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Notary fees and registration duties in Brussels: the 2026 maths
Buying property in Brussels costs far more than the asking price. Registration duties, the abatement, notary fees: here is the real 2026 calculation, with a worked example.
In Brussels you pay 12.5% registration duty on the purchase price. If it is your sole, own home, the abatement exempts the first €200,000, saving up to €25,000. On a €300,000 property you then pay around €16,000 in costs instead of €41,000.
Registration duties: 12.5% in Brussels
The big line item is the regional purchase tax. In Brussels it is 12.5% of the sale price. On a €265,000 apartment, the Brussels median in 2025, that is €33,125 before any relief. The Region sets this rate, and it did not move in 2026.
That rate leaves Brussels well behind its neighbours. More on that below, because the gap has become huge.
The abatement: what you actually save
The abatement is the relief that changes everything for a first purchase. You pay no registration duty on the first €200,000 of the price. At 12.5%, the maximum saving reaches €25,000.
The conditions come down to three points:
- the property becomes your main residence and you do not already own another home, in Belgium or anywhere else;
- the price stays under €600,000. Above that, the abatement disappears entirely. It is not a tapering cap, it is a cliff edge;
- you stay domiciled there. Good news here: since 1 January 2026, the minimum period dropped from five years to one.
A point few buyers know: if you commit to improving the property's EPC by at least two classes, the abatement rises to €250,000. A real lever when you are buying a place to renovate.
Notary fees and the extra costs
Notary fees are set by royal decree. They are degressive and sit around 1% of the price. The key point: they are identical at every notary in Belgium. No one can give you a discount, and no one can overcharge.
On top come various costs: administrative searches, writing duties, mortgage registration if you borrow. For a property around €300,000, budget €3,000 to €3,500 for fees and costs combined.