A mortgage release (mainlevee) in Belgium costs roughly 1% of the original loan amount, commonly 1,500 to 2,500 euros. For a 250,000 euro loan expect about 1,800 to 2,500 euros, covering notary honoraria, the release duty, registry fees and 21% VAT (Estimer Logement, 2026).
When you sell a property that still carries a mortgage inscription, that inscription has to be formally lifted, and the mainlevee is the notarial act that does it. Its cost is not a single fee but a bundle, and it scales with the original registered loan rather than the amount still outstanding, which is why an almost-repaid loan can still generate a meaningful release bill (Estimer Logement, 2026).
As a rule of thumb, budget around 1% of the initial loan, typically landing between 1,500 and 2,500 euros (Estimer Logement, 2026). For a 250,000 euro loan the total is usually about 1,800 to 2,500 euros. The bundle breaks down into notary honoraria of roughly 300 to 600 euros, a mortgage-release duty of 0.30% of the initial loan, registry fees of a few hundred euros, a small fixed registration cost, administrative charges and 21% VAT on the honoraria (Estimer Logement, 2026).
The counter-intuitive point that catches sellers out is timing and necessity. A registered mortgage stays on the public register for 30 years unless lifted, so it does not lapse merely because you finished repaying the loan (Estimer Logement, 2026). If you repaid your credit years ago but never arranged a release, the inscription is still there, and you will need the mainlevee to sell before the 30-year mark. Only once the inscription has naturally expired after 30 years does a formal release become unnecessary.
To manage the cost, ask the notary for the release figure early, since it directly reduces your net proceeds, and coordinate it with the sale deed so both acts are handled together. If you are close to the 30-year expiry, it can occasionally be worth checking whether the inscription is about to lapse on its own. In most active sales, though, the mainlevee is simply a predictable line in the seller’s budget.
At a glance
| Component | Typical amount |
|---|---|
| Total release cost | About 1% of the original loan (Estimer Logement, 2026) |
| Common range | 1,500 to 2,500 euros |
| Example, 250,000 euro loan | About 1,800 to 2,500 euros |
| Notary honoraria | 300 to 600 euros |
| Mortgage-release duty | 0.30% of the initial loan |
| Registry and admin fees | A few hundred euros |
| VAT | 21% on the honoraria |