How to set up a non-profit organisation in Belgium?

In Belgium, non-profit organisations are registered as associations, which means that they are created through natural or legal person coming together to create a legal entity. These non-profit associations are called in French Associations sans but lucratif, in short ASBLs.

To set up a non-profit association (an ASBL) in Belgium, one needs to:

1. Draw up the statutes of the Association.
2. Prepare the required court forms.
3. Hold a meeting of the founding members, during which the constitutive documents are signed and the first Board of Directors is elected (i.e. the Constitutive General Assembly).
4. Hold the first meeting of the Board of Directors (if a delegate for day-to-day management is to be appointed).
5. Prepare the required identity, residency or registration documents of founders and Board members.
6. Submit the signed documents and forms, to the Commercial Court (Tribunal de l’Entreprise).
7. Fulfil the post-registration obligations:

• • • open a dedicated bank account,
    • complete the initial UBO register entry,
    • register for VAT if applicable.

Who can help me register a non-profit organisation in Belgium?
Also, see an overview of all legal forms available for non-profits in Belgium.

The basic requirements

To set up a non-profit Association in Belgium, one needs:

• At least two founding members (natural or legal persons).
• The seat or headquarters of the organisation (i.e. legal address) in Belgium.

Founding members do not need to be Belgian citizens or residents, nor must they be legal entities registered in Belgium, but this increases the time and cost of the registration.

The Statutes

The founding members must draw up the statutes of the organisation in one of the official languages of Belgium. This document details the non-profit purpose and aims of the organisation and its main activities. It also sets out the basic rules of governance, such as how many Directors sit on the Board and the length of their mandate, or how new members are admitted to the Association.

The provisions of this document must be in line with the Belgian law detailed in the Code of Companies and Associations (Code des Sociétés et des Associations, 2019). Changes to the statutes at a later date are possible, but there are procedures and costs associated with these.

The statutes must be signed by all founders during the Constitutive General Assembly. It does not need to take place in Belgium.

Depositing the registration dossier in a Belgian Commercial Court

The process of registration can be carried out electronically (online via e-greffe), provided that all founders and persons appointed in the governance structures reside in Belgium and hold an electronic ID card.

Otherwise, the physical documents must be deposited at the Commercial Court (Tribunal de l’Entreprise) in the jurisdiction where the Association is based.

What documents are required?

The following documents must be submitted to the Commercial Court (Tribunal de l’Entreprise):

• signed statutes,
• copies of the identity and residency documents for the founders and individuals in the governance structures of the ASBL, or registration documents if any of these are legal entities,
• required court forms:
  • • Formulaire I,
    • Declaration on the absence of prohibition to manage for all persons appointed in the governance structures of the ASBL,
    • Attestation d’identité (Brussels Commercial Court only).
• minutes of the Constitutive General Assembly (the gathering of the founders),
• minutes of the first meeting of the Board of Directors, if a delegate for the day-to-day management is appointed.

How long does it take to register an ASBL?

The Association is registered when information on its founding is published in the Moniteur Belge and the founders have received a company number.

Provided the statutes comply with the Belgian law and all documents and forms are submitted correctly, it takes the Tribunal de l’Entreprise approximately 5 working days to process the electronic registration via e-greffe and between 1 and 10 weeks to process the paper dossier.

What are the registration court fees for an ASBL?

The fees (including VAT) currently are (2025 update):

• Paper registration:                           240,55€
• Electronic registration                    173,76€

The fees are indexed each year in March.

How to:

– publish the registration of an ASBL in Moniteur Belge?

– register an ASBL at the Banque-Carrefour?

The publication in Moniteur Belge (the Belgian National Gazette) and the registration at the Banque-Carrefour (the Crossroadsbank for Entrerprises) happen automatically as part of the registration with the Commercial Court (Tribunal de l’Entreprise). They are already covered by the court fees mentioned above.

If you see this step itemised separately, you are likely viewing an outdated page, a service provider inflating their offer or AI-generated search results that mix texts from several websites of varied quality.

When registering electronically, the organisation number is assigned by the Banque-Carrefour des Entreprises and emailed immediately.

POST-REGISTRATION OBLIGATIONS

Registration of an ASBL as a legal entity in Belgium immediately triggers a number of post-registration obligations.

A bank account

Immediately after the registration, it is obligatory to open a dedicated bank account for the Association in a Belgian banking institution. For this, Board members may need to be personally present in a bank branch.

In case of a refusal by three banking services, non-profits registered in Belgium can apply for a basic banking service. (It does not mean however that an account is free of charge). The application process requires proofs of the refusals in writing.

The UBO register

The UBO – Ultimate Beneficial Owner register (Le Registre UBO) must be filled in within a month of the registration. This is done online via the e-governance system. It is possible to log in to the system with a Belgian eID or many (but not yet all) European ID cards. Otherwise, digital keys must be obtained from the FPS Policy and Support.

The VAT registration

VAT registration does not apply to all non-profit projects, but it may still be required depending on your activities. This needs to be assessed by a chartered accountant.

Ongoing administrative obligations

Finally, on an ongoing basis, an ASBL must comply with certain administrative requirements.

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Learn more

Read more in our resource library on non-profits in Belgium:

Overview of all legal forms for non-profits in Belgium

In-depth guide on differences between ASBLs and AISBLs

Summary of administrative obligations for registered ASBLs/AISBLs

Detailed explanation of the non-profit registration support we provide