New in Charleroi: Address Registration Sub-Municipalities and Daily Life in Wallonia

Since the 1977 municipal reform, Charleroi has consisted of the old city and 14 former municipalities: Couillet, Dampremy, Gilly, Gosselies, Goutroux, Jumet, Lodelinsart, Marchienne-au-Pont, Marcinelle, Monceau-sur-Sambre, Montignies-sur-Sambre, Mont-sur-Marchienne, Ransart and Roux. In the centre, a distinction is made between the Ville Haute around Place du Manège and Place Vauban, with the town hall and belfry, and the Ville Basse.

We deliberately do not quote specific rents here, because they depend heavily on location and condition. Search via the large Belgian portals and estate agents and expect to pay a rental deposit. Which sub-municipality suits you depends on your commute, school and connection to the metro or train; before committing, also look at access and parking rules. Maisons citoyennes with longer opening hours can be found in Charleroi, Gilly, Gosselies, Marchienne-au-Pont and Marcinelle, among others. Near the centre, car parks P1 and P2 at the Palais des Expositions offer around 700 free spaces.

After the decline of the steel industry from the late 1960s onwards, Charleroi's economy diversified; facilities of the Université libre de Bruxelles and the technology park in Gosselies contributed to this. Brussels South Charleroi Airport is a popular destination for low-cost airlines, the most important being Ryanair. With connections to Brussels, Liège, Lille and Paris, Charleroi-Central is one of Belgium's most important rail hubs; around 355 trains stop there every day, including four suburban rail lines.

The cultural heritage includes the Bois du Cazier mine in Marcinelle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2012, and the belfry, part of the World Heritage belfries. The Musée de la Photographie in Mont-sur-Marchienne is considered one of the most important photography museums in Europe. Via the Charleroi–Brussels canal, the port is connected to the Flemish waterway network. Also worth seeing are the church of Saint-Christophe from 1667 on Place Vauban and the castle of Monceau-sur-Sambre in an English garden. Newcomers get to know the city most easily via the Ville Haute and the metro.

• 1 room: from €344
• 2 rooms: from €589
• 3 rooms: from €905
• 4 rooms: from €1,299
• House/villa: individual quote
• Long-distance move: from €3.80 per kilometre

For a tailor-made quote, we recommend a free survey.

The price of your move depends on the volume, the distance (from €3.80/km), the floor and whether there is a lift. A parking restriction zone can also cause additional costs. If needed, we add furniture assembly or a shared load.

For your move to Belgium, you can book these services individually or together.

We plan moves from Berlin-Moabit (Stromstraße 21), without branches in other cities. Charleroi is around 774 km away via Aachen and Liège. Places with their own page can be found in the locations overview, long routes under long-distance moves.

The services of the city of Charleroi's Population department handle changes of residence, identity documents and residence permits. You can use any of the Maisons citoyennes, regardless of where you live. According to the city, new opening hours apply from 5 October 2026:

• daily from 8:00 to 11:30 and 13:00 to 16:00, on Saturdays from 8:00 to 11:30 only in Marcinelle;
• extended opening until 18:00 on Mondays in Charleroi and Gilly, on Tuesdays in Gosselies, on Wednesdays in Marchienne-au-Pont and Marcinelle;
• closed everywhere on Thursday afternoons.

For the change of address, the city states: the head of household or their representative has 8 working days to report the change to the new municipality. Bring your ID; according to the page, the fee is 7.00 euros, and Bancontact is accepted. The report is made to the municipality of the new place of residence.

For EU citizens, the foreigners' service lists an ID card or passport and a recent passport photo for registration; the fee is 7.50 euros. If you live in Belgium without staying in a hotel, hostel or campsite, you must report your presence to the foreigners' service within 3 working days of arrival; the declaration of presence is free of charge for EU citizens.

A checklist for the journey can be found in the long-distance moving guide for Charleroi; costs and districts are explained in the guide Moving to Charleroi.

For everyday purposes, Charleroi is divided into the Ville Haute, the historic quarter around Place du Manège and Place Vauban, and the Ville Basse. The city describes parking as follows: car parks P1 and P2 at the Palais des Expositions are a few minutes' walk from the Ville Haute and offer around 700 free spaces. On Saturdays, 2,500 free spaces near the Ville Basse and Rive Gauche are available under "Shopping malin".

For residents of paid zones, there is the resident's card (Carte riverain):

• valid for 12 months and not renewed automatically;
• for people who are entered in the population register and live in a paid zone;
• in red and green zones, a maximum of 2 cards per household, the first free, the second 100 euros a year.

Public transport includes a metro with four lines (among others to Gosselies and Gilly) and train connections from Charleroi-Central, according to the city towards Brussels, Namur and Liège, among others. The Intercommunale Tibi is responsible for waste and recyclables; it runs household collections and Recyparks. Anyone wishing to use road space temporarily contacts the Service Voirie (071 86 92 99).

Further orientation is offered by our guide Living in Brussels.