Moving to Belgium
Quick Facts
Capital: Brussels (also the largest city)
Population: Approximately 11 million
Area: 30528 sq km
Currency: Euro
Official Languages: Dutch, French and German.
Visas and residency
Residency
If you were resident in Belgium before 1 January 2021, you must apply for the new residence card (‘M’ card) by 31 December 2021. This residence card is for UK nationals and their UK or non-EU family members who have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.
Read the Office for Foreigner’s guidance for detailed information on the application process.
Note that residency is separate to citizenship.
If you have an ‘E’ or ‘E+’ card
You should have received a letter from the Belgian State Secretary for Asylum and Migration about the new residence card (‘M’ card). If you did not receive the letter, and think you should have, contact your local municipality (‘commune’ in French, ‘gemeente’ in Dutch).
Your local municipality will get in touch with you directly to outline the application process. You must follow the steps and deadlines outlined by your municipality, as these may differ locally.
You will need to provide a criminal record extract. The extract can be from the UK, Belgium or another country where you lived prior to Belgium. The UK extract can be issued by either DBS or ACRO. A Belgian extract (‘extrait de casier judiciaire’/’uittreksel uit het strafregister’) can be obtained from your local municipality.
You must apply for the ‘M’ card by 31 December 2021. If your application is successful, your ‘M’ card will be valid for 5 years. If you already have permanent residency, your ‘M’ card will reference this and will be valid for 10 years.
If you do not have an E or E+ card
If you started the process of registering your residency at your local municipality (commune/gemeente) before 1 January 2021, but have not completed it, you will not have an ‘E’ or ‘E+’ card. Your residency application will still be assessed under both previous EU rules and the new requirements for the ‘M’ card.
In line with previous EU rules, you may have to provide:
4 passport-sized photos
originals and copies of your passport
the lease for your apartment or house
documents proving you can support yourself in Belgium, such as your employment contract or proof of your pension
proof of health insurance
You will also need to provide a criminal record extract (see above).
The police will verify your address by making a house call. If you’re not at home, the officer will leave a card giving you an appointment at your local police station.
Once your address has been verified, you’ll get a statement of registration and you can apply for an electronic residence card. This is valid for 5 years and costs around €20.
You must inform your local municipality (commune/gemeente) if your circumstances change. For example, tell them if you move home or change your marital status, so that registration can be kept up-to-date. This applies to everyone in your household.
Read the Belgian government’s guidance on residency rights.
Special ID card holders
If you were resident in Belgium on a special ID card (‘P’ or ‘S’ card) before 1 January 2021, you have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement. You can choose to register with your commune/gemeente and obtain the new ‘M’ residency card at any time.
Read the Belgian government’s guidance on special ID holders.
Moving to Belgium
Check the entry requirements for Belgium and read the Belgian government’s guidance on residency documents.
Healthcare
You must register with a health insurance fund (mutuelle/ziekenfonds) to access the healthcare system if you are resident in Belgium. If you are working, both you and your employer will make contributions to your social security and healthcare system through the mutuelle/ziekenfonds. The amount you have to pay is set by the Belgian government.
When you visit a doctor or pharmacist, you need to pay and then send the receipt to your mutuelle/ziekenfonds. The amount you’ll be refunded depends on the health services covered by your insurance
Check the Belgian government guidance on health and social security entitlements. Read our guidance on healthcare in Belgium and make sure you are correctly registered.
If your UK employer has sent you to Belgium temporarily, your access to healthcare is different. Find out how to access healthcare as a posted worker.
State healthcare: S1
An S1 form allows you to access to UK-funded healthcare in Belgium. If you have a registered S1 form and were living in Belgium before 1 January 2021, your rights to access healthcare will stay the same if you are either:
receiving a UK State Pension
receiving some other ‘exportable benefits’
a frontier worker who lives in Belgium and commutes to work in the UK
Read our guidance on using an S1 form in Belgium to ensure you are registered correctly for healthcare.
European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
If you were living in Belgium before 1 January 2021, you may be eligible for a new UK-issued EHIC if you’re:
a UK student in Belgium
a UK State Pensioner with a registered S1
a frontier worker with a registered S1
If you are a resident in Belgium and your healthcare is covered by the Belgian authorities, then you may be entitled to a Belgian EHIC. You will be able to use your Belgian EHIC for emergency or needs-arising care in the EU, EFTA states, Switzerland and in the UK. Apply for a Belgian EHIC through your Mutuelle or Ziekenfonds.
An EHIC is not a replacement for comprehensive travel insurance.
For more information read our guidance on healthcare when travelling in Europe and advice on foreign travel insurance.
You should also read guidance on:
Accommodation
One of the most important steps is arranging a roof over your head. Usually it’s easier for newcomers to rent in Belgium; although foreigners have no restrictions buying Belgian property it is typically easier to learn the market before making a big investment.
Before you can finalise a rental contract, however, you will need to arrange several important aspects: a rental guarantee, an inventory of fixtures, home insurance, and some people prefer to set up a standing-order for paying rent.
Rental guarantee
It’s common to pay up to two months as a rental guarantee, however, the process is slightly different in Belgium. Rather than paying cash to the landlord, the deposit is placed in a savings account, opened under the landlord’s and your name. You consequently need both signatures in order to withdraw any money, so nobody can unblock the amount alone. This gives tenants more security that their deposit will be returned at the end of the tenancy agreement, provided everything is in order at home.
Another advantage of the deposit guarantee system is that you can also receive a small interest on the capital amount, which is tax exempt.
“Being prepared is the key. You can open a Belgian bank account before you arrive and have your rental guarantee prepared in advance. It will be quicker to get a roof over your head,” Salvatore says.
Home insurance
Regarding insurance, it is the landlord’s responsibility to have insurance covering the building. But in 90 percent of cases, a landlord won’t hand over the keys until a tenant also takes out fire and flood insurance to cover your accommodation, and in some cases, home contents insurance.
Insurance costs depend on your insurer, what is covered and how big your apartment is; on average, a basic insurance for a 70sqm apartment can be in the region of EUR 90–120 per year. Bundling your insurances together, however, can bring down costs, for example, fire/home, car, civil liability and other insurances an expat needs when they arrive.
Inventory of fixtures and fittings
By law, an inventory must be done by two parties and the inventory is cause of much concern when renting in Belgium.
“It’s important to do it properly and take it seriously. Belgian landlords are quite fussy and you might find yourself having to pay for a pre-existing dent in the wall you never noticed,” Salvatore advises.
Standing-order payments
Creating a standing order is the easiest and more efficient way to ensure your rent is paid on time, and that you don’t forget. You can visit your bank to set this up, or arrange it online.
Opening a Bank account
It’s important to have a Belgian bank account for receiving salary and paying small daily costs but also necessary to set up the rental guarantee and insurance for you housing. “It’s really one of the first things you have to do when you arrive,” Salvatore says, “plus it’s important to have at least one personal contact at your new bank when you first move abroad, someone to whom you can ask questions, who is going to be there to help you and act as a personal advisor, maybe even in your mother tongue,” explains Salvatore Orlando.
“Besides, Belgium statistically is one of the cheapest countries in the EU for banking services and to open an account.”
To open a bank account you need to show your ID or passport plus an official proof of address if it is not written in your ID or passport. Interestingly, your official address doesn’t have to be Belgium – it can be from your home country or the last country where you lived – so this can be an important piece of paper to arrange and bring with you for your move, for example, electricity, gas, or phone bill, driving licence, or your HR working document.
Expats usually have two options when opening an account. Appropriate for a pioneer in financial services, Belgium offers purely online banking for free. Expats can opt to open an online bank account, even before they arrive, where they will receive one debit card and have access to a range of online services.
“It’s a great system but keep in mind that if you want something extra like a credit card or transactions at the branch of the bank, you can be charged every time for these additional services,” Salvatore says.
The second option is a current bank account, which includes a monthly fixed fee for the services you need, including in-branch help, online banking, and several cards.
With a current account, you can choose to have debit, pre-paid and credit cards (subject to approval of your application). Pre-paid cards, for example, can be useful as they allow you to buy things on the internet and in situations where debit cards don’t work, for example, online flight tickets. It differs from a credit card because the amount is deducted immediately from your current account, while a credit card will be debited at a later date, usually after one month.
A common feature about Belgian banking is the use of a savings account. In Belgium, savings accounts can be opened for free and pay back interest on your total amount. At the same time, you can withdraw money whenever you want because it’s not blocked. As it’s free, it’s recommended for expats to create a saving plan, where they can easily transfer money to their account on a regular basis via a standing order.
“It’s important to use the time leading up to your move to prepare all of these things,” Salvatore says, which in his opinion is key to giving you less things to organise in your first week and settling quicker into the more exciting aspects of living in Belgium.
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