6,264 Belgians bought property abroad in 2023, according to figures from the Ministry of Finance published by Flemish newspaper De Zondag.
This figure is significantly lower than the previous year. In 2022, 9,024 homeowners bought property abroad, bringing the total number of Belgian taxpayers owning property abroad to 200,546.
Six in ten properties purchased abroad last year were located in France and Spain. The remainder of properties were spread across 86 other countries, with Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Poland, Greece, Germany, Romania and the United Kingdom making up the top ten. The order has not changed between 2022 and 2023.
Buyers have been obliged to report foreign real estate purchases to the authorities since 2021, and failure to do so risks a fine. This only applies to individuals and not companies.
