Running the company: address, director, bank, founder residence
Business Address in Belgium
A registered seat and a business address for your Belgian company, set up under the law that governs providers.
- Seat and business address for a Belgian company
- Domiciliation contract to the Royal Decree of 11 October 2018
- Check any provider on the FPS Economy list
Business address and registered seat for a Belgian company
Domiciliation has two meanings in Belgium. For a company it is a registered seat and business address; for a person it is registration at the commune. This page covers the company only. For the format of a postal address, a postal guide is the right place.
Providing a seat or an address professionally is a regulated activity: the provider must be registered with the FPS Economy (Law of 29 March 2018). Below: what the law asks of a provider and how to check one. For the whole route, see our company formation overview.
What is included
Six parts of the service, each tied to the article that governs it.
Statutory seat and business address
A Belgian seat and a business, postal or administrative address for your company, both listed activities under Art. 3, 1°, b) and c) of the Law of 29 March 2018.
Domiciliation contract to the statute
A written contract, with premises fit for confidential meetings of the company's bodies and a lawful right to occupy them (Art. 6 §4). The Royal Decree of 11 October 2018 fixes the minimum contents of the standard contract.
Seat in the company file
The extract of the deed states the Region and the precise address (Art. 2:8 §2 CSA). The seat also fixes the enterprise court of the file and where the securities register is kept.
Changing the seat later
A move, including to another Region, follows Art. 2:4 CSA, with the amending deed filed and published. We prepare the file and the notary executes the deed.
Client onboarding
We identify the client, the directors and the beneficial owners, because a company service provider is an obliged entity (Art. 5 §1, 29°, Law of 18 September 2017).
Where the service stops
We are not the notary and supply no director here. A registered address is not an operating office. We promise no bank account, professional card or tax outcome.
How it works
Seven steps, with who acts. A duration appears only where an authority publishes one. If you live abroad, read the foreign ownership guide first.
- Decide the seat, and the operating address separatelyClientNo official time
- Choose the source and check the providerClientNo official time
- Sign the contract and complete onboardingProviderNo official time
- Decide what the deed statesClient and notaryNo official time
- File and publishNotaryFiling within 30 days of the definitive deed (Art. 2:8 §1)Online incorporation within 10 working days, 5 for the model deed (Art. 2:22/1)
- Put the seat on every documentClientNo official time
- Change the seat laterClient and notaryKBO update within one monthBinding on third parties from publication (Art. 2:18)
Decide the seat, and the operating address separately
Client. The seat fixes the court file and the filing language; the operating address can differ. A company bought ready-made already has a seat: see our ready-made companies overview.
Choose the source and check the provider
Client. Search the FPS Economy public list by KBO number, and confirm your address is among the provider's establishment units.
Sign the contract and complete onboarding
Provider. The domiciliation contract is signed and the client, directors and beneficial owners are identified. No authority publishes a time for this step.
Decide what the deed states
Client and notary. The articles must give the Region and may give the address; the extract of the deed states the Region and the precise address (Art. 2:4, 2:8 §2 CSA).
File and publish
Notary. Filing runs within 30 days of the definitive deed (Art. 2:8 §1); online incorporation completes within 10 working days, 5 for the model deed (Art. 2:22/1). Publication and KBO times are not published.
Put the seat on every document
Client. The precise seat, enterprise number and court go on invoices, letters and the website; registers stay at the seat (Art. 2:20, 5:24). VAT is separate: see VAT registration for a foreign company.
Change the seat later
Client and notary. Board decision where the articles allow, amending deed filed and published, KBO updated within one month, binding on third parties from publication (Art. 2:18). See changes to a Belgian company.
Not sure what your deed should say about the seat?
Send us the draft deed and the contract, and we read the seat wording and the provider's details with you.
What Belgian law requires of a provider, and how to check
Every provider must appear on the FPS Economy public list: 797 entries on 30 September 2026, searchable by name, KBO number or postcode, with a CSV export. The same check applies to any provider.
| Requirement | Source | What to ask or check |
|---|---|---|
| Registration with the FPS Economy before providing the service | Art. 6 §1, Law of 29 March 2018 | Find the provider on the public list by KBO number. |
| Activities covered: a statutory seat, and a business, postal or administrative address | Art. 3, 1°, b) and c) | Ask which of these the contract sells. |
| A room fit for confidential, regular meetings of the company's bodies | Art. 6 §4, 1° | Ask where the room is and how it is booked. |
| A lawful right to occupy the premises | Art. 6 §4, 2° | Ask for the lease or title behind the address. |
| A contract with the domiciled company | Art. 6 §4, 3° | Ask for the standard contract before you pay. |
| Minimum contents of the standard contract: furnished rooms, ICT, a printer, copier and scanner, and a reception | Art. 3 §3, Royal Decree of 11 October 2018 | Compare the contract with this list. |
| A public list showing the establishment units where the service is delivered | Art. 7; Royal Decree Art. 5 | Check that your address is among them. |
| A fine of EUR 250 to EUR 100,000 for providing the service unregistered | Art. 11 al. 1 | Ask a provider missing from the list why. |
Law of 29 March 2018 and Royal Decree of 11 October 2018; public list counted on 30 September 2026.
Documents you will need
Seven items, depending on whether you set up a seat or move one.
- Identity document and proof of private address for each director and beneficial owner, as the provider requires.
- The signed domiciliation contract, or a lease or title for the address.
- The company's enterprise number, for every later KBO or Moniteur belge filing.
- The minutes of the board decision, if you move the seat.
- The local-authority attestation, if a street was renamed or renumbered.
- Beneficial owner data for the filing with FPS Finance.
- For a corporate shareholder, its corporate documents as the notary and provider require.
State fees and filings
What the state charges to put an address on a company and to change it, under the Code that governs Belgian companies and the tariffs below. The notary quotes the notarial fee. Our own fee is quoted on request.
| What the state charges | Amount | Applies from | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moniteur belge, amending deed (a change of seat), electronic or paper | EUR 171.70 excl. VAT, EUR 207.76 incl. VAT | Filings from 1 March 2026 | *Moniteur belge* tariff page |
| Moniteur belge, incorporation, electronic | EUR 236.50 excl. VAT, EUR 286.17 incl. VAT | Filings from 1 March 2026 | Same tariff page |
| Moniteur belge, incorporation, paper | EUR 292.90 excl. VAT, EUR 354.41 incl. VAT | Filings from 1 March 2026 | Same tariff page |
| Moniteur belge, address changed by decision of a local authority | Free, on an attestation, paper filing only | Tariff page as checked | Same tariff page |
| KBO/BCE inscription, where the operation is not free | EUR 111.50 per establishment unit | 2026, indexed annually | FPS Economy |
| FPS Economy application of a provider to register | Free (concerns providers, not you) | Checked 30 September 2026 | FPS Economy registration page |
Moniteur belge tariff for filings from 1 March 2026; KBO/BCE fee for 2026.
Problems we solve
Five points where an address file goes wrong, and what the statute says about each.
Virtual office as the seat
The Code asks the deed for a Region and an address, with no premises condition (Art. 2:4, 2:8 §2). The 2018 Law sets premises conditions for the provider. Neither text voids a letterbox seat.
Mailbox, PO box, virtual office, seat
A mailbox sold as a business address may fall inside Art. 3, 1°, c) of the Law. Whether a given platform is registered is a question to put to it.
Seat or operating address
The deed states the seat's Region and precise address; the company may operate elsewhere. Activity rules sit apart: see which activities need proof of professional skills before registration in Belgium.
A director abroad
A director living abroad is deemed to elect domicile at the seat, where writs are served (Art. 2:147 CSA). The seat is a reachability duty. See a local director for a Belgian company.
Bank and licence files
An address is one input to a bank or licence file, never a guarantee of acceptance. See our corporate bank account service and a crypto licence in Belgium.
Buying an address from another provider?
Send us the contract and we read it against the statute's conditions with you.
Why work with us
Nadia El Amrani leads founder services, from the registered office to the domiciliation contract.
From our practice: we identify the client, the directors and the beneficial owners first, then agree the seat wording with the notary and the contract with you.
Related services
- DirectorsA resident director for the substance a foreign-owned company needs.
- BankingThe file a Belgian bank asks for.
- Founder residenceThe route for non-EU founders.
- An existing companyA company that already has its seat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a virtual office address be my Belgian company's registered seat?
The Code asks the deed for the Region and the precise address of the seat (Art. 2:4 al. 1, 2:8 §2 CSA) and sets no premises condition. The Law of 29 March 2018 regulates the provider and sets premises conditions (Art. 6 §4). Neither text says a letterbox seat is void, and neither says it is always accepted.
Is it legal to use or sell a virtual address in Belgium?
Providing a statutory seat, or a commercial, postal or administrative address, professionally to third parties is a listed activity that needs prior registration with the FPS Economy (Art. 3, 1°, b) and c), Art. 6 §1 of the Law of 29 March 2018). Unregistered supply carries a fine of EUR 250 to EUR 100,000 (Art. 11 al. 1).
Is my address provider allowed to sell it to me, and how do I check?
Search the provider on the FPS Economy public list by name, KBO number or postcode (Art. 7; 797 entries on 30 September 2026). Then confirm the address you are buying appears among its establishment units (Art. 5, 7° of the Royal Decree). The same check applies to any provider.
What must a domiciliation agreement cover, and what must the provider have at the address?
A room fit for confidential meetings of the company's bodies, a lawful right to occupy the premises and a contract (Art. 6 §4). The Royal Decree of 11 October 2018 sets the minimum contents of the standard contract: furnished rooms, ICT, a printer, copier and scanner, and a reception (Art. 3 §3).
What is the difference between a mailbox, a PO box, a virtual office and a registered seat?
The statute defines the seat and the address services (Art. 3, 1°, b) and c)). A mailbox or scanning service sold as a business address may fall within c). Whether a given platform is registered is a question to put to it; this page classifies no one.
Which Belgian address goes on the deed, the seat or an operating address?
The deed states the Region and the precise address of the seat; the articles must give the Region and may give the address (Art. 2:4 al. 1, 2:8 §2 CSA). A registered address is not an office where the company carries on its activity, which can be elsewhere.
Who receives court papers addressed to me if I live abroad?
Foreign-resident directors, day-to-day delegates, auditors and liquidators are deemed to elect domicile at the statutory seat for their whole term, where writs may be served (Art. 2:147 CSA). No delivery time is promised. See the liability of a director in Belgium.
Does a Belgian seat make my company tax resident in Belgium?
A company with its statutory seat in Belgium is presumed to have its principal establishment or seat of management there. The contrary is admitted only if its tax domicile is shown to be in another State under that State's law (FPS Finance, corporate return guidance for assessment year 2026). This page concludes nothing for you.
Does using an address create a permanent establishment?
For a foreign company, Art. 229 §1 CIR 92 defines a Belgian establishment and Art. 229 §2/1 sets a 30-day test for services through people present in Belgium. It is an income-tax test and does not by itself trigger branch registration. Edition of assessment year 2022. For substance, see a local director for a Belgian company.
What does the state charge to change the seat address later?
An amending deed costs EUR 171.70 excl. VAT (EUR 207.76 incl.) at the Moniteur belge, for filings from 1 March 2026. A street renamed by the local authority is published free, on an attestation. The KBO fee is EUR 111.50 where the operation is not free. Our own fee is quoted on request.
I move the seat from Brussels to Flanders. What changes?
The board may move the seat unless the move forces a change of the language of the articles; then only the general meeting decides (Art. 2:4 al. 2 and 4 CSA). Which language follows which Region is not settled here, so we state the article and stop.
What does domiciliation mean, for a company and for a person?
For a company, domiciliation is a registered seat and address. For a person, it is registration at the commune. This page covers the company only. A founder's own residence and permit questions belong to other pages, such as the professional card page, and not to this one.
What must be kept at the seat address?
The register for each category of registered securities (Art. 5:24 CSA), which may be split under Art. 5:28; for a one-owner company, the register of the sole shareholder's decisions (Art. 5:94). The precise seat also goes on acts, invoices, letters and the website (Art. 2:20, 3°), and Art. 2:22 makes the person acting on a non-compliant document liable.
How do I check a company in Belgium?
The KBO/BCE public search is free and works by enterprise number or name. It shows the company's data and establishment units. The public list of providers is a different register: it covers only registered company service providers, as the third question explains.
What is an LLC in Belgium?
LLC is the US name for a limited liability company. The usual Belgian counterpart is the BV/SRL, the private limited company. Choosing between Belgian company forms is a separate question, covered elsewhere on this site and not on this page, and it does not change what a registered seat is.
Ready to set up your seat?
Tell us the company, the Region and whether the deed should state the address.