# Shipping to Belgium from Vietnam

> Vietnam to Belgium shipping via Antwerp-Bruges sea freight and Brussels Airport. EVFTA savings, Belgian VAT, EU-institution and Vietnamese diaspora delivery.

Canonical: https://gatewayexpress.vn/en/shipping-to-belgium/
Last updated: 2026-08-01

## Economy 2026 rates

| Weight | Price |
| --- | --- |
| 0.5 kg | $50.86 |
| 1 kg | $55.77 |
| 2 kg | $65.58 |
| 5 kg | $95.01 |
| 10 kg | $121.41 |
| 20 kg | $220.18 |

Transit time: 8-15 days. Excludes 8% VAT.

Belgium is where a lot of Vietnam-to-Europe trade actually enters the continent, whether or not the final buyer knows it. **Antwerp-Bruges** – the two ports merged into a single authority since 2022 – is one of Europe's largest container gateways, and goods cleared here regularly move onward by truck and rail into Germany, France, and the Netherlands within days. For B2B importers building an EU distribution strategy, routing through Belgium first is a well-worn path, not a novelty.

Belgium is also home to more than **15,000 Vietnamese residents**, plus a rotating population of EU-institution staff, contractors, and students in Brussels who ship personal parcels the same way anyone abroad does. Gateway Express serves both sides: sea freight through **Antwerp** and **Zeebrugge**, and air freight into **Brussels Airport (BRU)**, with **FAVV-AFSCA** food clearance and Belgian customs paperwork prepared on your behalf.

This page covers our service tiers, Belgium's EU customs framework and EVFTA paperwork, the country's three-language labeling requirement, VAT rates, what you can and can't ship, and the B2B case for using Belgium as an EU entry point.

## Shipping Services to Belgium

### Express Air (4-6 Business Days)

Direct or one-stop flights from Hanoi (HAN) and Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) into Brussels Airport (BRU).

**Best for:**
- Time-critical B2B samples and contracts for Brussels-based businesses and EU institutions
- Family parcels and gifts for the Vietnamese community
- Documents and high-value small cargo

**Service features:**
- 4-6 business day door-to-door delivery
- Real-time tracking with proactive customs updates
- 100% declared-value insurance included

### Standard Air (7-12 Business Days)

Cost-effective routing via regional hubs.

**Best for:**
- Personal parcels, clothing, household items
- Bulk Vietnamese specialty foods with compliant labeling
- Non-urgent commercial cargo

### Sea Freight (30-40 Days)

Vietnam to **Antwerp-Bruges**, Europe's second-largest port complex, with onward customs-cleared distribution across the EU.

**Best for:**
- B2B inventory for importers using Belgium as an EU entry point
- Furniture and household relocations
- Heavy commercial cargo, LCL and FCL

**Service features:**
- Belgian customs clearance directly at Antwerp
- Onward road/rail distribution into Germany, France, and the Netherlands arranged as part of the same booking

## Belgian Customs, EVFTA, and VAT

### Regulators you may interact with

| Agency | Role |
|---|---|
| **FAVV-AFSCA** (Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain) | Food safety, import inspection, labeling compliance |
| **Belgian Customs** (part of the FPS Finance Customs and Excise administration) | Customs clearance, duty and VAT collection |

### VAT and duty

| Charge | Rate |
|---|---|
| **VAT – standard** | **21%** |
| **VAT – reduced (basic food, pharmaceuticals, books)** | **6%** |
| **VAT – intermediate (some other food categories)** | **12%** |
| **Customs duty (EVFTA)** | ~99% of Vietnam-origin goods at 0% |

Belgium's food VAT landscape shifted in 2026: several prepared/ready-to-eat food categories moved from the 6% to the 12% bracket, so which rate applies now depends on the specific product – we confirm this at quoting stage rather than assuming a flat number.

### EVFTA paperwork

- **Shipments under €6,000:** an origin declaration on the commercial invoice is sufficient
- **Shipments over €6,000:** Belgian customs requires the exporter's **REX (Registered Exporter)** number, which we help arrange through the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce
- Without valid origin proof, standard **MFN duty rates** apply instead

### Three-language labeling

Belgium has **three official languages**, and retail food labels must match the region where the product will be sold:

- **Dutch (Flemish)** – Flanders, including Antwerp and Ghent
- **French** – Wallonia, including Liège and Charleroi
- **German** – a small eastern community near the German border

For nationwide commercial distribution, labels are typically printed in **Dutch + French** at minimum, sometimes all three. Personal-quantity family gifts have more flexibility.

> **Need FAVV-AFSCA labeling review or REX paperwork help before pickup?** Email [info@gatewayexpress.com.vn](mailto:info@gatewayexpress.com.vn) or call **+84 938 373 343**.

## Belgium as an EU Distribution Gateway

This is the detail that makes Belgium different from most of the other EU pages on this site: it isn't just a destination, it's frequently a **first stop**. Reasons B2B importers route through Belgium specifically:

- **Antwerp-Bruges** ranks among Europe's largest ports by container throughput, with deep-water berths and extensive customs-brokerage infrastructure built for high volume
- Once cleared at Antwerp, goods move under free circulation across the EU – no repeat customs process at the German, French, or Dutch border
- Brussels' concentration of EU institutions, trade bodies, and multinational logistics firms means customs expertise and warehousing capacity are dense and competitive
- Road and rail links from Antwerp reach most of Western Europe within a day or two

If you're a Vietnamese exporter setting up EU distribution for the first time, ask us about a Belgium-first routing strategy – it's often more efficient than clearing separately in each destination country.

## The Vietnamese Community in Belgium

| Indicator | Detail |
|---|---|
| Community size | 15,000+ |
| Main hub | Brussels – Schaerbeek and Anderlecht neighborhoods |
| Other hubs | Antwerp, Ghent, Liège |
| Notable context | Sizeable population tied to EU-institution work, alongside a longer-settled diaspora |

Brussels' Vietnamese community sits alongside a transient population of students and EU-institution staff who ship personal effects in both directions – a distinct pattern from the more purely family-remittance flow seen in some other European destinations.

## What You Can Ship – and What's Banned

### Allowed

**Processed foods:** fish sauce, soy sauce, seasoning packets, mixed spices, instant noodles, dry rice noodles, pho noodles, dried seafood (dried shrimp, squid, fish), confectionery, roasted nuts.

**Beverages:** roasted and instant coffee, tea (phytosanitary certificate for plant products).

**Non-food:** clothing, footwear, small furniture, EU-compliant cosmetics, books, handicrafts, CE-marked electronics.

### EU-banned categories from Vietnam

- **All meat and meat-derived products** – fresh, frozen, dried, or processed, including pork floss (ruốc) and sausages
- **Fresh dairy** from non-approved sources
- **Fresh eggs and egg products**
- **Live fish and fresh seafood** (frozen seafood is generally permitted)

### Restricted

- **Prescription pharmaceuticals:** require a valid prescription
- **Alcohol and tobacco:** dutiable, subject to excise duty on top of VAT

**Bringing coffee back from a trip to Vietnam?** See our [Vietnamese coffee shipping guide](https://gatewayexpress.vn/en/tourist-shipping/ship-vietnamese-coffee-home/) for packing advice that applies directly to Belgium-bound parcels.

## How Shipping with Gateway Express Works

### Step 1 – Get a quote

- **Hotline:** +84 938 373 343 (also +84 944 247 267)
- **Zalo / Viber / WhatsApp:** message the same number
- **Email:** [info@gatewayexpress.com.vn](mailto:info@gatewayexpress.com.vn)
- **Online:** [Request a free quote](https://gatewayexpress.vn/en/get-a-quote/) or [contact our team](https://gatewayexpress.vn/en/contact/)

### Step 2 – Pack and prepare paperwork

Pack to our guidelines, provide sender ID and full recipient details, and for commercial shipments supply HS codes, REX number where applicable, and declared value in EUR. For distribution shipments, tell us the onward destination countries so we can plan the Antwerp routing.

### Step 3 – Free door pickup

Free pickup in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang; for Hanoi and other provinces, contact us to arrange pickup.

### Step 4 – Transit and tracking

SMS tracking from pickup, proactive customs milestone updates, and Antwerp clearance coordinated by us for sea freight.

### Step 5 – Door delivery in Belgium

- **Express:** 4-6 business days
- **Standard:** 7-12 business days
- **Sea freight:** 30-40 days

## Where We Pick Up and Deliver

### Pickup in Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang (free pickup); Hanoi and other provinces (contact us to arrange pickup).

### Delivery in Belgium

- **Brussels** – capital, EU institutions hub, Vietnamese community in Schaerbeek and Anderlecht
- **Antwerp** – largest city in Flanders, primary sea-freight port
- **Ghent, Bruges** – regional hubs
- **Liège, Charleroi** – Wallonia, French-speaking region
- All 10 provinces and the Brussels Capital Region

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How long does shipping from Vietnam to Belgium take?

- **Express:** 4-6 business days
- **Standard:** 7-12 business days
- **Sea freight:** 30-40 days (via Antwerp)

### Why do B2B importers route through Belgium specifically?

Antwerp-Bruges is one of Europe's largest ports, and goods cleared there move freely across the EU without repeat customs at each border. For a Vietnamese exporter setting up EU distribution, clearing once in Belgium is often more efficient than clearing separately in Germany, France, or the Netherlands.

### How does EVFTA help with Belgium-bound shipments?

EVFTA eliminates duty on ~99% of Vietnam-origin goods. Under €6,000, an origin declaration on the invoice is sufficient. Above €6,000, Belgian customs wants the exporter's **REX number**, which we arrange.

### What's Belgium's VAT on food?

It depends on the category: **6%** for basic groceries, **12%** for some prepared/ready-to-eat foods (a 2026 change moved several items from 6% to 12%), and **21%** standard for non-food goods. We confirm the applicable rate per product at quoting.

### Do labels need to be in multiple languages?

**Yes, for commercial distribution** – typically Dutch and French at minimum, since Belgium has three official languages tied to specific regions. Family gift parcels have more flexibility on labeling strictness.

### Can I ship dried meat, pork floss, or sausages?

**No.** The EU bans all meat and meat-derived products from Vietnam in every form.

### Can I ship fish sauce and dried seafood?

**Yes.** Bottled fish sauce and dried shrimp, squid, or fish are permitted processed-food categories, subject to proper labeling.

### Do you deliver directly to Brussels' Vietnamese neighborhoods?

**Yes.** We deliver to Schaerbeek, Anderlecht, and the wider Brussels Capital Region, alongside Antwerp, Ghent, and the French-speaking cities of Wallonia.

### Is pickup free and is insurance included?

**Yes to both.** Free door pickup in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, and 100% declared-value insurance on every shipment.

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> **Visiting Vietnam as a tourist?** Ship souvenirs and excess baggage to Belgium with free hotel pickup → [Tourist Shipping Service](https://gatewayexpress.vn/en/tourist-shipping/).

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**Ready to ship to Belgium?** Get a transparent quote and door pickup from Gateway Express.

📞 **Hotline:** +84 938 373 343
📧 **Email:** [info@gatewayexpress.com.vn](mailto:info@gatewayexpress.com.vn)
🏢 **Office:** 72/5 Giai Phong St., Tan Son Nhat Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Your trusted Vietnam–Belgium shipping partner. Also serving [the Netherlands](https://gatewayexpress.vn/en/shipping-to-netherlands/), [France](https://gatewayexpress.vn/en/shipping-to-france/), and [Germany](https://gatewayexpress.vn/en/shipping-to-germany/). See all [destinations we ship to](https://gatewayexpress.vn/en/countries/) from Vietnam.