Belgium business travel information

Doing business in Belgium

Belgium is divided ethnically into the Dutch-speaking Flemings and French-speaking Walloons, the 70,000 residents of the eastern German cantons, and the residents of the bilingual capital of Brussels. With a total of 10.7 million people, the population density is the second highest in Europe, after the Netherlands, and is heavily reliant on international trade for its prosperity.

The country boasts tremendous infrastructure and is regarded as an ideal hub for European transit and distribution. The cosmopolitan nature of Belgium and its mix of Germanic and Latin cultures make it an ideal European test market for foreign products and services.

The Belgian market is small enough that a huge European-wide commitment to a new product is not necessary, yet diverse and competitive enough that it offers a representative sample of potential buyers and competitors. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Belgium’s GDP in 2007 grew by 2.8% over the previous year (to € 245 billion), whereas the Euro area grew by 2.6%.

The standard of living in Belgium is among the highest in the world, as it boasts excellent food, housing, health-care, education and infrastructure, as well as high productivity and low poverty.

Some facts in a list:

Product tip: Keep an eye on the size of your trolley Many luggage stores sell suitcases described as ’carry-on’, but these suitcases are sometimes larger than the size most airlines will accept. The safe maximum size is 114 cm, in the form of a 55 x 40 x 20 cm bag. Some airlines allow up to as much as 140 cm, but most do not. Not only do luggage stores and manufacturers seldom tell you if their bag is legally sized or not, but they also frequently mis-measure their bag. Their measurements generally are for the inside of the main compartment, and assume that any external pockets are of zero thickness, rather than stuffed full of things (which can easily add another inch or more) and ignore any external framing such as wheels and carry handle (which can also add another couple of inches).

In case of emergencies

Before you go on your business trip to , Belgium you should always get a travel insurance with a complete coverage.

Make sure your health care insurance is sufficiently covered.
Maybe this is already covered in your regular health care insurance but often you will need to cover this with the travel insurance. Also a good travel insurance should cover the costs of travel for a relative in case of seriously illness or an accident.

The business trip travel insurance should also cover the costs of search, rescue and repatriation.
When you go on business trips on a regular basis, the easiest way to get insured is with an annual multi-trip insurance.

Keep in mind that you can also use this insurance for your pleasure trips so don`t forget to include to insure your leisure activities.

When you have any kind of emergency, getting help in the English language will be no problem.

Business Etiquette and Protocol

If your are planning a business trip to Belgium it is a good idea to know at least a little about the culture and etiquette in Belgium. Use these business etiquette tips as a guideline only. There are too many social, personal and business nuances in Belgium to be considered. There is no uniform approach possible for all occasions.
For more in-depth information I suggest you buy and read the "Global Business Etiquettes" book.

• Communication:
  Use formal names and academic titles.
  Belgians are not direct, they prefer subtlety to directness.
  Dress formal and conservative. Men should wear shoes with laces.
  


• Meetings and negotiations:
  Be very punctual, if you suspect you will late, call and explain the situation.
  Never cancel a meeting at the last minute.
  Remain standing until invited to sit down or others do so.
  Some time is spent to getting to know you before the business conversation begins.
  Agenda’s are strictly followed.
  First appointments are more socially oriented, they would like to know you a bit better at first.
  Keep your presentation as short as possible, to the point, accurate and precise, do not exaggerate.
  Prepare for long discussions.
  Follow up a meeting with a letter with all agreements outlined.
  


• Table manners:
  Wait until you are appointed a seat.
  Avoid alcohol if possible, otherwise drink little.
  If making a toast, stand up.
  Put a napkin on your lap, eat not too much but finish your plate.
  Keep your hands above the table when eating.
  After finishing your plate lay your knife and fork parallel on your plate with the handles to the right.
  Thank your host at the end of the meal.
  

Some Dutch and some French

Belgium has three official languages: Dutch, French and German. German however is only spoken in a small part in the east of Belgium. French was originally the single official language adopted by the nobility and the bourgeoisie. It progressively lost its overall importance as Dutch became recognized as well. This recognition became official in 1898 and in 1967 a Dutch version of the Constitution was legally accepted.The capital Brussels is officially bilangual.

We have gathered the translation of some convenient words and phrases in Dutch and French.

English	Dutch	French
Hello	Hallo	Bonjour
Good morning	Goedemorgen	Bonjour
Good evening	Goedenavond	Bonsoir
Good night	Goedenacht	Bonsoir
Hi	Hi / Dag	Salut
Good bye	Tot ziens	Au revoir
See you soon	Tot ziens	A bientôt
Please	Alstublieft	S’il vous/te plaît
Thank you (very much)	Dank je/u (zeer)	Merci (beaucoup)
Excuse me	Neem me niet kwalijk	Excusez-moi
I’m sorry, but...	Het spijt me, maar...	Je regrette, mais...
That’s a shame	Dat is jammer	Quel dommage
May I... ?	Mag ik... ?	Puis-je... ?
Yes	Ja	Oui
No	Nee	Non
That depends	Dat hangt er van af	Cela dépend
I don’t know	Ik weet het niet	Je ne sais pas
I don’t think so	Ik denk het niet	Je ne crois pas
I suppose so	Ik denk het	Je suppose que oui
I think so	Dat denk ik	Je crois que oui
It doesn’t matter	Het doet er niet toe	Ça ne fait rien
I don’t mind	Het kan me niet schelen	Cela m’est égal
Of course	Natuurlijk / Zeker	Bien sûr
True	Waar	Vrai
With pleasure	Met plezier	Avec plaisir