Just Landed in Belgium? Your First 7 Days

Mobile coverage is excellent nationwide, including on trains and metros, and prepaid SIMs are easy to buy with ID from any operator shop or supermarket. For home internet, expect a fixed contract with a scheduled installation appointment that can take a week or two, so rely on mobile data or your building's existing line in the meantime. Proximus and Telenet dominate fibre and cable respectively.

Typical cost: Prepaid SIM with data from around 10-20 EUR/month; contract SIM 15-30 EUR/month; home fibre or cable internet 40-65 EUR/month.

The euro is used everywhere and card payment via Bancontact is the default, even for very small amounts. Belgium is not a cash society, but keep a few coins for markets, bakeries, bakery vending and public toilets. Digital identity via Itsme underpins almost all online banking and government logins, so setting it up early saves repeated friction.

Opening an account: Opening an account usually requires your passport, proof of address from your commune and your national number, though some banks let you start online first. KBC, BNP Paribas Fortis and Belfius are the mainstream banks; ING Belgium is also common. Wise and Revolut are widely used stopgaps for salary and transfers before your local account is ready.

Cash: Card and contactless dominate, and many shops, restaurants and even bars are card-only. Withdraw cash from shared bank-network Batopin machines or bank-branded ATMs to avoid the fees charged by independent operators in tourist areas. Bank branches are increasingly appointment-only, so handle paper business by post or app where you can.

Tipping: Service and taxes are included by law, so tipping is genuinely optional. Rounding up the bill or leaving 5-10 percent for good restaurant service is appreciated but never expected, and there is no obligation in taxis or cafes.

All new residents must declare their arrival in person at the commune where they live. EU/EEA and Swiss citizens apply for a registration certificate (and later an E card), while non-EU nationals present their visa D and residence documents to the foreigners' desk. A local police officer then verifies that you actually live at the declared address before you are entered in the population register and your residence card (for example an electronic residence permit) is ordered. This registration is the gateway to your national number, banking, health insurance and legal employment, so nothing else can be finalised until it is under way.

Deadline: Within 8 working days of arrival for most newcomers; do not delay, as banking, health insurance and legal residence all depend on it.

Where: Your local town hall: maison communale (French) or gemeentehuis (Dutch), foreigners' desk (service des étrangers / dienst vreemdelingenzaken).

Public transport is dense and reliable: national trains (SNCB/NMBS) link every city, while STIB/MIVB in Brussels, De Lijn in Flanders and TEC in Wallonia run metro, tram and bus locally. A single MOBIB card covers most networks, and the apps handle tickets and live journey planning. Cycling is huge in Flanders, with segregated lanes and cheap bike-share schemes such as Villo! in Brussels and Blue-bike at stations.

From the airport: From Brussels Airport (Zaventem) the train from the underground airport station reaches Brussels-Central and Brussels-Midi in about 17-25 minutes, though a Diabolo rail surcharge is added to the fare. Airport buses, an Uber or a metered official taxi are alternatives, and Brussels South Charleroi Airport is linked by a dedicated shuttle bus to Brussels-Midi in around an hour. Avoid unlicensed drivers touting inside the terminals.

Most newcomers rent through agencies or portals such as Immoweb and Immovlan; a registered lease is legally required and directly supports your commune registration. Furnished flats are common in Brussels and near universities but scarcer elsewhere, and you usually pay separate monthly building charges (charges / kosten) for shared costs like cleaning and common heating. Leases are often for three or nine years, though shorter contracts exist.

Typical rent: A one-bedroom flat runs roughly 800-1,200 EUR/month in central Brussels and Antwerp, and 650-950 EUR/month in smaller cities or outer districts, plus monthly building charges of 50-150 EUR.

Deposit norm: A deposit of up to three months' rent (commonly two), which must legally be placed in a blocked bank account in your name, plus the first month's rent upfront. Never pay a deposit by private transfer before signing.

Belgium has excellent, well-funded healthcare based on compulsory health insurance run through health funds (mutualité / mutualiteit / ziekenfonds). For most out-of-hospital care you pay the doctor upfront and are reimbursed a large share afterwards, so keep receipts and set up your fund's app. Pharmacies are widespread and pharmacists give solid first-line advice.

How to access it: Register with a mutualité/ziekenfonds after you receive your national number, then choose a GP (médecin généraliste / huisarts) as your first point of contact. For non-emergency out-of-hours care call the 1733 medical on-call line, and use 112 only for genuine emergencies. Many GPs now use a global medical file (dossier médical global) that improves reimbursement and continuity.

Insurance: Joining a mutualité is mandatory for residents and the base cover is low-cost, sometimes free at the basic level. Many people add affordable supplementary hospitalisation insurance (often via the same fund or an employer) to cover a private room and extra costs during hospital stays.

• Match the local language: greet in French in Wallonia, Dutch in Flanders, and either in Brussels; asking someone which language they prefer goes a long way.
• Punctuality is valued for both appointments and social meetings, so arrive on time and let people know if you will be late.
• Sort and separate your rubbish strictly using the correct coloured bags and collection days, as fines for getting it wrong are real.
• A handshake suits first meetings and business; among friends, one to three kisses on the cheek is common depending on the region.
• Greet shopkeepers and bus drivers with a polite bonjour or goedemorgen when you enter, and thank them on the way out.
• Keep noise down in flats and shared buildings, especially on Sundays, which are widely treated as a quiet day of rest.
• When invited to someone's home, bring flowers, chocolates or wine, and be prepared to remove your shoes if asked.

• Language is politically sensitive: never assume French in Flanders or Dutch in Wallonia, and avoid treating the whole country as French-speaking.
• Bureaucracy is slow and paper-heavy; expect appointments, queues and requests for documents you already submitted, and keep copies of everything.
• Shops and many offices close early on weekdays, all day Sunday, and for lunch in smaller towns, so plan errands ahead.
• Rubbish and recycling rules are enforced by fines and even inspections, so learn your commune's exact system quickly.
• Don't expect to sort admin by email alone; many processes still require an in-person appointment or Itsme login.