Relocating to Belgium

Moving to Belgium with all your belongings can be challenging. You need to think and organize before you even get started.

To get some relief, you can hire professional movers. They take care of your formalities, load and unload your belongings, and pack and unpack them. These people can even safely move your pets. You can find professionals online in this article's Yellow Pages or Useful links section and get a quote. You can also search for reviews to help you decide which one to hire.

In your request for a quote, you might need to give your old address, the new address, the volume of belongings, means of transportation (container, truck, boat, etc.), and benefits included in the final price.

Procedure for moving out in Belgium

It's possible to send most of your belongings to your new home in Belgium. However, some movers drop your belongings at a storage unit. This option has additional fees, but you can have either the original mover or a second one move your items out for you when you're ready.

Read also Accommodation in Belgium

Inventory before moving out in Belgium

Some movers make you sign an inventory, while others don't. Whatever they require, we highly recommend you list your personal belongings to produce a value statement. It'll help set a price for any compensation you can receive if they're broken or stolen. Don't forget to read each clause of the contract.

Insurance for damages in Belgium

Once you get a statement of value for your belongings, the movers will offer you insurance for any damage, which covers unpredictable damages. The amount of this insurance varies: the more valuable your belongings are, the more you have to pay.

The movers have to give you an insurance certificate. If it's not in the initial file, ask for it.

The car letter: The ultimate step before moving to Belgium

The last step consists of signing a car letter. This letter is basically the green light that lets the mover take your belongings to Belgium. It has to indicate the terms you agreed to sign the contract (terms and conditions, transportation mean, volume, contacts for you and the mover, etc.)

Some companies let their customers pay in two installments: when loading and delivering the belongings. You can choose to pay once or even negotiate to stagger the amount. For example, you can pay 20% when the movers arrive to pack and remove your belongings and then the rest later on.

Read also Accommodation in Brussels

Choose the movers in Belgium

There's an International Federation for International Movers; you can choose one there. There's also the Belgian Chamber for Movers. Both these institutions have their own websites. You can find them in the Useful links section of this article.

Formalities for customs in Belgium

No formalities apply when importing belongings from the EU or the EEA. There are no costs either. However, some merchandise is subject to VAT (alcohol and tobacco).

If you import belongings from a third country, formalities and taxes apply at customs. These products have to be for your own consumption.

Useful links:

FEDEMAC - Federation of European Movers

FIDI - International Federation of International Removers