Brussels General Information
If you are planning on visiting Brussels you might be wondering what travel documents you need, what languages are spoken in Belgium, what the country’s currency is and a lot more questions, which you will find answered here below:
Frequent questions
What is Belgium’s official language? Do most people speak English? Will I be able to get by if I don’t speak French?
Can I travel with an identity card or do I need a passport? Do I need a visa to travel to Belgium?
Is it expensive to eat out? How much does a Belgian beer cost? How much money do I need to visit Brussels?
When is the best time to visit Brussels? Does it rain a lot in Brussels? Is it cold in winter?
When do shops open in Brussels? Do the stores open on Sunday? Do all museums and top attractions have the same opening hours?
What public holidays are there in Brussels? When is the Belgian National day?
Other questions
Brussels facts and figures
Brussels has just over one million inhabitants and its metropolitan area has over two million people.
Currency
Like some other members of the European Union, the official currency in Belgium is the Euro.
Current local time
The time zone in Belgium is CEST (Central European Summer Time) in the summer and CET (Central European Time) in winter and is the same time as Paris, Madrid, Rome and Amsterdam (to mention a few capital cities).
Healthcare system in Belgium
If you are a UK citizen you have access to the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) that will enable you to have access to Belgian healthcare at a reduced cost or sometimes for free. For citizens from the United States, Canada, Australia or other non-European countries, it is not obligatory to get health insurance to travel to Belgium. However, we recommend to get some type of travel insurance before traveling since healthcare can occasionally be expensive.
Electricity, plugs and sockets
Belgium uses type C plugs with two round pins, which are commonly used in Europe, with 230 V and 50 Hz. If your appliances do not match the type C we recommend you either buy an adapter or ask to borrow one if you are staying at a hotel.
Helpful Telephone numbers
- Emergency number: 100
- Brussels area code: 2
- Belgium area code: 32
- Police: 100
Belgian Tourist Office
If you’d like to learn a little bit more about Belgium, Brussels and Flanders in particular, why not check out Visit Flanders website?
