ABOUT BELGIUM > Practical information

Public holidays

The Belgian Public Holidays are :
1 January (New Year's Day)
1 May (Labour Day)
21 July (National Day)
15 August (Assumption)
1 November (All Saints)
11 November (Armistice Day) and 
25 December (Christmas Day) + 
Easter Monday, 
the Ascension (one day which vary between May and June) and the 
White Monday (one day which vary between May and June)

Most tourist attractions and museums are open on Sundays and closed on Mondays with the exception of Bruges where museums are closed on Tuesdays or Wednesdays.

Electricity

220 volts, 50 cycles AC - adapter is needed for US appliances.

Meal Times

Lunch time : 12.00pm/01.00pm, Dinner : 07.00pm/08.00pm. Traditional Belgium cuisine and all types of cuisine are available in Brussels. In the other cities, French, Spanish, Italian and Oriental cuisine are available widely.

Passport and visas

Passport not required for EU residents. US residents need a passport but no visa.

V.A.T.

21 %. A resident of a non-EU country who buys an item in a Belgian store with a value over 180 € is entitled to a refund of the VAT, which is included in the posted sales price. Inquire within Belgium at the time of purchase about the procedure for VAT refunds.