Deposit and loan-to-value: what Belgian banks expect

What LTV means

The NBB defines LTV as the ratio between the amount of the mortgage and the value of the property financed. The bank takes the property as security. Wikifin’s example: a loan of €165,000 for a home valued at €150,000 is likely to be refused, because the value of the home would not cover the sum lent. The value used is the one the bank’s valuer retains, not necessarily the price: in Wikifin’s other example, a loan of 80% of a €250,000 home is €200,000, but if the valuation only recognises €200,000 the loan falls to €160,000.

Simple arithmetic: a €270,000 loan on a home valued at €300,000 is an LTV of 90%. Your contribution to the value of the home is €30,000. Costs come on top.

The National Bank’s expectations

According to the NBB FAQ, these are the reference levels:

The FAQ adds a limit of 5% of total loans for combinations of high LTV with high debt burden: LTV above 90% with a DSTI above 50%, or LTV above 90% with a DTI above 9. DSTI is the monthly debt repayment relative to monthly disposable income; DTI is total debt relative to annual disposable income.

What this means for you:

• The percentages apply to the whole of a bank’s new lending, not to your file. They are not a “10% deposit or nothing” rule.
• Banks are not legally bound. Under “comply or explain”, they must justify any departure. The NBB writes that it “n’interdit donc pas les prêts avec quotité élevée”.
• In November 2025 the NBB announced that the capital buffer dedicated to mortgage portfolios would be integrated into the countercyclical buffer from 1 July 2026, and announced no change to the prudential expectations in that text. Check the NBB page for the figures in force when you apply.

Each bank has its own policy. Ask your bank or broker what LTV it accepts for your profile.

Costs you fund yourself

Wikifin: one-off costs “ne sont en principe pas financés par la banque”. They include:

• registration duties (or VAT), notary fees and deed costs: see registration duties and notary fees;
• the lender’s file fee, at most €350 for a mortgage loan;
• valuation costs, separate and due only if the valuation takes place;
• the costs of the mortgage deed.

The mortgage deed

notaire.be lists for the deed of credit: a registration duty of 1% on the amount secured by the mortgage; a mortgage duty of 0.30% on capital plus accessories; accessories “en général” 10% of the capital borrowed; a fixed registry remuneration of €230 or €985 depending on the value of the mortgage; and the notary’s fee, set by the same legal tariff. The page does not say whether these duties differ in Brussels, so ask your notary. Under the tariff, the administrative flat fee for the loan deed is €627 when it is linked to the purchase deed.

Illustration for a €270,000 loan: if the mortgage secures capital plus 10% accessories (€297,000), 1% is €2,970 and 0.30% is €891, before the registry remuneration and the notary’s fee.

A worked example: €300,000, Brussels, sole home, 90% loan

The loan’s own costs (file fee, valuation, mortgage deed, insurance) come on top. The last three lines are estimates: ask your notary for a statement. Use the purchase cost calculator to build your own case.

An exception: the Brussels Housing Fund

The Fonds du logement offers mortgage loans to households within published income scales who live permanently in Belgium, own no other property in Belgium or abroad and fully occupy the home. It states that you do not need large own funds, and the loan can cover the price, renovation works and deed costs; in some cases, if the Fund judges it justified, up to 120% of the property’s value (fonds.brussels). It sets no minimum deposit on its page.

How to prepare

1. Add the price and the costs with the purchase cost calculator.
2. Subtract the savings you can commit: the rest is what you need to borrow.
3. Divide it by the valuation (not the price): that is your LTV.
4. Check the repayment, which Wikifin suggests should not exceed about one third of household income, in the borrowing capacity tool. Keep a reserve for works (Wikifin).

Which professional to consult

A credit broker compares what banks accept for your profile. A notary calculates the purchase and mortgage deed costs. See the credit broker and mortgages for expats.