Visas

Citizens of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand do not need a Visa for a visit to either Belgium or The Netherlands of less than 3 months. If you’re a citizen of another country, check the regulations before you plan your trip. You can get these in English from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: www.minbuza.nl.

Passports

Citizens of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand need a valid passport to visit The Netherlands.

It is advisable to have one or two consecutive blank pages in your passport to allow space for entrance and exit visas and stamps. You must have at least 3 months left on your passport after your trip has ended for customs in Belgium or The Netherlands to allow you in to the E.U.

Medical Requirements

No health and vaccination certificates are required for entry in to Belgium or The Netherlands, nor do you need any vaccinations before your trip.

Customs

Arrivals from E.U. nationals: Duty-free shopping has been abolished in all European Union countries, so standard allowances do not apply to goods purchased in one E.U. country and brought into another. In this case, there are no import limitations for most goods for personal use, but the following guideline limits apply and are enforced: 800 cigarettes, 400 cigarillos, 200 cigars, and 1 kilogram of tobacco; 10 liters of liquor, 20 liters of aperitifs (port and so on), 90 liters of wine (of which 60 liters may be sparkling wine), and 110 liters of beer.

Travelers 17 and older from outside the European Union traveling by air or sea can bring in, free of duty, ONE of the following: 200 cigarettes, 100 cigarillos, 50 cigars, or 250 grams of tobacco; ONE of the following: 1 liter of liquor or 2 liters of sparkling or fortified wine. In addition, you can bring in 4 liters of wine and 16 liters of beer, plus other goods worth up to 430€ without having to pay tax for visitors arriving by air and sea.

Travelers 17 and older from outside the European Union traveling by land can bring in, free of duty, ONE of the following: 40 cigarettes, 20 cigarillos, 10 cigars, or 50 grams of tobacco; ONE of the following: 1 liter of liquor or 2 liters of sparkling or fortified wine. In addition, you can bring in 4 liters of wine and 16 liters of beer, plus other goods worth up to 300€ without having to pay tax for visitors arriving by air and sea.

Forbidden products include firearms, counterfeit goods, banned narcotic substances, and protected animals and plants and products made from these.

For more information, contact Dutch Customs (www.douane.nl).

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.