In Belgium the notarial deed is normally signed within about four months of the compromis (preliminary sale agreement). That window lets the notary run legal checks, secure the buyer’s financing and collect the registration duties. The deadline is written into the compromis itself. Source: Notaire.be.
The four-month figure is not arbitrary; it reflects the work the notary has to complete before ownership can transfer. Once the compromis is signed, the notary verifies the title, checks the urban-planning and soil status, confirms there are no charges or mortgages left on the property, and arranges the practical settlement of the price and taxes. Source: Notaire.be.
The buyer’s side uses the same window. This is when your mortgage is finalised, since Belgian banks rarely finance 100% and need time to formalise the loan and, at the deed, register their mortgage. If your compromis contained a suspensive loan condition, this period is precisely when it is tested: get the loan and the sale proceeds, fail to get it and the condition can unwind the purchase.
A detail that catches people out: the four months is a target set in the compromis, and it can be shortened or extended by agreement. A cash buyer with no loan to arrange can sometimes complete faster; a complex file, a slow commune or an estate matter can push it out. What does not change is that the essential commitment was already made at the compromis.
Because the registration duties fall due around the deed, the region matters for the amount, though not for the timing: 3% for an own and sole home in Wallonia, 2% in Flanders, 12.5% in Brussels with an allowance. Source: Lydian 2025.
At a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Usual delay | About 4 months |
| Set where? | In the compromis itself |
| Why that long? | Notary checks, financing, registration |
| Can it be shorter? | Yes, for example a cash buyer, by agreement |
| What can delay it? | Missing documents, slow commune, estate files |
| When duties are paid | Around the notarial deed |