Set Up a Company as a Foreign National
All nationalities can do business in Belgium, under certain conditions
Set Up a Company as a Foreign National
We are J. Jordens, and every year we support many foreign nationals in setting up their company in Belgium. The first question we're always asked is the same: am I allowed to set up a company in Belgium as a foreigner? The answer essentially depends on your nationality.
EU nationals: freedom of establishment
If you are a citizen of an EU member state, you benefit from the principle of freedom of establishment. In practice, this means you can set up and manage a Belgian company under exactly the same conditions as a Belgian national, without needing a specific authorization or a residence permit tied to your professional activity.
Non-EU nationals: the professional card
For nationals of non-EU/EEA countries, the situation is different: carrying out self-employed activity in Belgium generally requires obtaining a professional card, issued by the competent regional authorities. This card certifies that you are authorized to carry out self-employed activity in Belgian territory. Certain exceptions and bilateral agreements exist depending on the country, which makes a personalized analysis essential.
Steps common to all nationalities
- Choose the appropriate legal form (usually SRL/BV, for its flexibility and lack of minimum legal capital).
- Have a Belgian registered office, via a registered office service if you do not yet reside on site.
- Draft the articles of association and, where applicable, go to a notary.
- Complete the mandatory registrations, activate VAT and declare beneficial owners (UBO).
Situations that vary depending on your country of origin
Each nationality has its own specific features: bilateral agreements, tax treaties, visa or residence permit requirements. This is why we have developed support specific to our clients' country of origin, whether French, American, British or Canadian for example, in order to guide you toward the exact procedure that applies to your situation, without any approximate generalization.
Human support, not just administrative
Setting up a company in a country that is not your own often raises questions that go beyond mere paperwork: opening a professional bank account, understanding the intra-community VAT system, choosing the right social status. Since 1948, our firm has supported entrepreneurs from around the world, and we put this experience at your service to secure every step of your professional establishment in Belgium.
An initial conversation to clarify your situation
Before any procedure, we systematically offer an initial conversation to precisely identify your situation: nationality, current place of residence, nature of your project. This conversation allows us to tell you, unambiguously, which procedures actually apply to you, rather than leaving you to navigate alone through regulations that vary greatly from country to country.
The importance of local support
Setting up a company in a foreign country involves navigating between several administrations that don't always communicate with one another: immigration, tax, social security, company registry. Coordinated local support avoids back-and-forth and inconsistencies between separately filed applications. This is precisely the role we play for our foreign clients, centralizing all procedures under a single point of follow-up.
Whatever your starting situation, keep in mind that Belgium remains a country open to international entrepreneurship, provided you comply with the few formalities specific to your status as a foreign national, which we take care of clarifying with you from our first conversation. Our role is precisely to simplify this administrative journey, often perceived as complex, by helping you avoid the most common mistakes made by international entrepreneurs.
Whatever your nationality, contact us for a personalized assessment of your project: we will tell you exactly which procedures apply to you.