Renting out a holiday home in Wallonia: arrange your registration before 15 June 2026
If you rent out a gîte, holiday home or B&B in Wallonia, you need a valid registration number from 15 June 2026. The old tourist authorisation is no longer enough. Below you will find who has to register, how the application works and what happens if you do not.
From 15 June 2026, every short-term rental host in Wallonia needs a registration number with the BELWAL prefix, introduced under EU Regulation 2024/1028. You apply free of charge via Mon Espace on the Tourisme Wallonie website. An old authorisation or notification no longer suffices.
What exactly is changing?
EU Regulation 2024/1028 requires all EU regions to register short-term tourist rentals and share the data with platforms and authorities. Wallonia has implemented those rules: every rental unit receives a unique registration number starting with BELWAL, followed by a series of digits. That number must be visible in every listing, on every platform where your property can be booked.
Important for existing hosts: if you held an authorisation under the old Walloon tourism code (Code wallon du Tourisme) or filed a notification back then, you are not automatically compliant. Registration under the new system is separate and must be arranged before the 15 June 2026 deadline.
Who has to register?
The duty applies to anyone renting out short-stay accommodation in the Walloon Region, whatever the scale. In practice that means:
- Gîtes and holiday homes, from a small chalet to a group house for twenty guests
- Guest rooms and B&Bs
- Hosts with a single property as well as professional operators with several units (each unit gets its own number)
- The German-speaking municipalities in East Belgium too: they are part of the Walloon Region and fall under the same rules
If you rent out in Flanders or Brussels, different schemes apply with their own registration numbers. More on that briefly below.
The vast majority of registered Walloon accommodations are in the Ardennes. Curious how fellow hosts present themselves there? Browse the holiday homes in the Ardennes.
How to apply for your BELWAL number
The application is administratively simple and free. Allow for a limited processing time, but do not wait given the deadline:
- Step 1. Create an account on Mon Espace. The Walloon government's digital portal is accessible via the Tourisme Wallonie website. You sign in with your identity details or itsme.
- Step 2. Register each rental unit separately. For each property or room you enter the address, accommodation type and capacity. If you rent out several units on one estate, each unit receives its own number.
- Step 3. Note your BELWAL number and use it everywhere. After approval you receive a number in the form BELWAL followed by digits. Mention it in all your listings: platforms must display it and may refuse listings without a valid number.
- Step 4. Check yourself in the public register. Tourisme Wallonie publishes a list of registered accommodations. If your property appears correctly, you are compliant.
Not sure whether your existing number is valid? A common mistake is using an old authorisation number without the BELWAL prefix. Check the format and, when in doubt, ask Tourisme Wallonie.
What happens without registration?
Without a valid registration number, your property may no longer be offered after 15 June 2026. Under the EU regulation, booking platforms must collect registration numbers and pass them on to the authorities; listings without a valid number can be removed. You also risk administrative sanctions from the Walloon Region.
On our platform we ask for the registration number when you sign up and display it on your listing. Holidaymakers see straight away that you are compliant, and you avoid having a listing suspended somewhere.
Separate scheme: holiday villages
If you operate a holiday village or collective holiday estate, bear a second obligation in mind. Under the renewed Code wallon du Tourisme (in force since 1 July 2025), holiday villages must apply for a new certification before 31 December 2026. An old recognition, often issued for a limited number of units, no longer suffices. That certification is separate from the BELWAL number per unit: you need both.
And in Flanders and Brussels?
Flanders runs its own registration via Toerisme Vlaanderen and also requires a fire safety certificate for accommodations. Brussels applies its own registration number per accommodation. The EU regulation applies across the EU, but each region organises registration itself.
If you rent out properties in several regions, you therefore register in each region separately. The numbers are not interchangeable.
If you also rent out at the seaside, that property is registered with Toerisme Vlaanderen. For inspiration: holiday homes on the Belgian Coast.
Rent out commission-free, with your registration in order
On our platform you rent directly to your guests, without commission per booking. When you sign up, you enter your registration number and we display it on your listing. Hundreds of hosts in the Ardennes and beyond have gone before you.
Also read why more and more owners rent out directly in our article on the alternative to Booking.com.
See how renting out with us works
Frequently asked questions
What is a BELWAL number?
The BELWAL number is the unique registration number Wallonia assigns to each short-term tourist rental unit, under EU Regulation 2024/1028. It consists of the BELWAL prefix followed by a series of digits and belongs in every listing.
Does the 15 June 2026 deadline also apply to existing hosts?
Yes. Even hosts who have rented out for years with an old authorisation or notification under the former Walloon tourism code must register again. The old documents do not count as registration under the new system.
How much does registration cost?
Registration via Tourisme Wallonie's Mon Espace is free. You only need your identity details and your accommodation's details.
I rent out three gîtes on one estate. Do I need one number or three?
Three. Each rental unit receives its own registration number, even if they share the same address or estate.
My property is in East Belgium. Does this apply to me?
Yes. The German-speaking municipalities are part of the Walloon Region, so BELWAL registration applies there just the same.
What happens if I do not register?
Platforms may refuse your listing and must pass registration numbers on to the authorities. The Walloon Region can also impose administrative sanctions. Registration is free and simple, so the risk is not worth it.
I operate a holiday village. Is the BELWAL number enough?
No. Holiday villages need, in addition to the registration number per unit, a new certification under the Code wallon du Tourisme, to be applied for before 31 December 2026.