Living in Antwerp: a practical guide for expats and international students

What does it cost to live in Antwerp?

Your biggest cost in Antwerp is rent, and Flemish law limits what a landlord can ask on top of it. Rents differ strongly between districts, so compare listings in the areas you like before you sign. The fixed costs below are set by law or by the public operators, and they are the same for everyone.

How do you register as a new resident in Antwerp?

You register by reporting your address to the city. Belgians report a new address within 8 working days of moving, online and free of charge. Any adult in the household can do this for the whole family. A neighbourhood police officer then visits at a random moment to check that you really live there; in Antwerp the officer has six weeks to do so. Once the address is approved, you book an appointment to update the chip of your eID or residence card. If you later move from Antwerp to another Belgian municipality, you register there and Antwerp removes you automatically.

EU citizens who stay longer than three months apply to the municipality for a registration certificate (Annex 19) before that three-month period ends. The Immigration Office can impose a fine of 200 euros if you apply too late. People who have never lived in Belgium before start with a residence application at the city. Bring the documents that prove the status under which you stay, for example that you are employed here.

• Address registration: within 8 working days of moving, online, free.
• EU citizens: registration certificate before the end of month three.
• Police residence check: at a random moment after your application.
• eID or residence card: update the address after approval, by appointment.
• Health insurance fund: join as soon as you live or work here.

How do you get around Antwerp?

You can cross Antwerp without a car. De Lijn runs the trams and buses. A single ride costs €3 and is valid for 60 minutes of transfers; you can pay contactless with a bank card or phone at the white terminal on board, for up to five travellers with the same card. Children under six travel free with a paying passenger aged 12 or older. If you also take local trains, the City Pass combines De Lijn with NMBS-SNCB trains between a number of Antwerp stations, for €73 a month or €599 a year from age 25.

Velo is the city's shared-bike system, with 4,200 bikes at 320 locations across Antwerp and its districts. Rides of up to 30 minutes are included in your pass; a ride of 30 to 60 minutes costs €0.50 extra.

What is working in Antwerp like?

Antwerp is home to Port of Antwerp-Bruges, which handled 266.5 million tonnes of maritime cargo in 2025, the year in which the United States became its largest trade partner. Around the port you find shipping, logistics and chemical companies, many of them international.

Belgian labour law sets the working week at 38 hours, or 38 hours on average over a reference period. In principle, workers are not employed on the 10 statutory public holidays: 1 January, Easter Monday, 1 May, Ascension, Whit Monday, 21 July, 15 August, 1 November, 11 November and 25 December. Statutory annual leave is up to 20 days in a five-day week, but it is calculated on the days you worked in the previous calendar year. In your first year in Belgium you may therefore have fewer paid holidays than colleagues.

• Working week: 38 hours, or 38 on average over a reference period.
• Public holidays: 10 per calendar year.
• Annual leave: up to 20 days in a five-day week, based on the previous year.

How do healthcare and schools work for newcomers?

Healthcare in Belgium runs through compulsory health insurance. All permanent residents, employees, self-employed people and registered jobseekers must register with a health insurance fund (ziekenfonds or mutualiteit). The fund reimburses part of the cost of doctors, dentists, physiotherapy and certain medicines. Besides the private funds there is a public one, CAAMI-HZIV, which also insures foreign students; students from the European Economic Area register there without paying a contribution if they show their European Health Insurance Card. Students from outside the EEA pay a contribution, set at €78.93 per quarter in 2026.

Where do you shop, eat and go out in Antwerp?

Weekly markets are the easiest way to shop like a local. The district of Antwerp alone has nine weekly markets. A mixed market fills Oudevaartplaats, next to Theaterplein, on Saturday from 8 am to 4 pm and on Sunday morning. On Sunday there is also a small antiques market at Sint-Jansvliet and an organic stand at Falconplein. On weekdays mixed markets take place at Sint-Jansplein, Dageraadplaats, Frederik van Eedenplein on Linkeroever and Desguinlei.

In summer the city festival Zomer van Antwerpen runs for more than two months, with international circus, location theatre and music on small squares. Many events are free, including the Muziek in de Wijk concerts, the open-air cinema and Zonsondergang.

Studying in Antwerp: how do you find a kot and move in?

Most students in Antwerp rent a kot, a furnished room in a shared house or student building. The University of Antwerp notes that more students have been looking for rooms in recent years, so start early. Begin your search on Kotweb, the platform run jointly by the city of Antwerp, the higher education institutions and STAN, Antwerp's student portal. The University of Antwerp advises choosing a room with a quality label and a model lease. The label is not compulsory, but it shows that the city has inspected the room for quality, fire safety and planning rules. The model lease gives you a contract that follows Flemish rental law.

How do you move to or within Antwerp?

Plan three things before moving day: the street, the building and the furniture. In the centre and the dense districts the van needs a reserved stretch of street. You apply for a temporary parking ban online at least 5 working days ahead; it costs at least €65, and the price includes placing and collecting the signs. An urgent request, 2 working days ahead, starts at €132. One parking space counts as 6 metres. Our guide to the parking ban for a move explains the full procedure.

With our English-speaking moving company in Antwerp, every package includes a moving van, two movers and a furniture lift that reaches the ninth floor: €400 for 2 hours, €470 for 3 hours or €600 for 4 hours, VAT included. Each extra half hour costs €70, and Sunday moves cost 20% more. The packages apply within 15 km of Antwerp, the hour starts when we arrive and you get a quote within 24 hours. We tell you how many metres of street to request, but you apply for the parking ban yourself. Take beds and wardrobes apart before we arrive, because we do not do that.

Coming from abroad, or leaving again, ask for a separate quote for international moves. If you live outside the city, check if your municipality is on our list of areas we serve.