Searching for building plans

The City of Brussels Archives hold all the building permit files (approvals and plans) issued by the local authority from the 19th century to the present day.

These documents show the original situation as well as the successive modifications of the buildings located exclusively on the City of Brussels territory:

  • Brussels-City;
  • Laeken;
  • Haren;
  • Neder-Over-Heembeek.

! for building permit applications from other municipalities in the Brussels-Capital Region, the municipality in which the property is located should be contacted.

! for current building permits, please contact the City of Brussels Urban Development department ( URB.Archives@brucity.be)

You will find the terms and conditions of consultation in the tab below (“Consultation of files”).

Also available for consultation in the Archives’ reading room:

  • environmental permits for buildings located on the City of Brussels territory, from 1900 to the present day;
  • subdivision permits issued between 1962 and 2017;
    • ! information on old subdivision permits can also be found on the BruGIS ® mapping site.

Mandate of the Archives service in terms of planning permission and competent services

The sole task of the City of Brussels Archives is to make the files available for consultation in the area of planning permission.

Therefore, the Archive staff are not authorised:

  • to answer planning questions (legal situation, planning use, explanations of plans, etc.);
  • to formulate an opinion or interpret the content of planning permission files kept in the repository;
  • to provide a certificate of any kind (urban assignment, absence of plans, etc.).

The City of Brussels does not provide any information prior to the submission of an application for an urban planning or subdivision permit/certificate, nor on the plans and regulations applicable to a plot of land or a real estate project.

If you wish to obtain this type of information, please refer to:

  • In general:
    • urban planning regulations in force in Brussels: websites of the City of Brussels and the Brussels-Capital Region;
    • the most recent urban planning data for the Brussels-Capital Region: BruGIS® mapping site;
    • free help and advice for individuals:
      • Advice and support centre for housing in the Brussels-Capital Region ( Homegrade) for free advice on your renovation and work projects in your home;
      • ASBL Convivence for all information, advice and technical support in the areas of renovation and energy, urban planning regulations, financial aid and grants;
    • free help and advice for companies: Brussels Agency for Business Support for free personalised support in all matters relating to urban planning (analysis of permit applications, office/parking/advertising regulations, procedures to follow, recommendations, etc.) in the Brussels-Capital Region.

  • More specifically:
    • old and recent alignment plans: Strategic and operational planning service of the City of Brussels Urban Development department ( urb.topo@brucity.be);
    • current building permits: Archives service of the City of Brussels Urban Development department ( URB.Archives@brucity.be);
    • current environmental permits: Environmental Permits service of the City of Brussels Urban Development department ( urb.permisenvironnement@brucity.be);
    • PPAS, municipal development plan, master plan and municipal town planning regulations: available on the website of the City of Brussels Urban Development department.