Registration duties in Wallonia drop from January 2025

Registration duties are taxes you pay when buying a property, such as a house or flat. These duties are calculated as a percentage of the purchase price of the property and must be paid at the time the deed of sale is registered with the notary. The rate of these taxes can vary by region and type of property.

For those who buy a property to live in it themselves and do not own any other property, a reduced registration duty of 3% will apply from 2025. Buyers must register in the property purchased and must not have any other properties in their name to qualify for this reduced rate.

If you already own your own home and are buying a new one, you can still avail of the 3% rate. However, this is subject to the condition that you sell your old home within three years of buying the new one.

For many buyers, this change means significant savings. Take for example, a €150,000 property: under the old rate, you would pay €18,750 in registration fees, whereas with the new reform it would be €4,500. This is an immediate cost reduction that makes the financial picture for buying a home significantly more favourable.