Belgium

Greetings

Man greeting Man - Men shake hands when greeting one another while maintaining direct eye contact. Good friends and family may include a light hug and even exchange kisses on the cheek. These are light touching of cheeks rather than actual kisses. One to three cheek kisses tend to be the norm.

Woman greeting Woman- Light kisses on the cheeks tend to be the most common form of greeting. These are light touching of cheeks rather than actual kisses. One to three alternating cheek kisses tend to be the norm. At a first meeting, women generally shake hands.

Man greeting Woman- Light kisses on the cheeks are the most common form of greeting for friends and family. At a first meeting a regular handshake will do. It is customary to let the woman offer her hand first.

Note: The number of kisses varies depending on the region of Belgium. Foreigners often have a hard time determining which side to kiss first and how many kisses to give. In this case, follow the Belgian's lead.

Communication Style

• Belgians tend to be indirect. If they think something negative about someone, they usually keep it to themselves. They are usually very diplomatic and polite.
• Some Flemish refuse to speak French, and some Walloons refuse to speak Dutch. However, most are willing to switch to the other language, if you initially try to address them in their own language.

Personal Space & Touch

• An arms length of personal space is the norm during conversations. This space may decrease when speaking with friends and family.
• Touching of the arms and shoulders is common during conversations. Touching and hugging is more common with friends as well as family.

Eye Contact

• Direct eye contact is accepted and appreciated.

Views of Time

• Punctuality is valued. People tend to get annoyed when others are late.
• Metros tend to be on time are but sometimes trams can run really late. It depends whether it is a suburb tram or not.

Gender Roles

• While gender equality is well established in Belgium, women still tend to be at a disadvantage in business situations with salaries being lower.
• There are strong laws in place regarding sexual harassment in the workplace.
  

Taboos

• Avoid putting your feet up on chairs and tables.
• Avoid pointing with one finger. It's best to use the whole hand.
• Avoid sneezing and blowing your nose in close proximity to others.
• Talking politics isn't generally advised, since that's quite a touchy subject.

Law & Order

• The legal drinking age is 18 and the legal smoking age is 16. Both are somewhat enforced.
• Smoking has recently been banned in restaurants and places serving food.
• Belgian law makes no distinction between hard and soft drugs. Drug use is not a criminal offense when it is an individual, but it is an offense when used collectively. Group use carries a penalty of three months to five years in prison and/or a heavy fine.
• Acquisition and possession of drugs is an offense, which carries the same penalty as collective drug use. No distinction is made between possession for personal use and possession for trafficking. So, in theory, it is possible to have a small quantity of drugs for personal use and be charged with a trafficking offense. The penalty for trafficking is three months to five years imprisonment and a heavy fine.

Dress

• Belgians value looking good and have a keen sense of style.
• For Men: conservative yet stylish suits with shirts and ties. A jacket and tie, rather than a suit tends to be acceptable as well.
• For Women: stylish business suits or dresses and blouses are a good way to go. Accessories are usually worn, but it's best to stay on the subtle side.
• Well-polished shoes are appreciated.
• Jeans and other casual attire are generally not acceptable.

Titles & Business Cards

• Titles are important and it is best to address people directly by using Mr., Mrs., or Miss, followed by the surname. Note: for French-speakers: "Monsieur" is for Mr, "Madame" is Mrs. and "Mademoiselle" is Miss. For Dutch/Flemish speakers: "Meneer" is for Mr. and "Mevrouw" is for Mrs.
• You should always wait to be invited to use first names before doing so yourself.
• There is no set protocol surrounding the giving and receiving of business cards.
• It is a good idea to have one side of your business card translated into French and/or Dutch, depending on the area of you will be in.
• People are quite relaxed about using first names, especially on the Dutch-speaking side. However, when in doubt, it’s safer to use formal addressing.

Meetings

• Always show up on time to meeting or even a few minutes early.
• Agendas are appreciated and tend to be followed strictly.
• A little small talk is expected before getting down to business.
• It's usually best to allow the host to begin and end the business discussions.

Negotiations

• Decisions tend to take quite a long time. Belgians are careful and don’t tend to rush things.
• It's best to remain calm during negotiations and avoid getting emotional.
• Upon first meeting some small talk is expected and appreciated before moving to the main topic.
• It's not always the case, but generally speaking, things become a bit less formal after an initial meeting.
• Always have a paper and a pen for taking notes. It demonstrates interest.

Gift Giving

• Gifts are not generally exchanged at initial business meetings.
• If invited over for dinner or a drink to a Belgian home, you should always bring the host/hostess a gift. Flowers (avoid lilies and chrysanthemums) and/or a bottle of high quality wine or spirits is an acceptable gift. High quality Belgian chocolates are acceptable as well.
• Gifts tend to be opened when received.
• Note: Flowers should be given in an odd number, but not 13

In the Classroom

• Most universities begin in September and end in June.
• Dress at most schools is casual.
• The grading system at most institutions is 0-20, with 20 being the highest. Students usually have to maintain an average above 12. A 20 is next-to-impossible to earn.
• Lecture is the most common form of teaching. Group work and discussion are used as well.
  
• Most students speak English at an acceptable level.

Other Observations

• Belgium is a multilingual country. The north is Flemish, the south is French, and Brussels, the capital, is bilingual. There’s also a small region next to the German border where they speak German.

• Normal business hours and business days: Mon – Fri 9am – 5pm with a lunch break between 12pm and 1pm, or 1pm and 2pm. Some institutions (post offices, banks) may be open earlier and later (e.g. 8am – 6pm) or on Saturday mornings – however, this is not generally so.