The AML/KYC legal framework in Belgium
The law of 18 September 2017, the AMLD directives and the supervisory authorities that shape anti-money-laundering prevention in Belgium. Everything you need to position your compliance programme.
A demanding legal framework for obligated entities
The Belgian law of 18 September 2017 on the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing (transposing AMLD4, AMLD5 and AMLD6) requires obligated entities to verify their clients' identity, identify their ultimate beneficial owners (UBO) and monitor their transactions throughout the business relationship.
The CTIF (Financial Intelligence Processing Unit) and sector supervisors — NBB, FSMA, ITAA, Bar associations, Chamber of Notaries — can audit your procedures at any time and impose administrative or criminal sanctions for failures.
Company Belgium helps you automate the identity verification of legal entities by giving you direct, real-time access to official data from the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (BCE/KBO), the authentic register operated by the FPS Economy.
Official sources & reference authorities
Every authority, register and legal text you need for your AML/KYC programme in Belgium and at EU level.
Belgian authorities
Public administrations and supervisors responsible for anti-money-laundering and legal-entity verification.
FPS Economy
Official operator of the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (BCE/KBO).
BCE Public Search
Public lookup tool for Belgian legal entities.
FPS Finance — UBO register
Register of ultimate beneficial owners of Belgian companies.
CTIF-CFI
Financial Intelligence Processing Unit — receives suspicious-activity reports.
National Bank of Belgium
Prudential supervisor of banks and insurers.
FSMA
Financial Services and Markets Authority — supervises brokers, VASPs and markets.
Professional bodies
Institutes and chambers that supervise obligated professions and publish their own AML guidelines.
ITAA
Institute of Tax Advisors and Accountants.
IBR-IRE
Institute of Registered Auditors.
Fednot (notaries)
Royal Federation of Belgian Notaries — AML guidelines for notaries.
IPI
Professional Institute of Real Estate Agents.
Avocats.be
Bar association of French-speaking and German-speaking lawyers in Belgium.
EU framework & legal texts
AMLD directives, European authorities and binding legislative sources for Belgian entities.
Directive (EU) 2018/843 — AMLD5
Fifth anti-money-laundering directive, foundation of the UBO register.
Directive (EU) 2018/1673 — AMLD6
Criminal-law harmonisation of the fight against money laundering.
EBA — AML/CFT
European Banking Authority guidelines on AML/CFT.
Belgian Official Gazette (eJustice)
Official text of Belgian laws, including the 2017 AML law.
External links to official websites. Company Belgium is not affiliated with these authorities and receives no endorsement from them.
Continue exploring
The other AML/KYC topic briefs to deepen your compliance programme.
Obligated professions
The 9 categories of obligated entities in Belgium and the 4 end-to-end customer verification workflows.
Read the briefDomiciliation centres
Industry focus: specific obligations for companies and domiciliation centres listed in article 5 of the AML law.
Read the briefGlossary & FAQ
Key definitions (AML, KYC, CDD, EDD, UBO, PEP, FATF) and answers to the questions we hear most often.
Read the brief