A Belgian BV / SRL has no minimum capital but needs sufficient equity and a financial plan; it is created before a notary and registered in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises, usually within one to three weeks for EU founders. Non-EU citizens can own shares freely, but to run the company themselves in Belgium they generally need a professional card, which takes around three months. After set-up: 25% corporate tax, or 20% on the first EUR 100,000 for qualifying SMEs.
Setting up in Belgium, in plain words
Belgium is a straightforward place to incorporate once you know the sequence. Almost every company is created before a notary, on the basis of a financial plan, and registered in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises, which gives it the enterprise number used for everything from VAT to payroll. The process is the same in Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia; the regions differ on a few licences and on whether founders must prove basic business knowledge.
Most founders choose the BV / SRL, the private limited company. Since the 2019 company code it has no minimum capital, but it is not a free pass: the founders must put in enough equity for the business they describe, and the notary will ask for the financial plan before signing. The NV / SA, with EUR 61,500 of capital, is used for larger businesses and some regulated activities.
Where you come from changes two things. EU citizens can be directors and run the company without any permit. Non-EU citizens can own shares freely, but if they want to manage the company themselves in Belgium, they usually need a professional card, which adds around three months.
No minimum capital
Sufficient equity and a financial plan instead.
EUR 61,500
For larger or regulated businesses.
1 to 3 weeks
For EU founders with documents ready.
Professional card
Around 3 months, unless exempt.
Steps for EU, EEA and Swiss founders
- Choose the form and draft the articlesBV / SRL in most cases; articles in Dutch, French or German depending on the region.
- Prepare the financial planTwo-year projection showing the initial equity is sufficient; kept by the notary.
- Open a bank account and pay in the contributionsThe bank issues a certificate the notary needs for cash contributions.
- Sign the deed before the notaryIn person, by power of attorney or remotely where the notary offers it.
- Publication and enterprise numberThe notary files with the court registry; the company appears in the Belgian Official Gazette and the Crossroads Bank.
- Activate VAT and register as an employer if neededThrough an enterprise counter or the tax administration.
- Directors join a social insurance fundCompany directors are self-employed for social security in Belgium.
- File the beneficial ownersIn the UBO register within one month.
In Brussels and Wallonia the person running the business must also show basic business management knowledge, through a diploma or experience; Flanders abolished this requirement in 2018. Regulated activities, such as construction trades, food or transport, need their own licences.
Steps for founders from outside the EU
The company itself is formed in exactly the same way. The differences are about the people: who manages the company, where they live, and how they identify themselves to the bank and the authorities.
- Owning shares. No permit needed. A non-EU person or company can hold 100% of a Belgian BV.
- Running the company in Belgium. A self-employed manager from outside the EU needs a professional card, unless exempt, for example with unlimited residence. Short business trips under 90 days a year are exempt.
- Applying for the card. From abroad through the Belgian embassy or consulate; from Belgium through an enterprise counter. Expect around three months. The region assesses the economic benefit of the project.
- Living in Belgium. The professional card is the basis for residence as a self-employed person; family can follow under family reunification.
- A local manager instead. Many non-EU founders appoint an EU or Belgian-resident director to run day-to-day business while they keep the shares, which avoids the card.
- Documents. Passport, proof of address, and for corporate shareholders certified and apostilled company documents, translated where needed.
- Bank account. The slowest step for non-residents: banks run full anti-money-laundering checks on owners and source of funds.
Belgium welcomes foreign shareholders without paperwork. It is foreign managers who need the card.
Tax and running costs after set-up
| Item | Belgium 2026 |
|---|---|
| Corporate tax | 25%; 20% on the first EUR 100,000 for qualifying SMEs |
| Condition for the 20% rate | At least one director paid the minimum remuneration (rising to EUR 50,000 for 2026) |
| Dividend withholding | 30%; 15% under VVPRbis for qualifying new SMEs |
| Directors' social security | Self-employed contributions through a social insurance fund |
| VAT | 21% standard, 12% and 6% reduced; quarterly or monthly returns |
| Annual duties | Accounts filed with the National Bank, UBO update, corporate tax return |
A Spanish founder sets up a Brussels BV for consulting: financial plan and bank deposit in week one, notarial deed in week two, enterprise number and VAT activation days later. A Turkish founder with the same plan who will run the company from Brussels adds a professional card application through the consulate, about three months, or appoints a Belgian-resident co-director to start sooner.
Your Belgian company, step by step
The result updates with each answer.
Your Belgian company, step by step
Six questions. You get your own step list, what to prepare and a realistic timeline.
But sufficient equity and a financial plan.
For EU founders with documents ready.
Professional card, about 3 months.
With a qualifying director salary.
Setting up a company in Belgium: frequent questions
How long does it take to set up a company in Belgium?
For EU residents with documents ready, one to three weeks from the financial plan to the enterprise number. For non-EU founders who will run the company in Belgium, add the professional card, which takes around three months.
Is there a minimum capital for a Belgian BV / SRL?
No. Since 2019 the BV has no minimum capital, but founders must contribute sufficient initial equity and prepare a financial plan. If the company goes bankrupt within three years and the equity was manifestly insufficient, founders can be held liable. A Belgian NV / SA needs EUR 61,500 of capital.
Can a non-EU citizen own a Belgian company?
Yes. Non-EU citizens can own shares without restriction. To actively manage the company in Belgium as a self-employed director, they generally need a professional card, unless their residence status exempts them.
Do I have to come to Belgium to set up the company?
Not necessarily. The notarial deed can be signed through a power of attorney, and more notaries now offer remote signing. The bank account usually needs an identification step, which is often the slowest part for non-residents.
What tax does a Belgian company pay?
Corporate tax of 25%, or 20% on the first EUR 100,000 for qualifying small companies that pay at least one director the minimum remuneration. Dividends carry 30% withholding, reduced to 15% under the VVPRbis regime for qualifying new SMEs.