Moving to Belgium, handled from door to door

Where we move clients to Belgium from

Other origins we cover

• France → Belgium
• Netherlands → Belgium
• Luxembourg → Belgium
• Germany → Belgium
• Austria → Belgium
• Switzerland → Belgium
• Ireland → Belgium
• United Kingdom → Belgium
• Spain → Belgium
• Portugal → Belgium
• Italy → Belgium
• Greece → Belgium

Customs & paperwork into Belgium

Moving from another EU country

Moving to Belgium from another EU country involves no customs clearance and no import duty on your belongings.

After arrival, you register with your local commune (gemeente / commune), usually within eight days. A local police officer will typically visit to confirm your address before your registration is finalised.

Moving from outside the EU (UK, Switzerland, Norway, USA, and others)

From outside the EU — including the United Kingdom since Brexit, the USA, Switzerland and beyond — your used household goods can enter Belgium free of duty and VAT when you transfer your normal residence. To qualify:

• you have lived outside the EU for at least 12 consecutive months;
• you have owned and used your belongings for at least 6 months before the move;
• you are transferring your main residence to Belgium;
• your goods are imported within 12 months of settling in Belgium.

Goods admitted duty-free must not be sold, lent or hired out during the first 12 months.

Shipments to a second home do not qualify.

Antwerp is one of Europe's largest ports: many sea containers to Belgium are cleared there before delivery by road.

Documents usually required for customs clearance

• Valid passport
• Proof of your new residence in Belgium (commune registration, rental contract or purchase deed)
• Proof of your previous residence outside the EU for at least 12 months
• Residence permit or work authorisation, if you are not an EU citizen
• A detailed, signed inventory of your belongings
• The customs forms we provide at destination

If your commune registration is not yet complete when your goods arrive, tell us: clearance may be possible against other proof of your move, depending on your situation.

Vehicles and restricted items

• Vehicles Vehicles can be imported duty-free with your household goods if you have owned and used them for at least 6 months. They must then pass a Belgian technical inspection and be registered.
• Alcohol and tobacco Excluded from the exemption when shipped from outside the EU, and taxed.
• Plants and food Plants and most animal products are prohibited in shipments from outside the EU.
• Pets Pets travel separately from household goods. They need a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and an EU pet passport or an official health certificate, depending on the country of origin.

How a move to Belgium works

1. Free quote. Share your origin, your delivery address in Belgium and roughly how much you are moving. A written quote lands in your inbox within 24 hours.
2. Survey and planning. Your coordinator rechecks the volume, locks the transport mode and lists the customs rules you fall under on your way to Belgium.
3. Packing and collection. Our local team packs, inventories and loads your belongings at your home in Belgium.
4. Transport. On the road for a European route, in a sea container across an ocean, or by air for small urgent shipments to Belgium.
5. Customs clearance (where required). We prepare and file the documents for clearance in Belgium (Belgian customs file for non-EU moves).
6. Delivery and set-up. We deliver at your new address and, if you asked for it on the quote, unpack boxes and reassemble furniture.

A single point of contact handles your move to Belgium from estimate to delivery.

Transport options and transit times

Expect the figures below as indicative door-to-door windows; season, addresses and customs clearance can all shift them.

Door-to-door transit times are indicative and depend on the season, the exact addresses and, where required, customs clearance.

How the price of your move to Belgium is calculated

We price every move to Belgium with the same ingredients — nothing hidden, nothing improvised:

• Volume — in cubic metres: it drives most of the price. Use our room-by-room calculator for an accurate figure.
• Distance and route — measured on the actual road, from your door to your delivery address in Belgium.
• Transport mode — shared load, dedicated truck, sea container (shared or exclusive) or air freight.
• Services — packing, taking furniture apart and reassembling it, crating fragile pieces, storage, island delivery.
• Access — walk-up floors, pedestrian streets, long carries from the truck, and hoists where access is tight.
• Customs — clearance fees and port handling charges, where required by your route to Belgium.
• Insurance — calculated as a percentage of the declared value of your belongings.

Typical volumes, as a guide:

For road moves inside Europe, the estimator returns a starting price in two minutes. Sea freight, air freight and any move that crosses a customs border go through a written quote, delivered within 24 hours.

Frequently asked questions

Do I pay customs duties when moving to Belgium from the UK or the USA?

Not if you qualify for the transfer of residence exemption: at least 12 months living outside the EU, belongings owned for at least 6 months, and a move of your main residence to Belgium.

Is there any customs paperwork when moving from another EU country?

No. Moves between EU countries involve no customs formalities and no import duty.

How soon must I register with my commune?

Usually within eight days of moving in. A police officer will typically check your address before the registration is completed.

Can my container arrive in Antwerp?

Yes. Antwerp is the usual port of entry for containers to Belgium. Clearance takes place there and we deliver to your home by road.

How long does a move to Belgium take?

From neighbouring countries, a dedicated truck usually delivers within a few days. A shared load takes one to four weeks. From North America, allow five to eleven weeks by sea container.