Practical Information for visiting Belgium

Belgium uses the euro and is in the Schengen area.

Cards and contactless are accepted almost everywhere, including small cafes and market stalls, and Belgium is close to cashless. A few frituren and small bakeries remain cash only, so carry a little.

Note that some Belgian businesses accept only the domestic Bancontact system, and a foreign card may be declined where a Belgian one works — less common than it was, but it still happens.

ATMs are widespread. Decline dynamic currency conversion.

Tipping is not expected: service and VAT are included in menu prices by law. Rounding up or leaving small change for good service is appreciated and entirely optional. Public toilets, including in stations and some cafes, usually charge a small fee — keep coins.

Coverage for mobile networks is excellent across the country, with 5G in the cities and 4G essentially everywhere, from Proximus, Orange and Base. The Ardennes have a few weak spots in the deeper valleys.

Belgium is in the European Union, so EU roaming rules apply for visitors from member states. Local prepaid SIMs are cheap and sold in supermarkets and phone shops.

Free Wi-Fi is standard in hotels, cafes and on many trains and buses, and Brussels has public networks across much of the centre. Fixed speeds are high.

Belgium is a safe country and visitors rarely encounter serious trouble. The issues are urban and petty.

• Pickpocketing is the main problem, concentrated at Brussels Midi station, on the metro, around the Grand Place and at Christmas markets. Bags in front on crowded transport, nothing in back pockets.
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• Theft from vehicles at motorway service areas and in city car parks. Leave nothing visible, ever.
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• Some areas around Brussels Midi and parts of Molenbeek and Anderlecht are best treated with ordinary city caution after dark. The rest of the city is comfortable.
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• Cyclists. In Flemish cities, cycle lanes are heavily used and pedestrians who wander into them are a genuine hazard to themselves. Look before stepping off a kerb.
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• Low-emission zones in Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent fine unregistered foreign vehicles automatically. Register online before driving in.

Belgium has experienced terrorist attacks in the past and maintains a visible security presence at stations and institutions; it is routine rather than a sign of current alarm.

Belgian healthcare is excellent and widely available, with a strong network of hospitals and general practitioners. EU and UK visitors are covered for necessary treatment with a valid EHIC or GHIC; others pay privately and should carry insurance.

The system generally works on payment at the time followed by reimbursement, so expect to settle a consultation fee even where you are entitled to cover.

Vaccinations: routine cover is sufficient; nothing special is required.

Ticks are present in the Ardennes and in wooded areas, and Lyme disease occurs. Check after walking in long grass or forest.

Air quality in Brussels and Antwerp can be poor on still winter days, which is why the low-emission zones exist and is worth knowing if you have a respiratory condition.

Pharmacies are widespread, marked by a green cross, with a rota for out-of-hours opening posted on the door. Tap water is safe and good throughout.

Greet on entering. Bonjour or goedendag when you walk into a shop, bakery or small restaurant, and a farewell on leaving. This is expected, not optional.

Mind the language. Use English rather than guessing wrong — French in Flanders or Dutch in Wallonia can be taken as a statement. Nobody minds English.

Carry your passport or ID. Belgian law requires everyone over fifteen to carry identification, and it applies to visitors; police can and do ask.

Toilets cost money, including in stations, department stores and many cafes, and there is usually an attendant. Keep small coins.

Sorting waste is taken seriously, with different coloured bags for different materials and fines for getting it wrong.

Beer has its own glass and asking for one in a different glass will be politely refused. This is not affectation; it is how it is done.

Emergency numbers: 112 for ambulance and fire, 101 for police. Both work nationally and operators generally speak English as well as French and Dutch.

Medical. Hospital emergency departments are of a high standard throughout. Outside hours, the national on-call GP service is reached on 1733 for non-urgent problems, which avoids a hospital visit.

Pharmacies post the nearest out-of-hours pharmacy on the door, and the rota is also published online.

Rail and travel disruption is announced through the SNCB app; national strikes affecting trains and air traffic are announced in advance and are a recurring feature of Belgian life.

Keep an offline copy of your passport and insurance. Brussels holds a very large diplomatic community, so almost every country is represented there, most of them in the Ixelles and European quarter districts.