Can I put a security camera on my house in Belgium?
Yes — but aim it at your own property, declare it and hang the pictogram. A security camera on your home falls under the camera law: you file a free electronic declaration at aangiftecamera.be at the latest the day before switching it on (validated yearly), display the official pictogram visibly and keep a processing register. The golden aiming rule: film only your own plot — door, driveway, garden. The public road may appear at most minimally (the strip in front of your façade if technically unavoidable) and never the neighbours' garden or windows. Indoor cameras for personal use need no declaration, but beware: a video doorbell that records can be declarable too. Keep footage at most 30 days and share it only with police after incidents.
📋 The rules
- Declaration via aangiftecamera.be — free, at latest the day before use, yearly validation
- Pictogram displayed + processing register kept
- Film your own plot only; public road at a strict minimum
- Never the neighbours' garden, windows or property
- Footage kept max 30 days (longer only as crime evidence)
🔓 Exceptions
- Indoor cameras for personal use: no declaration needed
- Live-only video doorbells without recording: outside the duty; with recording it applies
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Camera-law breaches (no declaration, no pictogram, filming neighbours) risk criminal fines of €250 to €20,000 (times surcharge factors) plus DPA sanctions; neighbours can demand re-aiming or removal via the justice of the peace.
📎 Official sources
- BeSafe · Camera declaration system (NL) →
- Data Protection Authority · Surveillance cameras (NL) →
- VRT NWS · Even video doorbells sometimes need registering (NL) →
❓ Frequently asked
How do I declare my camera?
Online at aangiftecamera.be (eID/itsme login), free, at the latest the day before first use — then validate or update yearly.
My camera catches a bit of pavement. Problem?
A minimal, technically unavoidable strip of public road is tolerated — frame so your plot stays the target and use the software's privacy zones if needed.
My neighbour's camera films my garden. What can I do?
Talk first; then: complaint to the DPA or the neighbourhood officer, and if needed the justice of the peace — who can order re-aiming or removal.
Does my video doorbell (Ring etc.) count?
Once it records footage of the area before your door, you're a data controller: declaration, pictogram and the same aiming rules apply.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “security camera rules belgium”
- “declare camera belgium”
- “neighbour films my garden”
- “video doorbell law belgium”
- “camera pictogram mandatory”