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Settling in

Settling in Brussels

No visa for a French family in Brussels, but a real list of Belgian formalities: the commune and its police check, the national register number, the mutualité, the nine-year lease and its rental deposit. Here is the order that works, checked against official Belgian and consular sources.

Verified on 31 October 2026

Arrival and first steps

As EU citizens, you enter Belgium freely. Everything then happens at the commune where you live, then at the consulate, where registration is optional but very useful.

Good to know

  • For a stay of more than 3 months, each family member applies for a registration certificate (annex 19) at the commune where they live, at the latest by the end of the 3 months following arrival. Source
  • Since 1 September 2025, the application must come with a complete file at the appointment: an incomplete file is not considered. Prepare ID, photos, lease or occupancy deed and proof of your situation (employment contract, resources). Source
  • The procedure is by appointment: application at the commune, residence check by the police at your address, entry in the foreigners' register, then a new appointment to order the EU residence card. Children under 21 come with their birth certificate and, if minors, parental consent. Source
  • Each of the Region's 19 communes has its own foreigners' department (Uccle, Ixelles, Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, Etterbeek...): the one for your address is competent, with its own appointment slots. Source
  • Registering with the register of French nationals abroad is optional but strongly recommended, free and valid 5 years. It is done online on service-public.fr with your French ID card or passport, proof of residence in Belgium and a recent photo; you can link your partner and children to it. Source
  • Week 1, in order: appointment at the commune with a complete file, the police visit, then, as soon as you have your national register number, mutualité membership for the whole family, a Belgian bank account and the itsme app, finally the online consular register. Source

Addresses

  • Consulat général de France à Bruxelles

    Consulate

    Boulevard du Régent 42, 1000 Bruxelles

    Metro Art-Loi or Madou, tram Parc. Open Monday to Friday, 8:45 to 12:45 and 14:00 to 16:30 (Thursday until 17:00), most procedures by appointment; ID document collection without appointment on Mondays and Wednesdays. Driving there is not recommended.

    Website Source

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Housing: neighbourhoods and renting

Brussels is split into 19 communes, each with its own character. French families choose first according to school, and the Lycée Jean-Monnet, in Uccle, draws many of them to the south of the city.

Good to know

  • The rental market has been under heavy pressure for a few years and rents have risen markedly: have your documents ready before viewing. Immoweb and Immovlan remain the reference sites, Facebook groups being used mostly for flat shares and sublets. Source
  • Check that the property allows you to register your address: without it, no registration with the commune, hence no national register number and no residence card. Source
  • A main-residence lease runs for nine years in principle. The tenant may leave at any time with three months' notice, but owes three, two or one month's rent in compensation when leaving during the first, second or third year: negotiate a diplomatic clause if your posting is short. Source
  • For leases signed since 1 November 2024, the rental deposit may not exceed two months' rent; paid in cash, it goes into an individual account in the tenant's name, never handed over directly to the landlord. Source
  • A check-in inventory is mandatory, drawn up by both parties (or by an expert whose fees are shared), before moving in or during the first month. The landlord must register the lease, free of charge, within two months of signing. Source
  • Rents are very often index-linked and rise every year in line with an index: factor it into your budget from the second year. Source

Addresses

  • Uccle

    Neighbourhood

    The most upmarket commune, home to many diplomats and EU officials. It has the Lycée français Jean-Monnet, the Maison de l'Accueil français and many houses with gardens.

    Source

  • Ixelles (Châtelain, Flagey, Bailly)

    Neighbourhood

    Highly sought after and lively, with its ponds, restaurants and markets. Mostly flats, a few minutes from Uccle and Avenue Louise.

    Source

  • Saint-Gilles

    Neighbourhood

    Young and lively atmosphere around the Parvis, Barrière and Ma Campagne. Townhouses split into flats, close to Midi station for Paris.

    Source

  • Woluwe-Saint-Pierre et Woluwe-Saint-Lambert

    Neighbourhood

    Quiet, green and very popular with families, around Woluwe park and the European and international schools in the east of the city.

    Source

  • Etterbeek et le quartier européen

    Neighbourhood

    Quieter but central, a stone's throw from the EU institutions and Cinquantenaire park. Handy when a parent works for the EU.

    Source

  • Auderghem

    Neighbourhood

    Residential, on the edge of the Sonian Forest and fairly close to the EU institutions: many expats live there.

    Source

  • Waterloo et Rhode-Saint-Genèse

    Neighbourhood

    Outside the Brussels Region, to the south: houses and gardens, international schools and the European School of Argenteuil in Waterloo. Bruxelles Accueil holds its coffees there too.

    Source

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Phone and insurance

Your French plan works when you arrive, but you will soon be asked for a Belgian number. As for insurance, only one is compulsory for tenants, others are strongly advised.

Good to know

  • Your French plan works in Belgium, but roaming is not meant for permanent use: once you live here, the operator may charge fees. Get a Belgian number, which the commune, school and doctors often ask for. Source
  • For leases signed since 1 November 2024, the tenant must take out fire and water damage insurance. Source
  • The mutualité does not cover everything: additional hospital insurance is advised, as is family liability insurance for damage caused by the children. Car insurance is compulsory, and domestic staff must be insured. Source

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Banking and money

Belgium pays for almost everything with the Bancontact card and by transfer: a Belgian account makes rent, bills and salary simpler, and your French account tides you over meanwhile, the euro being shared.

Good to know

  • To open an account you must be 18, with ID and proof of address in Belgium (lease, bill, document from the commune). Some large banks let you open it online before arriving, to be completed once the residence card is issued. Source
  • Install itsme as soon as you receive your residence card: the digital identity app is used for taxes, the commune, the mutualité and opening accounts remotely. Source
  • Day to day, people pay with the Bancontact debit card, in shops or by QR code. The Bancontact Pay app, which replaced Payconiq, scans shops' QR codes and pays a contact from your phone book without their bank details. Source
  • Wero, the European person-to-person payment solution, is built into the apps of most Belgian banks: you send money with a mobile number, including to a French account whose bank offers Wero. Source
  • A euro transfer between France and Belgium costs the same as a domestic one, and since October 2025 euro-area banks must offer instant transfers at no higher price than a standard one. Source
  • Keep your French account, useful for taxes, insurance and holidays back home, but tell your bank you are moving to Belgium: some adapt or close non-residents' accounts. If a bank refuses to open one, French citizens living abroad can apply for the right to an account through the Banque de France. Source

Addresses

Go further

Setting up your home

Brussels has two IKEA stores on the edge of the city, in Anderlecht and Zaventem. Belgian supermarkets and the French chain Carrefour cover the basics, and second-hand goes largely through 2ememain and charities.

Addresses

  • IKEA Anderlecht

    Furniture and home

    Chaussée de Mons 1432, 1070 Anderlecht

    Store in south-west Brussels.

    Website Source

  • IKEA Zaventem

    Furniture and home

    Weiveldlaan 19, 1930 Zaventem

    Store east of Brussels, near the airport.

    Website Source

  • Delhaize

    Supermarket

    Belgian supermarket chain, many neighbourhood stores and online ordering.

    Website Source

  • Colruyt

    Supermarket

    Belgian supermarket chain, with click and collect.

    Website Source

  • Carrefour Belgique

    Supermarket

    French chain: hypermarkets, supermarkets and convenience stores, with Carrefour own-brand products.

    Website Source

  • Westland Shopping

    Shopping mall

    Boulevard Sylvain Dupuis 433, 1070 Anderlecht

    Shopping centre in west Brussels.

    Website Source

  • Woluwe Shopping

    Shopping mall

    Boulevard de la Woluwe 70, 1200 Woluwe-Saint-Lambert

    Shopping centre in east Brussels.

    Website Source

  • Docks Bruxsel

    Shopping mall

    Boulevard Lambermont 1, 1000 Bruxelles

    Shopping centre in the north of the city, along the canal.

    Website Source

  • Krëfel

    Appliances

    Belgian appliance and electronics chain, stores and delivery.

    Website Source

  • MediaMarkt

    Appliances

    Appliances and electronics, stores across Belgium.

    Website Source

  • 2ememain

    Second-hand

    Belgium's main classifieds site: furniture, pushchairs, bikes.

    Website Source

  • Les Petits Riens

    Second-hand

    Brussels charity and its second-hand shops: clothing, baby gear, toys, appliances, bikes.

    Website Source

Getting around with children

Brussels is a compact city, well served by STIB metro, trams and buses, and very good value for children. A car is possible, but traffic jams and parking often make it less convenient.

Good to know

  • Children under 6 travel free and without a ticket on the STIB network, but never alone: they must be accompanied by someone aged at least 12. Source
  • From 6 to 11, the STIB 'under 12' pass is free, loaded on a personal MOBIB card; from 12 to 24, the annual school pass costs a token amount, and it becomes free from the third one bought in the same family. Source
  • Pushchairs are allowed on board; when it is very crowded, the STIB asks you to fold a foldable pushchair of your own accord. Source
  • Your French licence remains valid in Belgium. The old pink paper licence, with no expiry date, must be exchanged at your commune within 2 years of registering; the card-format licence is exchanged when it expires. Source
  • The Region has six metro lines, a dense tram and bus network, shared bikes and cars, and many trips are done on foot: many families live without a car or with just one. Source

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Admin: national register, taxes and consulate

Your national register number is the key to Belgian life: mutualité, bank, taxes, school. The consulate remains your French town hall for civil status and ID papers.

Good to know

  • Registering with the commune gives you a national register number; the residence card follows, usually after a few weeks, with a PIN code to keep safe for online procedures. Source
  • Once registered with the commune, you are presumed to be tax resident in Belgium and must declare all your income there, Belgian and foreign, unless a special regime applies (staff of some international organisations). For employees, tax is withheld at source. Source
  • The annual tax return is filed online on MyMinFin, the Federal Public Service Finance portal, which often offers a pre-filled simplified return. Source
  • Family allowances are regional: in Brussels you choose between the public fund Famiris and four private funds (Infino, Parentia, Brussels Family, Kidslife), which all pay the same amounts on the same date. Source
  • The consulate issues French ID cards and passports, manages the electoral roll, census of 16-year-olds and the transcription into French civil records of births and marriages in Belgium. Most procedures are by appointment. Source
  • What the consulate does not do: it does not issue your residence permit (the commune does) and the French State does not cover your medical costs abroad. Source

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Budget: what costs more or less

Housing is the item that has risen most in recent years. On the other hand, children's transport, Belgian school and subsidised day care cut the bill considerably.

Good to know

  • Housing: rising. Rents have gone up markedly in recent years in every commune; when moving in, plan for the rental deposit (at most two months' rent) on top of the first month. Source
  • Transport: almost free for children. Nothing to pay under 6, a free STIB pass up to 11, then a token-price school pass. Source
  • Day care: income-based or free-priced. In day care centres accredited and subsidised by the ONE, including all municipal ones, the rate depends on parents' income; in centres that are only authorised, it is set freely. Source
  • School: Belgian school costs little, international schools and the Lycée Jean-Monnet charge fees. Compare with our School fees page before choosing. Source
  • Health: the mutualité contribution is modest, and a global medical file with your GP further reduces the share you pay at each consultation. Source
  • Housework: service vouchers, subsidised by the Region, make household help (cleaning, ironing, errands) much cheaper than direct hiring; they do not cover childcare. Source

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A place has closed, something has changed? Tell us: the mums of Brussels will thank you.

Sources for this page

The public pages these landmarks come from. The official website always prevails.

  1. 1 Consulat général de France à Bruxelles, inscription au registre
  2. 2 Office des étrangers, séjour des citoyens de l'Union
  3. 3 Ville de Bruxelles, inscription d'un citoyen de l'Union
  4. 4 Région de Bruxelles-Capitale, les baux d'habitation à Bruxelles
  5. 5 STIB, arrêté tarifaire et règles de transport
  6. 6 Commissariat Bruxelles Europe, I am an expat
  7. 7 lepetitjournal.com Belgique, démarches à l'arrivée
  8. 8 Bancontact, application Bancontact Pay

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