Belgium vs United Kingdom

The common company is a BV/SRL (private limited); formation requires a notarial deed and registration in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (KBO/BCE), which issues a company number. VAT registration follows if applicable.

Companies in the UK register with Companies House, usually as a private limited company (Ltd). Registration is quick and online; you then register for Corporation Tax with HMRC and, where applicable, VAT and PAYE.

Belgian banking is EU-integrated and digital, using the Bancontact payment system. Opening an account usually needs ID, proof of address and often a national register number; the National Bank of Belgium oversees the system.

The UK has established high-street banks and a strong digital-bank sector (Monzo, Starling, Revolut). Newcomers can open accounts, though proof of a UK address can be a hurdle; digital banks are often easier initially. The FCA and PRA regulate banks.

Belgium welcomes foreign investment through regional agencies (Flanders Investment & Trade, AWEX, hub.brussels), with EU free movement of capital and no exchange controls. A federal screening mechanism reviews investments in sensitive sectors; incentives are largely regional (grants, R&D and payroll-tax reliefs).

The UK is open to foreign investment, promoted by the Office for Investment (Department for Business and Trade). Most sectors need no approval, but the National Security and Investment Act lets the government screen deals in sensitive areas. There are no exchange controls, so profits repatriate freely; incentives include R&D reliefs and freeports.

Belgium taxes personal income progressively (with communal surcharges), corporate profits and VAT, run by the FPS Finance. Residents are taxed on worldwide income, and rates are relatively high.

The UK taxes income (Income Tax and National Insurance) and levies VAT on most goods and services, administered by HMRC. UK tax residents are generally taxed on worldwide income; the tax year runs 6 April to 5 April.

Non-EU nationals need a single permit (combined work and residence), usually employer-sponsored; EU citizens work freely. Belgium's regions (Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels) handle the work-authorisation part.

Most workers use the Skilled Worker visa, which requires a job offer from a Home Office-licensed sponsor, a role at the required skill level, and a salary at or above the applicable threshold. The visa is points-based and administered by UK Visas and Immigration.

Non-EU students admitted to recognised Belgian higher education generally need authorisation to stay for more than 90 days, usually via a D visa application made abroad, with the Immigration Office deciding the residence conditions. The first gate is whether your institution counts as recognised higher education — private or non-recognised training is treated differently. Plan admission, funds, health insurance and municipal registration together.

The UK Student visa (formerly Tier 4) lets you study at a licensed student sponsor. Once you accept an unconditional offer your university issues a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), valid for six months from issue. You apply online on GOV.UK with financial evidence and usually an approved English test, and pay the visa fee plus the Immigration Health Surcharge, which gives NHS access. You can apply up to six months before the course starts.

Belgium applies Schengen short-stay rules: tourist and other short visits are generally limited to 90 days in any 180-day period, with the visa requirement depending on nationality and the main-destination rules. Visa-free nationals must still meet the Schengen entry conditions, and a tourist stay is not a general route to work authorisation.

Most short visits to the UK use the Standard Visitor route, usually up to 6 months. Visa-exempt nationals must hold an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before travelling; visa nationals apply for a Standard Visitor visa online in advance. Visitors cannot work or claim public funds.

Belgium grants unlimited (permanent) residence after generally 5 years of continuous legal residence, via a national permit or the EU long-term residence permit. You show stable income, health insurance and integration; permanent residence then leads toward Belgian citizenship (usually after 5 years).

The UK equivalent of permanent residence is Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), usually available after five years on a qualifying visa (e.g. Skilled Worker), meeting residence, English and Life in the UK test requirements. ILR allows living and working without time limit.

In Belgium the main route is nationality by declaration after 5 years of legal residence (or 10 years on a longer track), showing language knowledge (one of Dutch, French or German), social and economic integration (usually work). Belgium permits dual nationality.

British citizenship by naturalization usually requires holding ILR (settlement) for at least 12 months, five years' lawful UK residence, good character, and passing the Life in the UK test and English requirement. The UK allows dual citizenship.

Belgian employment is well-protected: a guaranteed average minimum income (with sector collective agreements often higher), 20 days' statutory holiday plus holiday pay, and notice periods that grow with seniority. Joint committees set sector rules, social security is compulsory, and disputes go to the labour tribunal (tribunal du travail).

UK employment gives workers and employees statutory rights — the National Minimum/Living Wage, 5.6 weeks' paid holiday, and protection from unfair dismissal after two years — enforced via employment tribunals, with Acas providing guidance. You should get a written statement of terms from day one.

Belgian trade with non-EU countries clears through the Customs and Excise Administration with an EU EORI number, often via the major port of Antwerp. You classify goods in TARIC, and import VAT (21%) can be deferred to your VAT return with an ET 14000 licence. Declarations are electronic; intra-EU trade needs Intrastat and dual-use exports need a licence.

UK traders move goods using an EORI number and declare them to HMRC. You classify goods by commodity code to find the duty and VAT, check any licences or controls, and submit customs declarations (often via an agent) through the Customs Declaration Service. Since Brexit, EU trade also needs declarations; binding tariff rulings come from HMRC.

There is no national Belgian trademark: Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg share the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (BOIP). You file one Benelux application under Nice classes; after examination on absolute grounds it publishes with a two-month opposition period. A Benelux trademark lasts 10 years and is renewable; an EU-wide alternative is the EU trademark via EUIPO.

UK trademarks are registered with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO). You search the register, file an application specifying classes, and it publishes for a two-month opposition period before registration. A UK trademark lasts 10 years and is renewable; the IPO also handles patents and registered designs, with copyright arising automatically.

Belgium has no single national employment service for job placement — the public services are regionalised, with VDAB covering Flanders, Le Forem covering Wallonia and Actiris covering Brussels. The practical consequence is that the door you use is decided by region rather than by nationality or profession, and a search that looks only at one of the three sees only part of the country. Immigration work rights are a separate track from job-search support: non-EU workers generally need the correct single-permit or other residence basis before starting, and regulated professions may require recognition or language evidence.

The UK's official job-search service is Find a job, run by the DWP, though much hiring happens on commercial boards and company sites. For non-UK/Irish nationals the real gate is not the job board but the sponsor: most roles require a work visa with a licensed sponsor issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship, so an employer without a licence cannot hire you however good the fit. Employers must also check your right to work, and you may need to provide a share code.

Belgium is the subtle case among its neighbours: there is no statutory minimum wage fixed directly by law, but there IS a national floor — the guaranteed average minimum monthly income (RMMMG/GGMMI) established under a national collective agreement, CCT/CAO 43. So unlike Denmark or Finland there is a national figure, it just does not come from statute. Sector collective agreements can set higher minimum pay above it, and net pay also depends on social-security contributions, withholding tax, family facts and local taxes.

The UK's wage floor is age-tiered, not a single rate: the National Living Wage applies from age 21, while the National Minimum Wage covers younger workers and apprentices — so your entitlement depends on age and apprenticeship status. Rates are updated each April, which makes the timing predictable. For official earnings data the Office for National Statistics publishes two series worth knowing apart: Average Weekly Earnings and the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings.

In Belgium, funding differs by community: Flanders offers the Master Mind Scholarships (via Study in Flanders) for excellent master's students, while the French-speaking community funds development scholarships through ARES; VLIR-UOS also funds students from partner countries. Many universities add their own awards. Explore the community and university sites and apply by each deadline.

The UK's flagship international scholarships are Chevening (funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, for one-year master's) and the Commonwealth Scholarships (for Commonwealth-country students), alongside GREAT Scholarships and many university awards. Explore options on the Study UK / British Council site and apply by each scheme's deadline.

To study in Belgium you apply to the university (in the Flemish or French-speaking community), then, once admitted, apply for a student visa (type D / authorisation to stay for study) at the Belgian consulate and register at your commune after arrival. Explore the community and university sites and apply by the deadline.

To study in the UK you apply through UCAS for undergraduate courses or directly to universities for postgraduate study. Once you accept an offer, the university issues a CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies), which you use to apply for the Student visa (paying the Immigration Health Surcharge and showing funds). Explore courses on Study UK and apply by each deadline.

Belgium places no restriction on foreigners buying property. Renting is governed by regional tenancy law (Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels each have their own), with a deposit of up to two to three months placed in a blocked account and a registered lease. Buying goes through a notary (notaris/notaire), is registered, and carries registration duties that differ sharply by region: Flanders charges 2% on a sole own home you will live in (conditions apply) and 12% otherwise, while Brussels and Wallonia charge 12.5% with reductions for a main residence.

The UK places no restriction on foreigners buying property. In England, tenancies are open-ended assured periodic tenancies since 1 May 2026 — assured shorthold tenancies and section 21 “no-fault” eviction are abolished. Agents must run a Right to Rent check, and the tenancy deposit is capped at five weeks' rent and protected in a government scheme. Buyers use a solicitor/conveyancer, register at HM Land Registry and pay Stamp Duty Land Tax, with a 2% surcharge for non-UK residents.

Belgium uses compulsory health insurance delivered through mutualities (mutualités / ziekenfondsen) and regulated by INAMI/RIZIV — a mutuality-based insurance model, not the Nordic tax-funded one. Residents normally affiliate with a mutuality, or with the public auxiliary fund, in order to receive reimbursements. Private travel or hospital insurance can supplement that cover but does not replace the requirement to register for compulsory insurance.

The UK's National Health Service is mostly free at the point of use for people ordinarily resident. Most visa holders staying six months or more pay the Immigration Health Surcharge with their visa application, which then lets them use the NHS on the same basis as residents. Some services still carry charges — prescriptions, dental and eye tests in England. Note that holding private insurance does not exempt you from the IHS.

Belgian insurance combines compulsory social protection, compulsory health affiliation through a mutuality, motor liability cover and optional private products. Two structural points matter: health reimbursement depends on your mutuality affiliation or on the public auxiliary fund, and employer and employee social-security contributions run through separate systems via ONSS/RSZ. Before buying specialised private cover, check that the insurer or the intermediary is authorised — the FSMA supervises conduct in the sector.

In the UK, National Insurance contributions are deducted from your pay and fund the State Pension and certain benefits — so your NI record matters for what you can claim later, not just as a tax line. Private insurance (motor, home, life, travel) comes from firms regulated by the FCA for conduct and the PRA for prudential soundness. Two policies are compulsory: motor third-party insurance and employers' liability insurance. Check any firm is authorised on the FCA Register before buying.