Notary fees: set to decrease?

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Vincent Van Quickenbornen is proposing a reform of the notarial profession. There are two key points to note: fees for purchasing a home will decrease, and the status of the notarial profession will change.

Reform of the fee structure

For the purchase of a family home, administrative fees will be set at a flat rate of 750 euros for the deed of purchase and 550 euros for the credit deed. This reform applies to all property deeds and replaces fees that could sometimes be as high as 2,000 euros.

In addition, the fees charged by notaries will be reduced when purchasing a family home. Depending on the purchase price, the reduction in fees for the deed of purchase may reach 12%. For the credit deed, a flat-rate reduction of 20% in fees will apply across all bands. The fee reduction applies solely to the purchase of the only home owned by a family. The minister promises that this reform will make 98% of home purchases cheaper and therefore make property more accessible.
It should also be noted that notaries will have to be more transparent on their invoices: they must clearly distinguish clearly between their fees, third-party expenses and administrative costs.

Modernising the status of notaries

Until now, a maximum of 90 new candidate notaries were appointed in Belgium each year. From 2023, this will change and the notarial profession will become more accessible, as there will be at least 120 new entrants.
The content of the competitive examination will also be revised: from next year, participants will have to answer questions on three general subjects and on a subject of their own choosing (family, property or companies).
The biggest innovation is the creation of a new role: that of “associate notary”. This is a fully qualified notary with exactly the same powers as an ordinary notary, but who will work at the notary’s office as a salaried employee: an employee who can practise as a notary without taking on commercial risks.