Arriving in Mechelen: Burgerzaken Resident Card, Childcare
Mechelen for newcomers
Between Brussels and Antwerp: How to Settle In to Mechelen
The first few weeks
Mechelen lies in the province of Antwerp on the river Dijle, about 30 km north of Brussels and 25 km south of Antwerp; the city is the seat of the Archbishop and Primate of Belgium. The tower of St Rumbold's Cathedral (Sint-Rombouts) and the beguinages are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This guide sorts out your first weeks: address registration, residential areas, parking, childcare and language courses. 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 Mechelen and back. Within the EU your household goods need no customs declaration. Your belongings are covered under the HGB (§ 451e: €620 per m³), with additional insurance on request. How you may drive into the low-traffic city centre and which route we take is described in our long-distance moving guide for Mechelen.
Request a Quote for Your Move to Mechelen
Fixed price after a survey, no customs
Request a non-binding quote for your move to Mechelen – by telephone on 01625978461 or online. After a survey or video survey we give you a fixed price, taking into account the floor, carrying distance, access to the city centre and additional services such as furniture assembly. The earlier you plan, the more choice you have for the date.
Quotes available individually based on workload, scheduling and the desired scope of services.
Before Moving Day in Mechelen
Access, stairwell, date
We come from Berlin and bring your household goods to Mechelen. Before moving day we clarify with you whether the new address is in the low-traffic city centre and a through-traffic permit is needed, where the vehicle may stop, and how narrow the stairwell and front door are in the old building. We set the price after the survey (fixed price), and your belongings are covered under the HGB. You report your address to Burgerzaken (civil affairs) yourself – we schedule the move-in so that the deadline of 8 working days is easy to meet.
Packing Service
Office Move
Senior Move
Furniture Transport
Six First Steps in Mechelen
These tasks come up after moving to Mechelen – from the address registration to the Dutch course. Deadlines and fees come from the city of Mechelen; check the current status on 015 28 00 00 before your appointment.
Address within 8 working days
Visit from the neighbourhood police officer
Apply for a resident card
Transfer waste and post
Find childcare
Learn Dutch
Shared Load to Mechelen
If you move to Mechelen with little furniture, you do not have to pay for a whole lorry. With a shared load you share the loading space with other consignments heading for Belgium; we agree the delivery day in advance, and here too your belongings are covered under the HGB. This is worthwhile, for example, for a room or a first small flat.
Mechelen
for newcomers
When you are new in Mechelen, many questions arise at once: how do I report my address, what does it cost, and when does the neighbourhood police officer come? Which of the seven residential areas or which deelgemeente (sub-municipality) suits me? How do I get into the low-traffic city centre by car, and what does the resident card cost? Where can I find childcare and a Dutch course? We have summarised the information from the city of Mechelen below. For the move itself we advise you on timing, access 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 Centre or a Sub-Municipality
Companies, practices and special cases
Frequently Asked Questions About Living in Mechelen
Seven Residential Areas, Five Sub-Municipalities: Where to Live?
The city of Mechelen lists seven residential areas – Arsenaal, Battel, Mechelen Centrum, Mechelen Noord, Mechelen Zuid, Nekkerspoel and Tervuursesteenweg – as well as the five deelgemeenten Heffen, Hombeek, Leest, Muizen and Walem. In the centre around the Grote Markt and St Rumbold's Cathedral there is a low-traffic city centre; if you live there, you need a through-traffic permit. Around a third of the city's area is used for agriculture, mainly on the Hombeek plateau.
We deliberately do not give reliable rent figures – compare offers by location, pay attention to the rental deposit customary in Belgium, and check the route to the station before you sign.
Commuting, Working and Leisure in Mechelen
Mechelen lies between Brussels (around 30 km) and Antwerp (around 25 km). Mechelen station is on the Brussels–Antwerp line and offers connections to Leuven, Lier, Dendermonde and Ghent, among other places; the nearest trunk road is the E19 Amsterdam–Paris. Many people therefore commute to one of the two cities, and according to the city the stations are within walking distance of the centre.
Culturally, everyday life is shaped by St Rumbold's Cathedral with its 98 m tower, the beguinages, the Kazerne Dossin memorial and the Ommegang with its giant figures, which is part of UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage. The surrounding countryside with the Hombeek plateau offers greenery. We set the moving date to match the handover of your flat.
Moving prices by flat size
Transparency is important to us. That is why we give clear starting prices: 1-room flat from €359, 2-room flat from €584, 3-room flat from €909 and 4-room flat from €1,329. We calculate larger properties such as houses or villas individually. For a long-distance move a price per kilometre from €3.85/km applies. It is best to clarify everything during a free survey.
What Determines the Price for Mechelen
The price of your move is made up of the volume, distance (€3.85/km), floor, lift and, if necessary, a parking restriction zone. We also offer furniture assembly and a shared load.
Services for your move to Belgium
You can combine these services for your move to Mechelen.
- Shared load – share the transport and save costs.
- Company move – professional move planning for businesses.
- House clearance – we dispose of what is no longer needed.
- Home removal – your new home, our commitment.
- Move with assembly – furniture is reassembled on site.
- Furniture transport – also suitable for single items.
From Berlin to the Province of Antwerp – and Back
No matter how far the journey: we come from Berlin-Moabit and carry out moves to Belgium as well as back to Germany. More on the long-distance moves page, and destinations with their own page in the locations overview.
Registering Your Residence in Mechelen: Deadline, Costs and Procedure
According to the city of Mechelen, a move to Mechelen must be reported to Burgerzaken within 8 working days, even for a move within the city. This can be done online via the domestic change-of-address form or by appointment at the Huis van de Mechelaar (Reuzenstraat 1) or the Dorpshuis Leest, booked via afspraken.mechelen.be. You can only report once you have actually moved. An adult family member can submit the report for the whole household.
The city quotes €13.70 per adult; moving to a care home or to a reference address of the social welfare centre is free of charge. A neighbourhood police officer or an authorised official then checks whether your main residence is there; only then are you registered. Afterwards you have the address on your identity card updated at the town hall. For cards issued after 1 January 2022, a PIN code is no longer needed.
- You need valid ID with a national register number, and for minors proof of their residence status.
- You can reach the Huis van de Mechelaar on 015 28 00 00 or at [email protected].
- You transfer waste collection via IVAREM, and bpost forwards post on request.
Everything about the journey is in the long-distance moving guide for Mechelen; costs and districts are explained in the Mechelen guide.
Neighbourhoods, Outlying Villages and Resident Parking in Mechelen
The city of Mechelen lists seven residential areas: Arsenaal, Battel, Mechelen Centrum, Mechelen Noord, Mechelen Zuid, Nekkerspoel and Tervuursesteenweg. In addition there are five deelgemeenten: Heffen, Hombeek, Leest, Muizen and Walem. According to the city, around a third of the city's area is used for agriculture, mainly on the Hombeek plateau. According to the city, the stations are within walking distance of the centre; Muizen has a local Hoppinpunt (mobility hub) for changing to bus, bike or shared car.
In the centre there is an autoluwe binnenstad (low-traffic city centre), in which some streets have little car traffic at certain times; The city explains the streets and times on a dedicated page. The city also offers the free M-shuttle between a park-and-ride car park on the edge of town and the centre.
- Resident card (bewonerskaart): for zones with parking charges or the blue zone, online via Moovia (eID card reader needed) or at the Parkeerwinkel, Veemarkt 33. The first card costs €24, the second €150, and a temporary card after the move €5.
- Documents: vehicle registration certificate, ID and, for a vehicle owned by someone else, an insurance certificate.
- New in the city: Dutch courses are arranged by the Agentschap Integratie & Inburgering, and the city helps through its Sociale cohesie department.
A neighbouring town is presented in the guide Living in Leuven.
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