Moving to Belgium - tips | |

Jun

2018

By site_manager

Whether you’ve decided to leave Belgium altogether, or are moving from one property to another, there are certain things which need to be done to make sure the process runs as smoothly as possible. The following guide breaks the process down into individual steps, including details of the official bodies which need to be informed of your move.

Inform the local municipality

As discussed in another guide, Brussels is divided into different communes, and if you’re moving you need to visit the administration building of the local municipality of the new address within eight days of moving in. If you’re moving from one commune to another, then your details will move with you. You need to attend the office in person, and if you’re unable to do so you’ll have to inform them in writing with your reasons. One person can make a declaration for a household made up of several people.

The move will be verified after the declaration, by a police officer visiting the property and checking that your name is on the door within eight working days. If the move is verified then you will be invited to replace or update your residence card, which doubles as an identity card. If you’ve moved from one commune to another, the new commune will inform the old commune of the change.

If for whatever reason, the administration doesn’t accept the change of address, you can appeal to the population department of the Federal Service for the Interior. It should be noted that this declaration is compulsory and if you don’t make it you could be fined.

Refuse

The days on which refuse is collected varies from area to area. The municipality in which you’re now living will have a list of collection days on the website or at the administration office.

Licenses

Different municipalities have different rules regarding licenses for things such as dogs and satellite dishes and the taxes to be paid for a range of business activities. Check the website for your new municipality or visit the administration office to check which regulations apply to you.

Mail

You can have your mail forwarded for up to four months in return for a fee, and this can be extended for a longer period in return for further payment. This applies to a forward address inside Belgium or beyond, and the price varies between business and private mail.

You should apply to have this done at a Post Office a few weeks before you actually move. When you fill in the relevant form you’ll also have to present proof of ID and details of the new address.

The Post Office also provides a wider service called DoMyMove, which also handles the following issues:

Canceling utility contracts such as water gas and electricity and renewing them at the new address.
Giving the new address details to internet companies, insurance companies, banks etc.
Although it is recommended that you fill in the form for this service a few weeks before actually moving, it can still be utilized up to two weeks following the move.

Utility Providers

You should notify the companies who provide your gas, electricity, and water two weeks before you actually move. You can inform the company online, by telephone or in person. If you go in person you will need to take a form of ID and the last bill received at the old address. If you can, you should provide a final meter reading, as well as the new address where the final bill will be sent. If you’re moving to Brussels it will generally be possible to transfer details directly from one property to another. You’re free to choose your own supplier of gas and electricity, although each region has its own particular water company. In Brussels, the water company is BIWD or IBDE - Brussels Intercommunale voor Waterdistributie or Intercommunale Bruxelloise de Distribution d'Eau. You can use an online form to transfer the account and record a final meter reading.

In Flanders, the water company is VMW - Vlaamse Maatschappij voor Watervoorziening.

In Wallonia, the water company is the SWDE - Société Wallonne des Distributions d'Eau

Telephone, Television, and Internet

Telephone

If you have a fixed phone line you should contact Belgacom around ten working days before moving in order to have the line transferred, even if you actually use a separate network. They will need your telephone number and customer ID number, both of which can be found on your phone bill. If you’re moving within an area which has the same area code then you can keep the same phone number. Moving outside this area will require a new number, although Belgacom offers a service whereby anyone calling the old number hears a message giving them the new number. If Belgacom also supplies your internet connection this will be transferred with your phone line.

If your actual telephone services aren’t provided by Belgacom you will have to inform the company you use, giving them the new address and phone number.

Television

If the company which supplies your cable TV covers the new address then the service can simply be transferred. If not, you will have to transfer to another operator.

Internet

If the provider you currently use for your internet provision – usually a telephone or television distributor – operates at your new address then the account can be transferred. If not, a new connection will have to be made.

Car Registration

Your car registration certificate needs to be updated with the new address within 15 days of the move. In order to do so, you’ll have to visit the police section of the municipality administration office. The change of address will be entered into the ownership papers in the relevant boxes. If you’ve moved enough times for the boxes in question to be full, you’ll have to send a completed registration application to the DIV, requesting a new certificate. You can get the registration forms directly from the DIV office or from the municipality administration office.

Fill in box U1, stating that it concerns a change of address, attach a stamp from your car insurance company and make sure you send:

the registration certificate
the registration form
a statement of registration in the population register of the municipality.

If you do all of this, the DIV will return a registration document showing the new address. The contact details for the main office of the DIV are:

Direction pour l'Immatriculation des Vehicules (DIV)

At: Rue du Progres 56, 1210 Brussels

Tel: 02 277 30 40

Insurance

Home insurance, also known as fire insurance, is not required by law but may be stipulated by a rental agreement. The insurance company will generally transfer home insurance from one property to another if they are similar sizes.

Banks

Tell your bank about the new address before you move. If you’re changing landlords, cancel the existing standing order for rent and set up a new order. Once you’ve moved, you may have to supply proof of your new address, such as a tenancy agreement or utility bill.

Tax

Local taxes include regional tax, business tax, and property tax. The local municipality will contact the relevant departments and the regional office in order to make any changes needed.

You need to tell the local office which deals with income tax (and VAT if you’re self-employed), informing them of your move. The files will then be transferred to the office which deals with your new address, and even if it stays within the same office, it may be dealt with by another team. The relevant contact details can be found on your tax return.

Social insurance and health insurance

You need to contact your health insurance and social insurance funds to inform them of your change of address.

Schools and Crèches

If your child attends a state school or crèche they can stay there even if you move to a new municipality. This may, however, result in an increase in the fees you have to pay for meals, holiday clubs and after-school clubs. If your child moves to another school you have to inform the existing school at least a month in advance.

Doctors

You need to give your new address to your doctor, although you don’t have to change when you move. If it’s more convenient to do so, because the old doctor is too far away from your new home, for example, you can visit any doctor in your new area. You don’t have to register with this doctor, although your health insurance company may prefer it if you do.

Rental Property

If you live in a rental property you have the right to leave at any time as long as you give the landlord three months’ notice and pay rent throughout this period. If you’re moving from a property after less than three years you may have to pay a penalty of up to three months’ rent. The full details of any notice period should be included on your tenancy agreement.

Street Loading

When moving day arrives, you may need some loading space on the street to accommodate your moving vehicles. The space you need can be arranged in advance by contacting the local police station or Technical Department of Traffic Police (Service Technique de la Circulation) at least four days in advance. The fee you’ll have to pay will vary depending upon the size of the space you need to reserve and the length of time you’ll need it. The payment is made by bank transfer when you make the booking.

Contact Details:

Service Technique de la Circulation

At: Rue des Palais 321, 1000 Brussels

Tel: 02 279 83 51

Moving Companies

The following is a list of moving companies based in the Brussels area:

QuickHomeMove

Acacialaan 15

+32 486 46 57 52

Online: http://www.quickhomemove.com/

Ziegler nv

Rue Dieudonné Lefèvre 160