Belgium Starting a Business Guide

Legal Forms (Rechtsvormen / Formes Juridiques)

• BV (Besloten Vennootschap / SRL — Société à Responsabilité Limitée): The most common form for SMEs and startups. Key features: (a) no minimum capital requirement (since 2019), (b) one or more shareholders (individuals or legal entities), (c) limited liability (shareholders are not personally liable for company debts beyond their contribution), (d) flexible management structure (one or more directors, no board requirement), (e) shares cannot be publicly traded, (f) the company name must include "BV" or "SRL". The BV is the default choice for most new businesses.
• NV (Naamloze Vennootschap / SA — Société Anonyme): The form for larger enterprises. Key features: (a) minimum capital of €61,500 (at least 25% must be paid up), (b) at least one shareholder (can be a legal entity), (c) at least three directors (or one director if a legal entity), (d) shares can be publicly traded (if listed), (e) the company name must include "NV" or "SA". The NV is typically used for companies planning to go public, large family businesses, or joint ventures.
• VZW (Vereniging Zonder Winstoogmerk / ASBL — Association Sans But Lucratif): The non-profit form. Key features: (a) at least three founders, (b) no profit distribution to members, (c) registered with the KBO, (d) annual accounts must be filed (simplified if turnover <€1M). Used for charities, sports clubs, cultural associations, professional organisations, and foundations.
• CommV (Gewone Commanditaire Vennootschap / SComm — Société en Commandite Simple): A partnership form with two types of partners: (a) beherende vennoten / commandités (general partners) — unlimited personal liability, (b) stille vennoten / commanditaires (limited partners) — liability limited to their contribution. Used for investment funds, family holding structures, and professional partnerships.
• Maatschap / VOF (Vennootschap Onder Firma / SF — Société de Personnes): A simple partnership (maatschap / société de personnes) for professionals (doctors, lawyers, accountants). Key features: (a) no minimum capital, (b) partners are jointly and severally liable, (c) the partnership is not a separate legal entity (transparent for tax — income is taxed directly in the partners' hands), (d) no separate KBO registration (though a "BTW-nummer" can be obtained).
• Eenmanszaak (Entreprise individuelle / Self-employed sole proprietor): Not a separate legal entity — the individual operates as a natural person. Key features: (a) unlimited personal liability, (b) no separate legal personality, (c) income is taxed as personal income (progressive rates 25–50%), (d) simpler setup (no KBO registration required beyond the enterprise counter), (e) lower administrative burden (no separate financial statements). Generally only recommended for small freelancers with low liability risk.

Registration Process

• Enterprise counter (Ondernemingsloket / Guichet d'entreprises): The first step is to register through an accredited enterprise counter. There are approximately 20 accredited counters in Belgium — the largest is Unizo (for Dutch-speaking entrepreneurs), UCM (for French-speaking), and Acerta / Liantis / Securex / Xerius (the "social secretariats"). The counter: (a) verifies the legal form and articles of association, (b) registers the company in the KBO/BCE (Crossroad Bank for Enterprises), (c) applies for the VAT number, (d) registers the company for social security (RSVZ/INASTI), (e) verifies professional qualifications (if a regulated profession).
• Required documents: (a) Notarised deed of incorporation (authentieke akte / acte authentique) for BV and NV — required by a Belgian notary (notaris / notaire). The notary drafts the articles of association (statuten / statuts) and registers them with the Registry of the Commercial Court. (b) Financial plan (financieel plan / plan financier) for BV and NV — a 2-year projection of income, expenses, and financing, demonstrating that the company has sufficient capital to operate. The financial plan does not need to be approved by the notary but must be filed with the deed. (c) Identification documents (passport/ID card) of the directors and shareholders.
• Timeline: The notarisation takes approximately 2–5 business days. The KBO registration is typically completed within 1–2 business days after notarisation. The VAT number is issued within 5–10 business days after KBO registration. The total timeline from start to VAT number is approximately 2–4 weeks (faster for eenmanszaak — 1 week).

Self-Employed Social Security (RSVZ/INASTI)

• Social contributions: Self-employed individuals (including directors of a BV/NV who are not employed under an employment contract) must register with the RSVZ (Rijksinstituut voor de Sociale Verzekeringen der Zelfstandigen / INASTI — Institut National d'Assurances Sociales pour Travailleurs Indépendants). The social contribution rate is approximately 22.5% on net professional income (self-employed income minus business expenses).
• Minimum contribution: The minimum quarterly contribution is approximately €890 (€3,560/year — 2026, indexed), even if the business has no income. This is the "minimum social contribution" (minimumbijdrage / cotisation minimum). The minimum applies for the first 3 years (start-up period) and continues indefinitely if the income does not support higher contributions.
• Start-up exemption: Self-employed individuals who register for the first time may apply for a start-up exemption (startvrijstelling / exemption de début) for the first year — the social contribution is reduced to approximately €450/quarter (instead of €890). The exemption must be applied for at the time of registration. The exemption does not apply if the self-employed person also has employment income (e.g., a part-time job).
• Social security coverage: The RSVZ contributions cover: (a) health insurance (ziekteverzekering / assurance maladie — post-hospitalisation, medical visits, and the "mutualiteit" coverage), (b) maternity/paternity leave (moederschapsverlof / congé de maternité — 12 weeks, with a flat-rate allowance), (c) pension (old-age pension — the third pillar of the Belgian pension system), (d) disability and incapacity benefits (arbeidsongeschiktheid / incapacité de travail — after a 12-month waiting period). Unemployment coverage is NOT included — self-employed individuals cannot claim unemployment benefits.

Basic Management Knowledge Certificate

• The "basis kennis bedrijfsbeheer" (BKB): Anyone who wishes to start a business in Belgium as a self-employed person or director of a company must hold a Basic Management Knowledge Certificate (Basis Kennis Bedrijfsbeheer / Connaissances de Gestion de Base). This requirement is designed to ensure that new entrepreneurs have a minimum understanding of business administration, accounting, law, and social security.
• Exemptions: The certificate is not required if: (a) the individual holds a higher education degree (bachelor's or master's — Belgian or EU equivalent), (b) the individual has 5+ years of professional management experience (can be demonstrated via a "bewijs van beroepsbekwaamheid"), (c) the individual is starting a "liberal profession" (arts, lawyer, architect, accountant — these are regulated by their own professional bodies with equivalent requirements), (d) the business is operated through a BV/NV where the director is a legal entity (the legal entity's representative must hold the certificate).
• Exam: The certificate is obtained by passing a written exam administered by the SYNTRA network (for Dutch-speaking regions) or the IFAPME/SFPME network (for French-speaking regions). The exam covers: accounting, commercial law, social legislation, tax basics, and business finance. Exam preparation courses are available through the same networks (typically 40–60 hours).

UBO Register

• Ultimate Beneficial Owner registration: All Belgian companies must register their Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBOs / Uiteindelijke begunstigden / Bénéficiaires effectifs) in the UBO register (UBO-register / Registre UBO), maintained by the FOD Financiën / SPF Finances. The registration is mandatory under the EU Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD 4/5).
• Definition: A UBO is any natural person who directly or indirectly: (a) owns ≥25% of the company's shares or voting rights, (b) controls the company through other means, or (c) is a beneficiary of ≥25% of the company's assets or profits (e.g., a trust beneficiary). If no individual meets these criteria, the company's senior managing director(s) must be registered as "pseudo-UBO."
• Penalties: Failure to register UBO information within the required timeline (within 30 days of incorporation, or upon any change) carries fines of up to €25,000 and potential criminal liability (up to 1 year imprisonment). The register is accessible to: tax authorities, financial intelligence units, AML/CFT competent authorities, and certain obliged entities (banks, notaries, accountants).

Compliance Calendar

• Annual accounts (Jaarrekening / Comptes annuels): Every BV and NV must file annual accounts with the National Bank of Belgium (NBB / BNB) within 7 months of the balance sheet date. Simplified filing is available for micro-enterprises (≤€350K turnover, ≤€1.7M assets, ≤10 FTE — small companies exemption based on at least two of three criteria). The annual accounts must be prepared in accordance with Belgian GAAP (KB/WIB / AR/CIR) or IFRS (for listed companies).
• Corporate tax return: Due within 6 months of the balance sheet date (7 months for electronic filing — the default). Filed via BizTax/Belcotax.
• VAT returns: Monthly or quarterly, due by the 20th of the following month. Filed via Intervat.
• Social security filings: Quarterly returns to the RSVZ/INASTI for self-employed social contributions. The social contributions are assessed annually based on the prior year's income (provisional) and adjusted after the tax return (definitive).
• Payroll (bedrijfsvoorheffing): Monthly withholding of payroll tax and employee social security — due by the 15th of the following month. Filed via DMFA/DmfA (the Belgian multifunctional social security declaration).

For related reading, see our Corporate Tax Guide →, VAT/BTW Guide →, Personal Tax Guide →, and Hiring Employees Guide →.