Belgian Foreign Ministry urges vacationers to prepare their trip well: “Your trip, your responsibility”

As the 2025 summer travel season begins, Belgium’s FPS Foreign Affairs is reminding its citizens: “Your trip, your responsibility”.

While consular support is available for Belgians abroad, officials stress the importance of good preparation.

Travellers are urged to consult official travel advice, register with Travellers Online, and consider travel insurance.

“Most trips fortunately go well”, Joris Salden, director-general for Consular Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, tells Belga.

“But when a problem arises, travellers realise they may not speak the language or be familiar with local laws.”

Travel advice is updated regularly and covers both entire countries and specific regions, even within Europe. Salden cited past wildfires in France and Greece as examples of why staying informed is essential. Because danger isn’t only political or violent.

Travellers Online

Registration on Travellers Online helps the Foreign Office quickly identify Belgians in crisis zones, such as during natural disasters or terrorist incidents. Data is strictly used by the department and deleted shortly after the trip.

Valid documents

Salden also emphasised the need for valid passports, necessary visas, and travel insurance. He noted that in some countries, medical care is inaccessible without it.

Theft remains the most common travel issue, so keeping digital copies of key documents and contact numbers is advised.

Where to find travel information?

For Belgians, the Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs has an extensive Travel Advice section. Other countries do the same.

Furthermore, you can check your country’s embassy at your destination. Most embassies have websites. And do the opposite as well, check the website of the embassy of your destination in your own country.

Also, there’s Wikipedia, Google, artificial intelligence and… you know… the news!

Happy travels!

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