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Buying a Car in Brussels

Buying a car in Brussels is relatively simple as there are many new and used car dealers in and around the city. Getting the best deal can sometimes mean visiting the many dealerships and negotiating a price that is acceptable to you. Prices of cars in Belgium are generally comparable to other western European countries and the advantage of buying a car in Belgium if you live here is that financing is simpler to obtain. Used cars in particular can be bought at bargain prices as a result of the transient nature of the city as a result of the limited tenures of employees many of the organisations based in the city.

Generally, it can take a few days from the time of purchase of a new car to the actual delivery of the vehicle as there are details that need to be finalised before the vehicle is allowed on the road. Delivery time can be reduced if you are prepared to do the footwork and go to the Dienst voor Inschrijving van de Voertuigen – DIV –http://www.mobilit.fgov.be/ yourself, though this may result in waiting in a line for a while. Insurance brokers can handle the registration process for you quickly as well, as they can access the online system and have all the documents ready and delivered to you within 48 hours. When buying a car privately, you will have to get the car registered yourself or through your insurance broker (see the “Car insurance” section).

If you visit the DIV to register the car yourself, you will need to present the following documents:

  • Proof of purchase.
  • Proof of insurance; registration of a car will not be completed until proof of 3rd party insurance is presented.
  • A residence card/permit.
  • A birth certificate.

For people staying in Belgium temporarily, proof of their residence in another country and a valid identification document are required and temporary plates with your current address in Belgium will be issued.

Below is a list of websites you can use to locate new car dealerships of the most popular car brands around the city. Most dealers will have people who speak English:

New Car Dealerships

Second-hand Car Dealers

  • Websites for Privately Sold Cars

Top Tips

01 Learn French or Dutch, especially if you are coming long-term. If you have children this is even more important and will assist them to integrate.
02 Learn the Belgian rules of the road as they are a little different to other places and can be complicated.
03 Join expat groups by all means but remember that Belgians do exist too, and many expats make the mistake of never getting to know them properly.
04 Make the most of summer. Winters are wet, cold and gloomy and involve largely indoor activities.
05 Bring as many personal documents as possible (birth, driving, examination certificates), they will help in many different bureaucratic situations.

Useful links

Interesting fact

On an average day, the air pollution levels in Beijing are nearly five times above World Health Organization standards for safety.
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