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Guide

How to start IT freelancing in Belgium

Count on at least 6 months from your first search to your first day. So start while you are still employed, with step 1: upload your CV and get your first Staff-IT Score.

Upload your CV Download the checklist
The big picture

From first search to first invoice

The longest part is the search: at least 6 months. That is why you start while you still have a salary.

Still employed: your salary keeps coming in

Freelancer

  1. Upload your CV Today
  2. Search and interviews Months 1 to 6+
  3. Sign A client says yes
  4. Notice and BV During your notice period
  5. Start Your start date
  6. Invoice End of your first month
6+ months
from your first search to your first day on an assignment
€1
the minimum contribution to start a BV
€1,000–1,500
about, one-off, for the notary
€1,500–3,000
about, a year, for an accountant

Indicative amounts, excluding VAT. Ask your notary and accountant for a quote.

Step by step

Six steps from employee to IT freelancer

  1. Step 1: Today Start here

    Upload your CV and get your first score

    Sign up on Staff-IT for free and upload your CV. You receive a CV report with your Staff-IT Score out of 100, and the AI starts matching you with open IT jobs.

    • Your Staff-IT Score, and how you compare with other freelancer profiles
    • A score per category, with what works and what to improve first
    • Checks on the languages you list, your driving licence and gaps in your timeline
    • Fix the quick wins, upload the new version and get a new score
    Upload your CV See the open jobs

  2. Step 2: Months 1 to 6+

    Search while you are still employed

    Count on at least 6 months from your first search to your first day on an assignment. Keep your job, and your salary, while you look.

    • Clients plan assignments months ahead, and interviews and decisions take time
    • Your top 5 matching jobs land in your inbox every day; you decide what to apply for
    • Feedback within 24 hours on every application, and the Staff-IT team prepares each interview with you
    • Know your day rate and your earliest start date: your notice period counts

  3. Step 3: A client says yes

    Sign as a company in formation

    You do not need your company yet to sign. You sign the contract in the name of a company in formation (vennootschap in oprichting, société en formation).

    • No need to wait for the notary before you say yes to a client
    • Your BV takes the contract over once it is incorporated
    • Then hand in your notice at your employer
    Signing in formation

  4. Step 4: During your notice period

    Set up your BV

    Most IT freelancers in Belgium work through a private limited company, a BV (SRL in French). There is no minimum capital: you can start with a contribution of €1.

    • Your accountant draws up the financial plan the notary asks for
    • The notary draws up the deed; the company exists once the deed is filed
    • Open a business bank account, get your enterprise number and register for VAT
    • Join a social insurance fund and take out professional liability insurance
    Your BV and what it costs

  5. Step 5: Your start date

    Start your first assignment

    Your first day as an IT freelancer. Your BV takes over the contract you signed in formation and invoices the days you work.

    • Let your BV take over the contract formally, with your accountant
    • Keep track of the days you work: they are the basis of every invoice

  6. Step 6: End of your first month

    Send your first invoice and get paid early

    An invoice is paid only after its payment term, so your first income can arrive well after your last salary. Staff-IT’s early payment option bridges that gap.

    • Early payment*: your first days, weeks or months paid before your first invoice has been paid
    • Ask the Staff-IT team about it when you sign your contract
    • Set money aside for VAT, income tax and social contributions

    * Early payment applies to assignments contracted through Staff-IT.

    How early payment works
Your company

A BV from €1

Most IT freelancers in Belgium work through a private limited company: a BV (besloten vennootschap), or SRL (société à responsabilité limitée) in French.

What you bring

  • A contribution from €1. A BV has no minimum capital.
  • A financial plan for at least the first two years, showing the company has enough means for its activity. Your accountant draws it up with you.
  • A signed contract helps: it shows the income your plan counts on.

Who does what

  • Notary: draws up the deed of incorporation. Your BV exists once the deed is filed with the court registry.
  • Business counter (ondernemingsloket, guichet d’entreprises): your enterprise number, and your VAT registration.
  • Accountant: the financial plan, your books, VAT returns and the annual accounts.
  • Social insurance fund: your social contributions as a company director.

What it costs

Contribution from €1
Notary, one-off about €1,000 to €1,500
Accountant, a year about €1,500 to €3,000

Indicative, excluding VAT. Ask your notary and accountant for a quote.

This guide is general information, not legal, tax or accounting advice. Your accountant and notary know your situation.

Early payment

Get paid before your client pays

An invoice is paid only after its payment term, so the first payment can arrive long after your last salary. Staff-IT’s early payment option* bridges that gap.

  1. Last salary
  2. Day 1 of your assignment
  3. First invoice
  4. Invoice paid

Without early payment

No income until your first invoice is paid

With Staff-IT’s early payment*

Your first days, weeks or months paid before your first invoice is

* Early payment applies to assignments contracted through Staff-IT.

Ask about early payment
Free download

Your freelance starter checklist

23 things to tick off, from your first CV upload to your first invoice. Tick them here, or download the checklist as a PDF.

The whole checklist on one A4 page

Print it, tick it, keep it next to your laptop.

Download

  1. While you are still employed

    Start now

  2. At least 6 months

    While you search

  3. The contract

    When a client says yes

    * Early payment applies to assignments contracted through Staff-IT.

  4. During your notice period

    Set up your BV

  5. From your start date

    Your first month

FAQ

Starting as an IT freelancer in Belgium: your questions answered

Straight answers on the timeline, your company, your first contract and getting paid, from the Staff-IT team that matches IT freelancers with Belgian clients every day.

How long does it take to start as an IT freelancer in Belgium?

Count on at least 6 months from your first search to your first day on an assignment. Clients plan assignments months ahead, interviews and decisions take time, and your notice period comes on top. That is why Staff-IT advises you to start looking while you are still employed.

Should I quit my job before I look for a freelance IT assignment?

No, keep your job while you search. Finding a first assignment takes 6 months or more, and you keep your salary in the meantime. You hand in your notice once you have signed a contract with a client.

Can I sign a freelance contract before my company exists?

Yes, you can sign in the name of a company in formation (vennootschap in oprichting, société en formation), so you can say yes to a client before the notary has set up your BV. Once the BV is incorporated, it takes the contract over; your accountant or notary arranges this within two months.

How much does it cost to set up a BV in Belgium?

A BV needs no minimum capital: you can start with a contribution of €1, as long as the financial plan shows the company has enough means for its activity. Expect about €1,000 to €1,500 one-off for the notary (deed, registration and publication) and about €1,500 to €3,000 a year for an accountant, excluding VAT. Ask both for a quote.

Do I need a BV, or can I start as a sole trader?

Most IT freelancers in Belgium work through a BV, a private limited company (SRL in French), but you can also start as a sole trader. In a BV the company, not you personally, is liable for its debts. Your accountant can tell you which form suits your income and situation.

What is the first step to become an IT freelancer with Staff-IT?

Upload your CV and get your first Staff-IT Score. Signing up on Staff-IT is free. Your CV report gives you a score out of 100, how you compare with other freelancer profiles and what to improve first, and from then on you receive your top 5 matching IT jobs every day.

How do I get paid before my client pays my first invoice?

With Staff-IT’s early payment option, your first days, weeks or months are paid before your first invoice has been paid. It bridges the gap between your last salary and your first payment. Early payment applies to assignments contracted through Staff-IT. Ask the Staff-IT team about it when you sign your contract.

Step 1: upload your CV today.

Get your Staff-IT Score and your top 5 matching IT jobs every day, with feedback within 24 hours, while you are still employed.

Upload your CV Download the checklist