Mars Travel
As of 19/04/2021 all forms of travel are allowed again. Both business travel (essential) and holiday travel (non-essential) are possible, both inside and outside Europe. The government still advises against travel at the moment but no one will stop you as long as you adhere strictly to the relevant recommendations and applicable measures.
In order to travel you must complete a number of steps based on several key questions:
1) Are Belgians welcome at your intended destination?
Our government allowing us to travel again does not necessarily mean you will be welcome at your country of destination. Some destinations do not allow Belgian visitors yet. The website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is your official source for travel advice per individual destination.
2) Before your departure, did you comply with all conditions in effect at your destination?
After confirming that Belgians are welcome you must also check the entry conditions of your destination. For instance, some destinations require a recent negative PCR test result. In this case you must get tested prior to departure. Here, too, your official source is https://diplomatie.belgium.be/
3) Are you travelling for professional purposes?
The government officially no longer distinguishes between essential and non-essential travel. The sworn declaration is no longer required. Nevertheless business travellers still benefit from certain advantages, such as an exemption from quarantine on arrival from a red zone. For this you must apply for a BTA certificate number prior to departure which must subsequently be filled in on your PLF form. Go to https://bta.belgium.be/ for more details.
4) What are the requirements upon arrival in Belgium?
If you’re unsure as to whether you have to fill out a Passenger Locator Form (PLF) for your return to Belgium, ask yourself the following questions:
Am I returning by boat (including inland waterways) or airplane? --> always fill out a PLF, regardless of the colour code of your destination
Am I returning by bus or train from a destination outside the EU/Schengen zone? --> always fill out a PLF, regardless of the colour code of your destination
Am I returning by bus or train from a destination within the EU/Schengen zone? --> no PLF required
Are you using none of the above modes of transport? Then ask yourself the following question:
Did I spend more than 48 hours abroad? --> If so, always fill out a PLF, regardless of the colour code of your destination
Did I spend less than 48 hours abroad? --> no PLF required
5) Do you have to quarantine or get tested on arrival in Belgium?
The answer is simple. If you were not required to fill out a PLF (see point 4) then you don’t have to get tested and you don’t need to quarantine. If you were required to fill out a PLF then you will receive a text message if you have to quarantine and/or get tested. If you don’t receive a text message you don’t have to do anything.
If you’re returning from a red zone you can definitely expect a text message. You will be required to quarantine for 7 days and get tested on days 1 and 7. In all other cases everything depends on your risk score, which is determined on the basis of your answers on the PLF. Business travellers with a BTA certificate number (see point 3) receive a lower risk score. Usually they don’t have to quarantine, not even when returning from a red zone. Testing, however, is still mandatory.
If you’re returning from the United Kingdom, South Africa or South America then quarantine is mandatory without exceptions and you must also submit to testing.
Click here for more details on the colour codes per country https://www.info-coronavirus.be/en/colour-codes-by-country/
6) What do quarantine and testing entail exactly?
More details on quarantine https://www.info-coronavirus.be/en/quarantine-isolation/
More details on testing https://www.info-coronavirus.be/en/testing/
More details on exceptions to quarantine and testing https://www.info-coronavirus.be/nl/uitzonderingen/
Especially for you we made this handy chart and overview. Click on it to download.
Do you have any questions or are you looking for a fun destination and relevant advice? Then don’t hesitate to contact us.
This info only applies to travellers with a main residence in Belgium. For all up-to-date info please consult the official sources of the Belgian government such as info-coronavirus.be and diplomatie.belgium.be