{"id":1187,"date":"2025-03-31T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-31T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biuroprecyzja.pl\/en\/numery-identyfikacyjne-w-belgii\/"},"modified":"2026-01-02T14:22:40","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T14:22:40","slug":"identification-numbers-in-belgium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biuroprecyzja.pl\/en\/identification-numbers-in-belgium\/","title":{"rendered":"Identification Numbers in Belgium"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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How to obtain the Belgian identification numbers KBO\/BCE, VAT number (TVA\/BTW), Limosa, NISS number, and EORI number? We explain their purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you set up a business in Belgium, you will encounter several key identification numbers. These numbers are not just a formality\u2014they serve important functions within the legal and administrative system, facilitating contact with authorities and business partners. In this guide, we will clearly explain the most important ones: the KBO\/BCE number, the VAT number (TVA\/BTW), the NISS number, and the EORI number. You will learn what each one is, who must obtain it, how to do so, where these numbers are used in practice, and what their formats look like. Finally, we will present a brief story of entrepreneur Mr. Jan, which shows how all these identifiers cooperate in the daily running of a business in Belgium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KBO\/BCE Number (Banque-Carrefour des Entreprises \/ Kruispuntbank van Ondernemingen)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What it is and its function:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The KBO (Dutch: Kruispuntbank van Ondernemingen<\/em>) or BCE (French: Banque-Carrefour des Entreprises<\/em>) is the central database for businesses in Belgium, serving as the national company register. Upon registering a business activity in the KBO, every company (whether a corporation or a sole proprietorship) receives a unique enterprise number. This is a 10-digit identification code that consolidates basic information about all legal entities and self-employed individuals in Belgium. The KBO\/BCE number streamlines information exchange with the administration\u2014it is used to identify the company across all offices and registers, allowing data to be submitted only once, while state bodies <\/a>exchange the necessary information among themselves. In practice, this increases the efficiency of state service for entrepreneurs and simplifies the completion of administrative duties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who and when must obtain it:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The obligation to obtain a KBO number applies to every entrepreneur starting a business in Belgium\u2014regardless of the company size, legal form, or type of activity. All business activities must be registered in the KBO database, no later than the day activity commences\u200b<\/a>. This applies to both commercial companies and individual physical persons operating as sole proprietorships (self-employed). There is no general exemption from registration\u2014even if you run a small-scale side business or supplementary activity alongside full-time employment, formal registration and obtaining an enterprise number is necessary for legal operation. Failure to register a company in the KBO may result in administrative penalties, as the company cannot legally conduct business in Belgium without this number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How the obtaining process works:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Business registration in Belgium usually takes place through an accredited enterprise counter<\/strong> (known as guichet d\u2019entreprise<\/em> in French or ondernemingsloket<\/em> in Dutch), which functions as a “one-stop-shop” for business formalities. A natural person starting a business goes to a chosen enterprise counter where they submit an application for entry into the KBO. In the case of a company (legal entity), the deed of incorporation is first drawn up (e.g., at a notary’s office) and registered with the commercial court, and then the company is registered with the KBO\u2014also via an enterprise counter or electronically. The registration application must include required documents (including proof of identity, possibly a business plan or company statutes) and a registration fee. This fee is approximately\u00a0EUR 100<\/strong> (the rate is subject to annual indexation<\/a>) for registering one economic unit. The enterprise counter will also verify whether you meet the conditions for conducting the specific activity (e.g., holding required permits, professional qualifications in regulated industries, etc.). As part of the registration process, your company’s data is transferred to relevant institutions\u2014including the tax administration and social insurance\u2014to obtain their approval. Once all formalities are completed and the application is approved, the KBO assigns a unique identification number<\/strong> to your company. You will be informed about the assignment of the number, and from that moment, your company officially appears in the enterprise register.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where and in what context it is used:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The KBO\/BCE number<\/strong> serves as the universal company identifier and is used in every official context<\/strong> related to business activity. You must include this number on all company documents<\/strong>\u2014including invoices, contracts, offers, purchase orders, and even on letterheads, the website, or advertisements. This allows contractors, clients, and state bodies to easily verify the existence and details of your company in the register. The KBO number is also required when filling out various official forms and declarations: it will be needed for submissions to the tax office, when applying for permits or licenses, and in dealings with the Social Insurance Institution (e.g., when registering as an employer or reporting employees). Additionally, this number may appear on company vehicles (for certain activities, such as itinerant trade or construction services, marking the vehicle with the company number is required) and on the signage of the enterprise’s headquarters. In summary, the KBO number accompanies you in nearly every business interaction<\/strong>\u2014it ensures transparency and trust by showing that your company is registered and operating legally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Number format:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Belgian enterprise number consists of 10 digits<\/strong>. It is often written with dots for readability, in the format XXX.XXX.XXX<\/strong> (nine digits) or with a leading zero as 0XX.XXX.XXX<\/strong> (ten digits total). For example, the number may look like 0123.456.789<\/strong>. This ten-digit code is unique to each entity\u2014no two companies have the same number. It is worth noting that the current system unified previous commercial and VAT numbers: in the past, company registration numbers and VAT numbers in Belgium were separate, but since the creation of the KBO, they have become one string of digits. Thanks to this, one enterprise number serves multiple functions (it is the primary company number, and after activation, it can also serve as the VAT number\u2014more on this below). Note:<\/strong> If a company is registered in the KBO but is not subject to VAT, it uses the 10-digit number alone. However, when the company is a VAT payer, this number is used with the country prefix “BE”<\/strong> as part of the VAT number (details in the next section)..<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

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VAT Number (TVA\/BTW)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What it is and its function<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The VAT number<\/strong> (from English: Value Added Tax<\/em>, French: TVA<\/em>, Dutch: BTW<\/em>) is the identification number of a taxpayer for the tax on goods and services. In Belgium, VAT, like in other EU countries, is a tax added at every stage of economic turnover. The VAT number serves to identify the company within the VAT settlement system<\/strong>\u2014it allows the tax authority to track the company’s transactions in the context of tax due, and it allows counterparties (especially foreign ones) to verify the company’s tax status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In practice, holding an active VAT number enables the company to charge VAT on sales invoices and deduct (recover) the VAT paid on business-related purchases. This number is also used in the EU’s VAT Information Exchange System (VIES<\/strong>) to check the validity of counterparty numbers in intra-Community transactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Important:<\/strong>\u00a0Currently in Belgium, a company’s VAT number<\/strong> is almost identical to its KBO number<\/strong>\u2014it differs only by the addition of the country prefix BE<\/strong> before the string of digits. This means that your VAT number is simply “BE + [KBO number].”<\/strong> For example, if the company’s KBO number is 0123.456.789, the VAT number will be presented as BE 0123.456.789<\/strong>. If a company is not subject to VAT (e.g., benefits from the exemption for small businesses or conducts only VAT-exempt activities), then it does not need a separate VAT number<\/strong>\u2014it uses only the KBO number<\/strong> as its identifier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who and when must obtain it:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The obligation to register for VAT applies to all entrepreneurs who intend to regularly perform activities subject to VAT<\/strong> (sales of goods or provision of services that are not legally exempt from VAT). The company must have an active VAT number before commencing the sale of taxable goods or services. However, there are exceptions and exemptions<\/strong> that mean not every company needs a VAT number right from the start of the activity::<\/p>\n\n\n\n