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Cars 4 Rental Information on Belgium

General

Area: 30,528 sq km (11,787 sq miles).

Population: 10,263,414 (official estimate 2001).

Population Density: 336.2 per sq km.

Capital: Brussels (Bruxelles, Brussel). Population: 964,405 (2001).

GEOGRAPHY: Belgium is situated in Europe and bordered by France, Germany, Luxembourg and The Netherlands. The landscape is varied, the rivers and gorges of the Ardennes contrasting sharply with the rolling plains which make up much of the countryside. Notable features are the great forest of Ardennes near the frontier with Germany and Luxembourg and the wide, sandy beaches of the northern coast, which run for over 60km (37 miles). The countryside is rich in historic cities, castles and churches.

Government: Constitutional monarchy. The Kingdom of Belgium was established in 1830. In 1993, Belgium became a federal state comprising three autonomous regions. Head of State: King Albert II since 1993. Head of Government: Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt since 1999.

Language: The official languages are Dutch, French and German. Dutch is slightly more widely spoken than French, and German is spoken the least.

Religion: Mainly Roman Catholic, with small Protestant and Jewish communities.

Time: GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).

Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are of the round two-pin type.

Telephone

Fully automatic IDD. For operator services, dial 1324. Country code: 32. Outgoing international code: 00. There are call boxes in all major towns and country districts. Some coinless cardphones and credit card phones are also available. Telecards are available from newsagents, railway stations and post offices.

Mobile telephone

GSM 900 and 1800 networks provide coverage all over Belgium. Main operators include BASE (website: www.base.be), Mobistar (website: www.mobistar.be) and Proximus (website: www.proximus.be).

Internet

Internet cafes are widely available. ISPs include Belgacom (website: www.belgacom.net).

Post

Airmail takes 2 to 3 days to other West European destinations. Poste Restante facilities are available in main cities. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1600.

Press

Principal daily newspapers are La Lanterne, La Meuse, Le Soir (French) and De Gentenaar, De Standaard, Het Laatste Nieuws, Het Nieuwsblad (Dutch). There is an English-language magazine, The Bulletin, printed in Belgium.

Radio: BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.

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Money

Single European currency (Euro): The Euro is now the official currency of 12 EU member states (including Belgium). The first Euro coins and notes were introduced in January 2002; the Belgian Franc was still in circulation until 28 February 2002, when it was completely replaced by the Euro. Euro (€) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of €500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of €2, 1 and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.

Credit & debit cards: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are accepted as well as Eurocheque cards. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available. ATMs are plentiful.

Travellers cheques: Widely accepted. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in Euros, Pounds Sterling or US Dollars.

Currency restrictions: There are no restrictions on the import and export of either local or foreign currency.

Exchange rate indicators
The following figures are included as a guide to the movements of the Euro against Sterling and the US Dollar:

Date Nov ’03 Feb ’04 May ’04 Aug ’04
£1= 1.46 1.46 1.50 1.49
$1= 0.87 0.80 0.84 0.80

Banking hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1600.

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Health

Special Precautions Certificate Required
Yellow Fever No No
Cholera No No
Typhoid and Polio No N/A
Malaria No N/A

Other risks: Rabies is present in a small number of animals. If you are bitten, seek medical advice without delay. For those at high risk, vaccination before arrival should be considered. For more information consult the appendix, Health section.

Health care: Medical care is expensive but of a high standard. There is a reciprocal health agreement with the UK. It allows UK citizens a refund of up to 75 per cent of medical costs. To take advantage of the agreement, UK citizens should obtain form E111 from the post office before departure.

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Climate

Seasonal and similar to neighbouring countries, with warm weather from May to September and snow likely during winter months.

Required clothing: Waterproofs are advisable at all times of the year.

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Passport/Visa

Passport Required Visa Required Return Ticket Required
British Yes No No
Australian Yes No Yes
Canadian Yes No Yes
USA Yes No Yes
OtherEU 1 No No
Japanese Yes No Yes

Note: Belgium is a signatory to the 1995 Schengen Agreement. For further details about passport/visa regulations within the Schengen area, see the introductory section How to Use this Guide.

PASSPORTS: Passport valid for at least 3 months beyond the period of intended stay required by all except:
(a) 1. nationals of EU countries with a valid national ID card.
(b) nationals of Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino and Switzerland, in possession of a national ID card.

VISAS: Required by all except the following for stays of no more than 3 months within a 6-month period:
(a) nationals referred to in the chart and under passport exemptions above;
(b) nationals of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Korea (Rep), Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Romania, Singapore, Uruguay, Vatican City and Venezuela.

Types of visa and cost: A uniform type of visa, the Schengen visa, is issued for tourist, business and private visits.
All visas cost either £26 (short stay; up to 90 days) or £37 (long stay).

Note: Spouses and children (under 18 years) of EU nationals receive their visas free of charge (enquire at Embassy for details). The original marriage certificate, the spouse’s passport and the birth certificate(s) for the child/children must be produced. Additional documents may also be required.

Validity: Short-stay (single- and multiple-entry): usually valid for 6 months from date of issue for stays of a maximum 30 or 90 days per entry. Transit (single- and multiple-entry): valid for a maximum of 5 days per entry, including the day of arrival. Visas cannot be extended and a new application must be made each time.

Application to: Consulate (or Consular Section at Embassy); see Contact Addresses section. The consulate operates an appointment system and all applicants must make an appointment before attending the visa section (tel: 09065 540777). Travellers visiting just one Schengen country should apply to the Consulate of that country; travellers visiting more than one Schengen country should apply to the Consulate of the country chosen as the main destination or the country they will enter first and to which they require a visa (if they have no main destination).

Note: The visa application procedure for the following nationals is longer and can take up to 8 weeks: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Burundi, China, Colombia, Congo (Dem Rep), Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea Republic, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Korea (DPR), Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, The Philippines, Qatar, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Surinam, Syrian Arab Republic, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

Application requirements: (a) Passport or official travel documents valid for at least 3 months after proposed stay with blank pages to affix visa stamp. (b) Completed application form. (c) One passport-size photo. (d) Proof of sufficient funds to cover stay. (e) Valid travel insurance. (f) Proof of purpose of stay such as a letter of invitation from a host in Belgium, a return ticket or hotel booking. (g) Letter from employer or from solicitor or bank manager if self-employed. If a student, letter from school or college confirming attendance. (h) Stamped, self-addressed registered envelope for postal applications. (i) Fee payable by postal order only, or cash if in person. (j) Return ticket(s) to country of residence for some nationalities. Business: (a)-(j) and, (k) Invitation letter from overseas business associate.

Working days required: 48 hours to 8 weeks, depending on nationality and resident status, and whether applying by post or in person. Certain nationals must apply in person (contact Consulate or Consular section at Embassy for further details).

Temporary residence: Persons wishing to take up temporary residence should make a special application to the Belgian Embassy.

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