Brussels General Information
If you're going to travel to Brussels, it's likely you have some questions you want answering while planning your trip. The objective of this guide is to resolve any doubts you may have.
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 timezone 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 getting some type of travel insurance before travelling 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: 101
Belgian Tourist Office
If you’d like to learn a little bit more about Belgium, Brussels and Flanders in particular, why not check out the official Visit Flanders website?