Moving to Ghent: Costs Process & Districts
From Berlin to Ghent
Moving to Ghent: between the Graslei, the port and the university
Guide
A move to Ghent takes you to Belgium's second-largest city after Antwerp: around 270,000 people live in the capital of East Flanders, where the Lys and the Scheldt meet. The old town with the Graslei, Korenlei, Belfry and St Bavo's Cathedral is densely built, and a large part of the city centre is car-free. The removal van therefore needs a permit from the city and, in car-free areas, an access permit. After a survey we give you a fixed price in which these steps are planned.
As Ghent is in the EU, there are no customs for your household goods. We come from Berlin-Moabit (Stromstraße 21), take care of packing, transport and assembly, and plan a furniture lift for narrow staircases in old buildings. We coordinate the delivery date with your landlord or property management; if the flat is not yet free, we store your goods temporarily in Berlin. What else to bear in mind for moves across borders is explained under International move. This is how you plan your move to Ghent from the survey to the last box.
Request a fixed price for your move to Ghent
Survey, fixed price, permit in the schedule
Call us on 01625978461 and arrange a survey for your move to Ghent. We calculate according to volume, floor, access at the destination and distance and then give you a fixed price. We are liable for damage under § 451e HGB; we build the permit for the street space and the furniture lift into the schedule.
Offers available individually, depending on effort, scheduling and the scope of services required.
What we handle on your move to Ghent
Transport from Berlin, arrival in Flanders
We have no branch in Belgium; instead we come with the lorry from Berlin-Moabit. Because Ghent has largely closed its city centre to through traffic, we clarify access, parking space and permits with you in advance. You report your address to the city yourself – we tell you which deadline applies. We give you the fixed price after the survey; we are liable for your belongings under § 451e HGB at €620 per cubic metre, and additional insurance is available. Places with their own pages can be found under Locations.
Packing service
Office move
Senior moves
Furniture transport
Well planned to Flanders
For your move to Ghent, the route, permit and assembly are listed as separate items in the fixed price. That way you can see what you are paying for, from the first consultation to the last box.
Date in writing
Carrying routes known
Space outside the door
Schedule from moving in
Interim storage in Berlin
Assembly on arrival day
Move affordably with a part load
With only a few pieces of furniture, a part load (Beiladung) to Ghent can be cheaper than a lorry of your own: your household goods travel with other consignments towards Belgium. You need some flexibility on the delivery day – ideal for one room at the start of term.
From
the permit to address registration
In this guide you will find the essentials about moving to Ghent: which sub-municipalities belong to the city, who the major employers are and which steps follow after moving in – the permit for the removal van, access to car-free areas and registration with the city. If you are moving from Germany, as an EU citizen you register within three months. For costs and planning for the whole of Belgium, read the article Moving to Belgium: costs and planning.
Planning safely and calmly
Furniture, boxes, carrying routes
Costs, timing and special cases
Frequently asked questions about moving to Ghent
Ghent's city centre and sub-municipalities
The historic city centre around the Graslei and Korenlei, the Belfry and St Bavo's Cathedral is densely built and largely car-free – lovely to live in, but demanding for a move. Around the core lie the sub-municipalities that were incorporated in 1977: Sint-Amandsberg and Gentbrugge in the east, Ledeberg and Zwijnaarde in the south, Mariakerke, Drongen and Sint-Denijs-Westrem in the west, and Wondelgem and Oostakker in the north.
The sub-municipalities are often quieter and easier to access than the old town; with stations such as Gent-Dampoort, Gentbrugge, Drongen and Wondelgem, several are directly connected to the rail network. For the move, the address matters: a narrow house in the old town often needs a furniture lift, while a terraced house in Sint-Amandsberg mainly needs a parking space. Our private move adapts to this.
University, port and employers in Ghent
We do not quote specific rents – they depend heavily on location and condition. With around 44,000 students, Ghent University is one of the largest in Belgium and shapes the city; the UZ Gent university hospital serves the whole region. A major industrial employer is Volvo Cars Gent with around 6,500 employees; the port is connected to the North Sea via the Ghent–Terneuzen Canal.
Ghent lies at the junction of the E40 and E17 motorways, and through traffic runs via the R40 and R4 ring roads. Gent-Sint-Pieters station is one of the busiest in the country, with trains to Brussels, Antwerp and Bruges. Since the 2017 traffic plan, the city centre has been divided into sectors – cyclists, buses and trams travel directly, cars via bypass roads. For the removal van this means: clarify the route and access to the destination address precisely in advance.
Moving costs – an overview for your planning
| Number of rooms | Price from |
|---|---|
| 1 room | €359 |
| 2 rooms | €584 |
| 3 rooms | €894 |
| 4 rooms | €1,329 |
| House/villa | individual quote |
For long-distance moves: from €4.25 per kilometre. Arrange your free survey now!
The moving price in detail
- Volume of your household
- Distance from €4.25/km
- Floor and lift on site
- Possible need for a parking restriction zone
- Optional: part load
From A to Z: our services
We cover every area of the moving process.
- Part load (Part load): efficient and affordable.
- House clearance (House clearance): we clear up for you.
- Business move (Business move): smooth for your business.
- Furniture transport (Furniture transport): safely to any location.
- Private move (Private move): for your new home.
- Move with assembly (Move with assembly): complete package including assembly.
Long-distance move from Berlin to Belgium
We plan moves from Berlin (Stromstraße 21), including to Belgium and back. Places with their own pages can be found in the locations overview, and more about long routes under Long-distance moves.
Parking restrictions and permit for the removal van in Ghent
Anyone in Ghent who wants to place a removal van or furniture lift on a parking lane, the carriageway or the pavement needs, according to Stad Gent, a permit for the use of public space (vergunning inname publieke ruimte). The application is made online via the innames.stad.gent portal with itsme or eID. Anyone unable to use a computer should first call the Innames Publieke Ruimte department on +32 9 266 79 90.
- Move on the parking lane: apply no later than 15 days before the start
- Vehicle partly on the carriageway, cycle path or pavement: apply no later than 26 days before the start
- No-parking signs: according to Stad Gent, put up at least 48 hours before the start; for uses from 1 January 2027 the city puts up the E1 and E3 signs itself
While the parking ban applies, you may load and unload with an approved application. Until 1 January 2027, use for a move or delivery is tax-free according to Stad Gent; after that it is taxed if it lasts more than one day. Because deadlines and tax rules can change, we check them again before your date. More about our offer can be found under Parking restriction zone and in the guide Long-distance move Berlin – Ghent.
During the survey we record where the van should stand, how far it is to the building entrance and which floor and lift apply in the building. This allows the application to be submitted with the correct details of location and duration, and the schedule for loading, the journey and unloading in Ghent to be set realistically.
Car-free areas and change of address after moving to Ghent
According to Stad Gent, Ghent has five car-free areas (autovrije gebieden), which lie within the low emission zone (LEZ). Anyone heading for a destination in one of these areas with a motor vehicle always needs a permit for this. The city's page on the moving permit for car-free areas is aimed at residents with a registered change of address and does not explicitly mention removal lorries. We therefore clarify access for our van in advance with the city's Mobiliteitsbedrijf (tel. +32 9 266 28 00).
If you are already registered in Belgium, according to Stad Gent you report your new address after moving in within 8 days, free of charge and online. The police then come unannounced for a residence check (woonstcontrole), and you must be present; several weeks may pass before this happens. According to the city, anyone who is not Belgian and is new to Ghent cannot report a change of address but must register for the first time and meet the residence requirements; as an EU citizen moving from Germany, you have three months from arrival to do so.
- Have your ID or residence document, new address and contact details ready
- Plan to be present on the day of the check
- Have your ID updated after registration
Everything else about everyday life can be found in our guide Living in Ghent and in the checklist for moving to Belgium.
Ideally, plan registration and the change of address before moving day, so that on moving-in day only the key handover and unloading remain. We coordinate our arrival with your key handover and discuss with you in advance who will open the front door and where the van may briefly stop.
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