Starting a Business · Belgium
How to start a business in Belgium as a foreigner (2026)
Belgium shaded by its starting a business status
Starting a business in Belgium as a foreigner: moderate (Belgian Companies and Associations Code (CCA/WVV) with mandatory registration in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (CBE/KBO); FPS Economy and accredited business counters administer setup; professional cards for non-EEA nationals are governed at regional level (Brussels Economy & Employment, Flanders, Wallonia).).
Belgium permits 100% foreign ownership of companies and has abolished the minimum capital requirement for the most common company form (BV/SRL), but incorporating a company is a multi-step process requiring a notarial deed, a two-year financial plan, and registration with the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises. EU/EEA and Swiss nationals can start a business on equal footing with Belgians; non-EEA nationals must additionally obtain a professional card before operating as self-employed. The process is well-defined and accessible but involves several mandatory formalities, placing it in the moderate range for a foreigner.
Key points
There are no general foreign-ownership limits on Belgian companies; non-residents may fully own and direct a Belgian company. EU/EEA/Swiss nationals enjoy the same freedom of establishment as Belgians, while non-EEA nationals need a professional card to act as self-employed.
The BV/SRL (private limited company) is the standard form and has no fixed statutory minimum capital, founders must instead provide 'sufficient' starting funds justified in a financial plan. The NV/SA (public limited) still requires €61,500 of capital.
Companies with legal personality (BV/SRL, NV/SA) must be incorporated by a notarial deed (articles of association) filed with the enterprise court registry, and founders must prepare a mandatory financial plan covering the first two years of operation.
Every business must register in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises via an accredited business counter (around 140 offices) to obtain a 10-digit enterprise number; registration must occur no later than the day activity begins. Sole proprietors go directly to a business counter.
Non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals must hold a professional card to work as self-employed or run a company in Belgium; it is granted regionally for up to 5 years (initially ~2-year probation) and applied for at a Belgian diplomatic post abroad or an enterprise counter if already resident.
After CBE registration, businesses must activate a VAT number, affiliate with a social insurance fund for the self-employed, and obtain any sector-specific permits. A Belgian registered office and a business bank account are also required.
Timeline - major decisions & events
From 1 October 2025 Walloon entrepreneurs no longer need to prove basic management knowledge to register a business, mirroring Flanders' 2018 reform and lowering the barrier to start a sole proprietorship.
Wallonia (SPW Économie) ↗The incoming federal coalition announced plans to cut administrative burden on companies, including streamlining UBO-register filings via automated data exchange so businesses report details only once.
Klea Legal ↗Reform updated company-size thresholds (micro/small company and small group), affecting which reporting and audit obligations newly formed companies face, plus listed-company governance rules.
Lydian ↗All pre-existing Belgian companies and associations had to bring their statutes into line with the Code of Companies and Associations; abolished legal forms were automatically converted, completing the 2019 reform's transition.
Crowell & Moring ↗Following the CJEU ruling, legislation effective 17 February 2023 limited consultation of beneficial-ownership data to persons demonstrating a legitimate interest in fighting money laundering, ending open public access.
KPMG Law ↗The Court of Justice of the EU ruled that unrestricted public access to beneficial-ownership registers under the AML Directive was invalid, forcing Belgium to overhaul access to its UBO register.
Meijburg & Co ↗The Company Law Digitalisation Act (transposing EU Directive 2019/1151) allowed Belgian companies to be incorporated entirely online via notary videoconference and the StartMyBusiness platform, with electronic filing (e-depot) to the Crossroads Bank.
FPS Economy ↗The landmark reform abolished the EUR 18,550 minimum-capital requirement for the BV/SRL (replaced by a financial-plan and equity/liquidity-test regime) and slimmed the menu of company forms, making it far easier and cheaper to incorporate.
Jones Day ↗Flanders scrapped the obligation for new entrepreneurs to prove basic business-management skills, removing a key entry barrier; Brussels and (until 2025) Wallonia retained it.
Moore Belgium ↗The Act of 18 September 2017 (transposing the EU 4th AML Directive) established Belgium's Ultimate Beneficial Owner register, requiring every newly formed company to declare its beneficial owners; the register became operational in late 2018.
Stibbe ↗The Law of 16 January 2003 created the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises and the unique enterprise number (also serving as VAT ID), centralizing business registration through one-stop enterprise counters and forming the backbone of business start-up administration.
FPS Economy ↗Belgium - other topics
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Last verified 5/23/2026 · Orientation, not legal advice - verify against the primary sources linked above. Methodology & how to cite · Explore the full world map →