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Just Arrived in Brussels? Here’s Exactly What to Do, Day by Day
In Brussels, the newcomers who book their commune appointment in week one settle in fastest. This checklist gives you one task a day: registration, SIM card, bank account, health insurance, transport card and, on day seven, your new neighbourhood.
Day 1: Settle in, and put your name on the door
Unpack, meet your housemates, and find your House Manager. Then do the small thing that saves the most trouble: make sure your name appears on the letterbox or doorbell. When you register, a local police officer usually visits to confirm you really live at the address; a missing name can delay everything.
Neybor Housemate Tip: Ask your House Manager how labels work in your house. Every home has its own system, and someone always has the label maker.
Day 2: Book the commune
Register with your commune within eight working days of arrival. Book the appointment online or by phone; slots go fast. Bring your passport or ID, your lease and, depending on your status, your employment contract or proof of studies or funds. Domiciliation at your Neybor address is allowed and encouraged.
Neybor Housemate Tip: Ask which housemate registered most recently. Their notes on the queue, the documents and the right counter are worth more than any website.
Day 3: Phone and internet
Get a Belgian SIM card. Prepaid plans need only an ID; subscriptions may ask for a Belgian address and bank account later. Wi-Fi is already running at home, so this one takes an hour, not a week.
Day 4: The bank account
A Belgian IBAN makes life simpler: salary, rent, the occasional Payconiq at the market. Traditional banks usually ask for your ID, proof of address and sometimes proof of commune registration; online banks are often quicker in the first weeks.
Neybor Housemate Tip: Open the account before your first pay day, not on it.
Day 5: Health insurance
Choose a mutuelle and join it as soon as your registration allows. Our guide to Belgian healthcare explains how mutuelles, GPs and reimbursements work.
Day 6: Your transport card
Get a MOBIB card and choose between STIB and Brupass according to your commute. Our car-free guide compares the options and the 2026 fares.
Day 7: Your neighbourhood
Admin done for the week. Walk your commune with no destination: the market, the café you'll become a regular at, the fritkot you'll defend. Our Neyborhood Spotlights on Ixelles, Saint-Gilles, Schaerbeek and Saint-Josse are a good place to start.
Neybor Housemate Tip: Join the Neybor WhatsApp community on day one. The first event you attend is where Brussels stops being a city and starts being home.
Arrive with half the work done
With Neybor, the hardest part of week one is already handled: a furnished private room with a proper desk, utilities running, an address you can register at, and housemates who've done all of this before you.
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