Information about what to do before moving to Belgium including basic information about the country and its immigration system.

If you are moving to Belgium, you would find it useful to learn some basic Dutch words, as it is the most spoken language along with French. Of course, if you are going to be in Brussels you can get along well with English.

Moving to Belgium exposes you to a climate which is temperate. Belgium is one hour ahead of GMT. This becomes 2 hours between March and October.

For a Londoner, moving to Belgium may not mean having to face stiff living costs, though others moving to Belgium may find the cost of living higher.

While moving to Belgium, you are moving to a country with low crime rate. Many people find moving to Belgium a good choice as there is on offer better quality of life, good health care system and education facilities with supporting infrastructure and housing.

By moving to Belgium you move to a well operating road network with required connections and density with networks extending to European links.

Moving to Belgium calls for complying with visa procedures. Citizens of Member States of the European Economic Area moving to Belgium do not need to obtain work permits. With their own passports or identity cards, they can get a residence permit for three to five months which is renewed for an extra three months after securing a job and registering under the pension / Social Security.

All persons as also the locals need to have an identification document on their person
Many people moving to Belgium find that taking a job prior to the move makes these procedures more manageable.
If you are moving to Belgium with intent to stay for over three months, your reporting to the concerned municipality within eight days of your arrival is a must.

In case your moving to Belgium is in self-employment, you need what is called a professional card if you are not a citizen of the EU.

If after moving to Belgium, you take housing accommodation on lease basis, you need to get the same. This is legally enforceable even against third parties, which means that it binds even a future buyer.
If you are moving to Belgium with your pets, EU Pet Passport is to be obtained for dogs, cats and ferrets. As for any other animal, you have to check with the local embassy.

When you are moving to Belgium, you may like to know about STORK. It aims at European eID Interoperability to enable new e-relations across borders with national eID. 

If you are moving to Belgium, some points about health insurance are worth noting- (a) you need to contribute for health insurance, (b) private plans conceived for specific overseas population may be available and (c) if for taxation, you are defined as a non-resident, you may find cover within your employer’s plan in which case you need not contribute to the social security.

If your moving to Belgium has a shorter time frame, local public schools are an option besides an international school in Belgium for enrolling your kids for reasons of continuity with English as a medium of instruction.

When you're ready to relocate, click here to book your removal to Belgium.