Includes information on business customs, travel advisory, visa requirements, and other aspects of international travel.
Business Customs
For information on business customs, please consult the relevant Member States’ Country Commercial Guide.
Travel Advisory
For information on any travel advisories, please consult the Department of State’s Travel Website.
Visa Requirements
Companies that require the travel of foreign businesspersons to the United States should be advised that security evaluations are handled via an interagency process. Visa applicants should go to the Department of State’s Visa Website.
For information on visa requirements, please consult the relevant Member States’ Country Commercial Guide.
Currency
The euro was adopted as the currency of the European Union on January 1, 2002, and it is used by the institutions of the European Union and the nineteen Member States belonging to the eurozone: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain. Croatia will adopt the Euro on January 1, 2023.
The official languages of the European Union are Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, Gaelic, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, and Swedish.
Local Time, Business Hours, and Holidays
The European Union generally follows the holidays of the Member State in which it is institutions are located. During August, most European Union organizations are staffed with minimum personnel. For information on local holidays in the EU Member States, please consult the relevant Member States’ Country Commercial Guide. As some EU institutions are located in Brussels, the following is a list of official holidays observed in Belgium in 2021 and 2022.
2022 |
2023 |
Holiday |
---|---|---|
January 1 |
January 1 |
New Year’s Day |
April 15 |
April 7 |
Good Friday |
April 18 |
April 10 |
Easter Monday |
May 1 |
May 1 |
Belgian Labor Day |
May 9 |
May 9 |
European Day |
May 26 |
May 18 |
Ascension Day |
June 6 |
May 29 |
Whit Monday |
July 21 |
July 21 |
National Day |
August 15 |
August 15 |
Assumption Day |
November 1 |
November 1 |
All Saints Day |
November 11 |
November 11 |
Veterans Day |
December 25 |
December 25 |
Christmas Day |
December 26 |
December 26 |
Boxing Day |
The U.S. Mission to the European Union is closed on most U.S. and Belgian holidays. For individual Member States’ local time and business hours, please consult the relevant Member States’ Country Commercial Guide.
Other Issues
For more information on the temporary entry of materials or personal belongings, telecommunications and electric issues, transportation, and health, please consult the relevant Member States’ Country Commercial Guide.
Appointments with the Commercial Service
Business travelers to the European Union seeking appointments with officials in the U.S. Mission to the European Union should contact the U.S. Commercial Service at the U.S. Mission to the European Union in advance of their travel.