Minimum legal ages in Belgium

The following legal minimum ages apply in Belgium:

  • Legal age to purchase beer and wine: 16
  • Legal age to purchase spirits: 18
  • Legal age to buy tobacco products: 18
  • Legal age to enter a dance without parental guardian: 16
  • Legal age to book a room (Lodging): 18
  • Legal age to fly an airplane: 16
  • Legal age to drive a car: 18
  • Legal age to have sex: 16 (there is a close-in-age exemption of 2 years if at least one of the partners is 14 or 15 years old)
  • Legal age to prostitute yourself: 18 (pimping is illegal)
  • Legal age to marry: 18 [note 1]
  • Compulsory education until the age of 18
  • Voting is mandatory for all Belgians 18 and above.[1] (For the election of the European Parliament it is 16 and above)
  • Age of criminal responsibility: 18 (those 16 or 17 years of age can be dealt with under adult criminal law and can be judged as adults under exceptional circumstances and strict conditions)
  • Legal age to enter a casino to gamble: 21
  • Legal age to get an amateur radio license: 13[2][3]
  • Overall age of majority: 18

Notes

  1. ^ With parental consent, exceptions apply, however serious reasons are required for a person (below the specified age) to marry; without parental consent, the unwillingness of the parents has to constitute an abuse

References

  1. ^ (in French) Code Electoral, Coordination officieuse jusqu'au 1er avril 2007/(in Dutch) Algemeen Kieswetboek, officieuze coördinatie tot 1 april "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2007-09-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ^ (in Dutch) BIPT: Reglementering bestemd voor Radioamateurs 2006 [1]
  3. ^ (in French) IBPT: Règlement à l’usage des Radioamateurs édition 2006 [2]