Establishing or changing a vzw

Founding members

To start a vzw, you need to have at least two founding members.

The founding members hold a founding meeting where they decide to establish the vzw together. They pick a name, write the articles, appoint directors or board members (bestuurders).

Articles (statuten)

The articles (statuten) of the vzw have to be drawn up. These explain what the general and other objectives of the vzw are, and how it works. The articles are a sort of ‘constitution’ that summarize the ground rules. The articles need to be written in Dutch or French.

More practical agreements and rules can be included in internal rules (intern reglement).

Do you need help with the articles? Check these tools (in Dutch):

• de vzw-statutenbouwer van Scwitch.
• modelstatuten van Scwitch

The models have been adapted to the new vzw-legislation of 2019.

Make it public

To make the establishment of the vzw official, it needs to be published in the Belgisch Staatsblad (The Belgian official journal / Le Moniteur Belge).

To do so, you deposit the following documents at the registry of the commercial court (griffie van de rechtbank van koophandel) or digitally at e-griffie.be:

• the articles (statuten)
• the first register of the members of the General Meeting (Algemene Vergadering)
• certificate of appointment of directors, trustees or members of the board (bestuurders)
• proof of payment of the publication costs

If you want to deposit these official documents, you need to use these special forms.

The registry (griffie) hands over these documents to the Belgisch Staatsblad, that will publish it.

New publications

You need a new publication in the Belgisch Staatsblad if:

1. Your articles are changed.
   E.g. change of objective, new procedures for calling or changing a General Meeting, you want to bring your articles in accordance with the new vzw-legislation, …
   Any changes to the articles can only be made by means of the General Meeting. Read more about the procedure at Cultuurloket.
   * At the moment of publication of this page, the website of Cultuurloket about vzw’s was not yet updated to the new vzw-legislation. Keep this in mind!
2. Directors, trustees or board members (bestuurders) are appointed or removed.
3. The vzw is dissolved.
   Read more about dissolving a vzw at Scwitch

Also for changes or new publications you need to use these special forms and you pay publication costs to the Belgisch Staatsblad.

Read more

Scwitch has made instructions about establishing a vzw (in Dutch).

More information or advice?

Contact Danspunt