Belgium : Safety by CityBrussels is the capital city of Belgium with the city population of 1 million inhabitants.
The Brussels-Capital Region is located in the central part of the country and it is considered an important city-region in Europe.
Brussels is a city full of surprises and its Art Nouveau architecture, parks, and its royal gardens are only some of the must-see tourist attractions.
Once you are in Brussels do not skip some of the sights like Fin-de-Siècle Museum, The Parlamentarium, and Mini-Europe, the only park where you can see the whole of Europe in just a few hours.
You can also discover and explore human nature at the Museum of Natural Sciences in Brussels.
For those younger tourists who want entertainment and great nightlife, Brussels offers clubs with the international DJs that come there every weekend.
Warnings & Dangers in Brussels
OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM
The everlasting question of all tourists once they decide to visit a certain city is whether it is safe or dangerous. All in all, Brussels is considered a safe city with a safety score of 60%.
TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: MEDIUM
When the risk of using taxis in Brussels is concerned, there is a constant possibility of being overcharged or driven around the city. Licensed taxis are always a better solution. You should be vigilant when in public transport because pickpockets or bag snatchers might happen to be there.
PICKPOCKETS RISK: HIGH
Unfortunately, Brussels is considered one of the top capital cities where pickpocket risk is at a very high level. The whole of Belgium is believed to be unsafe regarding thieves, especially at train stations and subways.
NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: LOW
Brussels, as well as the whole of Belgium, is not exposed to any natural disaster risk.
MUGGING RISK: MEDIUM
When the risk of being mugged is concerned, Belgium is, generally, a safe country. However, certain zones of Brussels should be avoided. To stay safe and get familiar with those dangerous zones, tourists should ask for local advice.
TERRORISM RISK: HIGH
Recent happenings show that there is a possibility that a terrorist attack repeats in this country, so it is advised to stay away from demonstrations and other forms of gatherings.
SCAMS RISK: MEDIUM
Being extremely attractive to criminals and lawbreakers, touristic places such as Brussels are believed to be at the medium level of scam risks. Tourists need to pay special attention to people who offer help and act strangely in the streets, especially in crowded areas.
WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
Belgium is a relatively safe country concerning women visitors and there are very few threats to their safety. Women need to use common sense when they are out in the street.
So... How Safe Is Brussels Really?
Like many European countries, Belgium is relatively safe for tourists as well as its capital city.
Although Brussels is a quite small city, in comparison with other European capitals, there are plenty of things waiting to be discovered once a tourist decides to visit it.
However, among all that beauty, there are some sorts of criminal acts.
It is a city with a few threats to travelers’ safety and the main risk is that of being pickpocketed in the street or at the train stations such as Bruxelles Midi, Bruxelles North, and Bruxelles Central station.
Some other areas that should be avoided by tourists, especially at night, are Anneessens, Anderlecht, Schaerbeek, Brussels North and Molenbeek.
What tourists should know is that since the introduction of the Euro, Brussels has become more expensive, but it is still cheaper than most cities in neighboring France.
Also, the weather in Brussels is changing during a day from sunny to heavy rainfall, and then back to sunshine.
Besides all this, Brussels is the place where there is always something fun going on, there is plenty to see and do and it is certainly worth visiting.
How Does Brussels Compare?
| City | Safety Index |
|---|---|
| Brussels | 60 |
| Ghent | 70 |
| Waterloo | 85 |
| Antwerp | 65 |
| Sofia (Bulgaria) | 73 |
| Siem Reap (Cambodia) | 63 |
| Phnom Penh (Cambodia) | 61 |
| Niagara Falls (Canada) | 87 |
| Calgary (Canada) | 82 |
| Vancouver (Canada) | 82 |
Useful Information
Visas
For those visitors that are planning to stay less than 90 days in Belgium, visas are not required. The people from the EU countries can stay as long as they want. However, there are certain countries whose inhabitants need to have a visa when visiting Belgium.
Currency
The official currency in Belgium is the Euro. Belgium is an expensive country and the minimum money that a tourist need is 70€ per day. Some parts of the country are cheaper than the rest, but it is considered equally expensive as Germany.
Weather
A temperate climate is a characteristic of Brussels, with mild temperatures during the whole year. The average temperature in winter is 1°C and only 23°C in summer. The most constant weather is rainfall. Tourists are advised to visit Brussels form June to September.
Airports
Visitors usually come to Belgium by plane, especially those from non-European countries. Brussels Airport is an international airport only 12 km from Brussels. It has more than 23 million passengers which makes it the 21st busiest airport in Europe. Other airports that are often used when coming to Belgium are those in Antwerp, Ostend, and Liège.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance that covers theft, loss and medical problems is always recommended and should be bought before coming to Belgium for a determined period because the policy is concluded for a limited duration.
Brussels Weather Averages (Temperatures)
Average High/Low Temperature
| Temperature / Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 6 | 7 | 11 | 14 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 15 | 10 | 7 |
| Low °C | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 5 | 2 |
| High °F | 43 | 45 | 52 | 57 | 66 | 70 | 73 | 73 | 68 | 59 | 50 | 45 |
| Low °F | 36 | 36 | 39 | 43 | 50 | 54 | 59 | 57 | 54 | 48 | 41 | 36 |
Belgium - Safety by City
| City | Safety Index |
|---|---|
| Antwerp | 65 |
| Brussels | 60 |
| Ghent | 70 |
| Waterloo | 85 |
It tells alot about safety
it is really helpful
Hell hole Brussels
About 50% of bruxelles is dangerous, especially after dark,thanks to north africans, bulgarian and romanian gangs.some area’s are even dangerous for the Police to Come, like Molenbeek, Anderlecht, Schaarbeek, St Joost,Brussels South and North stations.i used to work there 22 years ago…is was bad back then, now is much worse..especially muggings,assault, knife attacks, rapes and also gunviolence(murder)
Where did you find Bulgarians in Brussels? Bulgarians in Belgium are probably at work, trying to pay their bills. You should check your eastern european phobia before you say something this dumb
Great info, very informative…
Brussels, not a fan.
Not impressed. Very beautiful buildings but totally rude people. We were trying to leave the Atomium and our cab driver and another got in a shouting match. We left both drivers arguing and got into a third. I tried to ask a question at the Atomium restaurant and was promptly told to “set down”. There were armed military stationed outside our hotel at the central bus station. Finding a cab at Midi was next to impossible. So in summary, not a fan. Will not return.
Worst than terrible
Thief as **** in Brussel Belgium, I and my family got 2 times to attempt to steal our bag & wallet. First, they throw sth at us pretend that it’s a bird shit & help us clean, then they start to steal our wallet but we catch that. Second, the case we are not lucky enough at Atomi, they have their team, they come to us asking us to help them take their picture for them, while we taking pictures of them another one steals our bag, then runs. We call police immediately all we got is just a report & police said they cannot do anything about it. That so pisses off. If you can Please avoid Brussel, Belgium such a thief & pickpocket place! Overall there is not much interesting attraction too. Be careful guys.
Don't miss this amazing city!
I only visited Brussels once and just for a few days. I found it a wonderful city with beautiful architecture, plenty to do, very clean and loved to sit at a cafe outside and drink wonderful beers and watch the changing colors on the buildings in Grand Place. I didn’t have any issues with crime or beggars. I really haven’t had enough experience with Belgians so it would be unfair to weigh in on that. Certainly had no issues / incidents with the people there, though. They’re a bit reserved but certainly didn’t find them rude.
there is a treat hiding for everyone
I live there. If you are vulnerable, avoid west of the city wich is poor, thiefs and other criminals could notice you, some neighborhoods are not easy for everyone. East is quite rich and there is no problems in there but also quite boring. All the attractions and things to do are usually in the middle, so just notice where is the north and cruise at your convenience in a beautiful mashup city
Pls don’t go there for your safe
Very dangerous city. The worst I have ever been. Rats size nearly like cat size . They steal my necklace first day of my visit, when I was with my son…. Just someone slap my face and pull my necklace…I checked police comments and after I realised that they don’t do nothing… nearly no tourist because everyone knows how dangerous is there . I didn’t know… I didn’t know because is not any information on the internet how bad is there, only wrong article that is dangerous same like in the other countries. No!!!! Is very dangerous city!!!!!!! I thing the most dangerous city in Europe. now I know and my friends and family know as well that for safe they shouldn’t go there. Very dirty . And expensive for such a bad city with not many attractions .
been there tons of time and never felt unsafe
Beautiful city
We had a lovely time in Brussels. Never felt unsafe. I didn’t notice any more crime or criminals than any other large European city. Use some common sense and enjoy yourself.
Horrible
Horrible place. Very dangerous and expensive. Don’t go with expensive item. Such a phone bag rings necklace glasses… poor looking town . Very dirty. A lot of gangs and homeless people. It is not worth to be there even for one minute. Nothing interesting there . Seriously nothing …
Not safe for women
Bruxelles is absolutely not safe for women especially in “non touristic” areas. Never travel alone there and stay away from the “Midi” area, that place is a disaster.
Way overpriced and very unsafe at night.Not worth a visit in my opinion. Italy is the place to go.Much to see and do there.
Brussels is the dirtiest capital that I’ve seen in Europe. Trash is thrown on the street instead of bins (like, really???) homeless and druggies stinking everywhere, metro is horrible, and everything smells like piss. The weather is bad, people are boring.
And when you tell them that the really city needs to be more clean/safe, they just say – welp, Its like that in all big cities lmao. I guess they never been to Scandi cities/Amsterdam.
Soooo I give Brussels …. a hard 1/10