Moving to Belgium from the US is a huge and exciting step. While you’re dreaming of Belgian waffles and exploring Europe from your new home base, there’s a lot to plan. From getting the right visa to sorting your finances, this guide covers the essentials to make your move as smooth as possible.

Which visa do you need

US citizens can enter Belgium and the wider Schengen Area visa-free for up to 90 days. For longer stays, you need a long-stay D visa from your nearest Belgian consulate before you travel.

Long-stay visa for financially independent persons: The main route for retirees and Americans living on passive income, savings, or investments who don't intend to work in Belgium. Belgium doesn't publish a single official income threshold, but consulates typically expect to see around €1,200 to €1,500 per month in stable passive income. Private health insurance is required. The visa is valid for one year and renewable after commune registration.

Single Permit (Gecombineerde Vergunning/Permis Unique): For Americans with a job offer from a Belgian employer. The Single Permit combines work authorization and residence in one document. Your employer initiates the application through the relevant regional employment agency: VLAIO in Flanders, Forem in Wallonia, or Actiris in Brussels. Processing takes two to four months.

Professional Card (Beroepskaart/Carte Professionnelle): For Americans who want to work as self-employed in Belgium. You apply for the professional card through the regional agency before applying for your long-stay visa. Applications in Flanders go through VLAIO, in Wallonia through SPW Économie, and in Brussels through hub.brussels.

Student Visa: Full-time enrollment at a Belgian university or accredited institution qualifies you, with limited part-time work permitted alongside studies.

Belgium does not currently offer a dedicated digital nomad visa. Americans working remotely for non-Belgian employers typically apply under the financially independent persons route.

The national register number: get this sorted early

Within eight working days of arriving and establishing your main residence, you must register at your local commune. Registration triggers your Belgian electronic identity card (eID), which carries your Numéro National/Rijksregisternummer, an 11-digit number you need for almost everything: opening a local bank account, registering for healthcare, signing a lease, and dealing with any Belgian administration.

There's no way to get your national register number before you arrive. One thing that helps in the meantime: bunq doesn't require a Belgian national register number to open an account. You can have a working Belgian IBAN before you land, useful for receiving transfers from the US and covering early expenses while you work through the commune queue.

What things cost

Day-to-day spending is broadly comparable to a mid-cost US city. A full restaurant meal runs €15 to €22, groceries are roughly 20 to 30% cheaper than US equivalents, a monthly Brussels transit pass costs around €52, and utilities for a standard apartment run €150 to €250 per month.

A single person can live comfortably in Ghent or Antwerp on €2,000 to €2,600 per month. A couple in central Brussels should budget €4,000 to €5,500.

Healthcare

All residents must register with a recognized mutual health insurance fund (mutualité/ziekenfonds) within three months of commune registration. The main funds include CM/Christelijke Mutualiteit, Mutualité Socialiste, and Mutualité Libérale. The system isn't free at point of use, but it heavily subsidizes most treatments through co-payments. Supplemental hospitalization insurance is widely held and recommended.

Most long-stay visa applications require proof of private health insurance before you can register as a resident. Your US insurance won't cover routine care in Belgium.

Taxes

US citizens are taxed on worldwide income regardless of where they live. Moving to Belgium doesn't change your obligation to file a US return each year. If your foreign accounts exceed $10,000 combined at any point, you'll need to file an FBAR (FinCEN Form 114). Depending on your asset levels, FATCA Form 8938 may apply too.

The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion and Foreign Tax Credit both apply, and the US-Belgium tax treaty prevents double taxation in most cases.

On the Belgian side, spending more than 183 days there makes you a Belgian tax resident taxed on worldwide income. Belgium's rates are among the highest in Europe: 25% up to €15,200, rising to 50% above €46,440, with municipal surcharges of 6 to 9% on top. A comptable or belastingconsulent who handles US expat filings is worth engaging before your first full year.

Belgium also has an expat special tax regime for qualifying employees recruited from abroad, updated in 2022, that allows certain allowances to be paid tax-free for up to five years. Eligibility is specific and requires specialist assessment.

Banking

Traditional Belgian banks, including ING Belgium, KBC, BNP Paribas Fortis, and Belfius, are among the more FATCA-cautious in Europe. Many are reluctant to open accounts for US citizens, and those that do require a national register number and Belgian address, neither of which you'll have on arrival.

bunq bridges that gap. No national register number required at sign-up, no branch visit, and you get a Belgian IBAN in 5 minutes, ready for receiving transfers, paying rent, and everyday spending across the Eurozone. It's a fully regulated European bank trusted by 20 million users, with deposits protected up to €100,000 under the Dutch Deposit Guarantee Scheme.

Open your Bank Account in 5 minutes.

Finding a place to live

Immoweb.be is the main Belgian property portal. Immovlan.be is also widely used, and expat Facebook groups for Brussels regularly surface furnished short-term lets not listed elsewhere.

Landlords typically ask for the first month's rent plus two to three months as a deposit, proof of income, and increasingly a national register number. Taking a short-term furnished rental for the first one to two months buys you time to complete commune registration and find a longer-term place with more information than you'll have on arrival.

Getting started

Moving to Belgium from the US is a big step, but your banking doesn't need to be. With bunq, you can open your account from your phone before you even land, get a Belgian IBAN without a national register number, manage your money in English, and use ZeroFX to avoid markups every time you spend outside the Eurozone.

Whether you're moving to Brussels for an EU role, relocating for work, or building a new life in Ghent or Antwerp, bunq takes one major thing off your plate from day one.

Ready to settle in? Open bunq and start banking smarter from day one.

This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal, tax, or financial advice. Requirements and thresholds change. Consult a qualified adviser for your specific situation.