How many foreign entities are there in Belgium?

Last updated: 8 September 2026

How many foreign entities are there in Belgium? Er zijn 71,008 actieve foreign entities in België. Dat is 3.5% van alle Belgische bedrijven.

Short answer

Er zijn 71,008 actieve foreign entities in België (3.5% van alle bedrijven). De gemiddelde foreign entity is 15 jaar en 1 maanden oud. Afgelopen maand werden er 66 nieuwe foreign entities opgericht.

1. How many foreign entities are there in Belgium? The numbers.

Volgens de Kruispuntbank van Ondernemingen (KBO) zijn er 71,008 actieve foreign entities in België, op een totaal van 2,002,637 actieve bedrijven.

71,008

Active

3.5%

Of all companies

66

New this month

15j 1m

Average age

2. In which cities are most foreign entities?

Most foreign entities Luxembourg (1,514), followed by Amsterdam, Paris, PARIS, London.

1 Luxembourg
1,514
2 Amsterdam
1,293
3 Paris
1,274
4 PARIS
794
5 London
725

3. In which sectors are foreign entities?

The most popular sector for foreign entities: Overige niet-gespecialiseerde detailhandel (1,329 companies).

1 Overige niet-gespecialiseerde detailhandel
1,329
2 Bemiddelingsactiviteiten in verband met de niet-gespecialiseerde detailhandel
1,156
3 Overig personenvervoer te land, neg
1,073
4 Detailhandel in wijnen en geestrijke dranken
999
5 Personenvervoer over de weg zonder dienstregeling
985

Age distribution

How old are the active foreign entities? The chart shows the number of foreign entities.

01,2172,4343,6504,8670j10j20j30j40j50jLeeftijd (jaren)

6. What is a foreign entity?

A foreign entity is a company incorporated abroad but active in Belgium. Think of a Dutch BV with an office in Antwerp, a French company with Belgian real estate, or an American tech company with a European headquarters in Brussels. They retain their foreign legal form but must register with the Belgian CBE (Crossroads Bank for Enterprises).

This figure says a lot about how attractive Belgium is as a business location. Foreign entities receive a Belgian enterprise number and VAT number, must comply with Belgian regulations (e.g. social security contributions when hiring staff), but are taxed in their country of origin unless they have a permanent establishment. Brussels attracts the most foreign companies thanks to the EU institutions and its international character.

Read more about the pros and cons of a foreign entity →

4. Comparison with other legal forms

How do foreign entities?

Look up a foreign entity?

Search by name, address or VAT number and find all info directly.

7. Frequently asked questions

How many foreign entities are there in Belgium?

71,008 active / 71,008 total.

What percentage of all Belgian companies is a foreign entity?

foreign entities: 3.5% (2,002,637 companies).

In which cities are most foreign entities?

Luxembourg (1,514), Amsterdam (1,293), Paris (1,274), PARIS (794), London (725).

How old is the average foreign entity?

15j 1m.

Where can I look up foreign entities?

Databakkes.be

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