The legal obligations of a domiciliation provider in Belgium

Since the law of 29 March 2018, business domiciliation is a strictly regulated sector in Belgium. The SPF Economy maintains an official register of authorised providers, and enforcement has clearly intensified since 2024. The result: founders who choose the cheapest domiciliation provider sometimes end up with a non-compliant registered office and a risk of being struck off the BCE.

This article explains the legal obligations a serious domiciliation provider must meet in Belgium, how to recognise a registered provider, and why the choice of your Business Center has more impact on your company's stability than most founders imagine.

The legal framework: the law of 29 March 2018

The Belgian law of 29 March 2018 requires any natural or legal person offering domiciliation services in Belgium to be registered with the SPF Economy. This registration is public and verifiable: any entrepreneur can consult the list of authorised providers on the official website.

To obtain this registration, a provider must demonstrate several things:

• That it has real physical premises suitable for domiciliation activity
• That it complies with the KYC and AML obligations defined by the law of 18 September 2017 on the prevention of money laundering
• That it maintains a register of its domiciled clients, accessible on request by the authorities
• That it archives compliance documents for at least 10 years after the end of the contractual relationship

A provider that is not on this list operates outside the legal framework. The companies it domiciles risk having their VAT number activation refused and being struck off the BCE.

KYC and AML obligations on the provider's side

A compliant domiciliation provider is not a simple mailbox. The law imposes vigilance obligations that structure the entire relationship with clients.

Before signing a contract, the provider must:

• Formally identify the directors and the ultimate beneficial owner (via ID card and UBO register)
• Verify the consistency between the declared activity and the announced business model
• Document the source of funds for companies with significant capital
• Periodically reassess the file to detect any suspicious changes

These checks may seem heavy, but they also protect the client. A founder who domiciles their company with a serious provider enters a framework where compliance is handled upstream, with no additional administrative steps.

Archiving and record-keeping

The provider must keep, for each client:

• The signed domiciliation contract
• The identity documents and KYC files of the directors
• The UBO register at the time of signature
• Records of official mail received (tax, judicial, banking)
• Any correspondence related to a change of management, of beneficial owner, or of activity

These archives must be available to the administration for 10 years after the end of the contract. A provider who loses a file or does not archive correctly risks an administrative sanction and, in serious cases, a withdrawal of registration.

What this means concretely for you, the founder

When you choose your domiciliation provider, you also choose the level of legal and fiscal security of your company. An unregistered provider can cost you:

• A refusal to open a business bank account, because the bank considers the KYC insufficient
• A refusal to activate your VAT number by the tax administration
• A striking off from the BCE if the administration observes the irregularity
• The urgent need to find a new registered office, with republication in the Moniteur Belge and updating of all your commercial documents

This is not theoretical. Every year, several hundred companies in Belgium find themselves in this situation, often because they chose a provider with an attractive rate without verifying its legal status.

How to verify that a provider is compliant

In practice, three quick checks are enough:

• Consult the online register of the SPF Economy. If the provider is not listed, it is an immediate warning signal.
• Ask for a copy of the standard contract. A serious provider formalises the service in an enforceable contract with clear clauses on archiving and mail management.
• Check the accreditation references. A registered provider displays its registration number on its website, in its contracts, and in its commercial communications.

These three checks take less than ten minutes. They prevent months of corrective administrative steps.

Conclusion

Choosing a domiciliation provider is not just choosing an address. It means delegating part of your legal and fiscal compliance to a provider that must maintain a strict framework. Belgian law is clear, and the SPF Economy is monitoring the sector more actively than ever.

At Office Factory (842 Chaussee d'Alsemberg, Uccle), we have been registered since 2018 and comply with the entire legal framework: enforceable contracts, 10-year archiving, upfront KYC controls. You never have to worry about the compliance of your registered office.

Discover our domiciliation offer from 79 EUR/month

Or read our article on company domiciliation in Belgium: what the law says