Frequently Asked Questions
CFP
Q: When will the CFP open?
The CFP has closed. Please keep an eye on our news page or subscribe to our RSS feed.
Q: Why was our talk/developer room/stand rejected?
The most common reason for rejection is not a lack of quality, but simply FOSDEM's popularity. There are always many more requests than we can accommodate. While this is a good thing, it does constitute a challenge for the programme team. Rest assured we make our decisions with the best possible intent.
Visiting and videos
Q: In what timezone are you?
The conference is in Brussels time, which is CET (UTC + 1).
Q: I need a formal invitation for a VISA request
For legal reasons, the FOSDEM organization can only issue such letters of invitation to “main track” speakers for whom we also make travel and hotel arrangements.
If you are attending FOSDEM as part of your involvement with a project represented at our conference, we recommend you get in touch with someone you know locally who is involved in the project and ask them to invite you.
For information regarding Belgian visa requirements, we refer you to the website of the Belgian ministry of foreign affairs.
Q: Where can I watch the talks?
All talks can be watched from our website. Go to schedule, find the topic you are interested in, click on the Watch the live stream-link and enjoy the presentation.
Q: Are talk recordings available?
All talk recordings will be made available on video.fosdem.org/2025 as soon as the presenter reviewed the contents to make sure the recording is correct.
This will usually take a few days to a few weeks, check video.fosdem.org/2025 for updates!
Q: Is there a job corner?
Yes! Visit the H building to see the job corner.
Registration
Q: I plan on visiting FOSDEM, where can I register?
No registration is required.
Q: How much does a entry ticket for FOSDEM cost?
Attendance is free, including access to all talks and facilities.
Q: If entrance to FOSDEM is free, who pays the expenses?
We have three sources of income: t-shirt sales, donations from our visitors and sponsorship.
Q: My company loves FOSDEM, what are the sponsoring possibilities?
Have a look at the sponsor page.
FOSDEM in general
Q: There is a mistake on the website, where do I report it?
You can talk to us at the Infodesk (K or H), in the Infodesk channel on chat.fosdem.org or open an issue on our Github repository. Pull requests welcome!
Q: Does anyone get paid to work on FOSDEM?
No. FOSDEM staff are not compensated for their work. FOSDEM does refund them some expenses. Think of a place to sleep near the campus during the conference, and limited compensation for international travel to the conference and meetings.
Q: What does FOSDEM staff actually do?
FOSDEM staff are the volunteers who start work on the next edition as soon as the current one finishes. Almost everything you see, hear or experience is here because we bring it. We call for speakers, set up a submission system for devrooms, stands and talks; review them in the hope we select an interesting programme; we negotiate the use of the campus, make sure we have the right permits; we make sure you have something to eat and drink, talk with the student association so you can have a seat at the bar; we pull network cables everywhere so you can enjoy some free quality WiFi; we set up stands, rooms, infodesks and much other things so this looks like FOSDEM and not like a day at university; we put signs everywhere and still have to find people who get lost on campus; we also record every talk with our own custom libre equipment, broadcast it for the world to see and archive it. In short, we spend huge amounts of our spare time - and lots more closer to FOSDEM - to try to make this a fun and interesting event. FOSDEM staff membership is a yearlong commitment to create something that lasts two days. For this, you need a close-knit group of trusted people, so we invite our staff members. If you are committed to help us out, you can always volunteer - almost all staff members started out as volunteers.
Q: What does organising FOSDEM cost?
We make sure our limited budget is balanced. We derive our income mainly from sponsorship and t-shirt sales, plus some donations. Most of this is spent on making FOSDEM happen. Any profits we invest in making future FOSDEMs even better. Think audio and video gear, taking good care of FOSDEM volunteers, speakers and visitors, and more.
Q: My donation to FOSDEM vzw is not tax deductible. I thought you were a non-profit?
We are a Belgian non-profit without Belgian tax deductible gift status. Tax deductible status is only possible for certain causes. Moreover, a lot of tedious paperwork is required, with no guaranteed success. More info in nl, fr, de.