
As a foreign investor interested in the
Belgian business environment, it is recommended for you to
set up a liaison office in the country that would give you a better insight on the commercial potential of the market. Also, it can offer the possibility of a better representation of your company’s interests. A
liaison office in Belgium acts as a connection between the parent company, situated elsewhere, and the business industries, competitors and partners on the Belgian market.
Main functions of a liaison office in Belgium
Opening a liaison office in Belgium can offer many advantages to the investors, as it gives the parent company a presence on the market and it also offers the possibility to promote the main activity undertaken by the company and to establish
contracts with Belgian companies. If you want to
open a representative office,
our company formation specialists can help you throughout the process, but you should know that the office doesn’t need a registration in Belgium.
The activities of a Belgian liaison office
The
liaison office is supposed to act on behalf of the parent
company to
determine market opportunities in the Belgian business environment. As such, only the following activities are regulated by the
Belgian law:
• offering information to the potential clients or partners;
• providing promotion materials;
• lobbying for the parent company with local and foreign companies;
• coordinating the activities imposed by the parent company;
• surveying the Belgian market;
• organizing travel arrangement, when needed, for representative of the parent company or for its clients.
The liaison office is not allowed to engage in the following activities:
• imposing fees on various services;
• signing contracts on behalf of the parent company,
• buying property;
• importing goods;
Also, the office can’t develop commercial activities, as the
Belgian law states that only non-profit activities, such as market research and lobby are permitted.
In the situation in which the
office has a permanent establishment in Belgium, it should register for the
payment of the Value Added Tax.
Our company formation agents can provide you with further details on the registration procedure. If you need company formation services in other counries, such as
Cayman Islands, Kazakhstan, Bahrain, we can put you in contact with our partners.