Includes information on business customs, travel advisory, visa requirements, currency, language, health, local time, business hours and holidays, acceptable business etiquette, dress, business cards, gifts, temporary entry of materials and personal belongings,etc.
Last Published: 8/2/2019

Business Customs

For information on this topic, please consult the Commerce Department's Country Commercial Guides on EU Member States: EU Member States' Country Commercial Guides

Alternatively, search the Commerce Department’s Market Research Library, available from: Market Intelligence under Country and Industry Market Reports.

Travel Advisory

State Department Travel Website

Visa requirements

U.S. Companies that require 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 following links.
State Department Visa Website

For information on this topic please consult the Commerce Department’s Country Commercial Guides on EU Member States:EU Member States' Country Commercial Guides

Alternatively, search the Commerce Department’s Market Research Library, available from: Market Intelligence under Country and Industry Market Reports.

Currency

The euro is the result of the European Union's project for economic and monetary union which came fully into being on January 1, 2002. The Euro is used by the institutions of the European Union and by the Eurozone states, which account for 19 of the 28 Member States of the European Union:

Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain.

Telecommunications/Electric


For information on this topic, please consult the Commerce Department's Country Commercial Guides on EU Member States: EU Member States' Country Commercial Guides

Alternatively, search the Commerce Department’s Market Research Library, available from: Market Intelligence under Country and Industry Market Reports.

Transportation


For information on this topic, please consult the Commerce Department's Country Commercial Guides on EU Member States: EU Member States' Country Commercial Guides


Alternatively, search the Commerce Department’s Market Research Library, available from: Market Intelligence under Country and Industry Market Reports.

Language

The official languages of the EU 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

Health

For information on this topic, please consult the Commerce Department's Country Commercial Guides on EU Member States: EU Member States' Country Commercial Guides

Alternatively, search the Commerce Department’s Market Research Library, available from: Market Intelligence under Country and Industry Market Reports.

Local time, business hours and holidays

The European Institutions generally follow the holidays of the EU member state in which they are located. During the month of August, most EU organizations are staffed with minimum personnel.  For information on local holidays in the EU Member States, please see individual member state’s Country Commercial Guides. The following is a list of holidays observed by the European Commission in Belgium during calendar year 2019:
 
January 1Monday, New Year’s Day
April 19Good Friday
April 22Easter Monday
May 1Monday, Labor Day (observed)
May 9European Day
May 30Thursday, Ascension Day
June 10Whit Monday
July 22Friday, National Day
November 1Wednesday, All Saints Day
November 11Veterans Day
December 24-316 end-of-year days




















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 refer to the EU Member States' Country Commercial Guides

Business travelers to the European Union seeking appointments with officials in the U.S. Mission to the European Union in Brussels, Belgium, should contact the Commercial Service in advance. The Commercial Service at the U.S. Mission to the European Union can be reached by telephone at +32-2 811-4817 or by e-mail at Office.BrusselsEC@trade.gov.  Additional information on our office can be found on our website at U.S. Mission to the European Union . A current directory of staff and locations worldwide may be accessed on the Commercial Service website Staff directory and locations.

Temporary entry of materials of personal belongings

For information on this topic, please consult the Commerce Department's Country Commercial Guides on EU Member States: EU Member States' Country Commercial Guides

Alternatively, search the Commerce Department’s Market Research Library, available from: Market Intelligence under Country and Industry Market Reports.

Web Resources

Market Intelligence
EU Member States' Country Commercial Guides  
State Department Visa Website

Commercial Service at the U.S. Mission to the European Union

General E-mail Address:
Office.BrusselsEC@trade.gov
Current directory of Commercial Service staff and locations worldwide




 

Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.