Social assistance in Belgium
For people who cannot cover rent, food or other essentials: what the local social welfare centre can arrange and how to ask for an appointment.
A national service, not your town hall, handles the plate
Vehicles are registered by the DIV, the national vehicle registration service, not by your municipality. You need Belgian liability insurance first, and your insurer normally sends the registration online. If that fails, you book a visit at a DIV counter. A car brought in from abroad needs more steps, such as a technical inspection. If you do not live in Belgium, ask which kind of registration you can get.
How it works
Register a car you bought or imported, or transfer it to a new owner.
When you buy, import or sell a vehicle, its registration has to be updated. A first registration or an import usually requires proof of ownership, a valid technical inspection, insurance, your ID and proof of address; imports may also need customs or tax clearance and new plates. When you buy a used car within the country, the seller and buyer often complete the transfer together, sometimes online, at a post office or at a registration counter. Expect fees for plates and registration documents.
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At a glance
In many cases your insurer comes first
Registration counters work by appointment, and one booking usually covers one vehicle. Imported cars come with extra paperwork, such as a customs form and a technical inspection.
Related services
For people who cannot cover rent, food or other essentials: what the local social welfare centre can arrange and how to ask for an appointment.
A paper or digital certificate showing where you are registered, with versions for address history or household. Find the municipal office that issues it.
Reset an eID PIN, replace activation codes or set up a digital key for online services. Useful for residents, residence card holders and some non-residents.
The eID for teenagers and adults and the Kids-ID for children. See how applying works and find the municipal office that handles your card.
For anyone who has moved house in Belgium. See who reports, what happens after the address check and which office handles it in your new town.
Learn whether you need an extract or a full copy, who can request it and how to reach the civil registry office in your municipality.
Other countries
Moving on, or comparing before you decide? See how this works elsewhere.
Most offices in Warsaw, Kraków, and Rzeszów
Most offices in Hamburg, Magdeburg, and Saarbrücken
Most offices in A Coruña, Alicante, and Almería
Most offices in Reykjavík, Hafnarfjörður, and Akureyri
Most offices in Zwolle, 's-Hertogenbosch, and Alkmaar
Where to next
Compare DIV counters by city, with notes on booking and on what each one asks you to bring.
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