Moving to Brussels Checklist: Everything You Need in Your First Month

Your first month in Brussels sets the tone for your entire experience. Get the essentials sorted early, and you'll feel settled in weeks rather than months. Miss key steps, and you'll be chasing bureaucracy for half a year.

This checklist covers everything you need to do in your first 30 days, in roughly the order you should tackle it.

Week 1: The Essentials

Find Your Housing

If you haven't already secured accommodation before arrival, this is priority number one. Coliving operators like Cohabs, Corners, Colive, and LiveColonies offer same-week move-in availability in most cases. For traditional rentals, expect the process to take 1-3 weeks.

Get a Belgian SIM Card

You'll need a local phone number for everything from commune registration to deliveries. Your main options:

Orange Belgium — best coverage, plans from 15 EUR/month for 10 GB
Proximus — premium network, from 20 EUR/month
BASE (Telenet) — budget option, from 10 EUR/month for 5 GB
Lycamobile — cheapest prepaid option, great for the first few weeks

Pick up a SIM at any Proximus, Orange, or Base shop. You'll need your passport or ID card. Most shops are found around De Brouckere, Porte de Namur, and Gare du Midi.

Open a Belgian Bank Account

You'll need a Belgian bank account for salary deposits, rent payments, and direct debits. Your main options:

KBC Brussels — solid all-around choice, good English-language app
ING Belgium — widely used, English support available
BNP Paribas Fortis — Belgium's largest bank, extensive branch network
Beobank — digital-first, quick account opening
N26 or Revolut — useful as supplementary accounts, but some Belgian services require a Belgian IBAN (starting with BE)

Bring your passport, proof of address (your rental contract works), and proof of employment. Account opening takes 30-60 minutes in branch.

Register at Your Commune

This is the most important administrative step. Within eight working days of moving in, visit your local commune (municipality) office to register your address.

What to bring:

Passport or EU ID card
Rental contract
Passport-sized photos (some communes require these)
Proof of employment or enrollment (if applicable)

After registration, the commune sends a local police officer to verify your address. Make sure someone is home or leave a note on the door confirming you live there. Once verified, you'll receive your residence card (for EU citizens) or begin the residence permit process (non-EU citizens).

Pro tip: Some Brussels communes have online appointment systems. Check your commune's website — Ixelles, Etterbeek, and Saint-Gilles all allow online booking, which saves you hours of queuing.

Week 2: Healthcare and Insurance

Join a Mutuelle (Health Insurance Fund)

Belgium has mandatory health insurance through mutuelles (French) or mutualiteiten (Dutch). These are not-for-profit organizations that reimburse your medical expenses. Main options:

Partenamut — popular among French-speaking expats
Mutualite Chretienne (MC) — Belgium's largest
Solidaris — progressive option with good digital tools
CM (Christelijke Mutualiteit) — Dutch-speaking equivalent of MC

Registration is free for the basic coverage. You'll pay a small annual membership for supplementary benefits. Bring your ID, proof of address, and employment contract.

Find a Doctor (Medecin Generaliste)

Register with a local GP. In Belgium, you can see any doctor, but having a fixed GP (medecin traitant / huisarts) gives you better reimbursement rates. Ask your coliving housemates or colleagues for recommendations — word of mouth is the best way to find a good doctor in Brussels.

A standard GP visit costs 25-30 EUR, of which your mutuelle reimburses approximately 20-23 EUR.

Sort Out Additional Insurance

Hospitalization insurance — often provided by your employer. If not, your mutuelle offers plans from 5-15 EUR/month.
Liability insurance (RC Vie Privee) — not legally required but strongly recommended. Covers accidental damage you cause to others. From 5-10 EUR/month through providers like Ethias, AG Insurance, or AXA.

Week 2-3: Transport

Get a MOBIB Card

The MOBIB card is Brussels' public transport smart card, used on STIB/MIVB buses, trams, and metro. Purchase one at any STIB Bootik (locations at Porte de Namur, Rogier, Gare du Midi) or at STIB vending machines for 5 EUR.

Best subscription options:

Monthly pass: 49 EUR for unlimited STIB travel
Annual pass: 499 EUR (saves about 90 EUR vs. monthly)
Under 25: 12 EUR/year — yes, really. This is one of Brussels' best deals.
MTB (combined STIB + SNCB + De Lijn + TEC): 75 EUR/month for all Belgian public transport

Consider a Bike

Brussels is increasingly bike-friendly, though hills can be challenging. Options:

Villo! — Brussels' bike-sharing system. Annual subscription 35 EUR, first 30 minutes free per trip.
Billy Bike — electric bike sharing, available across Brussels. Pay per minute.
Buy second-hand — check Facebook Marketplace or Troc Velo for bikes from 50-150 EUR. Always use a solid U-lock; bike theft is common.

Blue Bike or Cambio

For occasional car needs, Cambio (car-sharing) is better than owning a vehicle. Plans start at 5 EUR/month plus usage fees. Reserve via the app and pick up from stations across Brussels.

Week 3: Daily Life Setup

Find Your Grocery Stores

Brussels has excellent options at every price point:

Colruyt — Belgium's cheapest supermarket chain. Worth the trip even if it's not the closest.
Delhaize — mid-range, good quality, found everywhere
Carrefour — multiple formats from Express (convenience) to Hypermarche
Aldi/Lidl — discount supermarkets, great for basics
Bio Planet / Sequoia — organic stores for health-conscious shoppers
Local markets — Place du Jeu de Balle (daily flea market), Flagey market (Saturday/Sunday), Marche du Midi (Sunday, Brussels' largest market)

Set Up Internet (If Not Coliving)

If you're in a private rental, you'll need to arrange internet:

Proximus — most reliable, plans from 40 EUR/month
Orange Belgium — competitive pricing, from 35 EUR/month
Scarlet — budget option from Proximus, from 27 EUR/month
EDPnet — smaller provider, good value

Installation typically takes 1-2 weeks. In coliving, wifi is included and already set up.

Download Essential Apps

STIB/MIVB — real-time public transport info and mobile tickets
Itsme — Belgian digital identity app (essential for government services and banking)
MyBEnefits — track your Belgian social security and benefits
Too Good To Go — rescue surplus food from restaurants at discount prices
Payconiq by Bancontact — mobile payments (Belgium's most popular payment app)

Week 4: Settle In Socially

Explore Your Neighborhood

Walk every street within a 15-minute radius of your home. Find your local bakery, your favorite terrace, and the quiet park bench where you'll read on Sunday mornings. Brussels reveals itself to those who wander.

Join Communities

Meetup.com — Brussels has active groups for hiking, language exchange, board games, tech, and more
InterNations — professional expat networking, regular events
Brussels Coliving communities — if you're in a Cohabs or Corners property, attend every event in your first month
Sports clubs — join a running group (Brussels Running Club), gym (Basic-Fit from 20 EUR/month), or team sport

Learn Some French (or Dutch)

Even basic French transforms your Brussels experience. Free or cheap options:

Alliance Francaise Bruxelles-Europe — courses from 200 EUR per semester
Maison des Langues (ULB) — affordable courses
CVO Brussel — subsidized Dutch courses for Brussels residents (some are free)
Tandem language exchange — practice with locals through apps like Tandem or at language cafes

The Complete Checklist

Here's everything summarized for easy reference:

Tackle these in your first month, and you'll have a solid foundation for life in Brussels. The bureaucracy can feel heavy, but each completed step makes the next one easier. Welcome to Belgium.