Starting a Business in Belgium: Advantages and Rights of Establishing a Company
Atomic Answer: Starting A Business In Belgium: Advantages And Rights Of Establishing A Company is a critical component of the Canadian immigration framework. As of 2026, applicants navigating this pathway must adhere to the latest IRCC guidelines, ensure all documentation is properly prepared, and meet the specific eligibility requirements. Processing times and exact costs will vary based on individual circumstances.
Starting a Business in Belgium: Advantages and Rights of Establishing a Company
According to the World Bank, Belgium ranks 46th in terms of ease of starting and maintaining a business. Starting a business in Belgium is preferred by business people who want to establish a company thanks to the conveniences provided in construction works, electricity installation, company registration, obtaining loans, protection of small budget investors, tax reductions and refunds, foreign trade and transportation.
Belgium, which ranks first in the World Bank's index in terms of overseas commercial transportation, provides the opportunity to strengthen its economy through trade and attract investors to its dynamic business sectors.
If the company owner has a residence in Belgium, he/she can get a certain amount of deduction from the income tax provided by the company. The income tax rates determined in Belgium in 2020 are; 25% for annual income up to 13,340 Euros, 40% for annual income between 13,341-23,720 Euros, 45% for annual income between 23,721-41,060 Euros, 50% for income of 41,061 Euros and above. Professional expenses can be deducted from the tax if they are proven with documents covering real prices or lump sum method. The lump sum tax deduction or Belgian tax refund is evaluated as 4,880 Euros for employers.
VAT (TVA) is charged on many services and products in Belgium. The standard VAT rate in Belgium is calculated at 21%. A VAT rate of 12% is applied to food served in restaurants and social housing services and products; and a VAT rate of 6% is applied to basic necessities such as food, water, books and medicine. The VAT rate applied to daily and weekly publications and recycled products is 0%.
What are the Types of Companies in Belgium?
The types of companies in Belgium are listed below.
- Naamloze vennootschap (NV) : Naamloze vennootschap is a type of company that is available to companies of a certain size where raising capital is the main focus. Only one founder is required to establish an NV company.
- Besloten vennootschap (BV) : A type of limited company, Besloten vennootschap is the most commonly used basic company form. Since there are very few mandatory regulations, the BV company type provides much more opportunities for company owners to establish a company due to its economic viability. BV companies have the freedom to determine the company's limitations in the articles of association. Only one founder is required to establish a BV company.
- Coöperatieve vennootschap (CV) : A type of cooperative (cooperative) company, the coöperatieve vennootschap is a company in which the shareholders cooperate. Due to its cooperative structure, three founders are always required. The main purpose of the cooperative company is to meet the economic or social needs of the shareholders.
- Vennootschap onder firma (VOF) : A general partnership company, vennootschap onder firma, is a type of partnership between shareholders who are guarantors of each other and have unlimited liability. All decisions are taken unanimously, unless there is a clause in the partnership agreement that approves that decisions are taken by majority.
- Commanditaire vennootschap (CommV) : A limited partnership is a partnership between one or more partners, called silent or limited partners, with unlimited liability, called managers or limited partners, and one or more partners, called guarantors. The managing partners are involved in the management and the silent partners are not involved in the management. All decisions are taken unanimously unless there is a clause in the partnership agreement that approves that decisions are taken by majority vote.
What are the largest Belgian companies?
The largest Belgian companies that made it into the 2019 Forbes Global ranking of 2000 companies are listed below.
- Anheuser-Busch InBev
- KBC Bank
- Ageas
- Solvay SA
- Dexia
- UCB
- Umicore
- Colruyt Group
- Proximus Group
- Sophia
Can Citizens of the Republic of Türkiye Establish a Company in Belgium?
Citizens of the Republic of Türkiye can easily establish a company in Belgium if they meet the necessary conditions.
Which Turkish Companies Operate in Belgium?
The largest Turkish companies operating in Belgium are listed below.
- Sign Point Belgium
- Deep Transport
- Ekol Printing House
- Kozz Restaurant
- Sari Verzekeringen
What are the requirements for establishing a company in Belgium?
The conditions for establishing a company in Belgium are stated below.
- Have savings of between 350,000 and 500,000 Euros for 5 years
- Having a temporary residence permit for more than 3 months at the initial stage
- There is no reason that would prevent the company to be established from being registered, the company being entered into the Belgian social security services and the Belgian VAT system, and obtaining approval from the competent authorities.
How Much Does It Cost to Form a Company in Belgium?
According to Belgian pricing data for 2021, the cost of establishing a company in Belgium is approximately €6,850; plus the state registration fee, fees for obtaining capital and corporate bank accounts, it amounts to approximately €15,550 in total.
For joint-stock companies, it is an average of 20,550 Euros; for companies that are dealers of a foreign company and representative offices, it is an average of 16,050 Dollars; for turnkey companies (real estate), it is an average of 22,520 Euros.
What are the advantages of establishing a company in Belgium?
The advantages of starting a business in Belgium are listed below.
- Receiving financial support from the European Entrepreneurs Network
- Being one of the leading countries for establishing companies in the travel, finance, information technologies and food industries.
- Being located in the center of Europe, it hosts more than 1400 dynamic companies and thus provides reliability to investors.
- Having a wide range of products and sectors
- Providing advanced transportation opportunities with its industrialized investment and transportation system and connections with neighboring European and overseas countries.
- Providing residence permits to businessmen and speculators who establish companies
- Flexible residence opportunities without the requirement to reside in Belgium and the opportunity to travel up to 90 days in the Schengen area
- Company owners who have lived in Belgium for 3 years can easily apply for Belgian citizenship and thus obtain citizenship within 7 years at the latest.
- Having a calculated foreign investment system that secures the profit and sustainability of companies
Can I Get a Residence Permit by Establishing a Company in Belgium?
People who want to establish a company in Belgium can obtain a residence permit. Company owners can obtain a temporary residence permit in Belgium for the first year, then a permanent residence permit and Belgian citizenship within 7 years without losing their citizenship in their country of origin.
Company owners who apply for a Belgian investor visa can obtain a Belgian Residence Permit .
What Job Can I Do in Belgium?
In Belgium, large and medium-sized companies have 5 times more job vacancies than small companies. Small companies have a job vacancies rate of 3.98%. Almost three quarters of the job vacancies in Belgium (79.1%) are in non-commercial sectors, science and services, industry, trade and construction.
According to June 2020 data, the city with the highest employment is the capital Brussels, and the region is Flanders. Belgium's largest sector with employment is the service sector. The pioneers of the service sector in Belgium are Arcelor Mittal and Volvo Cars. Transportation and communication, finance, distribution and retail sectors are in the top 10 list in the service sector.
The service sector, which is the sector with the highest number of employees, accounts for 68.8% of the gross domestic product. Trade, transport, hotel, restaurant and food services; constitute a significant part of the Belgian employment. The area with the highest job return after the service sector; public administration, education and commercial services with 19%. The most common professions in Belgium; office worker, sales consultant, home helper, basic branch teacher, and maintenance personnel in establishments such as hotels.