Establishing yourself as an expert surveyor in Belgium

What are the conditions for accessing the profession?

You must:

• have a title giving access to the profession of expert surveyor;
• have taken the oath.

Are you a citizen of another European Union Member State, the European Economic Area or Switzerland? Then you can submit a certificate of competence or evidence of formal qualifications obtained in that country.

What are the conditions for practising the profession?

As a self-employed surveyor or salaried employee who is not under the supervision of an independent expert surveyor, you must:

• be registered with the Federal Council of Expert Surveyors;
• adhere to a specific code of ethics aimed at the competence, dignity and honesty of the professional;
• have professional liability insurance;
• provide the Federal Council every year with proof that you have taken training courses and are insured.

Permanent training

In order to ensure their competence, a professional expert surveyor must keep abreast of changes in legislation and the techniques and rules that are important for the exercise of their profession. You can do this by attending further training courses recognised by the Federal Council of Expert Surveyors for at least twenty hours a year. For some training courses, only part of the number of hours attended counts. You can find the conditions in the regulations of the Federal Council of Expert Surveyors.

Training programmes

For additional information about organised training sessions, please contact the organisers. In the training table, you will find the number of hours that the Federal Council of Expert Surveyors counts.

• Table of approved organisers
• Training table
• Model certificate of permanent training for expert surveyors

Duty to be insured

As an expert surveyor, you must have your civil liability insured (with the exception of the ten-year liability described in Articles 1792 and 2270 of the Civil Code). Your clients can rely on it for the intellectual services that they or their subordinates provide professionally.

The registration procedure

You should submit your application for registration to the registry of the Federal Council of Expert Surveyors.

To submit your application, you can use the “Application for registration as an expert surveyor” form.

Download form

The Federal Council must make its decision on the application for registration within sixty days of receipt of a complete application file and inform you by registered post.

• the list of registered expert surveyors

Costs

The request for registration with the Federal Council of Expert Surveyors is free.

As an expert surveyor registered with the Federal Council of Expert Surveyors, you must pay an annual contribution of 25 euros.

Appeal if your registration is refused

If the Federal Council refuses your registration, you have the right to appeal. This appeal must be sent by registered post to the registry of the Federal Board of Appeal for Surveyors.

The appeal has suspensive effect. You must lodge an appeal within thirty days of notification of the decision of the Federal Council (date of postmark).

Sanctions

In deontological terms

As an expert surveyor registered with the Federal Council of Expert Surveyors, you must respect the deontological rules.

If, as an expert surveyor, you fail to meet your deontological obligations, this will be punished with one of the following disciplinary penalties:

• a warning;
• a reprimand;
• suspension for a maximum period of two years;
• being struck off.

In criminal terms

The unlawful exercise of the profession is a criminal offence and is punishable by a fine.