Belgian in distress abroad: who to call, in what order

The steps, in order

1. 1

   First call the local emergency services

   In the European Union, call 112. A consulate is not an emergency service and does not replace an ambulance, the local police or firefighters. Obtain treatment or protection first; deal with administration afterwards.

2. 2

   Then call your insurer or health-insurance fund

   Consular assistance is a last resort: the law requires you to seek help first from family, friends, your employer, insurance and local services. An assistance centre can organise and pay for support; a consulate cannot. If you are insured, contact the assistance centre immediately.

3. 3

   What to know firstConsular assistance may be refused in certain cases: travel to an area formally advised against in the travel advice, an armed-conflict zone, refusal to follow a request to leave the area, excessive risk-taking without adequate insurance, or dual nationality while you are in the country of your other nationality. Honorary consulates have limited powers: passports and formal cases require an embassy or career consulate. If Belgium has no diplomatic post in the country, you may ask for assistance from any other EU Member State. Numbers and links were checked in August 2026; the Foreign Affairs website changes often, so check again before travelling.

   Find the competent Belgian post in the official directory

   Open https://diplomatie.belgium.be/fr/ambassades-et-consulats and select your country. Note two numbers: the office-hours number and the out-of-hours emergency number published by each diplomatic post on its own page. The emergency number is reserved for extreme distress or disasters and is the number to call at night.

4. 4

   Keep the FPS Foreign Affairs number as a fallback: +32 2 501 81 11

   +32 2 501 81 11 is the general number for FPS Foreign Affairs in Brussels. The Assistance Abroad and Passports service answers on +32 2 501 32 00 on working days from 9:00 to 17:00. Some sources say that the general number reaches an out-of-hours duty service, but the official page does not confirm this. Call to check and first find the emergency number for your local diplomatic post.

5. 5

   Know what the Consulate CAN do for you

   It can notify your family in Belgium and help you contact them; provide lists of local lawyers, doctors and translators; visit you and monitor your situation if you are detained; help with procedures after a death and with repatriating remains; issue a temporary passport or emergency travel document (ETD) for your return; and issue consular certificates.

6. 6

   Know what the consulate CANNOT do

   A consulate never pays hotel bills, medical expenses, fines, bail, lawyers or court costs. It does not book accommodation, store luggage or find work. It cannot release anyone from prison, intervene in local court proceedings or conduct investigations. Knowing this in advance avoids losing valuable time.

7. 7

   As a last resort, request an advance of funds

   If nobody can pay for your return or assistance, the State may advance public funds. The diplomatic post gives you the "Request for repatriation or relief" form, Annex 1 to the Ministerial Order of 20 May 2019. The order is published at https://etaamb.openjustice.be/fr/arrete-ministeriel-du-20-mai-2019_n2019012812.html, but the annex itself is not available for download and must be obtained from the post. Before any payment, you sign an acknowledgement of debt and write "read and approved, good for the sum of ...", with the amount written out in words. This is a loan, not a gift: the amount is recorded and must be repaid. The exact repayment terms are not published, so ask the diplomatic post for them in writing or call +32 2 501 81 11 before signing.

8. 8

   Register on Travellers Online, even after you arrive

   At https://travellersonline.diplomatie.be, you notify FPS Foreign Affairs of your stay. In a disaster, attack or crisis, the service will know that you are there and can contact you. Your data remains confidential. No fee is stated and registration appears to be free; if payment is requested, stop and call +32 2 501 81 11.