Foreign bank accounts

You have or have had a foreign bank account during the year? As (joint) holder of this account, you must declare it to both to the Central Point of Contact for accounts and financial contracts (CPC) of the National Bank of Belgium and in your tax return.

Which bank accounts to declare 

Types of bank account concerned

You must declare any type of bank account opened with a banking, exchange, credit or savings institution established abroad:

  • Foreign bank accounts.
    Any bank account (current, savings, etc.) opened with a financial institution located abroad.
  • Foreign securities accounts.
    Accounts used to hold financial securities (shares, bonds, etc.) abroad.
  • Cryptocurrency accounts.
    Although the precise obligations may evolve, it is advisable to declare cryptocurrency accounts located abroad.

In principle, you do not need to declare accounts such as Paypal, Google etc. except:

  • if they are linked to a professional activity or
  • if there is still money in these accounts beyond the time strictly necessary from a technical point of view in order to carry out the transactions.

You mention such a bank account at the CPC? Complete the field “Account number” with the e-mail address you gave to Paypal, Google, etc. in order to carry out the transaction.

Do you have life insurance abroad?

You only need to mention the existence of individual life insurance accounts taken out with an insurance company established abroad in your tax return (in box XIII, section B). You do not need to declare them to the CPC.

No matter how long the bank accounts concerned have been opened

You must declare these accounts even if they were only open for a short time during the year.

How to declare it 

As soon as you open an account abroad, you must declare it personally, even if:

  • if you are the joint account holder, or
  • if your child is the (joint) account holder

To the Central Point of Contact for accounts and financial contracts (CPC)

You must always notify the existence of your foreign accounts to the CPC of the National Bank of Belgium using a specific form.

Online

Declare your foreign accounts by filling in the form directly online on the National Bank of Belgium website.

You need to log in:

In writing

You (or your authorised representative) can download, complete and print the form “Reporting foreign accounts to the CPC”on the National Bank of Belgium website.

Send it back dated, signed and accompanied by a copy (both sides) of your Belgian identity card(or, failing that, your residence permit issued by Belgian authorities) to the following address:

Banque nationale de Belgique
Point de contact central des comptes et contrats financiers (PCC)
Boulevard de Berlaimont 14
1000 Bruxelles

Please note that: Only forms sent to this address will be accepted. E-mails will not be accepted.

Explanatory note

Consult the explanatory note on the National Bank of Belgium website to help you complete the form.

In your tax return

You must mention your foreign accounts in your tax return (in box XIII, section A).

You have received a proposal for a simplified return? You don't have to take it into account. You must file a tax return mentioning your foreign account.

When to declare it 

When you open an account

Are you the (joint) holder of an account opened abroad? You must declare it personally

  • once only at the CPC at the latest when you file your tax return for the year following the year of income.
  • each year in your tax return.

Example

In 2024, you and your partner open an account abroad. Each partner must notify the CPC at hthe latest when you file your tax return 2025 as regards your income 2024.

A foreign account is opened in your child's name?

Each parent must notify this account individually for as long as your child's income is combined with yours. More information on the decumulation form to be completed when your child reaches the age of majority.

When amending or closing an account 

You have closed a bank account abroad? You amend or modify data communicated on this account? You must also notify the CPC:

  • via a form for closure, amendment or deletion.
  • at the latest when you file your tax return in the year following the account closure or amendment.

More information on notifying the closure, amendment or deletion of data of a foreign account.

Consulting registered data

You can consult online the data pertaining to you in the CPC or request in writing from the CPC a statement as regards these data.

If the data registered with the CPC is inaccurate, you have the right to request that it be corrected or deleted free of charge.

Only certain officials (in particular from the FPS Finance) may access your information as “parties entitled to information“ in very specific situations and following strict procedures.

Sanction for accounts not declared 

Declare your bank accounts opened abroad spontaneously in order to avoid fines and tax increases.

Automatic exchanges of tax information enable us to identify not declared accounts.

Automatic exchange of information - CRS and FATCA

In order to prevent tax evasion and increase global tax transparency, multilateral agreements between countries have made it possible to put in place mechanisms for the automatic international exchange of tax information within the framework of CRS and FATCA.

Do you have financial assets (accounts, life insurance, shares, bonds, etc.) in a financial institution (bank, insurance company, etc.) outside your country of tax residence? Your financial institution must provide  information about your situation to the relevant tax authority (the FPS Finance if it is a financial institution in Belgium).

Persons liable to tax concerned

Your data will be exchanged if:

  • you are a non-resident person liable to tax of Belgium and you have financial assets in a financial institution in Belgium.
    Your information will be sent to the tax administration of your country of residence.
  • you are a Belgian resident liable to tax and you have financial assets in a financial institution abroad.
    Your information will be sent by the country in which the financial institution is established to the Belgian tax administration.

The exchange of information also concerns:

  • natural persons and legal entities
  • holders (of accounts or insurance contracts) and beneficiaries.

Information exchanged

The FPS Finance sends the following personal data to the tax authorities of the States concerned:

  • Your name
  • your address
  • your Tax Identification Number (TIN) allocated to the account holder by their country of residence and the jurisdiction(s) of residence 
  • your date of birth for natural persons
  • your account number (or its functional equivalent if there is no account number)
  • the balance or value held in your account (including, in the case of an insurance contract with a surrender value or an annuity contract, the surrender value) at the end of the calendar year concerned or of another appropriate reference period if the account has been closed during the year or period in question, the closure of the account 
  • certain data in the case of a securities account
  • certain data in the case of a deposit account
  • certain data if the account is neither a securities account nor a deposit account.

More information about the processing of your personal data

Recipients of information

The FPS Finance automatically sends your data to the tax authorities of the States that have signed the multilateral agreement between competent authorities, the Member States of the European Union and Liechtenstein, San Marino, Andorra, Monaco and Switzerland (list).

Regulations and useful links