Moving to Ostend: costs process, neighbourhoods

The historic centre of Ostend, with the Kapellestraat as its main shopping street, is surrounded by a 19th-century belt where, according to the Dutch-language Wikipedia, continuous rows of bel-étage houses stand. Towards the coast, a front of apartment buildings shapes the scene. South of the centre lies the Hazegras, between the Mercator docks, the harbour and the Maria Hendrikapark, with a grid-shaped street network and short distances to the station.

The city grew westwards in the second half of the 19th century, when the ramparts came down; this expansion includes the Sint-Jozefskerk on the Gentstraat, consecrated in 1901. The Westerkwartier around the Vlaams Plein forms a district of its own. East of the harbour channel lies the Vuurtorenwijk, popularly known as Opex. Road traffic can only reach it via the junction of the R31, N9 and N34 to the south; across the water, the Overzet ferry runs outside the low season.

West of the centre, the seaside resort of Mariakerke, once a municipality in its own right, has grown together with the city; the district is called Mariakerke/Nieuwe Koers. Further west lies Raversijde, with about 1,500 residents, between the sea wall and the Nieuwpoortsesteenweg, with the airport to its south. To the south-east, Stene, with Stene-Dorp, Hoge Barrière and Konterdam, belongs to the city. In Konterdam, just outside the ring road, the A10 motorway ends – for a lorry from Berlin, this is the way into Ostend.

Only Zandvoorde remains rural: a polder village a good three kilometres south-east of the centre which, like Stene, merged with Ostend in 1971. This is where the recycling centre stands that is the only one in the city to accept bulky waste. We do not quote specific rents; they depend heavily on location and condition – compare current listings yourself.

We do not quote fixed prices by number of rooms for Ostend, because over a distance of around 844 km each case is different. The following go into the costs:

• Volume: how many cubic metres of furniture and boxes travel
• Floor and lift: carrying time in Berlin and in Ostend
• Distance: around 844 km by road with two driving days
• Tolls: In Belgium, lorries over 3.5 t pay a kilometre charge (Viapass)
• Parking ban: City of Ostend fees for signs and parking spaces
• Additional services: packing service, furniture lift, assembly

We give you the fixed price after a free survey.

After the survey you receive the fixed price. At least 7 working days before the date, the online application goes to the City of Ostend, and two days beforehand the signs are up. On the first day we load in Berlin, on the second we unload in Ostend and assemble. If you wish, you can add furniture assembly; for just a few items, a part load is the more affordable choice.

Moving services for every requirement

From a part load to a complete company move – we are your reliable partner.

1. Part load Part load
2. Company move Company move
3. Private move Private move
4. House clearance House clearance
5. Furniture transport Furniture transport
6. Move with assembly Move with assembly

We are based in Berlin (Stromstraße 21) and have no branch in Belgium. The route takes the A2 into the Ruhr area, crosses into the Netherlands at Venlo, passes Eindhoven and Antwerp and continues via Ghent on the E40 and A10 to the coast. Destinations with their own page are shown in the locations overview, and we describe long routes under long-distance moves.

If the removal van or a furniture lift stands on the pavement, cycle path, a parking space or the carriageway, you need a permit for the use of public space (“inname openbaar domein”) in Ostend. According to oostende.be, you can only apply via the online form, at the latest 7 working days before moving day; the city does not count the day of submission. Payment is made online, and the permit only arrives after payment.

Signs are compulsory. For a fee, the city puts them up two days before the move – so for a move on Monday, on the Friday before; still check that they stay standing in the wind. If you put them up yourself, you need E3 no-parking signs on an orange post with a blue additional sign showing the date and time. If your application is late, write to [email protected] quoting your reference number – a date is then not guaranteed.

You can find more about the process under parking restriction zone; customs and formalities are covered in our article Moving to Belgium: customs and process.

If you move from Germany to Ostend, you register with the Burgerzaken (civil affairs) department at the town hall (Vindictivelaan 1). As an EU citizen you apply there for the registration certificate (bijlage 19) – according to the Belgian Immigration Office (DVZ), no later than three months after arrival. For changes of address, the city sets a deadline of 8 working days after the actual move – so it is best to register right after moving in, but only once you really live there. About two weeks later, the local police officer (wijkagent) checks whether you live at the address; your name belongs on the doorbell.

Bulky waste (“grof vuil”) is only accepted at the Zandvoorde recycling centre on the Hooggeleedstraat, at €0.15 per kg according to the city; access is granted to residents of Ostend with their identity card. Furniture must be fully dismantled at home beforehand. For your old flat in Berlin, our clearance service can help.

What everyday life in the city feels like is described in the article Living in Ostend; the journey, deadlines and your car are covered in Long-distance move to Ostend.