New in Leuven: Address Wijkagent, Parking Card
Leuven for newcomers
New on the Dijle: How to Settle In Well in Leuven
The first few weeks
Leuven (Löwen in German) lies about 20 kilometres east of Brussels on the river Dijle and is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant. The city is known for the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, the Gothic town hall and the Great Beguinage, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; in 2030 Leuven will be European Capital of Culture. This guide sorts out your first weeks: address registration, wijkagent, flat-hunting, parking and health insurance. We handle the transport as a home removal.
We have no branch in Belgium: we come from Berlin-Moabit (Stromstraße 21) and carry out moves to Leuven and back. Within the EU your household goods need no customs declaration. Your belongings are covered under the HGB (§ 451e: €620 per m³). Loading times and the route are described in our long-distance moving guide for Leuven. Where the vehicle may load in the Centrum and whether a permit is needed, we clarify with you in advance, as well as the floor, carrying distance and delivery day.
Request a Non-Binding Quote for Your Move to Leuven
Fixed price after a survey, without customs formalities
Call us on 01625978461: after a survey or video survey you receive a fixed price for your move to Leuven – whether a kot (student room) in the Centrum or a terraced house in Kessel-Lo. We include the floor, carrying distance and loading zone; your belongings are covered under the HGB.
Quotes available individually based on workload, scheduling and the desired scope of services.
Before Moving Day in Leuven
Loading zone, stairwell, date
We come from Berlin and bring your household goods to Leuven. Before moving day we clarify with you where the vehicle may load in the Centrum – traffic is restricted around the Grote Markt and Oude Markt –, whether a permit from the city is needed, and how narrow the stairwell and front door are in the historic building. We set the price after the survey (fixed price), and your belongings are covered under the HGB. You take care of the address registration yourself – we schedule the move-in so that the deadline of eight working days is easy to meet.
Packing Service
Office Move
Student moves
Furniture Transport
Six First Steps in Leuven
These tasks come up after your move to Leuven – from the address registration to the recycling park card. Deadlines and procedures come from the city of Leuven; check the current status before your appointment. The city answers questions about moving from abroad at [email protected].
Address within eight working days
Visit from the wijkagent
Update your ID card
Resident parking card
Recycling park card
Choose a health insurer
Shared Load to Leuven
If you move to Leuven with little furniture to study at KU Leuven or for a research job, you do not have to pay for a whole lorry. With a shared load you use free loading space on a journey towards Belgium; we agree the delivery day in advance, and here too your belongings are covered under the HGB.
Leuven
for newcomers
When you are new in Leuven, many questions arise at once: how do I report my address, and when does the wijkagent come? What applies when moving from Germany, and which health insurer should I choose? Where may the removal van load in the Centrum, and how do I get a resident parking card? We have summarised the information from the city of Leuven below. For the move itself we advise you on timing, loading times and packing, so that everything is right on moving-in day in your new home on the Dijle.
Paperwork in the first few days
Moving In to the Centrum or an Outer District
Companies, labs, special cases
Frequently Asked Questions About Living in Leuven
The Centrum and Four Sub-Municipalities: Where to Live?
Since 1977 Leuven has comprised the sub-municipalities of Leuven itself with the Centrum, Heverlee in the south, Kessel-Lo, Wilsele and Wijgmaal. In the Centrum around the Grote Markt and Oude Markt are the town hall, many faculties and pubs, plus the Great Beguinage. Heverlee is home to the IMEC research centre; according to the city, Kessel-Lo and Heverlee are getting new local centres, and a village square is planned in Wilsele.
New flats are being built in places such as Leuven-Noord and the Vaartkom, a former industrial area. We deliberately do not give reliable rent figures – compare offers by location, pay attention to the rental deposit customary in Belgium, and view properties at different times of day.
Studying, Research and Working in Leuven
The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven shapes the city; in addition there are several universities of applied sciences and the Evangelical Theological Faculty. The cityscape is strongly shaped by students, and in the Centrum there are many bars and pubs around the Oude Markt. In Heverlee, IMEC (Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre) carries out research in microelectronics, and Leuven is the headquarters of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world's largest brewing group.
Leuven has been an important railway hub since the 19th century; Brussels is around 20 kilometres away. City and regional buses are run by De Lijn, also in the evening and at night, and the city recommends that drivers park on the edge of town and take the bus into the centre. We set the moving date to match the handover of your flat.
Moving prices by flat size
So that you can plan your move well, here are the key figures: 1 room from €349, 2 rooms from €615, 3 rooms from €879 and 4 rooms from €1,344. For a house or a villa we always draw up an individual quote, as many factors come together here. If you are moving further away, long-distance moves are priced from €3.90 per kilometre. The quickest way is a free survey.
What Determines the Price for Leuven
- Volume as the basic factor
- Distance: €3.90/km
- Floor without a lift = extra effort
- Parking restriction zone for faster loading and unloading
- Shared load as an inexpensive alternative
Services for your move to Belgium
Here you will find a compact overview of our most important services.
| Shared load | Shared load – economical for small volumes. |
| Move with assembly | Move with assembly – all inclusive. |
| House clearance | House clearance – for more space. |
| Company move | Company move – professionally organised. |
| Home removal | Home removal – personal support. |
| Furniture transport | Furniture transport – safely packed. |
From Berlin to Flemish Brabant – and Back
We come from Berlin-Moabit and drive every move to Belgium ourselves, from the survey to assembly – as well as the return journey to Germany. Destinations with their own page are shown in the locations overview, and information on long distances on the long-distance moves page.
Registration in Leuven: Reporting Your Address and the Residence Check
If you move to Leuven, according to the city of Leuven you report the new address no later than eight working days after the move. The registration is done via the city's online form; alternatively, a Digipunt with a free computer can help. Adults register themselves and other adult household members, and parents or guardians register children under 18. Enter the date of the registration, because the form does not accept a date in the past. For each person in the application you need a copy of the eID, Kids-ID or residence card (verblijfskaart).
Afterwards a neighbourhood police officer (wijkagent) checks whether you actually live there. According to the city, this visit can take up to four weeks after the registration. So put your name on the doorbell and letterbox early. You are then invited to have the address on your ID card updated. You book the appointment online or on 016 27 21 90; according to the city, the update is free of charge, and you bring your ID card and PIN code.
- Right after the registration, you can apply for a resident parking card (up to 3 months) and a temporary access card for the recycling park.
- When moving from abroad, the requirements depend on your nationality; the city provides information by email at [email protected].
Planning across the border is described in our long-distance moving guide for Leuven, and the formalities are summarised in the moving checklist for Belgium.
Living in Leuven: Centre, Outer Districts and Everyday Life
Leuven does not consist of a single neighbourhood. According to the city's overview of urban renewal, projects are concentrated in the Centrum, such as transforming the Benedenstad into a low-traffic quarter and greening the Martelarenplein; the town hall is closed for renovation and is due to reopen by 2029. New residential and commercial space is being created in Leuven-Noord and Vaartkom, a former industrial area on the canal (Vaart) and the Dijle.
Outside the centre, the districts have their own cores: in Kessel-Lo the former central workshops are to become the new local centre, in Heverlee the village centre and safe routes for pedestrians and cyclists are being expanded, and in Wilsele a new village square is planned. If possible, view flats at different times of day to assess traffic and noise.
- Rail and bus: Leuven has a railway station, and De Lijn also runs evening and night buses. If you come by car, according to the city you park on the edge of town and take a bus into the centre, which the city describes as free of charge.
- Parking: in zones with parking charges or a parking disc there is a digital resident parking card; report a move, new car or new number plate to the city promptly.
- Language: the city website is available in Dutch and English.
For a comparison, see our guide Living in Mechelen; costs and districts from a moving perspective are explained in the Leuven guide.
Related Articles
New in Brussels: Address Registration, Municipalities and Daily Life in the EU Capital