Setting up a Business
Setting up your own company in Wallonia
In Wallonia, you can start out in business and set up a company, whatever its legal form, in no time. In fact, all the required formalities will take you no longer than 3 days.
Before doing anything else, any SME, natural person or legal entity who wants to operate as a commercial enterprise must be registered with the Banque Carrefour des Entreprises (Crossroads Bank for Enterprises), a one-stop shop for enterprises that is approved by the authorities, and have a management aptitude certificate issued by the Federal Public Service (FPS) Economy, SMEs, Independent Professions and Energy.
For procedures to be followed by a legal entity (company) to set up a company in Belgium please visit:
Legal Structure
In the initial stages of entering a foreign market, it is often worthwhile to opt for a basic legal structure that allows for flexibility and minimum administration, before going on to establish an incorporated legal entity that is representative of the business sector in question.
Unincorporated Structures
- Self-employed individual -Travailleur indépendant
- Representative Office - Bureau de représentation
- Branch Office - Succursale
Corporated Structures
Limited Companies:
- Private Limited Company - Société privée à responsabilité limitée (SPRL)
- Sole-Member Private Limited Company - Société privée à responsabilité limitée unipersonnelle (SPRLU)
- Public Limited Company - Société anonyme (S.A.)
- Cooperative Society - Société coopérative - (
- Limited Cooperative Society - Société coopérative à responsabilité limitée - (SCRL)
Unlimited Companies:
- General Partnership - Société en nom collectif (SNC)
- Limited Partnership - Société en commandite
- Cooperative Society with joint unlimited Liability - Société coopérative à responsabilité illimitée et solidaire (SCRIS)
For detailed information on the main characteristics ofthe different company strucutres please visit:
