AML/KYC Compliance for Domiciliation Centers in Belgium: Complete Guide 2026

In brief

Belgian domiciliation centers are regulated entities under the Act of 18 September 2017: they must identify and verify each client (KYC), assess money-laundering risk, monitor changes continuously, and report any suspicious transaction to the CTIF. Non-compliance exposes them to administrative fines up to 5 million euros and withdrawal of their licence. Company Belgium automates these checks through its official BCE/KBO API.

Introduction: The crucial importance of AML/KYC compliance

Domiciliation centers in Belgium play an essential role in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, but this strategic position comes with significant responsibilities regarding anti-money laundering (AML) and customer identity verification (KYC - Know Your Customer).

In 2026, Belgian and European regulations on combating money laundering and terrorist financing have never been stricter. Domiciliation centers are among the obliged entities under the Law of 18 September 2017 on the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing. Our complete guide to the Act of 18 September 2017 explains all obligations in detail.

Company Belgium positions itself as your technology partner to automate and secure your compliance processes through an API for accessing official BCE/KBO data.

Who are the obliged entities in Belgium?

Belgian law precisely defines the obliged entities that must comply with AML/KYC obligations:

1. Commercial domiciliation centers

company that provides domiciliation services to third parties is automatically considered an obliged entity. This includes:

• Domiciliation centers registered with the FPS Economy

• Coworking spaces offering an administrative address

• Accounting and law firms offering domiciliation

• Fiduciary companies

2. Other related obliged professions

• Notaries: verification when creating companies

• Accountants and auditors: continuous client monitoring

• Lawyers: due diligence during significant transactions

• Real estate agents: verification of buyers and sellers

• Company service providers: domiciliation, social secretariat

> 💡 Good to know: According to BCE statistics for 2026, more than 2,800 domiciliation centers are active in Belgium, all subject to the same compliance obligations.

The three pillars of AML/KYC compliance

Pillar 1: Customer identification (CDD - Customer Due Diligence)

Every domiciliation center must carry out formal identification of each client before establishing a business relationship. This identification includes:

For natural persons:

• Full name and first names

• Date and place of birth

• Nationality

• Complete residential address

• National register number (if applicable)

• Official identity document (certified true copy)

For legal entities:

• Exact corporate name

• BCE/KBO enterprise number

• Legal form

• Registered office address

• Identity of ultimate beneficial owners (UBO)

• Recent extract from the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises

Pillar 2: Identity verification

Identification alone is not sufficient. You must verify the accuracy of the information provided by the client using reliable and independent sources.

This is where Company Belgium comes in. Our platform allows you to:

✅ Instantly verify the legal existence of a company via our BCE/KBO API

✅ Access official data: enterprise number, legal form, creation date, status

✅ Consult establishments and operational addresses

✅ Verify VAT number and its activation

✅ Identify directors and legal representatives

✅ Access the UBO register to know ultimate beneficial owners

Example API request to verify a company:

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class="code-comment">// Verification of a company via the Company Belgium API
const response = await fetch(class="code-string">'https:class="code-comment">//companybelgium.be/api/companies/0123.456.789', {
  headers: {
    class="code-string">'X-API-Key': class="code-string">'pk_live_your_key',
    class="code-string">'X-API-Secret': class="code-string">'sk_live_your_secret',
  },
});

const company = await response.json();

class="code-comment">// Automatic checks
const checks = {
  isActive: company.data.status === class="code-string">'AC',
  hasValidVAT: company.data.vatNumber !== null,
  hasEstablishments: company.data.establishmentsCount > 0,
  legalFormVerified: company.data.juridicalForm !== null,
};

Pillar 3: Continuous monitoring and updating

AML/KYC compliance is not a one-time act. It implies continuous monitoring of your clients:

• Annual update of identification data

• Monitoring of changes in the BCE register

• Periodic verification of the UBO register

• Detection of significant changes (change of director, registered office, etc.)

With Company Belgium, you can automate this monitoring:

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class="code-comment">// Automatic monitoring of changes
const monitoringResult = await fetch(
  class="code-string">'https:class="code-comment">//companybelgium.be/api/companies/0123.456.789/changes?since=2025-01-01',
  {
    headers: {
      class="code-string">'X-API-Key': class="code-string">'pk_live_your_key',
      class="code-string">'X-API-Secret': class="code-string">'sk_live_your_secret',
    },
  }
);

Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD): When is it required?

Certain situations require enhanced due diligence (EDD):

1. Politically exposed persons (PEP)

When a client or ultimate beneficial owner is a politically exposed person (PEP), you must:

• Obtain approval from senior management to establish the relationship

• Implement enhanced measures to monitor the business relationship

• Determine the origin of wealth and funds

> 📖 Official resource: Consult the list of PEP functions on the CTIF website (Financial Information Processing Unit).

2. High-risk countries

If the client is established or operates in a country on the list of high-risk jurisdictions of the FATF (Financial Action Task Force), EDD is mandatory.

2026 list of high-risk countries: Iran, North Korea, Myanmar (Burma), Syria, and countries under enhanced FATF monitoring.

3. Complex structures

Complex business structures require particular vigilance:

• Holdings with multiple subsidiaries

• Offshore structures

• Trusts and foundations

• Companies without apparent operational activity

For these cases, use our establishment search API to map all related entities.

Reporting obligations: The role of CTIF

As a domiciliation center, you have the legal obligation to report any suspicious transaction to CTIF, the Belgian Financial Information Processing Unit.

What is a suspicious transaction?

A transaction is considered suspicious when it presents indications of money laundering or terrorist financing:

🚩 Typical warning indicators:

• Client refuses to provide required identification documents

• Inconsistency between declared activity and observed transactions

• Frequent changes of registered office or directors

• Absence of real economic substance

• Use of shell companies or nominees

• Operations without apparent economic justification

Reporting process

> ⚠️ Warning: Failure to report a suspicious transaction is punishable by criminal and administrative sanctions of up to 5 million euros fine.

Data retention: Legal obligations

You must retain all documents relating to identification and transactions for at least 10 years after the end of the business relationship. See our article on AML data retention in Belgium for details on the required format and GDPR articulation:

Documents to be kept mandatorily:

📁 Complete client file:

• Copies of identification documents

• Completed KYC forms

• Proof of verification

• Correspondence with the client

• Risk analyses performed

• Decisions made regarding the client

📁 Verification register:

• Dates of verifications performed

• Sources used (BCE extracts, UBO verifications, etc.)

• Results obtained

• Persons who performed verifications

With Company Belgium, automatically keep the history of your verifications via our API:

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class="code-comment">// Automatic timestamp of verifications
const verificationLog = {
  timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
  enterpriseNumber: class="code-string">'0123.456.789',
  apiResponse: companyData,
  verifiedBy: class="code-string">'compliance-officer@yourcenter.be',
  checksPassed: true,
};

class="code-comment">// Store this log in your compliance system
await saveVerificationLog(verificationLog);

Training and internal governance

AML/KYC compliance requires a compliance culture within your organization. See our article on AML/KYC team training for a structured programme:

1. Appointment of an AML officer

Each domiciliation center must appoint a compliance officer responsible for:

• Supervising KYC procedures

• Training staff

• Making reports to CTIF

• Keeping policies and procedures up to date

• Conducting internal audits

2. Continuous staff training

All employees in contact with clients must receive regular training on:

• Legal AML/KYC obligations

• Detection of warning signs

• Company internal procedures

• Sanctions for non-compliance

3. Risk assessment

Conduct an annual risk assessment of your client portfolio:

• Classification of clients by risk level (low, medium, high)

• Adaptation of monitoring frequency according to risk

• Documentation of classification decisions

Sanctions and consequences of non-compliance

Failure to comply with AML/KYC obligations exposes your domiciliation center to severe sanctions:

Administrative sanctions (FPS Economy)

💸 Administrative fines:

• Up to 5 million euros or 10% of annual turnover

• Multiplication in case of recidivism

🚫 Additional sanctions:

• Suspension or withdrawal of domiciliation license

• Publication of the sanction (reputational effect)

• Ban on practicing

Criminal sanctions

In case of serious violations (complicity in money laundering), criminal prosecutions may be initiated:

• Imprisonment sentences from 15 days to 5 years

• Significant criminal fines

• Criminal liability of managers

Civil and reputational risks

• Civil prosecutions by injured third parties

• Loss of trust from clients and partners

• Banking difficulties (account closures)

• Inability to work with certain principals

> 💡 Prevention: A robust compliance system, combined with technological tools like Company Belgium, drastically reduces these risks.

Company Belgium: Your compliance partner

Our Company Belgium platform is specifically designed to facilitate AML/KYC compliance for domiciliation centers:

✅ Advantages for your compliance

1. Instant verification

• Real-time access to the official BCE/KBO database

• More than 2 million Belgian companies listed

• Daily data updates

2. Complete automation

• Simple REST API integration

• Webhooks to monitor changes

• Reduction of manual work by 80%

3. Guaranteed compliance

• Official and certified data

• Timestamp of each verification

• Complete history preserved

• Audit trail for controls

4. Considerable time savings

• Verification in 2 seconds vs 30 minutes manually

• 100 automated verifications/day

• Centralized dashboard

🔧 Concrete use cases

Scenario 1: New client

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class="code-comment">// During onboarding of a new client
const companyCheck = await verifyCompany(class="code-string">'0123.456.789');
if (companyCheck.isActive && companyCheck.hasValidVAT) {
  class="code-comment">// Client validated, continue onboarding
  await createCustomerFile(companyCheck.data);
} else {
  class="code-comment">// Block or request additional documents
  await requestAdditionalDocuments(clientEmail);
}

Scenario 2: Continuous monitoring

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class="code-comment">// Monthly automatic verification of 500 clients
const clientsToMonitor = await getActiveClients();
for (const client of clientsToMonitor) {
  const updated = await checkCompanyChanges(client.enterpriseNumber);
  if (updated.hasChanges) {
    await notifyComplianceOfficer(client, updated.changes);
  }
}

Scenario 3: Enhanced due diligence

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class="code-comment">// For a high-risk client, obtain maximum information
const fullReport = await Promise.all([
  getCompanyDetails(enterpriseNumber),
  getEstablishments(enterpriseNumber),
  getUBORegistry(enterpriseNumber),
  getFinancialData(enterpriseNumber),
  checkPeppolRegistration(vatNumber),
]);

await generateEDDReport(fullReport);

Compliance checklist for domiciliation centers

Use this checklist to verify your AML/KYC compliance level:

☑️ Identification and verification

• [ ] Written client identification procedure (CDD)

• [ ] Standardized KYC forms

• [ ] Documentary verification process

• [ ] Access to reliable databases (Company Belgium, UBO, etc.)

• [ ] Client risk classification system

☑️ Continuous monitoring

• [ ] Calendar for updating client files

• [ ] Automatic alerts on changes (API webhooks)

• [ ] Annual review of all clients

• [ ] Suspicious transaction detection process

☑️ Governance and controls

• [ ] Designated compliance officer

• [ ] Written and approved AML/KYC policy

• [ ] Staff training (minimum annually)

• [ ] Regular internal audits

• [ ] Compliance committee

☑️ Documentation and reporting

• [ ] Document retention system (minimum 10 years)

• [ ] Register of verifications performed

• [ ] CTIF reporting procedure

• [ ] Quarterly AML/KYC activity reports

☑️ Technological tools

• [ ] Access to Company Belgium API for BCE/KBO verifications

• [ ] Secure document management system

• [ ] PEP/sanctions screening tool

• [ ] Automated monitoring platform

Regulatory developments to watch in 2026-2027

AML/KYC regulations are constantly evolving. Here are the major changes to anticipate:

1. 6th Anti-Money Laundering Directive (6AMLD)

The new European directive reinforces:

• The criminal liability of legal persons

• Sanctions for aiding and abetting

• Harmonization of definitions in the EU

• Expanded list of underlying offenses

Application date in Belgium: Full transposition expected end of 2026.

2. Centralized European UBO register

An interconnected UBO register at European level is being deployed:

• Simplified cross-border access

• Cross-verification between Member States

• Update obligation within 30 days

3. Digitalization of KYC processes

Belgium strongly encourages digitalization:

• Qualified electronic signature accepted

• Remote video identification (under strict conditions)

• E-ID and itsme as authentication means

• Government APIs (like Company Belgium) preferred

> 📚 Stay informed: Subscribe to our newsletter to receive regulatory updates.

Conclusion: Compliance as a competitive advantage

AML/KYC compliance is no longer just a legal obligation, it's a strategic differentiator for your domiciliation center:

✨ Advantages of exemplary compliance:

• Enhanced trust: your clients know they're working with a serious partner

• Risk reduction: protection against sanctions and disputes

• Operational efficiency: automated processes with Company Belgium

• Competitive advantage: some principals require certified compliance

• Peace of mind: sleep well, your compliance is up to date

Take action today

🚀 Start your compliance with Company Belgium:

> 💬 Need help? Our team of compliance experts is at your disposal to guide you in your approach.

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Official sources cited:

• Law of 18 September 2017 on money laundering prevention

• CTIF - Financial Information Processing Unit

• FPS Economy - Crossroads Bank for Enterprises

• UBO Register Belgium

• FATF - Financial Action Task Force

Keywords: AML compliance, KYC Belgium, domiciliation centers, anti-money laundering law, company verification, UBO register, CTIF, due diligence, Company Belgium API, obliged entities