Practical information

Country Code: 32 City Code Brussels: 2

Find a business number: www.goldenpages.be

Find a residence number: www.1307.be

Public Phones take both coins and phone cards. Public phones that display stickers showing flags of different countries can be used to make international calls with operator assistance.

Standard shopping hours are 10.00 AM – 18.00/19.00 PM but the Grand Place area stays open until approximately 20.00 PM.

Sales tax is 21% and can be refunded to non-EU citizens by any of the shops affiliated with Global Refund Belgium (website: www.globalrefund.com). Participating shops will issue a global refund cheque which should be stamped at customs and then cashed upon leaving the country. Global Refund also offers ‘First Currency Choice’, a credit card payment system allowing users to pay in their own currency.

Antique and flea markets are generally open on Saturdays and Sundays.

Euro notes are issued in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 euros.

Coins come in denominations of 1 & 2 Euro, and 5, 10, 20, 50, 1 and 2 cent pieces.

Tips are normally included in the service fee. There are no strict rules for tipping in restaurants, bars, sightseeing tours. Most of the time, Belgian people will round up the amount that they have to pay. E.g. If you have to pay 18,50 €, you give 20 €.

All major cards are accepted (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club and Eurocard) as well as Traveler's Checks. ATM machines are available in all major cities. Note that in many restaurants, American Express is not accepted because of high tax rates.

Click on the ATM Locator on Visa's Expo site to pinpoint the exact location of ATM machines in Belgian cities. http://visa.via.infonow.net/locator/global/jsp/SearchPage.jsp

Banks are open Monday through Friday, 9:00am - 4:00pm and are closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays. Some banks close for an hour during lunch.

Many foreign exchange offices are open on Sundays. Foreign exchange traffic is not regulated. There is no limit on the amount of foreign currency which may be brought in or out of the country.