How to change the address of your business?

Are you planning to move or relocate the registered office of your business to a new address? Then there are a few important matters you need to arrange to ensure everything goes smoothly. What you need to do exactly depends on whether you are a sole trader or a company. In this article, we will tell you everything you need to know about changing the address of your business in Belgium!

1. Address change for sole traders
2. Address change for companies

Scenario 1: Changing your address as a sole trader (natural person)

If you are a sole trader (‘eenmanszaak’ in Dutch or ‘personne physique’ in French), your residential address also serves as the official address or registered office of your business. If you move and your residential address changes, and you must notify the city council where you are moving to. The registered office of your sole proprietorship will then automatically be transferred.

🏠 To change your personal address (and thus that of your sole proprietorship), follow these steps:

Step 1: Report the address change

Notify the civil affairs department of your (new) city. You must do this within 8 days of moving into your new home.

Step 2: Inspection by the local police

A local police officer will come by to check if you actually live at the new address. During this inspection, they will look for indicators that you have indeed moved into your new home, such as your name on the doorbell and mailbox or the presence of furniture and personal belongings.

Step 3: Changing the address on your ID card

The local police officer informs the municipal population service of their visit. You will then be invited by the local authorities to update your ID card. The Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (CBE) will automatically update your new address from the national registry. Et voilà, the address of your sole proprietorship has been changed.

⚠️ Note, changing your personal address only alters the registered office (‘maatschappelijke zetel’ in Dutch or ‘un siège statutaire’ in French) of your sole proprietorship. You must manually update your operating or establishment address in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (CBE). Step 4 tells you how to do this.

Step 4: Adjusting your establishment unit

An establishment unit or operating address is where you actively conduct your professional activity, if it’s not at the same place as the registered office. This could be the address of an office, hair salon, nail salon, bakery, shop, etc.

If you have an office, shop, salon, or similar at home, then your establishment address is the same as your registered office. However, you still need to make this change yourself.

To change your operating address or establishment unit, you can easily do this yourself via the official government website MyEnterprise. Unfortunately, this address change is not free (105.50 euros in 2024).

💡Accountable tip: You can also ask your social insurance fund’s enterprise counter to make the address change (for a fee).

Step 5: Inform the VAT administration

Notify the VAT administration that you have changed your address. This can be done for free and online via form 604B. If you are (not yet) subject to VAT, you can skip this step.

Step 6: Inform customers and partners

It’s best to also inform your clients and other entities about your address change. Don’t forget your social security counter, Bpost, and your telephone company.

Scenario 2: Changing the address of your company in Belgium

Changing the address of your company (‘vennootschap’ in Dutch or ‘une société’ in French) is a bit more tricky and involves more administration. The official address of your company is the registered office. Since the address of the registered office is included in the articles of association for a company, you need to amend these articles when changing the address. You also need to notify the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (CBE) and the VAT administration.

🏢 To change the address of your company, follow these steps:

Step 1: Amend the articles of association

If the address of the registered office changes, the first step is to amend the articles of association: remove the old address and replace it with the new one. Then, you must publish this change of registered office in the Belgian Official Gazette. Unfortunately, this is not as straightforward as making a change in the CBE.

• Hold a general meeting and prepare a report of the general meeting containing the date of the change. Ensure the necessary signatures from the manager or delegated director are in the report;
• Fill in and sign the publication forms from the FPS Justice;
• Deposit both documents at the registry of the commercial court of your new judicial district.
  Here, you can consult the rates for a publication in the Belgian Official Gazette.

Skip this step if you’re only changing your establishment address and the registered office remains at the same address.

Step 2: Update your address details in CBE

👉 Establishment address: you can easily adjust this yourself via the government application MyEnterprise.

👉 Registered office: the adjustment must be done through an accredited business counter.

Like a publication in the Belgian Official Gazette, this is not free (price: 105.50 euros in 2024).

Step 3: Inform the VAT administration

You must also inform the VAT administration about the change of address. This can be done for free and online via form 604B. If your company is (not yet) subject to VAT, you can skip this step.

Step 4: Inform your customers and other entities

There are a few more entities you should inform about your relocation, especially if it involved a change of the establishment address. Start with your clients, but also inform your telephone company, your suppliers, and your social security counter office about your move.

Wishing you the best of luck in your new home or business

The level of administration involved in changing the address of your business strongly depends on whether you have a company or operate as a sole trader.

Changing your address is not entirely free and comes with certain obligations. Take your time to go through all the steps, as this helps prevent mistakes and unnecessary costs. The Accountable team ✨ is here to assist if you have questions about changing the address of your business.