What do I need to sort out when moving in Belgium?

A move in Belgium comes down to two lists: what the law asks of you, and what you have to arrange in practice so that you are not left without power, post or insurance. Below they are in the order you are best off working through them, from the months before moving day to the last piece of paperwork afterwards.

Two months before the move

If you are renting, start with your notice period. It is in your lease and in the rules of your region, and it runs from the first day of the month after you give notice. If you are selling, the compromis fixes the date of the deed, so you know straight away when the keys change hands.

Then book the removal firm or the van. Saturdays, the end of the month and the summer fill up first, so reserve four to six weeks ahead. With a professional firm, always ask whether loading, unloading, furniture lifts and insurance are in the price.

If a property has to be emptied at this point, plan the clearance now. Anything you take out yourself is volume nobody has to carry, and for the rest hiring a skip is often the cheapest solution.

The final week

On the day of the handover, take the meter readings for electricity, gas and water together with the other party. Fill in the energy transfer document for that, with both signatures and the EAN codes. That single sheet prevents the classic argument about someone else's bill.

In the same week, arrange the keys, any inventory of fixtures and the fire insurance. Your home insurance has to run from the moment you receive the keys, not from the day you carry in the first box. Many insurers cover the old and the new home together for a while, but you have to ask.

If the removal van has to stand on the public road, apply for a parking permit at the municipality. That takes a few days to two weeks, and you often have to put up the signs yourself.

Within eight working days: declare your address

After the move you have eight working days to report your new address to the population service of your new municipality. That also applies if you move within the same municipality. The neighbourhood police officer then calls round to verify, and only after that check are you officially registered.

Allow three to nine weeks for the whole process, including the update of your eID. How each step runs and how to avoid delays is set out in our article on how long a change of address takes.

Who is notified automatically, and who is not

Through the national register, the tax authority, your health insurance fund and the vehicle registration service receive your new address, among others. That saves a pile of letters, but it is also the source of a misunderstanding: many people assume everything is then taken care of.

You notify your bank, your insurers, your employer, your energy supplier, your telecom provider, the school or nursery, your doctor and your subscriptions yourself. Make that list before the move, not after. For post that still arrives at the old address, bpost runs a paid forwarding service for a set period.

Utilities and internet

Energy and water transfer with the handover document, or you take out a new contract if you are changing supplier. Do that one to two weeks ahead, because a connection that is not active yet leaves you literally in the dark.

Internet and television have the longest lead time, certainly if there is no connection in place. Ask for your subscription to be moved at least two weeks in advance and ask explicitly whether a technician has to come.

The short checklist

Check the notice period, book the removal firm, plan the clearance, apply for the parking permit, take signed meter readings, start the fire insurance, declare your address within eight working days, wait for the police visit, have your eID updated, and tell everyone who is not covered by the national register.

If you are moving because you are selling, do not put the sale and the move in the same week. A good agent lines up the deed, the handover of keys and your moving date. Compare a few agents from your municipality and ask how they handle that timing.