Updated: October 2026. Flemish rules change: always have your case checked by a notary.
For a mortgage in Flanders, registration duties are 2% for your only own home, compared with 12% for an investment. A Brussels broker can handle your file even if the property is in Vilvoorde, Grimbergen, Halle, Leuven or on the coast. Here are the conditions, the increase to 3% announced for 2027 and the pitfalls to avoid for your mortgage in Flanders. Buying around Brussels? See our pages municipality by municipality.
Sources: Dewaele, notaire.be. The increase to 3% still has to be written into law.
Key points
- The interest rate of a mortgage in Flanders does not depend on the Region, but the registration duties and the regional obligations do.
- 2% on €300,000 means €6,000 in duties, compared with €36,000 at 12%.
- The 2% rate requires, among other things, registering your address there within 3 years and full ownership.
- An increase to 3% has been announced for sales agreements signed from 1 January 2027.
- Finally, a home with an E or F EPC label must reach label D within 6 years of the purchase.
What registration duties apply to a mortgage in Flanders in 2026?
To buy with a mortgage in Flanders, registration duties are 2% for your only own home, for deeds signed since 1 January 2025. The standard rate, however, is 12% for a buy-to-let investment or a second home.
| Type of purchase | Rate | On €300,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Only own home | 2% | €6,000 |
| Own home, agreement from 2027 (announced) | 3% | €9,000 |
| Investment, second home | 12% | €36,000 |
Illustrative example, duties only, excluding the notary's fees. Sources: Dewaele, notaire.be.
A poorly structured file can therefore cost up to 10 points of duties more, i.e. €30,000 on €300,000. See also registration duties and notary fees (in French).
What are the conditions for the 2% rate on a purchase in Flanders?
The 2% rate is reserved for your only own home. Several conditions are assessed for each buyer:
First, a house or flat in Flanders, bought in full ownership. Split purchases (usufruct and bare ownership) are excluded.
Next, your registered address: you make it your main residence within the set period (generally 3 years) and stay there for at least one year without interruption.
No other property in full ownership, house or building plot, in Belgium or abroad. An exception exists if you undertake to sell it within 2 years.
Finally, the reduced rate must be requested in the notarial deed, and all buyers must be private individuals.
Reduction for a modest home
According to Dewaele, a reduction of €1,867 applies if the price does not exceed €220,000, or €240,000 in certain municipalities. Check this with your notary.
If the conditions are not met
According to Dewaele, you owe the difference between 12% and 2%, plus a 20% surcharge. It is therefore best to validate the file before the deed.
Will the 2% rate rise to 3% in 2027?
An announced increase, not yet voted
According to notaire.be, the reduced rate would rise from 2% to 3% for sales agreements concluded from 1 January 2027. The measure still has to be written into law.
In principle, an agreement signed before 1 January 2027 keeps the 2% rate, even if the deed is signed in 2027. On €350,000, for example, the increase would amount to €3,500.
Note: for a mutual promise to buy and sell, the date of the deed could be decisive. Contact your notary before signing.
Transition rules, proof to keep and worked examples: see our article on registration duties 2027.
What renovation obligation comes with a mortgage in Flanders?
In Flanders, a home bought with an E or F EPC label must reach at least label D. According to Test-Achats, the deadline is 6 years after the purchase, and you must prove it with a new certificate. See EPC and mortgages (in French).
Include the renovation budget from the start, as the bank takes it into account in the financing plan. Also, the renovation loan with interest subsidy ended on 1 January 2025, according to notaire.be. The works are therefore financed within the loan or from your own funds, depending on the bank.
Can you get a mortgage in Flanders from Brussels or Wallonia?
Yes, a mortgage in Flanders works as anywhere else: same income criteria, same loan-to-value ratios, same types of rate. Several points do change, however:
First, the registration duties and their regional conditions.
Next, the Flemish energy renovation obligation.
The language: the deed and the documents are often in Dutch, so ask your notary to explain them.
Finally, regional grants: they change regularly, so check them before buying.
Worked example: a mortgage in Vilvoorde or in Brussels
For an only own home costing €280,000, here is the difference in registration duties:
| Flanders (Vilvoorde) | Brussels | |
|---|---|---|
| Regime | 2% of the price | €200,000 abatement, then 12.5% |
| Duties due | €5,600 | €10,000 |
| At 3% (2027 agreement) | €8,400 | €10,000 |
Illustrative example, duties only, conditions met. Any works and the notary fees must also be included.
Why use a broker for a mortgage in Flanders?
At Hypoprime, mortgage broker in Brussels, we compare several banks and negotiate your rate, for a property in Vilvoorde, Grimbergen, Halle, Leuven or elsewhere in Flanders. We then help you anticipate the budget: purchase costs, EPC works, loan-to-value.
No approval is guaranteed, but a complete and consistent file gives you the best chances of approval. See broker or bank (in French) and the cost of a mortgage (in French).
Frequently asked questions about mortgages in Flanders
2% rate, conditions and announced increase
Can I get the 2% rate if I already own a property?
In principle no, if you already have full ownership of a house or a building plot, in Belgium or abroad. An exception exists, however, if you undertake in the deed to sell that property within 2 years. According to Dewaele, the conditions are assessed for each buyer. Have your notary check your case before signing.
Can a bank finance a property in Flanders if I live in Brussels or Wallonia?
Yes. Belgian banks finance properties in all three Regions, and the mortgage does not depend on the Region of the property. The deed, however, is often drawn up in Dutch. No approval is guaranteed: everything depends on your income, the loan-to-value and the bank.
Is the interest rate of a mortgage different in Flanders?
No, not as such. The rate depends on your profile, the loan-to-value, the term, the type of rate and the bank, not on the Region. Registration duties and regional obligations, on the other hand, change the total budget of the project.
Will registration duties rise to 3% in Flanders in 2027?
It has been announced, but it still has to be written into law. According to notaire.be, the reduced rate would rise from 2% to 3% for sales agreements concluded from 1 January 2027. An agreement signed before that date would in principle keep the 2% rate. Talk to your notary before signing.
What happens if I do not meet the renovation obligation?
The obligation remains and penalties are provided for by Flemish regulations. It is therefore best to plan the renovation budget from the purchase and to keep proof of the result (a new EPC certificate). See EPC and mortgages (in French).
Investment and purchase costs in Flanders
What registration duties apply to a buy-to-let investment in Flanders?
The standard rate of 12% applies to a buy-to-let investment or a second home. On €300,000, that means about €36,000 in duties, excluding the notary's fees. See investment building loan.
Are the purchase costs financed by the loan?
No. Registration duties, notary fees and the costs of the mortgage deed remain your responsibility. Plan them as savings, on top of any own funds. Estimate them with our notary fees simulator (in French).
A mortgage in Flanders? Let’s talk
We study your mortgage project in Flanders, cost the full budget, compare several banks and negotiate your rate. Free, no-obligation review. Remember to contact your notary before signing.
Our solutions for your project
We work across Flanders
Beyond this regional overview, we also handle purchases municipality by municipality, in the Flemish periphery of Brussels as well as in Leuven and Mechelen, with local content specific to each market:
Further reading
Article written by Hypoprime, mortgage broker registered with the FSMA (no. 1019541561), in Brussels. Information only: tax, energy and banking rules change and depend on each file. This text is neither legal or tax advice nor a loan offer. Warning: borrowing money also costs money.
