Belgium

Brief Fact File

Capital	Brussels
Currency	Euro (EUR)
Language(s)	Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French)
Local time	GMT + 01:00 (Standard Time) GMT + 02:00 (Summer Time)
Telephone code	32
Major cities	Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi, Liège

Economy
Belgium is developed only on its central geographic location with a modern private enterprise economy. The country suffers from few natural resources. To make the economy grow, it should import substantial quantities of raw materials and export the final manufactured product. The Public debt is nearly 100% of the GDP. The Belgian economy relies on its European trade partners' economical situation. The agricultural sector provides 1.3% of the country's GDP. Animal breeding and the dairy production are dominant activities. The industrial sector contributes 26.9% to the GDP. The fast developing sector is the biotechnology sector. The rest of the economy is widely dominated by the service industry. It accounts for 71.8% of the GDP and employs 73% of the population. The top three import partners of Belgium in 2003 were Germany, the Netherlands and France. Germany, France and the Netherlands were the top three export partners.

Major Exports:

• Machinery And Equipment
  
• Chemicals
  
• Diamonds
  
• Metals And Metal Products
  
• Foodstuffs

Major Imports:

• Machinery And Equipment
  
• Chemicals
  
• Diamonds
  
• Pharmaceuticals
  
• Foodstuffs
  
• Transportation Equipment
  
• Oil Products

Business Practices

Business Dress

• Men should wear dark coloured, conservative business suits with white shirts and silk ties.
  
• Women should wear business suits or conservative dresses.
  
• Men should only wear laced shoes and not too casual like loafers or other slip-ons.
  
• Polished shoes are an integral part of a professional image.

Communication Guidelines

• Third party introductions are not necessary in Belgium. One should always be polite and well mannered.
  
• They take time before trusting others.
  
• Business dealings are bureaucratic and it undergoes a great deal of paperwork.
  
• Belgians are sufficiently fluent in English while conducting meetings.
  
• They are direct in their communication and also expects the response to be direct.
  
• The communication should be logical and based on reason.
  
• They engage in long and critical discussions before taking a decision.

Business Hours
8.30 am to 5.30 pm - Offices (Monday to Friday with 30-60 minutes for lunch)
9.00 am to 3.30 pm - 5.00 pm - Banks (Monday to Friday)
9.00 am to 6.00 pm - Shops (Monday to Saturday and until 9.00 pm on Fridays)

Important Contacts

Associations / Ministries
The Federation of the Belgian Chemical Industries (Fedichem)
Square Marie-Louise 49
1000 Brussels
Tel.: +(32)-(2)-2389711
Fax: +(32)-(2)-2311301
E-mail: info@fedichem.be
Website: http://www.fedichem.be/en/view

The Antwerp Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Antwerp Office:
Markgravestraat 12
B-2000 Antwerpen
Belgium
Tel.: +(32)-(3)-2322219
Fax: +(32)-(3)-2336442
Waasland Office:
Kleine Laan 28
9100 Sint-Niklaas
Belgium
Tel.: +(32)-(3)-7763464
Fax: +(32)-(3)-7777434
E-mail: info@kknaw.be
Website: http://www.kkna.be

PICS Belgium - VIB
Filip Williotstraat 9
B-2600 BERCHEM
Tel.: +(32)-(3)-2868090
Fax: +(32)-(3)-2868098
E-mail: info@picsbelgium.be
Website: http://www.picsbelgium.be

Indian Embassy / Counsulate

Embassy of India
217 Chaussee De Vleurgat
1050 Brussels
Tel.: +(32)-(2)-6409140, 6451850
Fax: +(32)-(2)-6489638 (Chancery)
        +(32)-(2)-6451869 (Consular wing)
Website: http://www.indembassy.be
Working Hours:
9.00 am to 5.30 pm (Monday to Friday)
1.00 pm to 1.45 pm (Lunch Break)

Visiting this Country

Business Visa Rules for Belgium
Business Visitor Visas are called "Schengen Visas".

• Allowable Activities as a Business Visitor
  The allowable activities of business visitors are limited to the following:
  
  • To attend business meetings or discussions;
    
  • To attend sales calls to potential client over there provided that the employee represents a commercial entity outside of Belgium;
    
  • To attend seminars or "fact-finding" meetings.
  
  
• Special Note regarding Short-Term Technical Activities
  
  There is not a specific type of visa for short-term, technical activities. Therefore, prior to departure, it is best to confirm the fact.
  
  
• Maximum Period of Stay as a Business Visitor
  
  The normal validity is 90 days within a "given" 180-day period. The Consulates and immigration officers exercise discretion in determining the length of stay for any visitor.
  
  
• Basic Requirements to Apply for a Business Visa
  
  The following basic requirements for Business Visitors are subject to change or modification by the Authorities of Belgium.
  
  • There should be specific, realistic and predetermined purposes for his or her stay in Belgium in order to justify the application;
    
  • The applicant must have a residence and employer outside of Belgium and must be traveling to Belgium for a limited and pre-set time period;
    
  • An invitation letter that should be signed by the Belgian entity, which the Visitor will be visiting. It should state the type of business relations between the host company in Belgium and the business overseas.
    
  • The applicant must not receive compensation from any source within Belgium. However, incidental costs like accommodation, travel, and meals may be paid by the host.
    
  • The applicant must provide proof of sufficient funds (such as cash or credit cards) along with a confirmed, round-trip airline ticket;
    
  • The applicant must provide evidence that health/medical insurance will be provided by the employee's home company;
    
  • The applicant must have proof of adequate funds to defray expenditure. The period of intended stay must be consistent with the intended purpose of the trip.

Public Holidays

Festival	Date	Detail
The New Year's Day	Jan. 1st	1 day holiday
The Spring Festival	Normally in Jan or Feb	4 days holiday
The International Women Day	Mar. 8th	1/2 day holiday for women only
The Labor Day	May 1st	3 days holiday
The Chinese Youths' Day	May 4th	1 day or 1/2 day off for young people
The International Children's Day	Jun. 1st	1 day or 1/2 day off for school children
The Birthday of the CCP	Jul. 1st	CCP members usually celebrated through meetings
The Birthday of the People's Liberation Army	Aug. 1st	Celebrated by the army
The National Day	Oct. 1st	3 days holiday

Travel Tips

• Demonstrations occur frequently in Brussels which are aimed at EU and NATO. These protests can sometime be large and have the potential to turn violent.
  
• Petty crime like pick-pocketing, bag snatching and theft is common, particularly at the three major railway stations and around the Grand Place.
  
• It is common for thieves on motorbikes to break a window and snatch valuables from passenger seat of cars when it is waiting at traffic lights.
  
• Keep photocopies of all the valuables like passport, tickets, visas and travellers' cheques. Keep a copy of each in a separate place to the original and leave another copies of the same with someone at home.
  
• According the the Belgian law, passport has to be carried at all times.
  
• Before going, organise different ways of accessing money overseas. Check with the bank in the home country whether the ATM card will work overseas.
  
• Do not carry too much cash, expensive watches, jewellery and cameras.
  
• A service charge of 16 percent is included in hotel or restaurant bills. Cloakroom attendants and the porters may expect a tip per item of luggage. Usually a tip is included in taxi fares.
  
• Take out comprehensive travel insurance to cover any overseas medical costs, before the departure.