Belgium (French: Belgique, German: Belgien) is a country in Europe bordering the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and France. Belgium has been independent from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands since 1830 . Belgium consists of three communities: the Flemish Community, the French Community and the German-speaking Community. The capital of Belgium is Brussels. Brussels is also the administrative center of the European Union. A number of major cities in Belgium are: Antwerp, Ghent, Liège and Bruges. See cellphoneexplorer for brief information about Poland.
Belgium is known for its ports, which represent a large part of the economy. Belgium is also known for its chocolate, beer, nature reserve the Ardennes and Flemish fries. In Belgium you will also find a coastline with a sandy beach and a number of port cities, of which Zeebrugge and Antwerp are the best known. A well-known monument in Belgium is the Atomium (enlarged crystal structure of metal). The Belgian economy mostly runs on services, transport and trade.
Regions and Provinces of Belgium:
Belgium is divided into three regions: Brussels-Capital Region, Flemish Region (Flanders) and Walloon Region (Wallonia). Brussels-Capital Region consists only of the city of Brussels. The Flemish Region (Flanders) consists of the provinces of Antwerp, Limburg, East Flanders, Flemish Brabant and West Flanders. The Walloon Region (Wallonia) consists of the provinces of Walloon Brabant, Hainaut, Liège, Luxembourg and Namur.
Where is Belgium?
Travel information of Belgium
Official name: Kingdom of Belgium
Continent: Europe
Area: 30,528 km²
Capital: Brussels
Country code: BE, BEL
Population: 11,720,716 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: Federal monarchy (Kingdom)
Highest point: 694 m (Signal van Botrange)
Distance (Amsterdam – Brussels): 174 km
Flight time: approximately 50 minutes
Travel advice
Current status: No special security risks.
Current color code: Green.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), (temporary) measures may apply in Belgium that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs in Belgium, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to Belgium. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, walking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Belgium?
Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay in Barbados at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.
Weather and climate
The climate in Belgium can be compared to that of the Netherlands. There is more precipitation in Belgium than in the Netherlands. Average about 852 mm per year.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Belgium can be found on our extensive weather page.
Extensive information about the climate of Belgium can be found at Climate info.
Best time
May, June, July, August and September are the best months to travel to Belgium. In these months you have the best chance of summer temperatures.
Language
Dutch, French and German are the official languages in Belgium.
Would you like to translate from or into French and/or German for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a valid identity card or passport.
A visa is not necessary.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Belgium: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Dutch consulate in Belgium: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Belgian Embassy in the Netherlands: diplomatie.belgium.be.
Belgian consulates in the Netherlands: diplomatie.belgium.be.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
You do not need any vaccinations for a visit to Belgium.
Money and Currency
In Belgium, payments are made with the euro (EUR).
An overview of all ATMs in Belgium can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
Prices in Belgium are slightly higher than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is +4% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (1% more expensive), food (17% more expensive), imported beer in catering (14% cheaper), cigarettes (5% cheaper) and public transport (24% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
In Belgium it is customary to give a tip of approximately 5-10%, especially in tourist areas. Outside the tourist areas, change is usually given as a tip.
Time difference
There is no time difference with the Netherlands.
Summer time in Belgium is the same as in the Netherlands.
The local time, date and time zone for Belgium can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
In Belgium you must drive on the right.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in Belgium.
There are toll roads in Belgium. An overview of all toll roads in Belgium can be found on ANWB.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Belgium.
Electricity
In Belgium you can use a Dutch flat plug.
A round plug must have a recess for the grounding pin present in the socket. You need a travel plug if your plug does not have such a recess.
More information about electricity in Belgium can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 112
– Fire: 112
– Ambulance: 112
Tap water
Tap water is safe to drink.
News and newspapers
The latest news regarding Belgium can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Belgium can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Belgium end in.be.
Official websites of Belgium: belgium.be and http://www.visitbelgium.com.
Telephony
The country code (international access number) to call someone in Belgium is 0032 or +32.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Belgium? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If you use a country code, you must omit the first 0 of the number to be called.)
All area codes for Belgium can be found on Dailyfinance.nl.
Telephone numbers can be found in the Belgian telephone directory.
Company details can be found in the Yellow Pages of Belgium.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos of Belgium.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Belgium.
Holidays and school holidays
Belgium’s national holiday falls on 21 July.
An overview of all other public holidays in Belgium can be found on Beleven.org.
You will find an overview of all school holidays in Belgium in the Eurydice school guide.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (hotels, camping sites and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations in Belgium, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about Belgium?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Belgium. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in Belgium can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites in Belgium can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Belgium? On the IATA website you will find an overview of the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, medicines, money and perfume. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. You will also find the laws and regulations regarding the entry of pets on this website.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you intend to do business in or do business with Belgium, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about Belgium, including: opportunities, import and export rules, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, product requirements, business partners and subsidies.
Studying and internship
Are you considering a study, internship or gap year in Belgium? You are by no means the only one and certainly not the first. To help you on your way, Nuffic (the Dutch organization for internationalization in education) has set up the WilWeg.nl website. On this website you will find all the information that can help you on your way, such as admission requirements, forms of education, accommodation, scholarships, internships, health insurance, study costs and of course experiences.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Belgium.
– Alcohol: Spirits from the age of 18, beer and wine from the age of 16.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.5.
– Tobacco: Buy from the age of 16, smoking at all ages.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Allowed
Did you know that…
…More than 800 types of beer are brewed in Belgium?
…The Belgian coast tram is the longest tram line in the world?
…Belgium has the lowest number of McDonald’s restaurants per capita in the world?
…The saxophone was invented by a Belgian?
…The body-mass index (BMI) was invented by a Belgian?
…Napoleon was finally defeated in Waterloo, Belgium?
