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Belgium is one of Europe's most active international relocation markets. Brussels hosts the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of the EU and NATO, generating a constant flow of British officials, EU institution staff, diplomatic personnel, NGO workers and corporate assignees relocating from the UK. Belgium is also one of the closest European countries to the UK: London to Brussels is approximately 350 km, and a dedicated removal vehicle via the Channel Tunnel can reach any Belgian address in 1 to 2 days.
That closeness causes the single most common mistake on this route. People treat Belgium like a long domestic move, and it is not one. Since Brexit your goods cross a customs border, and they cannot clear it until you have registered at your Belgian commune. What follows is the ten checks that separate a good Belgium route mover from a poor one. The companies that carry out our Belgium moves are named further down this page.
International Removals Companies is a free enquiry matching service operated by Darren Benjamin since 2010. We match each Belgium enquiry with one suitable accredited removal company based on your UK origin, Belgian commune and volume. Your details are not passed to several firms at once. One contact. One quote.
UK to Belgium is a road freight move via the Channel Tunnel. Because Belgium is so close to the UK, prices are typically lower than for longer European routes such as Italy, Portugal or Switzerland. These are indicative guides only. The matched removal company gives the confirmed price after survey.
Part load or small dedicated van
Part Load: from approx. £600 to £1,100
Dedicated Van: from approx. £1,200 to £1,800
Dedicated vehicle
Part Load: from approx. £900 to £1,600
Dedicated Van: from approx. £1,600 to £2,800
Full dedicated service
Part Load: not suitable for this volume
Dedicated Van: from approx. £2,200 to £3,800
Typically included: Professional packing, UK collection, Channel Tunnel crossing, EU Transfer of Residence customs clearance, Belgian delivery and goods-in-transit insurance. Parking permit arrangements and external lift bookings in Brussels are usually arranged by the removal company. Confirm exact inclusions before booking.
All prices are indicative planning guides only. The matched removal company confirms the actual price after a home survey.
A list of firm names is easy to write and tells you almost nothing about how your move will actually run. These ten checks do. Belgium looks like an easy route because it is close, and that is exactly why quotes on it vary so much: some firms price it as international work with customs included, others price it as a long domestic run and leave the paperwork to you.
FIDI FAIM involves more than 200 independent quality checks and an EY audit every three years. BAR Overseas is the UK trade standard, and fewer than 100 firms qualify for that section. They are not the same thing and a firm may hold one, both or neither. Ask for the certificate number and the legal entity, then check it on the FIDI register at fidi.org or with BAR.
A good answer: the certificate number and the entity name, offered without hesitation.
This is the question that sorts Belgium specialists from everyone else. Your goods cannot clear Belgian customs until you have registered at your local commune and hold the Attestation d'inscription. A firm that has not raised this before you ask has probably not done many Belgium moves since Brexit.
A good answer: they raise it first, and ask whether your registration appointment is booked.
On a route this short, some firms quote what looks like a domestic price and treat the Transfer of Residence declaration as an extra, or leave it to you entirely. That is where two quotes a few hundred pounds apart turn out to be completely different jobs. Ask whether the declaration and the inventory work are included.
A good answer: confirms customs is in the price and says who lodges the declaration.
Commune appointments can take weeks in Brussels. If the goods arrive first, they sit in a customs bonded warehouse and someone pays for it. Ask whether the firm has bonded storage in Belgium, what it costs per week, and whether holding the load in the UK depot instead would be cheaper.
A good answer: offers both options with a price on each, before you book.
Brussels apartments are frequently upper-floor with a narrow staircase and no usable lift, so furniture goes through the window on a monte-meubles. That needs booking, and so does the street parking permit, usually 48 hours ahead through the commune. Both cost money and both get forgotten.
A good answer: says who applies, how far ahead, and whether the cost is in your quote.
Belgium has three official languages and the line between them matters. Antwerp and Ghent are Dutch-speaking, Wallonia is French-speaking, Brussels is officially both. If the crew has to deal with your building manager or the commune on delivery day, the wrong language turns a simple job into a long one.
A good answer: names the destination firm and confirms it operates in your region's language.
The EU exemption requires goods to have been owned and used for at least 6 months. Anything newer is liable to 21% Belgian TVA plus duty. People buy furniture for the new flat before they move and find out at the border. If you have bought recently, say so at the quoting stage rather than after.
A good answer: asks what you have bought in the last six months before finalising the inventory.
Limited liability pays by the kilogram, typically £40 to £60. A 40kg sofa is worth 40kg, not what you paid. All-risks pays declared replacement value. A short route does not mean low risk: most damage happens during loading and unloading, not on the motorway, and this route has the same two ends as any other.
A good answer: states which level is in the price and quotes the upgrade.
Usually not. Boxes you pack yourself are commonly covered for total loss only, meaning the whole box going missing rather than the contents arriving broken. Belgian customs also want a numbered inventory with descriptions and values, which is harder to produce for boxes you filled yourself on a busy weekend.
A good answer: explains the exclusion up front rather than leaving it in the terms.
Ask for the claim window in days, who you notify, and whether the firm falls under an independent dispute service. BAR Overseas members come under the Furniture Ombudsman scheme. A firm confident in its handling explains this plainly. Hesitation here is the most useful signal you will get on a quoting call.
A good answer: names the claim window, the form and the dispute route.
UK to Belgium is the shortest major international removal route we cover. London to Brussels is approximately 350 km, making Belgium closer to London than many UK domestic long-distance moves. Everything travels by road via the Channel Tunnel.
Professional packers collect from your UK address. Belgium's proximity means collections can often be completed and the vehicle on the road to the Channel Tunnel within the same half-day.
The vehicle travels to Folkestone and crosses to Calais via Eurotunnel in 35 minutes. Belgium is directly north-east of Calais on the E40 motorway. The drive from Calais to Brussels takes approximately 1 hour 45 minutes; to Antwerp approximately 2 hours 15 minutes.
Since Brexit, UK household goods entering Belgium require Transfer of Residence customs clearance through the Belgian customs authority, whose guidance is published at finance.belgium.be. When all documents are pre-submitted and the Belgian commune registration is confirmed, clearance is typically same-day. Goods cannot clear customs without a valid Belgian commune registration document.
Door-to-door service to all 19 Brussels communes and all Flemish and Wallonian cities. For deliveries to Brussels city centre apartments, parking permits (permis de stationnement / standplaatsvergunning) and external lifts (monte-meubles / verhuislift) are typically arranged 48 hours ahead by the removal company.
Belgium is a pet-friendly country. Brussels, Ghent and Bruges in particular have very active dog-friendly cultures with dedicated parks and cafés welcoming dogs. Since Brexit, however, UK pets can no longer use EU pet passports: a fresh Animal Health Certificate is required for every trip from the UK to Belgium.
Quarantine: Belgium does not require quarantine for dogs and cats from the UK provided all documentation is correct and the AHC is valid on arrival.
Regional breed legislation: Belgium has breed-specific rules that vary by region and commune. Brussels Capital Region, Flanders and Wallonia each have distinct regulations under which certain breeds are classified as dangerous, requiring a muzzle and lead in public, owner certification and liability insurance. The commune, not just the region, may impose additional local rules. Confirm the breed legislation for your specific Belgian commune before travel.
Belgian national animal register: Dogs and cats must be registered on the Belgian national animal register after arrival. Your Belgian vet handles this using the existing microchip number. Some communes also require a separate local dog permit.
One real advantage of moving to Belgium rather than most destinations is that pets can travel with you by car through the Channel Tunnel and arrive the same day. There is no need for a separate flight or a long road journey. The drive from Calais to Brussels is approximately 1 hour 45 minutes with your pet in the car. Book the AHC no earlier than 10 days before your travel date and allow time for APHA endorsement.
Belgium uses the Euro (EUR). Your removal is quoted in GBP. Any Belgian property purchase, rental deposit, savings transfer or ongoing living costs are in EUR. Belgian registration duties vary sharply by region, which makes the EUR sum you need at completion much larger in Brussels or Wallonia than in Flanders.
Currency exchange is part of what we help with. We have helped customers exchange currency in any currency through trusted partners for many years, alongside arranging the move itself. Tell us at the enquiry stage that you have money to transfer and our partners can help with that side of it. There is no extra charge for the introduction.
Experts in currency exchange
No hidden fees
5-star consumer ratings
Competitive exchange rate
This is one of Belgium's most financially significant regional differences and it directly affects how much EUR you need on completion day:
These duties are payable at the Belgian notaire / notaris on the date of the final deed and must be budgeted in EUR alongside the purchase price.
Belgian conveyancing runs from the compromis de vente / koopcompromis, which is binding immediately in Belgium with no statutory cooling-off period, to the final notarial deed, typically 2 to 4 months later. A forward contract locks in today's GBP/EUR rate for the transfer you will need at completion.
To receive EUR in Belgium you need a Belgian bank account. The key requirement before opening one is your Rijksregisternummer / numéro de registre national, obtained through your commune registration. Most Belgian banks offer English-speaking services given the size of the international population, and several allow you to start the application online.
Currency specialists typically offer better exchange rates and lower fees than high street UK banks for GBP to EUR transfers of property-purchase size. On a €400,000 Belgian purchase, the difference between a specialist and a UK bank can run to several hundred or over a thousand pounds.
Regular Belgian costs, including rent, service charges, utilities and the onroerende voorheffing / précompte immobilier property tax, are all in EUR. Belgium's cost of living is broadly comparable to the UK for most categories, with central Brussels typically more expensive than the Flemish or Wallonian regions.
Right-hand drive UK vehicles are legal in Belgium and no headlight beam modification is required under Belgian law, unlike France. The practical challenges are the same as elsewhere in continental Europe: toll booths, drive-throughs and multi-storey car parks are designed for left-hand drive.
One useful difference from France, Switzerland and Austria: Belgian motorways charge no toll for private cars and there is no vignette sticker to buy. Lorries pay a kilometre charge through an on-board device, but that sits inside the removal company's costs and is not charged to you separately. Once your car is registered in Belgium you have no annual motorway cost.
UK vehicles that do not hold EU type approval need an individual Belgian approval. After that, a contrôle technique / technische keuring, the Belgian equivalent of the MOT, is required before registration. The inspection is carried out at approved centres across Belgium.
Registration is handled by the Belgian vehicle registration service through the federal finance portal. You need your passport, Belgian residence document, proof of insurance from a Belgian insurer and the UK V5C logbook. Belgian number plates, white with red lettering, replace the UK plates. SORN the vehicle with DVLA before export from the UK.
Most UK cars move to Belgium by road transporter via the Channel Tunnel, alongside or separately from household goods. Transit from the UK is 1 to 2 days. Tell us at the enquiry stage if you have a vehicle to ship.
UK storage is needed when your Belgian property is not yet available, when commune registration still has to be completed before goods can arrive, or when your UK sale completes before the Belgian start date. Options include:
Indicative UK container storage cost: from approximately £80 to £150 per container equivalent per month. Confirm with your matched removal company.
Belgian arrival storage is needed when your property is not yet ready, when Transfer of Residence clearance is still in progress, or when you are moving into temporary furnished accommodation first. Two options:
Indicative Belgian storage cost beyond the free period: approximately €15 to €28 per cubic metre per month. Confirm with your matched removal company.
Storage charges are separate from the removal price. Confirm inclusions, free period duration and costs with your matched removal company before booking.
1. Limited liability: Cover based on the weight of your goods, typically £40 to £60 per kilogram. For a 2-bedroom household at around 2,000 kg this gives approximately £80,000 to £120,000, typically below replacement value. This is the default if you do not specify otherwise.
2. All-risks cover (full replacement value): Cover based on the declared replacement value of your goods. All-risks is the recommended level for any international move, including the short UK to Belgium route, as goods pass through customs clearance and multiple handling points. If an item worth £2,000 is damaged, it is replaced at £2,000.
The short transit distance does not reduce risk proportionally. Most damage on road freight moves happens during loading and unloading rather than in transit, so even a 1 to 2 day Belgium move carries similar handling risk to longer European routes.
Declare the replacement value of your goods accurately. Under-declaring saves on premium but leads to under-payment on claims. International removal insurance typically costs 2% to 4% of declared replacement value. Always confirm whether cover is all-risks or limited liability before signing.
Since Brexit, goods leaving the UK for Belgium are exports to the EU and require Belgian customs clearance on arrival. Belgium's customs authority sits within the federal finance department, and its current guidance is published at finance.belgium.be. The Transfer of Residence exemption removes 21% TVA/BTW and import duty on qualifying used household goods.
Conditions to qualify for the exemption:
Prohibited and restricted items:
International Removals Companies was founded by Darren Benjamin in 2010, with more than 20 years in international logistics behind it. The company is registered in England and Wales and can be checked on Companies House. Firms used on the UK to Belgium route are assessed against the three criteria below. Accreditations are verified independently on a rolling basis. We do not accept payment for placement, because there is no placement to buy.
British Association of Removers Overseas membership. Independent quality checks, Furniture Ombudsman dispute resolution and published industry service standards. Fewer than 100 UK firms meet the criteria for this section of the BAR.
The international quality standard for removal companies, with its global headquarters in Brussels. More than 200 independent quality checks. Audited every three years by Ernst and Young. Certificates are held by named legal entities and can be checked on the FIDI register.
Demonstrated UK to Belgium route operations and Belgian destination capability. Expertise in Transfer of Residence customs clearance, commune registration requirements, parking permit and external lift logistics in Brussels, and delivery support across the Dutch, French and German-speaking communities.
Valid UK passport, Belgian Attestation d'inscription / Verklaring van inschrijving (commune registration document), proof of prior UK residence for 12 or more months, and a detailed numbered inventory. Your matched removal company confirms the full list for your specific route before you book.
UK to Belgium by dedicated vehicle via Channel Tunnel: 1 to 2 days. London to Brussels is approximately 350 km, making Belgium closer to London than many UK domestic long-distance moves. Part load or groupage: 3 to 7 days. Intercontinental sea freight: 21 to 35 days via the Port of Antwerp-Bruges. Air freight: 3 to 7 days.
Since Brexit, UK goods entering Belgium require Transfer of Residence customs clearance. Used household goods qualify for duty-free and TVA/BTW-free entry, saving the 21%, if goods were owned and used for 6 or more months, you are permanently moving your primary residence to Belgium, and you have your commune Attestation d'inscription / Verklaring van inschrijving before goods arrive. Your matched removal company handles the customs paperwork.
Within 8 days of arriving in Belgium you must register at your local commune / gemeente. You receive an Attestation d'inscription / Verklaring van inschrijving and an 11-digit Rijksregisternummer / numéro de registre national. This document is required before Transfer of Residence customs clearance can proceed. It is also needed for a Belgian bank account, Belgian social security and Belgian healthcare. Register before goods leave the UK.
Yes. Right-hand drive is legal in Belgium and no headlight beam modification is required. The car must be owned and used for 6 or more months for the Transfer of Residence duty-free exemption. Belgian registration requires a contrôle technique / technische keuring, a Belgian insurer and registration through the Belgian vehicle registration service. Belgian motorways charge no toll for private cars. SORN the vehicle before UK export.
Yes. Dogs and cats need an ISO microchip, a valid rabies vaccination given after microchipping, and an Animal Health Certificate from an Official Veterinarian endorsed by APHA and valid for 10 days from issue. No quarantine is required if documents are correct. Belgium has regional breed-specific legislation varying by commune. Dogs must be registered on the Belgian national animal register. Pets can travel with you by car through the Channel Tunnel on the same day as your move. Mention your pets in your enquiry.
Belgium uses EUR. Your removal is quoted in GBP. Belgian property registration duties vary significantly: 3% in Flanders for a primary residence, 12.5% in Brussels and Wallonia, with abattements in each. These are payable in EUR at the notaire / notaris at completion. A forward contract locks in today's GBP/EUR rate for that transfer. You need a Belgian bank account, which requires your Rijksregisternummer, to receive EUR. Currency exchange is part of what we help with. We have arranged currency exchange in any currency through trusted partners for many years, alongside the move itself. Mention it at the enquiry stage and our partners can help with the money side. Your partner confirms the rate, the fees and the terms before any money moves.
UK depot storage: from approximately £80 to £150 per container equivalent per month. At the Belgian end, a customs bonded warehouse allows goods to be held pending Transfer of Residence clearance without import duties accumulating, which is the option that matters if commune registration is delayed. Standard Belgian depot storage beyond any free period: approximately €15 to €28 per cubic metre per month. Confirm with your matched removal company.
International Removals Companies works within the AGM Group network. Bishop's Move, Abels Moving Services, Gerson Relocation, Gerson Moving Services and Anglo French Euro Removals are part of that group and handle a share of the Belgium moves that come through this page. We also work with independent firms outside the group where a route suits them better. Which one your enquiry goes to depends on your UK origin, your Belgian commune, your volume and your dates. We do not rank firms or take payment for placement, and we do not send your details to several companies at once. One firm contacts you, confirms the scope and gives the price. The service is free.
Most sites in this trade will not tell you who turns up. You send your details, someone rings, and you find out on collection day. We would rather say it up front, because knowing which firm is coming is half of what people are worried about when they fill in a form.
AGM Group network
Anglo French runs cross-Channel road freight as its main business rather than as one route among fifty. Belgium sits immediately beyond the Calais end of that run, which makes this the group's most natural fit on this page: the crossing and the drive are the part they do every week.
Suited to: UK to Belgium moves by road, and moves to Belgium starting from France.
Holds: British Association of Removers member. Guild of Removers and Storers member. Running UK to France removals since 1984, and part of the AGM Group network since November 2024.
AGM Group network
A nationwide relocation company running 24 branch locations across the UK. That branch depth matters on a route this short, because the survey, the packing crew and the collection all come from a local team rather than a crew driven in for the day.
Suited to: households anywhere in the UK, and especially outside London and the South East.
Holds: Founding member of the British Association of Removers. BAR Overseas Group. BAR Advance Payment Guarantee. BAR Commercial Moving Group, certified to BS 8522. EUROMOVERS International. Movers Trading Club, an NVOCC registered with the US Federal Maritime Commission. ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 27001.
AGM Group network
Abels handles residential moving for private customers going from the UK to Europe and further afield. The work is aimed at households rather than corporate mobility programmes: one point of contact, a proper pre-move survey, export packing by their own crews, and a delivery plan agreed with you.
Suited to: private households paying for the Belgium move themselves.
Holds: FIDI FAIM Plus, listed on the FIDI affiliate register. BAR member number A001. BAR Overseas Group, a section fewer than 100 UK firms qualify for. BAR Advance Payment Guarantee. International Association of Movers. Movers Trading Club. ISO 9001:2015. Royal Warrant for removals and storage services.
AGM Group network
Gerson runs as two arms of one business. Gerson Relocation supports large multinational employers and manages mobility programmes end to end, which is the shape most Brussels postings take for staff at the EU institutions and NATO. Gerson Moving Services handles individuals and families moving privately.
Suited to: employees posted to Brussels on a company or institutional programme, and separately, families moving privately.
Holds: FIDI FAIM Plus, with operations and management systems independently audited by EY. BAR Overseas Group. OMNI, the Overseas Moving Network International. EuRA, the European Relocation Association. Employee Relocation Council.
No commercial relationship. Listed because they are good on the Belgium route.
Moving households since 1895, with scheduled European road freight as its strength and Belgium among its regular runs. Offers a choice between a dedicated vehicle on a fixed collection and delivery date, or a shared load at lower cost with a delivery window.
Holds: FIDI FAIM, independently audited by EY. BAR Overseas Group with Advanced Payment Guarantee. Founder member of OMNI.
Founded in 1884 and working on international moves only, so surveyors and packers deal with export standards every day rather than splitting attention with domestic jobs. Handles the Transfer of Residence documentation as part of the standard service rather than as an add-on.
Holds: FIDI FAIM. BAR Overseas Group. BAR Advance Payment Guarantee. OMNI. IAM Trusted. Movers Trading Club.
Trading since 1871 and one of the largest privately owned removal firms in the country, with its own containerised storage in 19 UK locations. That storage is useful here, because Belgian commune appointments and property dates rarely line up neatly with a UK completion.
Holds: Founder member of FIDI, operating to the FAIM standard. Founder member of OMNI. BAR member with Advanced Payment Guarantee. BS EN 12522.
Started in 1977 as a fine art and antiques mover and kept that specialism while growing into full international removals. Builds custom export crating for individual pieces, which is worth knowing if you are moving into a Brussels apartment where things go up the outside on a lift.
Holds: FIDI FAIM. BAR Overseas Group. IAM.
Founded in 1929, with branches across England and Scotland and its own international packing teams rather than subcontracted crews. Covers European road freight and handles office moves as well as households, which suits the Brussels institutional market.
Holds: FIDI affiliate, FAIM accredited, listed on the FIDI register. IAM. BAR Commercial Moving Group.
Formed in 1978, working from London, Manchester and Glasgow. Its depth is in long-haul sea freight, so on a Belgium page it comes into play mainly for goods arriving from outside Europe through the Port of Antwerp rather than for a UK road move.
Holds: IAM member. FIDI accredited.
Tell us your UK origin and Belgian destination commune. We match you with one accredited removal company from our network. One contact. One confirmed quote. The service is free.
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