As Spanish authorities announced the charges, they said the former Catalan officials had abused their power by stoking the secessionist campaign.
"With their decisions and actions over these last two years, they have provoked an institutional crisis culminating with the unilateral declaration of independence, realised with total disregard for our constitution," said Spanish Attorney-General José Manuel Maza.
With rebellion carrying a maximum 30-year prison sentence, Puigdemont surfaced in Belgium, a country where asylum claims are in the hands of Flemish nationalist politicians who harbour hopes of establishing their own independent nation.
A Belgian lawyer who previously defended members of the Basque militant ETA group, Paul Bekaert, told Spanish news outlets that Puigdemont was in Belgium and had hired him as his lawyer. Catalan outlets said Puigdemont planned to speak publicly tomorrow.
The criminal charges were the latest step by Spanish officials seeking to derail Catalonia's drive for independence, which was set in motion with a referendum in which voters backed a break from Spain.
In a stunning cascade of events last week, Catalonia's regional Parliament formally declared independence, and Spanish authorities countered by stripping Catalan leaders of their powers.
The officials charged were not immediately arrested. They were asked to present themselves at a Madrid court in the coming days. It was unclear whether they would be able to take part in the December elections.
Puigdemont's Catalan lawyer said that the charges were "inappropriate."
The charge of rebellion "has the same gravity as terrorism," Jaume Alonso-Cuevillas told RAC1 radio. The lawyer said that such a crime "requires violence as an essential element, and there wasn't any."
Despite the legal efforts against them, some defiant officials in Catalonia showed up for work. At least one minister of the now-ousted regional government was allowed briefly to enter his offices.
"Continuing with planned agenda," tweeted Josep Rull, who was the Catalan minister of land and sustainability. He published a photograph of himself at his computer in his office, but left about an hour later without appearing to have tried to exercise his contested power.
Employees at his ministry said work continued as normal, even if they were not sure whether they were working for the independent nation of Catalonia or as an arm of the government in Madrid.
"We're waiting to know what's going to happen," said Elisabet Masana, 50, a draftswoman at the ministry. She said she did not feel as though she was living in an independent Catalonia.
Still, she said, "I have faith in the project and in my country," meaning Catalonia.
National leaders attacked Puigdemont for his apparent travel out of the country.
The move is a sign of "absolute desperation," said Fernando Martínez Maíllo, a top official of Spain's ruling centre-right Popular Party.
The top Belgian official in charge of asylum, Theo Francken, said yesterday that it would be "not unrealistic" for Catalans to apply for asylum.
A spokeswoman clarified today that Francken was simply saying that Belgium offers other EU citizens the possibility to apply for asylum. She said there had been no contact between Francken and the Catalan officials.
