---
title: "Living in Namur as a digital nomad: cost, safety, visa, internet"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/namur
description: "Wallonia's capital under a citadel where two rivers meet"
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Namur, Belgium

Namur scores 67.3/100 for digital nomads under balanced weights, ranking 204 of 1501 cities. Expect about $2,650 per month (country-level estimate), no dedicated nomad visa, and a measured median download speed of 62.8 Mbps.

Namur is the capital of Wallonia, a compact, pleasant city where the Sambre joins the Meuse below a large citadel, reached by cable car. It is a good base for kayaking, climbing and hiking in the Ardennes valleys to the south, and Brussels is about 1 h by train. It is quiet, administrative and mostly French-speaking, with little in the way of coworking or an international community.

Known for: Citadel above the Meuse and Sambre, Gateway to the Ardennes, Cable car, University of Namur.

## Scores (balanced weights, 0–100)

| Factor | Score |
| --- | --- |
| Overall | 67.3 |
| Cost of living | 27 |
| Safety | 73 |
| Healthcare | 89 |
| Internet | 76 |
| Visa ease | 61 |
| Getting there & around | 61 |
| Climate | 25 |
| Air quality | 99 |
| Quality of life | 96 |

## The numbers behind the scores

| Metric | Value | Level | As of | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,650 | country | 2026-09 | [^2] |
| Central 1-bedroom rent | — | city | 2026-09 | [^3] |
| Outskirts 1-bedroom rent (basis of the monthly total) | — | city | 2026-09 | [^3] |
| Homicide rate (per 100k) | 1.08 | country | 2021 | [^4] |
| Political stability (0–100) | 68.6 | country | 2025 | [^5] |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 86 | country | 2023 | [^6] |
| Life expectancy (years) | 82.2 | country | 2023 | [^7] |
| Median download (Mbps) | 62.8 | city | 2024 | [^8] |
| Median upload (Mbps) | 12.1 | city | 2024 | [^8] |
| Starlink residential service | Available | country | 2026-10 | [^9] |
| Nomad visa | none listed | country | 2026-07 | [^10] |
| Entry for US / EU / UK passports | 90 days / unlimited / 90 days | country | 2026-02 | [^11] |
| Non-stop destinations (CRL/BRU) | 248 | city | 2026-11 | [^12] |
| Restaurants within 3 km of the centre (OpenStreetMap) | 183 | city | 2026-11 | [^16] |
| Walkability / transit (1–5) | 4 / 3 | editorial | 2026-09 | [^13] |
| Comfortable months | 3 of 12 | city | 2001–2020 | [^14] |
| Annual mean PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 5.6 | city | 2024 | [^15] |
| Human Development Index | 0.951 | country | 2023 | [^17] |
| English proficiency band | very-high | country | 2024 | [^18] |

## Tax on income from abroad

**Residents pay 25%–50% plus a municipal surcharge on worldwide income; 30% on dividends and interest, 10% on share gains.** Belgium taxes residents on worldwide income. Salary or freelance fees from abroad pay 25% to 50% plus a municipal surcharge on the tax (4.9% in Brussels City, so 52.45% at the top). Dividends and interest pay 30%, and since 2026 gains on shares, funds and crypto pay 10% above €10,000 a year. Securities accounts over €1 million pay 0.30% a year. The expat regime (35% tax-free allowance) needs a Belgian employer.

| Question | Answer |
| --- | --- |
| How residents are taxed | worldwide income |
| Remote work for foreign clients or employers | taxed (25% up to €16,720, 40% to €29,510, 45% to €51,070, 50% above (2026 income), plus a municipal surcharge of 0%–9% of the tax (4.9% in Brussels City)) |
| Investments and pensions from abroad | taxed (30% on most dividends and interest; 10% on gains on financial assets above €10,000 a year; pensions at progressive rates) |
| Wealth | no wealth tax; Securities accounts tax: 0.30% a year of an account's average value when it exceeds €1 million (0.15% before June 2026); inheritance tax applies |
| Tax resident after | home or ties test |
| Top income tax rate | 52.45% |

Residency: There is no day-count test. You are a resident if your domicile, the place where you actually and permanently live (judged on the facts), is in Belgium, or, if you have no domicile, if your seat of wealth (where you manage your assets) is there. Registration in the national register creates a legal presumption of residence that you can rebut with evidence. Married and legally cohabiting couples are resident where the household is established. A tourist or short nomad stay in a rental while keeping your home abroad normally does not make you resident; renting a home, registering with the municipality and settling in does.

Remote work: Belgian residents must declare all worldwide income, including pay received from abroad. Under tax treaties, salary for work physically done in Belgium is normally taxable in Belgium even when the employer is abroad, and foreign income that a treaty leaves to the other country still counts when setting the rate on your other income. The first €11,180 of income is tax-free (2026 income). Employees covered by Belgian social security pay 13.07% of gross pay with no ceiling. Freelancers must join a social insurance fund (and a health insurance fund) before starting and register in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises, usually through a business counter. Self-employed contributions for 2026 are 20.50% of net income up to €75,024.54 and 14.16% from there to €110,562.42, with a minimum of €890.42 a quarter, plus the fund's fees. Where a treaty lets the other country tax the same income, Belgium relieves it.

Investments: Belgian banks withhold 30% (roerende voorheffing / précompte mobilier) as the final tax. Dividends and interest paid directly from abroad carry no Belgian withholding, so you must declare them and pay 30% through the return; foreign withholding tax is subtracted from the amount declared, not credited. The first €833 of ordinary dividends a year and the first €1,020 of interest on Belgian regulated savings accounts are exempt (interest above that pays 15%). Since 1 January 2026 gains on shares, bonds, funds, ETFs, investment insurance, currency, investment gold and crypto pay 10% above a €10,000 annual exemption per person; up to €1,000 of unused exemption carries forward each year, to a maximum of €15,000 after 5 years, and losses in the same year offset gains. Gains made before 2026 are not taxed: assets held on 31 December 2025 use that day's value, and for people who move to Belgium the cost basis is the value on the first day they become resident. Belgian banks withhold the 10% unless you opt out and declare it. Holdings of 20% or more in a company have their own scale (first €1,000,000 exempt, then 1.25% to 10%), and sales to a company you control pay 33%. Leaving Belgium triggers an exit tax on unrealised gains, deferred automatically on a move within the EU/EEA or to a treaty country with tax-collection assistance and not due if you do not sell within 2 years. Pensions and rent from foreign property must be declared; where a treaty gives the other country the right to tax them, Belgium uses them only to set the rate on your other income.

On the nomad visa: Belgium has no digital nomad or remote-work visa. Visa-exempt non-EU nationals can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the Schengen area, which on its own does not make you tax resident if your home stays abroad. To live and work in Belgium for longer, non-EU nationals need a work authorisation from the competent region plus a long-stay residence authorisation decided by the Immigration Office. Neither carries a tax regime: once you live in Belgium you are taxed on worldwide income.

Schemes for newcomers:

- **Special tax regime for inpatriate taxpayers (bijzonder belastingstelsel voor ingekomen belastingplichtigen / régime spécial des contribuables impatriés)** (8 years): The employer can pay a tax-free allowance for the extra costs of living in Belgium of up to 35% of gross pay (30% before 2025), with no euro cap since 2025 (it was €90,000 a year). It applies for the assignment, up to 5 years, extendable by 3 years if the conditions are still met. Who qualifies: Employees and company directors recruited directly abroad by a Belgian company or the Belgian establishment of a foreign company, or seconded to Belgium within a multinational group, who in the 60 months before starting were not Belgian residents, did not live within 150 km of the Belgian border and paid no Belgian non-resident tax on work income, and who earn more than €70,000 gross a year from that employer (€75,000 before 2025). The employer applies within 3 months of the start. Freelancers and remote employees of a foreign employer with no Belgian entity cannot use it; a parallel regime for inpatriate researchers has no salary threshold.

Official sources: [Tax rates](https://fin.belgium.be/en/private-individuals/tax-return/income/tax-rates) (FPS Finance (Federal Public Service Finance), read 2026-10-27); [Coming to Belgium: tax return](https://fin.belgium.be/en/private-individuals/international/coming-to-belgium/tax-return) (FPS Finance (Federal Public Service Finance), read 2026-10-27); [Foreign income](https://fin.belgium.be/en/private-individuals/international/foreign-income-accounts/income) (FPS Finance (Federal Public Service Finance), read 2026-10-27); [Aanslagvoeten van de gemeentebelasting voor het aanslagjaar 2026](https://fin.belgium.be/sites/default/files/media/documents/tarieven-gemeentebelasting-2026.pdf) (FPS Finance (Federal Public Service Finance), read 2026-10-27); [Inkomsten van spaargeld en beleggingen (roerende inkomsten)](https://fin.belgium.be/nl/particulieren/belastingaangifte/inkomsten/spaargeld-beleggingen) (FPS Finance (Federal Public Service Finance), read 2026-10-27); [Meerwaardebelasting](https://fin.belgium.be/nl/particulieren/belastingaangifte/inkomsten/meerwaardebelasting) (FPS Finance (Federal Public Service Finance), read 2026-10-27); [Wet van 6 april 2026 tot invoering van een belasting op meerwaarden op financiële activa](https://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/eli/wet/2026/04/06/2026002780/staatsblad) (Belgisch Staatsblad / Moniteur belge (ejustice), read 2026-10-27); [Programmawet van 30 mei 2026, artikel 6](https://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/eli/wet/2026/05/30/2026003986/staatsblad) (Belgisch Staatsblad / Moniteur belge (ejustice), read 2026-10-27); [Wet van 17 februari 2021 houdende de invoering van een jaarlijkse taks op de effectenrekeningen](https://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/eli/wet/2021/02/17/2021040569/staatsblad) (Belgisch Staatsblad / Moniteur belge (ejustice), read 2026-10-27); [Inpatriate researchers and taxpayers](https://fin.belgium.be/en/private-individuals/international/living-and-working-belgium-abroad/inpatriate-researchers-taxpayers) (FPS Finance (Federal Public Service Finance), read 2026-10-27); [Programmawet van 27 december 2021 (artikel 32/1 WIB 92)](https://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/eli/wet/2021/12/27/2021043625/staatsblad) (Belgisch Staatsblad / Moniteur belge (ejustice), read 2026-10-27); [Wet van 18 december 2025 houdende diverse bepalingen, artikelen 15 tot 17](https://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/eli/wet/2025/12/18/2025009647/staatsblad) (Belgisch Staatsblad / Moniteur belge (ejustice), read 2026-10-27); [Payment of inheritance tax and estate duties](https://fin.belgium.be/en/private-individuals/death/inheritance-tax) (FPS Finance (Federal Public Service Finance), read 2026-10-27); [Algemeen tarief in de erfbelasting](https://www.vlaanderen.be/belastingen-en-begroting/vlaamse-belastingen/erfbelasting/tarieven-in-de-erfbelasting/algemeen-tarief-in-de-erfbelasting) (Vlaamse Belastingdienst (vlaanderen.be), read 2026-10-27); [Wanneer en waar is de erfbelasting verschuldigd?](https://www.vlaanderen.be/belastingen-en-begroting/vlaamse-belastingen/erfbelasting/wanneer-en-waar-is-de-erfbelasting-verschuldigd) (Vlaamse Belastingdienst (vlaanderen.be), read 2026-10-27); [Buying and selling with registration duty](https://fin.belgium.be/en/private-individuals/property/buying-selling/registration-duty) (FPS Finance (Federal Public Service Finance), read 2026-10-27); [Verlaagd tarief in het verkooprecht voor de aankoop van de enige eigen woning](https://www.vlaanderen.be/belastingen-en-begroting/vlaamse-belastingen/registratiebelasting/verkooprecht/tarieven-in-het-verkooprecht/verlaagd-tarief-in-het-verkooprecht-voor-de-aankoop-van-de-enige-eigen-woning) (Vlaamse Belastingdienst (vlaanderen.be), read 2026-10-27); [Algemeen tarief in het verkooprecht](https://www.vlaanderen.be/belastingen-en-begroting/vlaamse-belastingen/registratiebelasting/verkooprecht/tarieven-in-het-verkooprecht/algemeen-tarief-in-het-verkooprecht) (Vlaamse Belastingdienst (vlaanderen.be), read 2026-10-27); [DmfA instructies: gewone bijdragen](https://www.socialsecurity.be/employer/instructions/dmfa/nl/latest/instructions/socialsecuritycontributions/contributions/ordinarycontributions.html) (Rijksdienst voor Sociale Zekerheid (RSZ / ONSS), read 2026-10-27); [Sociale bijdragen 2026 (zonder de beheerskosten)](https://socialsecurity.belgium.be/sites/default/files/content/docs/nl/sociaal-beleid-vorm-geven/zelfstandigen/bijdragennota_2026_tabel_nl.pdf) (FPS Social Security / RSVZ-INASTI, read 2026-10-27); [Social insurance fund](https://business.belgium.be/en/setting_up_your_business/membership_of_a_social_insurance_fund) (business.belgium.be (FPS Economy), read 2026-10-27); [Third-country nationals: short stay](https://dofi.ibz.be/en/themes/third-country-nationals/short-stay) (Immigration Office (dofi.ibz.be), read 2026-10-27); [Third-country nationals: work](https://dofi.ibz.be/en/themes/third-country-nationals/work) (Immigration Office (dofi.ibz.be), read 2026-10-27).

Not yet reviewed by a person. General information, not tax advice. US citizens are taxed by the US wherever they live.

## Climate (2001–2020 normals)

| Month | Mean °C | Rain mm | Humidity % | Comfortable |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Jan | 1.6 | 75 | 94 | no |
| Feb | 2.2 | 66 | 91 | no |
| Mar | 5.2 | 62 | 86 | no |
| Apr | 9.1 | 45 | 80 | no |
| May | 12.8 | 65 | 79 | no |
| Jun | 16.2 | 68 | 78 | yes |
| Jul | 18.1 | 73 | 75 | yes |
| Aug | 17.7 | 82 | 77 | yes |
| Sep | 14.3 | 55 | 79 | no |
| Oct | 10.4 | 64 | 86 | no |
| Nov | 5.9 | 72 | 92 | no |
| Dec | 2.5 | 82 | 94 | no |

## Airports and nonstop flights

| Airport | IATA | Nonstop destinations | International | From US airports |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Brussels South Charleroi Airport | CRL | 127 | 127 | 0 |
| Brussels Airport | BRU | 192 | 192 | 5 |

Unique destinations across all airports: 248, of which 248 international (Wikipedia, 2026-11).

## Similar cities

- [Charleroi](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/charleroi) (66.3) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/charleroi-vs-namur)
- [Regensburg](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/regensburg) (67.7) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/namur-vs-regensburg)
- [Augsburg](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/augsburg) (67.3) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/augsburg-vs-namur)
- [Ghent](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/ghent) (66.8) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/ghent-vs-namur)
- [Wiesbaden](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/wiesbaden) (68.1) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/namur-vs-wiesbaden)

## FAQ

### How much does it cost to live in Namur as a digital nomad?

A single person typically spends about $2,650 per month in Namur (a country-level estimate for Belgium). That is a 27/100 cost score, where 100 is the cheapest city in the dataset.

### Is Namur safe for digital nomads?

Namur scores 73/100 on safety. Belgium records 1.08 homicides per 100,000 people per year (WHO, 2021) and a political-stability score of 68.6/100 (World Bank WGI). Both figures are national, so neighbourhood-level risk can differ.

### Does Belgium have a digital nomad visa?

No dedicated digital nomad visa was listed for Belgium as of 2026-07. Visitors from the US can stay 90 days visa-free.

### How fast is the internet in Namur?

Measured median download speed in Namur was 62.8 Mbps (upload 12.1 Mbps) across 5,977 M-Lab tests in 2024. Measured speeds run below advertised plan speeds everywhere, so compare cities rather than reading the number as a plan.

### Is Starlink available in Namur?

Yes. Starlink's availability map lists residential service as available in Belgium (checked 2026-10), so a dish can serve as a backup line in Namur. Check the exact address on starlink.com before ordering, since capacity varies by area.

### Which airports serve Namur and how many nonstop flights are there?

Namur is served by Brussels South Charleroi Airport (CRL) with 127 nonstop destinations and Brussels Airport (BRU) with 192 nonstop destinations, 248 unique destinations across all of them, of which 248 are international. 5 US airports have a nonstop link. Source: Wikipedia, 2026-11.

### When is the best time of year to be in Namur?

The most comfortable months are Jun, Jul, Aug. Mean temperatures range from 35°F (2°C) in Jan to 65°F (18°C) in Jul (NASA POWER 2001–2020 climatology).

### Namur or Charleroi: which is better for digital nomads?

Charleroi is the city with the closest factor profile to Namur in this dataset. Which one wins depends on your weights; the comparison page puts every factor side by side with the numbers behind them.

## Plan a trip

[Plan a trip to Namur](https://dashboard.navoy.io/trip/new?utm_source=nostos&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=plan_trip&utm_content=namur&destination=Namur%2C+Belgium) on Navoy, the AI travel planner behind Nostos.

## Sources

[^1]: City population (latest census or official estimate), Wikipedia (citing national statistics offices). CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^2]: 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level), WhereNext. CC BY 4.0. https://getwherenext.com/data/cost-of-living-2026 (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^3]: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows), WhereToEmigrate. CC BY 4.0. https://github.com/0brien18/global-emigration-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^4]: Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, dataUNODC. UNODC data, free to reuse with attribution. https://data.unodc.org/datareport/hom-victim (retrieved 2026-10-12)
[^5]: Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100), World Bank. CC BY 4.0. https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/worldwide-governance-indicators (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^6]: UHC service coverage index, World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/uhc-index-of-service-coverage (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^7]: Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes, World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/life-expectancy-at-birth-(years) (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^8]: M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024), Measurement Lab. CC0 1.0. https://statistics.measurementlab.net/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^9]: Starlink availability map, SpaceX (Starlink). Factual status cited from starlink.com. https://www.starlink.com/map (retrieved 2026-10-07)
[^10]: Digital Nomad Visas 2026, WhereToEmigrate. CC BY 4.0. https://github.com/0brien18/global-emigration-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^11]: Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations), Ilya Ilyankou (compiled from passportindex.org). MIT. https://github.com/ilyankou/passport-index-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^12]: Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables), Wikipedia contributors; countries via Wikidata. CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/ (retrieved 2026-09-24)
[^13]: Walkability and transit ratings (editorial), Navoy. CC BY 4.0. https://nostos.navoy.io/methodology (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^14]: NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means), NASA Langley Research Center. Public domain (US Government). https://power.larc.nasa.gov/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^15]: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8), World Health Organization. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/who-ambient-air-quality-database-(update-jun-2026) (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^16]: OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API), OpenStreetMap contributors. ODbL 1.0. https://overpass-api.de/ (retrieved 2026-10-02)
[^17]: Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023), United Nations Development Programme. CC BY 3.0 IGO. https://hdr.undp.org/data-center/documentation-and-downloads (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^18]: EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band), EF Education First. Proprietary; band cited as a fact with attribution. https://www.ef.com/epi/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)

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