Belgian inspection bodies

What is an accredited inspection body?

An accredited technical inspection body ("organisme de contrôle" in French, "keuringsorganisme" in Dutch) is an independent entity authorised by FPS Economy and accredited by BELAC under the international ISO/IEC 17020 standard. Its mission: to verify the compliance of electrical, gas, fire or high-voltage installations against Belgian standards (RGIE, NBN D51-003, NBN S21-100, etc.).

Each body receives a unique accreditation number (e.g. 663-INSP for Atlas Contrôle, 234-INSP for Vinçotte). This number is mandatory on all inspection reports and lets grid operators (Sibelga, Fluvius, Ores, RESA) and notaries verify the authenticity of a report.

Belgian regulatory framework

Inspection of low-voltage electrical installations is governed by the Royal Decree of 8 September 2019 on RGIE Book 1. For high voltage, it is RGIE Book 2. Domestic gas inspections follow NBN D51-003 and NBN B61-002. Fire detection is governed by NBN S21-100-1 and -2.

FPS Economy publishes and maintains the official list of accredited bodies. BELAC verifies annually that these bodies comply with ISO 17020 (impartiality, technical competence, traceability of inspections).

How to choose your inspection body

Several criteria matter: scope of accreditation (not all bodies cover all disciplines — verify they are accredited for the specific inspection you need: residential electrical, high voltage, gas, fire…); geographic coverage; report turnaround (varies from 24h to several weeks — critical for property sales); price (not regulated, request several quotes); and reputation. Atlas Contrôle operates across Belgium from 4 offices and offers all 8 services with a 24-48h turnaround — for residential electrical inspections, the official report is even handed to you the same day, on site, at the end of the inspection.