EU - Country Commercial Guide
Business Travel

Includes information on business customs, travel advisory, visa requirements, and other aspects of international travel.

Last published date: 2022-08-11

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.

Table: Holidays in 2022 and 2023

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.