Key takeaways
- Domiciliation sets the official address of the registered office, declared at the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises.
- Five options exist: home, professional premises, domiciliation company, coworking and virtual office.
- Contrary to a widespread belief, no minimum contract term is imposed: only a written agreement is required.
- Domiciliation companies must be registered with the FPS Economy since the Act of 29 March 2018.
Every Belgian company must have a registered-office address, and that is precisely what company domiciliation in Belgium sets. This address appears at the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises, receives administrative mail and legal notifications, and appears on all your documents. Choosing it well is not a mere formality: it touches your costs, your image, your confidentiality and your legal obligations. This guide covers the whole question: what domiciliation is, the five possible options, the legal framework of the Act of 29 March 2018, your obligations and the criteria for choosing, with links to our regional guides.
What is company domiciliation?
Domiciliation is the establishment of an official address for your company: its registered office. It is the address that appears in the articles and at the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (CBE), where the company receives its administrative mail and legal notifications. It serves as a point of contact with the authorities and notably determines the territorial jurisdiction of the courts.
The registered office is not the same as a place of operation. A company can have its registered office at one address and carry out its activity elsewhere, in one or more establishment units. Our article on registered office and establishment unit details this distinction, often a source of confusion.
The five options to domicile a company
Every entrepreneur has several solutions to set up their registered office. They differ in cost, confidentiality and associated services.
| Option | For whom | Point to watch | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal home | Sole trader starting out | Private address made public; landlord's consent if tenant | |
| Professional premises | Activity needing premises | Rent, charges and commitment the highest | |
| Domiciliation company | Separate private and professional life | Provider registered with the FPS Economy | |
| Coworking space | Need for a place and a network | Shared address and workspace | |
| Virtual office | 100% digital activity | Address and mail, no physical space |
Domiciling your company at your home is the cheapest solution, but it makes the private address public and blurs the line between professional and personal life. Professional premises offer the opposite: visibility, but heavy fixed costs. To arbitrate between home and a dedicated address, see our comparison domiciliation or home, and to weigh a lease, our guide professional lease or domiciliation.
The domiciliation company has established itself as the middle way: a dedicated address, mail handling and administrative services, without the costs of premises. Note that a simple PO box cannot serve as a registered office, as our article on the business PO box explains.
The legal framework: the Act of 29 March 2018
Since the Act of 29 March 2018, providers of domiciliation services are regulated. They must be registered with the FPS Economy and comply with anti-money-laundering obligations, including verifying their clients' identity and monitoring operations. Entrusting your registered office to a registered provider is therefore a guarantee of compliance.
This framework protects both the entrepreneur and third parties: it guarantees that a registered-office address corresponds to a real occupation and an identified provider, and not to a mere anonymous mailbox.
Your obligations once domiciled
Setting up a registered office comes with precise obligations, applicable whatever the option chosen.
The obligations to respect
A precise Belgian address
Street, number and box, in a Belgian municipality, genuinely accessible for any checks.
The landlord's written consent if you are a tenant
The lease or an agreement must authorise the use of the address as registered office.
The address on your documents
The registered office appears on invoices, quotes and, for a website, in the legal notices.
Notification of any change
A transfer of the registered office is declared at the CBE; see our dedicated guide to registered-office transfer.
Failure to respect these obligations exposes you to administrative penalties. A change of address, in particular, must be formalised: our article transfer of registered office in Belgium details the procedure, the decisions to take and the formalities with the CBE and the Moniteur belge.
Choosing according to your region
The domiciliation rules apply throughout Belgium, but the region of the registered office carries practical consequences, starting with the language applicable to the articles and to dealings with the administration.
Beyond the region, the real criterion remains use: a credible professional address, the confidentiality of your home, and mail-handling services suited to your pace. It is this balance, more than the prestige of an avenue, that makes a good domiciliation.
Domicile your company in full compliance
A registered-office address, the handling of your mail and a provider registered with the FPS Economy: Monsiegesocial takes care of your company's domiciliation.
Going further
- Domiciliation or home: which registered office to choose?, to arbitrate between a private and a dedicated address.
- Registered office and establishment unit: what is the difference?, so as not to confuse registered office and place of operation.
- Transfer of registered office in Belgium, to move an already-declared address.
