An expatriate buyer mainly needs valid identity documents, proof of funds or a mortgage agreement, and, for the notary, a Belgian national number or bis number plus civil-status details. No residence permit is required to buy. The notary requests the rest, and Easyhome helps you gather it in time.
Buying in Wallonia as an expatriate is less document-heavy than people fear, because the notary drives the checklist. The essentials fall into three groups: who you are, that your money is real, and your civil status for the deed.
For identity, you need a valid passport or national ID card. Belgian notaries also register buyers in the national systems, so a non-resident is typically assigned a bis number (numero bis) if they do not already hold a Belgian national register number, which lets the deed and later tax records be linked to you correctly. For financing, you provide proof of funds if buying in cash, or a mortgage offer or agreement in principle if borrowing. For the deed itself, the notary needs your civil-status particulars: date and place of birth, marital status and matrimonial regime, since these determine how you own the property and what happens on death or divorce.
A counter-intuitive but important point: your matrimonial regime, governed by the law that applies to your marriage, can affect Belgian ownership and inheritance outcomes, so the notary asks about it even for a foreign couple. Documents drawn up abroad, such as a birth or marriage certificate, may need a translation and sometimes an apostille to be usable in Belgium. There is no requirement to hold a Belgian residence permit or to be an EU citizen to buy, though non-EU buyers should still check their own immigration status for actually living in the property.
Easyhome helps expatriate clients assemble and, where needed, translate this paperwork ahead of the compromis de vente, so the notarial appointment is not delayed by a missing certificate.
At a glance
- Identity: valid passport or national ID card.
- Belgian identifier: a bis number (numero bis) assigned by the notary if you have no national register number.
- Financing proof: proof of funds, or a mortgage offer or agreement in principle.
- Civil status: date and place of birth, marital status and matrimonial regime for the deed.
- Foreign documents: birth or marriage certificates may need translation and sometimes an apostille.
- Not required to buy: a Belgian residence permit or EU citizenship (check immigration status separately to live there).