Getting started
Starting a business in Belgium
Two decisions determine most of what follows: which legal structure you choose, and whether you are allowed to be self-employed here at all. Everything else is sequence.
Decision one
Sole trader or company?
For most small businesses in Belgium this is the choice. The tax calculation belongs with an accountant; the practical differences you can weigh yourself.
| Sole trader (eenmanszaak) | Company (BV) | |
|---|---|---|
| Notary required | No | Yes, for the incorporation deed |
| Setup time | Often a single day | Typically three to six weeks |
| Setup cost | A registration fee | Notary fees plus a financial plan |
| Liability | Your personal assets are exposed | In principle limited to the company |
| Accounting | Often simplified | Double-entry, with annual accounts filed |
| Taxation | Personal income tax, progressive rates | Corporate tax, plus tax on what you take out |
| Fixed annual cost | Low | Meaningful, and it runs whether you trade or not |
| Best when | Testing an idea, low risk, modest profit | Real financial exposure, partners, stable profit |
The order things have to happen in
Belgium has few genuinely difficult steps, but several hard dependencies. Getting the order wrong is what costs people weeks.
Check whether you are allowed to be self-employed hereFirst, always
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals may work as self-employed in Belgium. Most other nationalities need a professional card, and in most cases a residence permit that allows self-employment. See the professional card.
Choose your structureBefore anything is registered
Sole trader or company. The comparison above covers the practical differences; your accountant makes the tax calculation with your actual numbers.
Check whether your activity needs a licenceBefore registration
Food, hospitality, transport, several construction trades and street trading all require specific authorisations. Discovering this at the counter costs you a week.
Register the businessDay one of the formalities
A sole trader registers through a licensed business counter and receives an enterprise number. A company is registered through the notary as part of the incorporation deed — see company registration.
Activate your VAT numberBefore your first transaction
Your enterprise number only becomes a VAT number once VAT status is activated. This is a separate filing and is the step people most often assume is automatic. See Belgian VAT number.
Join a social insurance fundBefore you start trading
Mandatory for every self-employed person, including company directors. It collects your social security contributions and gives you access to health cover, sickness benefit and pension rights.
Open a business bank accountAround the start
You will need your enterprise number. Be aware that Belgian banks apply strict onboarding checks, and non-residents should allow extra time for this step.
Set up invoicing and e-invoicingBefore your first invoice
Invoices to other Belgian VAT-registered businesses must be sent as structured electronic invoices over the Peppol network. Choose software that supports it from the start rather than migrating later.
Arrange insurance and an accountantBefore you trade
Insurance goes through a licensed broker. An accountant is not legally required for a sole trader, but the decisions made in the first weeks have tax consequences for years.
What is different if you are not Belgian
This is the part that generic guides skip, and it is where most of the delay actually happens.
- Right to be self-employed
- EU, EEA and Swiss nationals are free to set up. Other nationalities generally need a professional card, and it has to be in place before you register a business. Some categories are exempt — check your situation before assuming either way.
- Registration in your municipality
- If you live in Belgium you need to be registered with your commune and hold a Belgian national register number. Many subsequent steps, including digital authentication, depend on it.
- Digital identity
- Belgian administration runs on electronic identification. Without a Belgian eID or an accepted digital key, you cannot file most things yourself and will need someone acting on a mandate.
- Opening a bank account
- In practice the slowest step for non-residents. Banks apply strict anti-money-laundering checks and some decline non-resident applications outright. Start this early, not last.
- The language of your correspondence
- Official letters arrive in the language of the region where your business is registered — Dutch in Flanders, French in Wallonia, either one in Brussels. This does not change because you write in English.
Common questions
Can I start a business in Belgium without living here?
You can own and direct a Belgian company without residing in Belgium, and it happens regularly. Two things get harder: opening a bank account, and authenticating yourself for filings that require a Belgian digital identity. Both are solvable, but they need planning rather than improvisation.
How long does the whole process take?
A sole trader with complete paperwork can be registered in a day and fully operational within one to two weeks. A company typically takes three to six weeks, driven mostly by the financial plan and the bank certificate. If you need a professional card first, add several months.
Do I need a Belgian accountant?
Not legally as a sole trader, but strongly advisable. A company effectively requires one, since double-entry bookkeeping and annual accounts are involved. We help you find one who works comfortably in English if that matters to you.
Is it cheaper to start as a sole trader and convert later?
Often, yes — especially while you are still testing whether the activity works. Converting a sole trader business into a company later is a well-trodden route with several options, each with its own tax treatment. Your accountant decides which one fits.
What does Advyze charge for this?
Two fixed start packages: one for registering as self-employed, one for incorporating a company. Both cover the coordination and follow-up until your administration is actually working. Prices are on the pricing page.
Go deeper
- Company registration in BelgiumIncorporating a BV: notary, financial plan, costs and what follows the deed.
- Becoming self-employedSole trader status: registration, social security and VAT basics.
- Professional cardFor non-EU nationals, the permit that has to come first.
- Belgian VAT numberWhen you need one, and why activation is a separate step.
- After you startThe ongoing administration, and who keeps track of it.
Tell us what you are planning
Your nationality, where you will be based and what you want to do. That is enough for us to say which steps apply to you and roughly how long it will take.