{
  "_license": "CC BY 4.0 — attribute SKETCH.WORLD (https://sketch.world) and link back if you use this data.",
  "_source": "https://sketch.world/belgium",
  "iso2": "BE",
  "name": "Belgium",
  "slug": "belgium",
  "updatedAt": "2026-07-12T18:38:05.662Z",
  "score": 78,
  "verdict": "go-attention",
  "confidence": "high",
  "subscores": {
    "advisoryConsensus": 77.77777777777777,
    "political": 66.7003364,
    "policeTrust": 75.65598,
    "health": 76,
    "crime": 97.83939692901386,
    "lgbtq": 90
  },
  "delta7d": 7,
  "advisories": {
    "disagreement": 1,
    "us": {
      "level": 2,
      "label": "Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution",
      "url": "https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/belgium-travel-advisory.html"
    },
    "uk": {
      "level": 1,
      "summary": "See FCDO advice.",
      "url": "https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/belgium"
    },
    "ca": {
      "level": 2,
      "label": "Exercise a high degree of caution",
      "url": "https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/belgium"
    }
  },
  "generated": true,
  "regionFlags": [],
  "health": {
    "notices": [
      {
        "title": "Global Measles",
        "level": 1
      }
    ],
    "vaccines": {
      "required": [],
      "recommended": []
    },
    "tapWater": "unknown"
  },
  "entry": {
    "visaNote": "",
    "passportValidityMonths": 0,
    "sources": []
  },
  "scams": [],
  "laws": [
    {
      "title": "Marijuana possession",
      "body": "Possessing small amounts of marijuana is punishable by a fine.",
      "sources": [
        "wikivoyage"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "streetWisdom": {
    "summary": "Brussels is not the dangerous city some online rumors suggest, though it does not match the safety standards of Scandinavia. The primary areas of concern are the north and south train stations, which sit in the city's poorest districts. Travelers will encounter visible homelessness and drug use in these specific zones, though these areas are no more sketchy than similar parts of Dublin. Violent crime is not a defining feature of the city, and it remains safer than many major American cities. While some tourists experience street harassment, the city center is generally manageable for those who avoid the grittier station neighborhoods.",
    "quotes": [
      {
        "text": "The north and south train stations are situated in the poorest parts of the city and you will see visible homelessness and sometimes drug addicts",
        "sub": "r/travel",
        "url": "https://old.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/1pktyv5/my_travel_report_of_brussels_belgium/"
      },
      {
        "text": "Anyway, the station area can be sketchy, but no more sketchy than say Dublin or so. Its absolutely not in the same ballpark as the Tenderloin as some may suggest",
        "sub": "r/travel",
        "url": "https://old.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/1pktyv5/my_travel_report_of_brussels_belgium/"
      },
      {
        "text": "I have travelled to a lot of places, and Brussels was way safer than the American cities I been to.",
        "sub": "r/travel",
        "url": "https://old.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/1pktyv5/my_travel_report_of_brussels_belgium/"
      }
    ],
    "generatedAt": "2026-07-12"
  },
  "localKnowledge": {
    "staySafe": [
      {
        "text": "With the notable exceptions of certain major urban areas like Brussels (mostly the northern and western sections of the region), Antwerp (the southern neighbourhoods), and Walloon cities bor…"
      },
      {
        "label": "Pickpocketing and other crimes",
        "text": "Violent crimes are generally uncommon in Belgium, but as with much of Europe, petty crimes like pickpocketing do occur, mostly in Brussels and more touristy cities like Bruges and Antwerp."
      },
      {
        "text": "Aggravated assaults have occurred sporadically throughout the years, but they rarely involve tourists. Brussels and other major cities have seen a surge of assaults against women"
      },
      {
        "label": "Racism",
        "text": "As a country marked by continued waves of immigration, Belgium is one of the world's most multicultural nations."
      },
      {
        "text": "People of North African or Middle Eastern ancestry in particular may attract violent stares and resentment from older generations in rural areas and wealthier sections of Brussels and Antwerp."
      },
      {
        "text": "People who are recognisably Jewish, such as men who wear kippot, have also experienced harassment and worse, and should check on current conditions for Jews before they go."
      }
    ],
    "stayHealthy": [
      {
        "text": "In the winter, like most other European countries, only influenza will cause you a considerable inconvenience. No inoculations are needed to enter or leave Belgium."
      },
      {
        "text": "Tap water is safe to drink throughout Belgium. As one of Europe's most densely populated countries, Belgium suffers from serious air pollution. This applies for both urban and rural areas."
      }
    ],
    "sourceUrl": "https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Belgium"
  },
  "recentHeadlines": [],
  "whatChanged": "Belgium's safety score rose to 78 today, but you should still watch for measles and follow the US and Canadian level 2 advisories.",
  "practical": {
    "plug": [
      "C",
      "E"
    ],
    "voltage": 230,
    "drivingSide": "right",
    "emergency": {
      "police": "101 or 112",
      "ambulance": "112",
      "fire": "112"
    },
    "simAdvice": "",
    "cashVsCard": "",
    "tipping": ""
  },
  "lgbtqLegal": {
    "status": "legal",
    "summary": "Legal nationwide since 1795; equal age of consent since 1985 + UN decl. sign.",
    "sourceUrl": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBTQ_rights_by_country_or_territory"
  },
  "receipts": [
    {
      "sourceId": "us-state",
      "url": "https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/belgium-travel-advisory.html",
      "observedAt": "2026-07-12"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "uk-fcdo",
      "url": "https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/belgium",
      "observedAt": "2026-07-12"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "ca-gac",
      "url": "https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/belgium",
      "observedAt": "2026-07-12"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "worldbank-political",
      "url": "https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/all/indicator/GOV_WGI_PV.EST?format=json&date=2024&per_page=300",
      "observedAt": "2026-07-12"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "worldbank-policeTrust",
      "url": "https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/all/indicator/GOV_WGI_RL.EST?format=json&date=2024&per_page=300",
      "observedAt": "2026-07-12"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "cdc-health",
      "url": "https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/level1/measles-globe",
      "observedAt": "2026-07-12"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "wikivoyage",
      "url": "https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Belgium",
      "observedAt": "2026-07-12"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "reddit",
      "url": "https://old.reddit.com/r/travel/",
      "observedAt": "2026-07-12"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "unodc",
      "url": "https://data.unodc.org/datareport/hom-victim",
      "observedAt": "2026-07-12"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "acled-hdx",
      "url": "https://data.humdata.org/organization/acled",
      "observedAt": "2026-07-12"
    },
    {
      "sourceId": "lgbtq-legal-wikipedia",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBTQ_rights_by_country_or_territory",
      "observedAt": "2026-07-12"
    }
  ]
}