United Kingdom
Australia
Canada
New Zealand
Germany
Singapore
France
Denmark
Customs guide — Belgium
Belgium Customs Guide — Dubai to Belgium
Everything you need to know about Belgium customs when shipping your home from Dubai — including transfer-of-residence relief, who qualifies and how the timing works. We manage all of it for you.
Thank you!
We'll WhatsApp you within one business day. Prefer to talk now? Call +971 800 FUSION (387466).
What is transfer-of-residence?
In Belgium it is the relief for personal property of people moving from outside the EU: the customs relief that lets you bring your used household goods in without paying import tax or duty. It has to be claimed correctly, with the right paperwork, and we handle the whole claim as standard on every move to Belgium.
Conditions for the relief
- Your normal residence has been outside the EU for a continuous period of at least 12 months.
- You have had and used the goods at your former home for at least 6 months, will use them the same way in Belgium, and keep them for 12 months.
- You import them within 12 months of establishing your residence in Belgium — or up to 6 months before, against a security deposit.
- For a year after the duty-free declaration, you do not lend, pledge, rent out or transfer them without telling customs first.
Sources: FPS Finance — Moving from a non-EU country to Belgium; EU Regulation 1186/2009 on customs relief, checked May 2026. Rules change — we confirm them for your move.
Timing matters most
The head of the customs office where the goods are imported authorises the relief, and the formalities are completed at that office during its opening hours. We track the shipment so the paperwork is ready when your goods reach customs.
Not covered by the relief
- Alcoholic products
- Tobacco and tobacco products
- Commercial means of transport
- Tools of a trade or profession, other than portable instruments
- Cars — checked separately at survey
Unsure whether you qualify? Talk to a customs specialist before you ship — call +971 800 FUSION (387466) or message us on WhatsApp.
Importing Household Goods to Belgium — BTW/TVA-Free Under the EU Exemption
Belgium is an EU member state. All household goods entering from the UAE must clear Belgian Customs (ADDA/AGD&A) at Antwerp. The Verhuisgoederen / biens de déménagement exemption eliminates Belgian BTW/TVA (21%) and customs duty on qualifying used household effects under EU Regulation 1186/2009. Belgium’s bilingual official languages mean documentation must be prepared in Dutch for Flemish destinations, French for Wallonia and Brussels — Fusion handles this as standard.
Verhuisgoederen / Biens de Déménagement — The Belgian Removal Goods Exemption
Belgium administers the EU removal goods exemption through ADDA (Algemene Directie Douane en Accijnzen) in Dutch, or AGD&A (Administration générale des Douanes et Accises) in French. The exemption applies equally across all three Belgian regions (Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels Capital Region) but the declaration form and correspondence language should match the destination.
Qualifying and paperwork
Eligibility Requirements
- You must be transferring your normal place of residence from outside the EU to Belgium
- You must have lived outside the EU continuously for at least 12 months immediately before the move
- Goods must have been owned and used by you personally for at least 6 months before the move
- Goods must not be sold, lent, pledged, or hired out for 12 months after importation
- The declaration must be submitted to ADDA/AGD&A before or at the time of importation
Required Documentation
- Verhuisgoederen / biens de déménagement declaration — completed and signed in the correct language
- Complete itemised inventory in Dutch or French (inventarislijst / liste d’inventaire
- Proof of former residence outside the EU for 12+ months — UAE residence visa, employer letter, utility bills
- Proof of new Belgian address — huurcontract / bail (rental contract) or purchase deed
- Passport copy and UAE residency documentation
- Bill of Lading
Fusion prepares the customs declaration and the bilingual inventory as standard. For Dutch-speaking Flemish destinations (Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges), documentation is prepared in Dutch. For French-speaking Wallonia (Liège, Namur, Charleroi) and Brussels, documentation is prepared in French. For German-speaking Eastern Belgium, German is used. You do not need a separate translation service.
Registration de Commune / Aangifte bij de Gemeente
Belgian law requires all new residents to register with their local commune (gemeente in Dutch, commune in French) within 8 working days of establishing residence. The commune issues a registration certificate after a home visit by the local police — the police verify that you actually live at the registered address. This registration provides your Belgian National Register Number (Rijksregisternummer / numéro de registre national), which is required for healthcare, banking, and tax registration. Fusion briefs every client on the commune registration process before they leave Dubai.
EU Institutions & NATO Personnel — Special Provisions
Staff of EU institutions (European Commission, European Parliament, Council of the EU) and NATO posted to Belgium benefit from specific customs and tax privileges under their respective headquarters agreements. EU institution staff may be exempt from Belgian income tax on their EU salary, and special provisions apply to their household goods imports. NATO personnel posted to SHAPE (Mons) or NATO HQ (Brussels) have separate status-of-forces agreement provisions. Fusion advises on the specific documentation applicable to institutional staff at survey stage.
- EU institutional staff have specific customs privileges under the Protocol on Privileges and Immunities
- NATO personnel have separate SOFA provisions
- Both categories have different documentation requirements from standard civilian imports
Fusion advises on institutional staff provisions at survey stage — we have direct experience with EU Quarter and NATO HQ deliveries.
Vehicles and pets
Vehicles to Belgium
Fusion ships cars and motorcycles from Dubai to Belgium by RoRo where the route offers it, or in a container, on their own or with your household goods, and handles the UAE side — export clearance, RTA deregistration and the export certificate. Import duty, tax and registration in Belgium depend on the vehicle and your circumstances, so we check the current rules for your car at survey, before you commit to shipping it. See our Automobile Relocation page.
Pets to Belgium
Belgium is an EU member state. Dogs and cats entering from the UAE must comply with EU pet import regulations: ISO-standard microchip, valid anti-rabies vaccination, and an EU-format health certificate issued by an officially authorised UAE veterinarian within 10 days of travel. No quarantine is required for pets meeting EU requirements. See our Pet Relocation page
Prohibited & Restricted Items
- Controlled drugs and narcotics
- Certain firearms — Belgian wapenwet / loi sur les armes permit required
- CITES-regulated items (ivory, certain skins)
- Counterfeit goods
- Certain food products from outside the EU
- Live plants and soil without phytosanitary certificate
- Hate material and prohibited publications
Full guidance: Belgian Customs — Moving Goods
Let's plan your move
Tell us a little about your relocation and a specialist will come back within one business day — by WhatsApp, phone or email, whichever suits you.
Thank you — request received
A move specialist will WhatsApp you within one business day. Prefer to talk now? Call +971 800 FUSION (387466).
Ready to move? Let's plan it together.
A free survey, a clear written quote within one business day, and one team from your door in Dubai to your door anywhere in the world.