participants are assumed to have valid travel documents. See Travel documents.

All participants are assumed to have adequate insurance cover (medical expenses, civil liability, etc.).

All participants are responsible for their travel documents and are expected to arrive on time for scheduled appointments. For all stays, Langues Vivantes declines all responsibility for the loss or theft of luggage, as well as for any accident occurring during the stay. Participants are asked to scrupulously respect the laws and basic rules of prudence that such a stay implies, in particular with regard to going out in the evening and travelling outside.

All participants must comply with the rules of the programme or language study holiday. Any serious or repeated behaviour contrary to the spirit of the stay, prejudicial to the school, the family or the organisation, or giving rise to intervention by the local police, may be punished by immediate expulsion at the participant’s expense, without any compensation for any part of the stay remaining.

5.2 Responsibility of the organiser

Langues Vivantes reserves the right to refuse enrolment or to expel a participant if his/her behaviour is detrimental to the smooth running of the programme, if he/she contravenes the rules of the school or if he/she breaks the law of the host country. All related costs (return travel, fines, etc.) are the responsibility of the participant or his/her parents where applicable. The participant and his/her parents are also responsible for any damage or loss caused during their stay.

Langues Vivantes reserves the right to refuse enrolment or to send back immediately any participant who presents a medical and/or psychological condition which was not indicated in writing at the time of enrolment and which requires specific follow-up on site.

Langues Vivantes cannot be held responsible for the impossibility of providing the services initially planned due to the failure of its service providers, conflicts or serious problems beyond its control. Langues Vivantes cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage suffered by persons or property whatever the cause. Langues Vivantes cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident at the place of stay. Only the service provider (school, airline…) can be held responsible.

Langues Vivantes reserves the right to modify the contents of its catalogue and the chosen service providers without prior notice.

6.1 Late arrival or loss of documents

In the event of a participant being late and being unable to take part in an activity or an organised trip, no reimbursement or compensation will be granted. In the event of delay/loss of ticket/lack of identity document or any other event preventing the participant from taking part in a journey on the planned date, the responsibility of Langues Vivantes beyond the duration of the stay booked is limited to informing the parents or, in their absence, the contact persons indicated on the registration form. Parents have the choice of intervening personally or having the organisation intervene. In the latter case, the organisation will fully assist the participant, for example by providing a new return ticket, once the additional costs of accommodation/meals/travel/communication and any care costs in the case of a minor participant have been paid in full.

6.2 Rules and discipline

Participants must comply strictly with the laws of the country in which they are staying, as well as the rules and customs of daily life, family life and school life in their host environment. They undertake to familiarise themselves with and respect the internal rules of the educational establishment they will be attending, particularly with regard to (compulsory) attendance at all classes and participation in activities/visits during the stay when these are part of the programme. Langues Vivantes reserves the right to refuse enrolment or to expel a participant if his/her behaviour is detrimental to the smooth running of the programme, if he/she contravenes the rules of the school or if he/she breaks the law of the host country. In particular, any case of theft, drunkenness, use of illegal substances, indecent behaviour or any form of moral or physical harassment constitutes grounds for immediate exclusion. All costs associated with the expulsion (return journey, fines, etc.) shall be borne by the participant or his/her parents where applicable. The participant and his/her parents are also responsible for any damage or loss caused during the stay. Langues Vivantes reserves the right to refuse enrolment or to immediately send back any participant who has a medical and/or psychological condition which was not indicated in writing at the time of enrolment and which requires specific follow-up on site.

6.3 Under-age participants: responsibility of participants and the organisation

During supervised trips, particularly to Bournemouth, the role of the group leaders is to accompany participants on their journey, organise activities and assist them with any problems they may encounter. As participants generally stay with host families, neither the group leaders nor the organisation are in a position to monitor the comings and goings of individual participants, or to supervise their journeys and times out, outside the organised activities. We therefore ask participants, especially minors, who sign up for our courses to show sufficient maturity and self-discipline, particularly with regard to evening pick-up times, as well as courtesy towards the host families.

For evening outings, we provide the following return times: Under 15s: no individual outings permitted; 15-16s inclusive: return to the family at 10.00 p.m. maximum; 17s and over: return at 11.30 p.m. maximum. We insist that participants stay with their host family or residence in the evening. If you would like a different arrangement, please let us know in writing before departure; however, the rules and regulations of the host family/residence will take precedence in the case of late outings authorised by the guardians. We repeat these instructions to participants during group trips at Easter and in the summer, and inform parents of any obvious abuse reported to us by the school or host families, so that they can intervene directly with the participant concerned if necessary. For junior programmes: individual outings are not permitted and all evenings are spent with the family or at school. Outside Europe, individual outings by under-age participants are not permitted, except as part of a supervised group activity.

In addition to your usual insurance, we offer the following cover:

7.1. Cancellation cover

For all our holidays, an optional Living Languages cancellation guarantee can be taken out. Cancellation cover amounts to 4% of the cost of the stay. It must be taken out at the time of enrolment and paid for with the deposit. Once taken out, the cancellation guarantee cannot be reimbursed.

This insurance applies to the total cost of the stay, excluding travel. It covers policyholders who are obliged to cancel their stay before departure due to serious illness (with medical advice not to leave the room), accident, 2nd exam session, academic failure or visa refusal. In the event of an event leading to cancellation, the participant must notify the organiser in writing and submit the supporting documents requested within three days. In the event of cancellation justified by a medical certificate, the company reserves the right to have a medical examination carried out on the insured.

For stays requiring a student visa, the insurance covers non-issuance of the visa. In the event of visa refusal, the letter from the school (original) and proof of refusal must be sent to us by registered post, giving your full contact details for reimbursement.

For stays of 2 weeks or less in a European Union country, if the cancellation guarantee comes into play, the cost of the stay will be reimbursed, less an excess of €50 and the amount of the cancellation guarantee.

For stays of more than 2 weeks in a country of the European Union or for any other stay whatever the duration and destination, please refer to the general terms and conditions of our insurance policy*.

*Note: the insurance only covers people domiciled in the European Union

7.2. Travel insurance (assistance, accident, repatriation, personal liability)

All participants are required to have sufficient travel insurance covering medical expenses, medical repatriation and personal liability. If you do not have such insurance, Langues Vivantes offers you comprehensive insurance covering illness, accidents, hospitalisation, repatriation and personal civil liability.

We have set up a partnership with an insurance company specialising in language study holiday insurance.

For all trips outside the EU, it is compulsory for participants to take out health, accident, assistance and repatriation insurance. For stays within the EU, medical expenses are covered by reciprocal agreements between members of the Union. You will need a European Health Card to travel. However, it is strongly recommended that you take out travel insurance to cover repatriation and emergency medical care outside the scope of your social security or mutual insurance scheme.

Our travel insurance is ONLY for participants domiciled in a European Union country and covers them anywhere in the world under the following conditions:

  • Stay in Europe: €15/week; €45/month (valid throughout Europe excluding national territory)
  • Stay outside Europe: €20/week, €60/month

7.3. Health insurance for Australia

Students staying in Australia on a student visa must take out special health insurance for overseas students. The amount of this “Overseas Student Health Cover” varies according to the length of your stay.

Enrolment in one of our courses & study programmes implies full acceptance of our conditions.

Langues Vivantes reserves the right to keep and/or use for promotional purposes any testimonials, photographs, images and/or videos supplied by the participant him/herself or by the local partner and which have been taken as part of a language study holiday or school programme.

These testimonials, images and/or videos may be used on printed documents or media (brochures, banners, roll-ups, flyers, posters, advertisements, etc.), on the Langues Vivantes website and on social media such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.


Participants will only be identified by their first name and their host country. The personal information contained in the application form will remain completely confidential, in accordance with current legislation.