The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) refreshed its foreign-travel advice for Belgium on Saturday, 18 July 2026, keeping the overall risk rating unchanged but adding explicit warnings about intermittent national strikes that have disrupted rail, metro and airport operations this year. The notice lists nationwide walk-outs on 31 March, 29 April, 12 May and, most recently, 12 June 2026, and cautions that further industrial action may be announced at short notice over the summer holiday period. While the FCDO guidance is aimed at British nationals, it is widely consulted by multinational companies when assessing duty-of-care obligations for travellers. HR mobility teams with UK-linked assignees or transit itineraries through London often mirror FCDO thresholds when deciding on postponements or extra insurance cover. The update advises travellers to monitor local media, reconfirm itineraries with rail operator SNCB/NMBS and Brussels Airlines, and be prepared for airport queues or last-minute timetable changes. Business-travel managers are reminded to maintain flexible tickets and to build contingency time into schedules—especially for same-day return meetings. Companies with inbound groups for corporate training or project kick-offs in Brussels may wish to keep virtual options open if a general strike is called. Although Belgium’s legal framework requires unions to give 24 hours’ notice of industrial action, recent strikes have sometimes escalated beyond the transport sector, affecting public services and even some private-sector logistics hubs. Cross-border commuters from France, Germany and the Netherlands should therefore expect potential knock-on effects on Thalys, Eurostar and regional bus links.
