Every legal form in Belgium, each with its abbreviation, the kind of entity it is, liability and typical use where they are well established, and the values the Prometiam company object returns.
This guide lists the 91 legal forms the Prometiam dictionary knows for Belgium: what each is called, how it is abbreviated, what kind of entity it is and how it appears in the company object. Use it to read the legal_form of a company registered in Belgium, or to decode a form you meet in a contract or on an invoice. It is a general reference, not legal advice.
Coverage and limits for Belgium: company records only (no officers, no registry-compliance signal, no insolvency notices); enterprises of natural persons are never served.
| Form | Abbreviation | Kind | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Besloten vennootschap | BV, SRL | Private limited company | The private limited company (besloten vennootschap, société à responsabilité limitée). Since the 2019 Code of Companies and Associations it has no minimum capital but needs sufficient initial assets; it replaced the BVBA/SPRL, and liability is limited to the contributions. |
| Naamloze vennootschap | NV, SA | Public limited company (joint-stock company) | The public limited company (naamloze vennootschap, société anonyme): the minimum capital is EUR 61,500, liability is limited to the contributions, and it may be listed. |
| Vereniging zonder winstoogmerk | VZW, ASBL | Association | A non-profit association (association sans but lucratif) that may not distribute profits to its members. |
| Vennootschap onder firma | VOF, SNC | General partnership | A general partnership: the partners are jointly liable without limit. |
| Gewone commanditaire vennootschap | Comm.V, CommV | Limited partnership | A limited partnership: at least one partner is liable without limit, the others only up to their contribution. |
| Eenmanszaak | - | Sole proprietorship | A sole proprietorship: no separate legal person, and the owner is personally liable. |
Every company object carries four legal-form fields: legal_form (the standard abbreviation, null when the form is not mapped), legal_form_family (the cross-country family, so a private limited company compares across countries), local_legal_form (the register’s own value or code as stored) and local_legal_form_name (the register’s name for it, where it publishes one). Each form below shows the values the API returns for it.
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer rk_live_..." \ "https://api.prometiam.com/functions/v1/risk-api/companies/search?country=BE&name=<company name>" # each result carries, for example: # "legal_form": "BV" # "legal_form_family": "private_limited_company"
Private limited company: a company with its own legal personality whose owners are, as a rule, not personally liable for its debts and whose shares are not offered to the public.
The private limited company (besloten vennootschap, société à responsabilité limitée). Since the 2019 Code of Companies and Associations it has no minimum capital but needs sufficient initial assets; it replaced the BVBA/SPRL, and liability is limited to the contributions.
BV, SRL, BVBA, SPRLlegal_form BV, legal_form_family private_limited_company, local_legal_form 015 or 610legal_form Besloten Vennootschap van publiek recht, legal_form_family private_limited_company, local_legal_form 616legal_form Besloten vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid met een sociaal oogmerk, legal_form_family private_limited_company, local_legal_form 515Public limited company (joint-stock company): a company with its own legal personality and share capital whose owners are, as a rule, not personally liable; the family of forms that can usually raise money from the public.
The public limited company (naamloze vennootschap, société anonyme): the minimum capital is EUR 61,500, liability is limited to the contributions, and it may be listed.
NV, SAlegal_form NV, legal_form_family public_limited_company, local_legal_form 014legal_form Naamloze vennootschap van publiek recht, legal_form_family public_limited_company, local_legal_form 114legal_form Europese vennootschap (Societas Europaea), legal_form_family public_limited_company, local_legal_form 027legal_form Naamloze vennootschap met een sociaal oogmerk, legal_form_family public_limited_company, local_legal_form 514General partnership: the owners run the business together and, as a rule, answer personally for its debts.
A general partnership: the partners are jointly liable without limit.
VOF, SNClegal_form VOF, legal_form_family general_partnership, local_legal_form 011legal_form Vennootschap onder firma met een sociaal oogmerk, legal_form_family general_partnership, local_legal_form 511Limited partnership: at least one partner answers without limit for the debts, the others only up to what they contributed.
A limited partnership: at least one partner is liable without limit, the others only up to their contribution.
Comm.V, CommV, SComm, SCSlegal_form Comm.V, legal_form_family limited_partnership, local_legal_form 012 or 612legal_form Gewone commanditaire vennootschap met een sociaal oogmerk, legal_form_family limited_partnership, local_legal_form 512legal_form Commanditaire vennootschap van publiek recht, legal_form_family limited_partnership, local_legal_form 617Partnership limited by shares: a hybrid in which the managing partners are liable without limit and the other owners hold shares.
legal_form Commanditaire vennootschap op aandelen, legal_form_family partnership_limited_by_shares, local_legal_form 013legal_form Commanditaire vennootschap op aandelen met een sociaal oogmerk, legal_form_family partnership_limited_by_shares, local_legal_form 513Sole proprietorship: one person trading in their own name with no separate company; the owner is, as a rule, personally liable.
A natural person, not a company. A sole proprietorship: no separate legal person, and the owner is personally liable.
legal_form Sole proprietorship (natural person), legal_form_family sole_proprietorship, local_legal_form the register’s own textCooperative: an organisation owned and run by its members.
CVOA, SCRIlegal_form CVOA, legal_form_family cooperative, local_legal_form 006 or 007CVBA, SCRLlegal_form CVBA, legal_form_family cooperative, local_legal_form 008 or 009legal_form Coöperatieve vennootschap (oud statuut), legal_form_family cooperative, local_legal_form 016legal_form Coöperatieve vennootschap, legal_form_family cooperative, local_legal_form 706legal_form Coöperatieve vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid met een sociaal oogmerk, legal_form_family cooperative, local_legal_form 508legal_form Coöperatieve vennootschap van publiek recht (oud statuut), legal_form_family cooperative, local_legal_form 116legal_form Europese Coöperatieve Vennootschap, legal_form_family cooperative, local_legal_form 001legal_form Coöperatieve vennootschap van publiek recht, legal_form_family cooperative, local_legal_form 716legal_form Coöperatieve vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid van publiek recht, legal_form_family cooperative, local_legal_form 108legal_form Coöperatieve vennootschap met onbeperkte aansprakelijkheid met een sociaal oogmerk, legal_form_family cooperative, local_legal_form 506Economic interest grouping: members cooperate in a shared activity while staying independent businesses.
legal_form Europees economisch samenwerkingsverband, legal_form_family economic_interest_grouping, local_legal_form 065legal_form Economisch samenwerkingsverband, legal_form_family economic_interest_grouping, local_legal_form 060legal_form Europees economisch samenwerkingsverband zonder zetel met vestiging in België (EESV), legal_form_family economic_interest_grouping, local_legal_form 265legal_form Economisch samenwerkingsverband met een sociaal oogmerk, legal_form_family economic_interest_grouping, local_legal_form 560Association: a membership body, usually non-profit.
A non-profit association (association sans but lucratif) that may not distribute profits to its members.
VZW, ASBLlegal_form VZW, legal_form_family association, local_legal_form 017legal_form Internationale vereniging zonder winstoogmerk, legal_form_family association, local_legal_form 125legal_form Beroepsvereniging, legal_form_family association, local_legal_form 020legal_form Internationale wetenschappelijke organisatie van Belgisch recht, legal_form_family association, local_legal_form 022legal_form Vereniging van OCMW's, legal_form_family association, local_legal_form 420legal_form Projectvereniging, legal_form_family association, local_legal_form 415legal_form Opdrachthoudende vereniging (Vlaams Gewest), legal_form_family association, local_legal_form 417legal_form Dienstverlenende vereniging (Vlaams Gewest), legal_form_family association, local_legal_form 416legal_form Vereniging zonder winstoogmerk van publiek recht, legal_form_family association, local_legal_form 117legal_form Beroepsvereniging / Orde, legal_form_family association, local_legal_form 123legal_form Intercommunale, legal_form_family association, local_legal_form 414legal_form Europese politieke partij, legal_form_family association, local_legal_form 217legal_form Internationale vereniging zonder winstoogmerk van publiek recht, legal_form_family association, local_legal_form 325legal_form Instelling zonder winstoogmerk, legal_form_family association, local_legal_form 028Foundation: assets set aside for a purpose, with no owners.
legal_form Private stichting, legal_form_family foundation, local_legal_form 026legal_form Stichting van openbaar nut, legal_form_family foundation, local_legal_form 029legal_form Europese politieke stichting, legal_form_family foundation, local_legal_form 218Mutual: a body owned by its members, typical for insurance and guarantees.
legal_form Ziekenfonds / Maatschappij van onderlinge bijstand / Landsbond van ziekenfondsen, legal_form_family mutual, local_legal_form 019legal_form Onderlinge verzekeringsvereniging / Gemeenschappelijke verzekeringskas van privaat recht, legal_form_family mutual, local_legal_form 021Branch of a foreign company: an establishment or registration of a company incorporated abroad.
legal_form Buitenlandse entiteit, legal_form_family branch_of_foreign_company, local_legal_form 030legal_form Buitenlandse entiteit zonder Belgische vestiging met vertegenwoordiger voor BTW, legal_form_family branch_of_foreign_company, local_legal_form 235legal_form Buitenlandse entiteit met onroerend goed in België (met rechtspersoonlijkheid), legal_form_family branch_of_foreign_company, local_legal_form 230legal_form Buitenlandse onderneming zonder Belgische vestiging genoteerd op de beurs, legal_form_family branch_of_foreign_company, local_legal_form 453legal_form Buitenlandse privaatrechtelijke vereniging met vestiging in België, legal_form_family branch_of_foreign_company, local_legal_form 023Public body: a state, local-authority or other public-law entity.
FOD, SPFlegal_form FOD, legal_form_family public_body, local_legal_form 301legal_form Openbare instelling, legal_form_family public_body, local_legal_form 124legal_form Openbaar centrum voor maatschappelijk welzijn, legal_form_family public_body, local_legal_form 412legal_form Stad / gemeente, legal_form_family public_body, local_legal_form 411legal_form Buitenlandse of internationale publieke organisatie, legal_form_family public_body, local_legal_form 160legal_form Polder / Watering, legal_form_family public_body, local_legal_form 129legal_form Autonoom gemeentebedrijf, legal_form_family public_body, local_legal_form 418legal_form Lokale politiezone, legal_form_family public_body, local_legal_form 413legal_form Instelling van openbaar nut, legal_form_family public_body, local_legal_form 018legal_form Organismen ingeschreven voorde R.V.P., legal_form_family public_body, local_legal_form 451legal_form Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken, legal_form_family public_body, local_legal_form 379legal_form Andere federale dienst, legal_form_family public_body, local_legal_form 303legal_form Overheid van het Vlaamse Gewest en van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap, legal_form_family public_body, local_legal_form 310legal_form Hulpverleningszone, legal_form_family public_body, local_legal_form 422legal_form Autonoom provinciebedrijf, legal_form_family public_body, local_legal_form 419legal_form Organisme ingeschreven voor de Administratie van de Pensioenen, legal_form_family public_body, local_legal_form 452legal_form Provinciale overheid, legal_form_family public_body, local_legal_form 400legal_form Overheid van de Franse Gemeenschap, legal_form_family public_body, local_legal_form 340legal_form Overheid van het Brusselse Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, legal_form_family public_body, local_legal_form 330legal_form Overheid van het Waalse Gewest, legal_form_family public_body, local_legal_form 320legal_form Overheid van de Duitstalige Gemeenschap, legal_form_family public_body, local_legal_form 350legal_form Ministerie van het Waalse Gewest, legal_form_family public_body, local_legal_form 388legal_form Ministerie van de Franse Gemeenschap, legal_form_family public_body, local_legal_form 386legal_form Rijk, Provincie, Gewest, Gemeenschap, legal_form_family public_body, local_legal_form 110legal_form Ministerie van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap, legal_form_family public_body, local_legal_form 385legal_form Programmatorische federale overheidsdienst, legal_form_family public_body, local_legal_form 302legal_form Andere vorm met een sociaal oogmerk van publiek recht, legal_form_family public_body, local_legal_form 651legal_form Ministerie van Justitie, legal_form_family public_body, local_legal_form 380legal_form Ministerie van het Brusselse Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, legal_form_family public_body, local_legal_form 387legal_form Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken, Buitenlandse handel en Ontwikkelingssamenwerking, legal_form_family public_body, local_legal_form 371Co-ownership: joint ownership of property by several owners, often without legal personality.
VME, ACPlegal_form VME, legal_form_family co_ownership, local_legal_form 070Other entity type.
legal_form BTW-eenheid, legal_form_family other, local_legal_form 003legal_form Landbouwvennootschap, legal_form_family other, local_legal_form 025legal_form Andere rechtsvorm, legal_form_family other, local_legal_form 151legal_form Andere privaatrechtelijke vorm met rechtspersoonlijkheid, legal_form_family other, local_legal_form 051legal_form Organisme voor de Financiering van Pensioenen, legal_form_family other, local_legal_form 002legal_form Kongolese vennootschap, legal_form_family other, local_legal_form 040legal_form Berg van Barmhartigheid, legal_form_family other, local_legal_form 127See the Belgium company data API guide for the register behind these records and the free Enterprise number lookup to try an identifier. For the register states that go with these forms, read company status in Belgium. All countries: company legal forms.
Search by name or identifier and read legal_form, legal_form_family and local_legal_form on every result, or filter a bulk list by family.
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