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✎ EN Rent Belgian correspondence address?

Discussion in 'Belgium' started by Travelone, May 28, 2013.

  1. Travelone

    Travelone New Member

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    Hello

    I wonder if this is possible: can I rent a Belgian address (without accommodation) that will be acceptable for the purposes of obtaining a residence permit, registering a vehicle, driving license, signing up for medical care, taxation etc?

    I am British and happy to be an EU citizen. I have no intention to avoid tax or anything like that. But I have a motorhome and eventually I hope to live in it for half of the year, travelling around the continent, and spend the other six months in Asia. In such circumstances it wouldn't be economic to rent or buy accommodation in Europe. Belgium appeals to me because it's centrally situated, has good airline connections (or easy to go to Amsterdam), I speak some French, and there is probably less red tape than France I guess. It would be easier to register my motorhome in Belgium rather than in France, I'm pretty sure.

    I have found some services in the UK and USA that give you a virtual street address and will scan and forward letter post by email, but I haven't found one in Belgium. In the UK the address given is a PO Box and that is not acceptable for vehicle registration. I wonder what the situation is in Belgium?
     
  2. Cyrilexpat

    Cyrilexpat Administrator
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    What you want to do is illegal (even if you don't intend to do any tax evasion) to rent an address without accommodation in order to get some benefits (either renting an address to get your children accepted to a certain school, or for tax purposes or whatever).
    It might be possible to use such service in order to redirect your mail, but in no case will it be valid for tax and medical care.

    If you want to move there with you mobile home, then once there with an address you can apply for papers and keep it even when you are away in Asia or somewhere else.
     
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  3. Travelone

    Travelone New Member

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    Thanks for your answer, Cyrilexpat. I certainly want to stay on the right side of the law. I'm not seeking any benefits or handouts - I simply wish to retain a motorhome in Europe, a driving license and an officially-recognised address. I expect to pay for private healthcare. I can, however, see how a situation like I proposed could be abused.

    Maybe the solution is to buy a very very cheap house (almost a ruin) to which mail can be delivered. There are still some very cheap old houses in isolated parts of France, but I don't know about Belgium. What is the cheapest area?
     
  4. Cyrilexpat

    Cyrilexpat Administrator
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    Although Belgium is not as big as France there are still many country-side areas. Why can't you buy a spot for mobile home?
     
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  5. Travelone

    Travelone New Member

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    "A spot for mobile home" - do you mean a parking space on a caravan park, or something else?

    In the UK we have mobile home parks, but the homes are not actually mobile - they are like very large caravans without wheels. And they are quite expensive here, with rent on top of the purchase cost.
     
  6. Cyrilexpat

    Cyrilexpat Administrator
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    Yes I was thinking of the way it works in the UK. You probably need to get more information on the way residence with mobile homes work in Belgium.
     
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  7. Travelone

    Travelone New Member

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    I will do :) Thanks, Cyril.
     
  8. Cyrilexpat

    Cyrilexpat Administrator
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    Keep in touch and please tell us about your finding :)
     
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