Long-distance move Berlin – Ostend: route process & timeline

As Belgium is a member of the European Union, there is no customs declaration for household goods when moving to Ostend. An inventory list is still useful, for liability purposes and to check after unpacking that everything has arrived. If you bring a car, you register it in Belgium after being entered in the population register: according to the Federal Public Service Mobility, it is first imported through customs (electronically via e705), after which a Belgian insurer applies for registration with the DIV.

According to the city, you report your address change within 8 working days of moving in to the civil affairs department (Burgerzaken) at Ostend's Stadhuis. As an EU citizen without a Belgian passport, you apply there for the registration certificate (bijlage 19), for which the Belgian Immigration Office sets a deadline of no more than three months after arrival. Registration is often needed for a bank account, contracts and health insurance. In Germany you deregister within two weeks of moving out (§ 17 (2) BMG).

Ostend is a port and seaside town on the Belgian North Sea coast; in summer, the centre and the coastal roads are very busy. On moving day the van needs a permit from the city, and the online application must arrive at least 7 working days in advance. Many residential buildings in the centre have narrow stairwells; if necessary we use a furniture lift, which must also be included in the application.

The coast is often damp and windy. That is why we wrap delicate items in film and cover furniture while carrying it. This way your belongings arrive in Ostend dry.

These base prices apply when calculating your move to Ostend: 1-room flats from €349, 2 rooms from €579, 3 rooms from €884, 4 rooms from €1,324. For a house or a villa there is an individual quote. Then there is the distance: for long-distance moves we charge from €3.80/km. We give you the exact price after a free survey.

The distance is charged from €3.80/km, around 844 km from Berlin; the volume determines the time required. Floor and lift affect carrying time, while the permit and signs in Ostend affect the costs at the destination. A part load is also possible and can reduce costs.

We are based in Berlin (Stromstraße 21) and travel nationwide and abroad, including to Belgium. From short distances to a large long-distance move, we cover it all. Destinations with their own page are shown in the locations overview; we describe routes and process under long-distance moves.

For removal vans and furniture lifts on the pavement, cycle path, parking space or roadway, the City of Ostend requires a permit for the use of public space, and the signage is part of it. The application is made exclusively online and, according to the city, must arrive at least 7 working days before the moving date (the day of submission does not count). If you are moving from or to Ostend, both addresses can be combined in one application. For late applications there is the address [email protected], but your preferred date is then not guaranteed.

You pay the fees online, and you only receive the permit after payment. According to the city, the following apply in 2026:

• No-parking signs: 45.50 euros for the first, 9.50 euros for each additional sign
• occupied parking spaces without parking fees: 0.70 euros per m² per day or 8.40 euros per space per day
• paid parking spaces: 20 euros per space per day

The signs are mandatory and must be in place two days before the move. The city puts them up for a fee, or you use E3 signs on an orange pole with a blue additional sign showing the date and time. You enter the number plates and photos of the vehicles in the area in EagleBe. For the journey, see international moves and, on districts and costs, the guide to neighbourhoods and costs in Ostend; life in Belgian Ostend is described in Living in Ostend.

According to the City of Ostend, you report your address change within 8 working days of the move to the civil affairs department at the Stadhuis, Vindictivelaan 1. This can be done via the digital counter, by phone on the free number 0800 1 8400 or by appointment. If you are moving to Belgium for the first time without a Belgian passport, contact the Burgerzaken team for other nationalities; for the registration certificate (bijlage 19), the Belgian Immigration Office allows no more than three months from arrival. You can only register once you actually live at the new address. You should bring your electronic identity card or residence card. The police then check whether you really live there; according to the city, the visit takes place roughly within two weeks of the application. Put your name on the doorbell.

Anyone registered in Ostend has free access to the recycling park (Recyclagepark) with their identity card; the cardholder must be present. According to the city, bulky waste ("grof vuil") costs 0.15 euros per kg and can only be dropped off at the Zandvoorde recycling park. Rubble costs 0.03 euros per kg; a visit without bulky waste or rubble remains free of charge. Sort beforehand – furniture must be fully dismantled at home.

Questions are answered by the O-punt, Monday to Saturday 8 am to 7 pm; in person, you can reach the O-punt at the Stadhuis and at the Campus Edith Cavell. Read everything else about life on site under Living in Ostend.