Living in Ghent: Registration Woonstcontrole, Neighbourhoods and Cycling

Since the municipal mergers of 1965 and 1977, Ghent has consisted of several sub-municipalities, including Gentbrugge, Ledeberg, Sint-Amandsberg, Drongen and Zwijnaarde. For everyday purposes, the City of Ghent divides itself into 25 neighbourhoods (wijken). It describes the Binnenstad as historic and lively; Ledeberg thrives on its Sunday market, in Gentbrugge the Gentbrugse Meersen form the green lung, and Dampoort is undergoing change.

If you live in the centre, you live between the Graslei, the Belfry and car-free streets; through traffic runs via the R40 and R4 ring roads. Because, according to Wikipedia, Ghent has a very large number of students, housing is scarce. We do not quote specific rents because we have no reliable current source; search early and take a look at the neighbourhood on site.

A major industrial employer is the Volvo Cars Gent plant with around 6,500 employees (as of 2025), according to Wikipedia the last car factory in Belgium. The port is connected to the North Sea via the Ghent–Terneuzen Canal, and the UZ Gent university hospital serves the region as far as Zeelandic Flanders. Ghent University had around 44,000 students in 2019, plus Hogeschool Gent, Artevelde and Odisee.

In everyday life, bikes, trams and buses count: since the mobility plan, a large part of the city centre has been car-free, and cycle streets give cyclists priority. Gent-Sint-Pieters station, with around 605 trains a day, is one of the country's most important hubs, and via the E40 and E17 you reach Brussels, Bruges and Antwerp. Every year in July the city celebrates the Gentse Feesten for ten days.

The cost of a move depends heavily on the size of the flat. Smaller 1-room flats can be moved from just €375. Moving into a 2-room flat costs from €609, with 3 rooms it is from €879 and with 4 rooms from €1,309. For houses or villas there is no flat rate – here we always prepare an individual quote. For a long-distance move we charge from €3.85 per kilometre. The quickest way to find out your exact price is a free survey.

The price of your move is made up of several factors: the volume of your household, the distance between the old and new flat (from €3.85/km) as well as the floor and whether there is a lift. A required parking restriction zone is also reflected in the costs. Additional services such as furniture assembly or a shared load can also change the price.

We are your partner for every move – small or large, private or business.

1. House clearance: House clearance – fast and reliable
2. Shared load: Shared load – an affordable alternative
3. Move with assembly: Move with assembly – complete service
4. Furniture transport: Furniture transport – flexible and safe
5. Home removal: Home removal – personally supported
6. Office move: Office move – professionally organised

We come from Berlin-Moabit; Ghent is around 783 km away (OSRM calculation), and including breaks the lorry takes about twelve hours, so we plan two drivers or an overnight stop. The journey is described in our long-distance moving guide for Ghent. The return trip to Berlin is also possible.

In Belgium, registration is handled by the municipality. When moving to or within Ghent, according to Stad Gent you must report your new address within 8 days of the move, online via the city's e-loket (online counter) and free of charge. Afterwards a police wijkinspecteur visits your home unannounced (woonstcontrole); you must be present, and several visits may be necessary. According to the city, the process can take a few weeks. So state times when you can be reached.

This procedure does not apply to newcomers from abroad. Non-Belgians who are new to Ghent first register with the Dienst Burgerzaken – Migratie (Woodrow Wilsonplein 1, 9000 Gent, telephone +32 9 266 71 50, [email protected]). The city allocates appointments via gent.mijnafspraakmaken.be. For a short stay of under three months, registration is only required if you stay at a private address; EU citizens then receive a certificate of presence (Bijlage 3ter), valid for three months from entry. For EU students, the city states: under six months Bijlage 3ter, beyond that an EU card. According to Stad Gent, the DOFI app „Mijn adres in België“ does not replace proof of legal residence.

Background on moving to Ghent can be found in our guide to moving to Ghent.

Stad Gent is divided into 25 neighbourhoods (wijken), including Binnenstad, Dampoort, Ledeberg, Gentbrugge, Sint-Amandsberg, Rabot - Blaisantvest and Watersportbaan - Ekkergem. The city describes the Binnenstad as historic and lively with medieval architecture, Ledeberg thrives on its Sunday market, and in Gentbrugge the Gentbrugse Meersen form the green lung. According to Stad Gent, Dampoort is „volop in verandering“, in other words undergoing change. Which neighbourhood suits you is best seen on site.

Important for moving with a vehicle: the city centre is a low-emission zone (Dutch „lage-emissiezone“, LEZ). Vehicles that do not meet the requirements may not enter; cameras check entry. Foreign vehicles can be checked and registered via the city's checking and registration portal, and according to Stad Gent registration or a day pass must be completed no later than one day after entering. If you want to keep a parking space free for the removal van, according to the city you need a permit to use public space, which you should apply for in good time. If you live in a residents' zone without your own parking space, you can apply for a residents' permit (bewonersvergunning) after the official change of address. More on the transport can be found in the long-distance moving guide for Ghent and under international move.