Can a foreigner buy in Brussels?

Yes, with no restrictions. EU citizens have the same rights as Belgian citizens.

What is the registration duty?

12.5% on resale property (6% for first homes in some regions). It is the main closing cost.

Belgium · EUR

Real estatein Belgium

Belgium charges 12.5% registration duty on resale property (6% in some regions for first homes) and closes before a notary. Brussels is the EU capital. sivrce opens with Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent and Bruges.

Registry path

Title checked

3D map

6%Flanders, above the €100k band

12.5%Brussels & Wallonia

Waarborgtwo months, regulated account

Health indexthe legal rent escalator

What a purchase really costs

€ 400.000 home in Belgium

Registration duty (12.5% south, 6% Flanders) (6%): € 24.000
Notaris fees — statutory scale (≈1%): € 4.000
Cash needed at closing: € 428.000

≈ +7% over the price. Flanders cut its registration duty to 6% (2024, above a €100k exemption band for all buyers; first-homes get further reductions), while Brussels and Wallonia keep 12.5% with own first-home abatements. The notaris is mandatory and runs the cadastre check. Foreigners buy freely; the cadastral income (kadastraal inkomen) drives annual property tax, not price.

Rentals run on rules

The rent side, in three lines

Deposits run two months (waarborg) in a regulated account.
Leases commonly run 3 years (renew 3+3) or 9-year commercial style for flats.
Indexation to health index is automatic if contracted — Belgian leases escalate on a formula, not the landlord’s mood.

Brussels prices off EU-institution wages; Antwerp off port money; Ghent off students.

Registration duty is 12.5% in Flanders and Wallonia (6% for first homes), and 12.5% in Brussels (3% for first homes). The notarial fee is regulated. EU institutions drive rental demand.

Brussels and Antwerp lead rental yields. Ixelles and Uccle are premium in Brussels; Het Zuid in Antwerp.

sivrce.com/be is the canonical Belgium URL. Listings publish only when verified.

FAQ

Can a foreigner buy in Brussels?: Yes, with no restrictions. EU citizens have the same rights as Belgian citizens.
What is the registration duty?: 12.5% on resale property (6% for first homes in some regions). It is the main closing cost.

All markets: sivrce.com · Georgia marketplace: sivrce.ge · Prices and availability are published only when a verified listing exists. Market currency: EUR.