Of course, it is not for nothing that you think about moving to Belgium. Many Dutch people go there on a city trip, spend their holidays in the Belgian Ardennes or regularly drive back and forth to have a bite to eat or spend an afternoon shopping. The country is of course a neighbouring country that is very close to the Netherlands. Driving back and forth is therefore done in no time.
Belgium has many beautiful and historical cities. A number of cities are world famous. Think of Ghent and Bruges, but don't forget the popular Antwerp or Brussels. Do you also want to live in Belgium? Then read on quickly.
Why does everyone want to move to Belgium?
Belgium is not too far from home. It is close, so you can get there in no time. The language will not be a big problem either, because they speak Flemish. Although, of course, it depends on which region of Belgium you are going to live in, but most Dutch people are more likely to be in the Flemish part. Adapting will cost less energy and homesickness will also be less if you compare it with emigrating to the south of Italy, for example. Furthermore, the country also offers us Dutch people many advantages. Think of the Belgian health insurance fund and the low house prices.
A good preparation
A move to Belgium is of course also just a big move. Many people often think it is easy, because you will be in Belgium in no time. Unfortunately, you will soon find out that this is not true. Therefore, do proper research into the country, the culture and see, for example, whether there is social security that you can always fall back on. Is there, for example, a Belgian child benefit? Are there social insurances? Also look carefully at what you need to arrange in advance and what matters you need to arrange upon arrival in Belgium. When you know everything, you can also move without worries.
Official documents
There are a number of important matters that you need to have in order before you emigrate. You are moving to Belgium, so you do not want to run into any problems later. Before you emigrate, it is therefore useful to check all your documents carefully. Think of your passport/ID card or your Dutch driving licence, for example. Are they still valid or will they expire soon? Do you need to replace them before you move? The documents must still be valid in Belgium for a while. You will need them for a number of things when you emigrate to Belgium.
Health insurance
When you move abroad, you should also look at your Dutch health insurance. You need to cancel this, because this is required by the Dutch government when emigrating. Many people do not arrange their affairs regarding their health insurance in advance and therefore encounter problems later. Living in Belgium also means insuring yourself in Belgium.
Corona in Belgium
In the past, you could easily travel abroad or emigrate, but nowadays it is a bit more difficult. There are all kinds of extra things that you have to check carefully before you can even buy a ticket for a holiday abroad. Let alone when you want to emigrate.
Entry requirements Belgium
The number of extra practical matters that have been added is of course related to COVID19. The corona pandemic has had the world in its grip for a few years and almost all countries in the world have had to take the necessary rules and measures. There are also certain requirements that you must meet for traveling to Belgium.
CoronaCheck app
You can also use your Dutch CoronaCheck app to travel to Belgium. This is the case with all member states of the European Union. In your app you can create a QR code by adding a vaccination, test or recovery certificate.
For stays longer than 48 hours
When you arrive in Belgium you must Passenger Locator Form (PLF) to fill in. You must also be able to demonstrate that you have been fully vaccinated. Are you not vaccinated? Then you must show a negative PCR or antigen test. The PCR test may not have been taken more than 72 hours ago and the antigen test may not have been taken more than 36 hours ago. You can also show proof of recovery that was issued no more than 180 days before your arrival.
For a stay of less than 48 hours
If you are in transit or staying in Belgium for less than 48 hours, you do not need to show a PLF. You also do not need a corona certificate. However, there are certain exceptions to these rules:
- When you enter Belgium by plane or boat
- When you travel to Belgium by train or bus
- If you have been in a very high-risk area in the past 14 days
NB!
It is true that there may be additional measures locally. For example, many municipalities and provinces ask for the Covid Safe Ticket (CST) when you want to visit a restaurant or event. These tickets are actually just like the corona certificate in the Netherlands.
As a golden tip, we would like to give you that it is always wise to keep a close eye on the current information about COVID19 in Belgium. Just like in other countries, the rules and measures in Belgium change regularly, so it is important to inform yourself well in advance.
Arrange your taxes properly
It is very important that you always arrange your Dutch taxes properly. Also when you are moving to Belgium. When moving to Belgium, tax matters can sometimes be a bit confusing, because many people continue to work in the Netherlands. If you continue to work in the Netherlands, this will of course affect your taxes in Belgium. Are you going to work or study in Belgium? Then you must ensure that you arrange matters with the FOD Finance arranges well.
Receiving benefits in Belgium
Many of the benefits in the Netherlands may not or not simply be taken abroad. Yes, within the member states of the European Union the rules are somewhat more flexible, but in this case too you must pay close attention. To give you a few examples: benefits based on the participation law or other tax regulations must not be taken abroad. Nor should benefits based on the Allowances Act.
A Wajong benefit may not initially be taken abroad, but there are exceptions to this benefit. For this, it is best to contact the UWVYou can also find a lot of useful information about this on their website.
Do you receive benefits from the Dutch municipality? In this case, it is best to contact the municipality to ask about receiving your benefits after emigration.
Child benefit
There are also special rules for child benefit and childcare allowance. If you have any questions about this, it is best to contact the Social Insurance Bank.
Unemployment benefits and emigration
When you emigrate within the European Union, you can take your unemployment benefit with you for a maximum of 3 months. Would you like more information about this? Then you can also contact the UWV for this.
Pension
When you emigrate, you should of course not forget your pension. It is something that you may need in the future. When you move abroad, the length of time you have lived or worked in the Netherlands is taken into account. You should also take a good look at your own pension fund. In case of any ambiguities or questions, please contact your
Do I need an international moving company?
As explained, moving to Belgium is a lot of work and requires the necessary preparations. If you really want to opt for a carefree move, it is wise to look for one of the many international moving companies. Such a moving company has professional movers who have a lot of experience with people who are going to live abroad. They will move your belongings safely and without problems to your new place of residence.
How much does it cost to move to Belgium?
When you emigrate, you will of course want to take your belongings with you. Moving to another country can cause additional costs. Unfortunately, it is therefore very difficult to calculate the exact prices for a move abroad. The reason for this is that it is simply very difficult to give a price indication of a move without any background information. This is due to the fact that the costs of a move depend greatly on what your wishes are.
Several factors that can determine the price are, for example, the size of your belongings, where you are going to live in Belgium and whether you want to use extra services such as a packing and unpacking service. Therefore, make a handy checklist for yourself and look carefully at your personal situation. For example, do you want to take your car with you? Or do the moving vans transport everything? Do you need certain permits? Or does the moving company arrange these?
Receive free quotes
For moving to Belgium you can request free quotes. You can request these quotes from different moving companies to get a good overview of the average costs for moving your belongings. We understand that you don't have time to call or email every moving company in the Netherlands. That's why we would like to give you a helping hand.
Moova – no-obligation quotes
At Moova you can easily make a no-obligation online request moving quotes with multiple moving companies. This way, moving will not cost you anything extra. This will cost you 2 minutes of your time, but it will allow you to view the quotes at your leisure and make the right choice. Have you found a moving company that appeals to you? Then you can contact them and discuss and agree on everything together.
Finally
Emigrating to Belgium. Despite the fact that the country is very close to the Netherlands, it is still a big move. We hope that you have been able to find the right moving company for your move to Belgium and we also hope that we have been able to help you find your way around with our articles.
Do you have any questions?
Is everything clear now or do you perhaps need some more information? Then you can of course always look around on our website. We have many more articles that can help you on your way during your emigration to Belgium.
