A Belgian company can open a liaison office in India if it has a profit-making track record of three years and net worth of at least USD 50,000, or a branch office with five years of profits and net worth of USD 100,000. The application goes through an authorised dealer bank in India in Form FNC with apostilled Belgian documents. A liaison office can only represent the parent and cannot earn income; a branch can carry out permitted activities and is taxed in India.
- Document route
- Notary, then apostille from FPS Foreign Affairs
- Time difference
- India is 3h30 (summer) to 4h30 (winter) ahead
- Law
- FEMA BO/LO/PO Regulations 2016
- Applied to
- AD Category-I bank (Form FNC)
Branch & Liaison Office from Belgium: how it works
We assess which form fits: a liaison office for market research and coordination, a branch for activities such as export, import, professional services or acting as buying agent. The Belgian board passes a resolution, and we collect the certificate of incorporation, articles, latest audited accounts and the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises or Moniteur belge extracts. These are notarised where necessary, apostilled by FPS Foreign Affairs and translated into English. We prepare Form FNC and the bank's KYC and file through the authorised dealer bank.
Approval usually comes from the bank, with RBI or government involvement in certain sectors. After approval, the office registers with the Registrar of Companies within thirty days, obtains PAN and TAN, and opens a bank account. A liaison office files an annual activity certificate with a chartered accountant's report, and a branch files Indian tax returns and accounts. Liaison office approvals are usually time-limited, typically three years, and must be extended or converted before expiry.
What clients in Belgium should know
- A branch of a Belgian company is taxed in India on Indian profits at the rate for foreign companies, with treaty relief in Belgium.
- A liaison office that starts invoicing or negotiating contracts risks being treated as a permanent establishment under the tax treaty.
- If the Belgian parent is owned from a country that shares a land border with India, government approval is required before opening.
Step by step from Belgium
Video consultation
A call at a time that suits Belgium, after we have read your documents.
Documents signed in Belgium
Notary, then apostille from FPS Foreign Affairs
Work in India
Our team files, appears and follows up in India, and shares scans of everything filed.
Result and handover
Certified copies and originals are couriered to you in Belgium where needed.
The full guide
This page covers what changes when you are in Belgium. For the law, the documents and the step-by-step procedure, read our main page on Branch & Liaison Office, or see all services for clients in Belgium and the Doing Business in India practice area.
Questions from clients in Belgium
Can a new Belgian startup open a liaison office?
Not usually, because of the profit track record requirement. A subsidiary is the normal route for younger companies.
How long does approval take?
Often six to ten weeks after a complete application, depending on the bank and sector.
Can a liaison office hire staff in India?
Yes, for its permitted activities, and it must follow Indian labour and payroll laws.