Before creating a legal entity in Belgium, it is necessary firstly to choose the status: subsidiary or branch.
The subsidiary is a company under Belgian law with a specific legal status different from the parent company: the branch is a business centre of a foreign company located in Belgium. Its activities are implemented in Belgium and are managed by a legal representative of the parent company.

The main features of branches and subsidiaries are presented in the following presentation.

It is quick and easy to create a company in Belgium and involves a limited number of procedures (IMD Competitiveness Yearbook)