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SMS Guidelines for Belgium: Compliance, Message Length, and Best Practices

Belgium is a significant market in Europe, making it crucial for businesses to understand the SMS guidelines for effective communication. Whether sending marketing messages, notifications, or transactional SMS, adhering to these rules and best practices helps avoid compliance issues and ensures smooth message delivery.

Key Locale Information

Belgium, identified by the ISO code "BE," is part of the European region. The mobile country code is 206, and the dialing code is +32. This information is vital for businesses using international messaging services.

Two-Way SMS and Number Portability

Belgium supports two-way SMS messaging, allowing recipients to reply, fostering interactive communication. Additionally, number portability is available, enabling users to switch mobile providers without changing their phone numbers.

Message Length and Concatenation

SMS message length in Belgium depends on the encoding used. Messages exceeding the character limit are split into concatenated segments. Sent supports concatenation, ensuring long messages are reassembled at the recipient's end. Note that for certain sender ID types, concatenation may not be supported, and behavior may vary based on character encoding.

MMS Support

Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) is not directly supported in Belgium. Instead, MMS messages are converted to SMS with an embedded URL, allowing recipients to view multimedia content via a link.

Sending SMS to Landline Numbers

Sending SMS to landline numbers in Belgium is unsupported. If an SMS is sent to a landline number, the Sent REST API returns a 400 error with code 21614. The message will not appear in logs, and the sender will not be charged.

Compliance Considerations

Compliance is critical in SMS communication in Belgium. Businesses are strongly advised to consult with legal counsel to ensure adherence to local laws. Key compliance considerations include:

  • Gambling, Betting, and Casino Traffic: Strictly prohibited in Belgium.
  • Opt-in Consent: Obtain explicit consent from users before sending marketing or non-essential messages.
  • Timing of Communications: Send messages during the recipient's local daytime hours unless urgent.
  • STOP/HELP Commands: SMS campaigns should support STOP/HELP messages in the recipient's local language.
  • Do-Not-Call Registries: Avoid contacting users listed on do-not-call or do-not-disturb registries.

Best Practices for SMS Campaigns in Belgium

To ensure successful SMS campaigns in Belgium, adhere to these best practices:

  1. Get Opt-in Consent: Obtain clear opt-in consent from users before sending marketing or promotional messages to stay compliant with local regulations.

  2. Respect Time Zones: Send messages during the recipient's local daytime hours. Avoid non-urgent messages late at night or early in the morning.

  3. Support STOP/HELP Messages: Ensure your SMS campaigns allow users to send STOP or HELP messages in their local language, enabling easy opt-out.

  4. Avoid Restricted Content: Gambling, betting, and casino-related SMS traffic is strictly prohibited. Ensure your messaging content complies with these restrictions.

  5. Monitor Do-Not-Call Registries: Always check do-not-call or do-not-disturb registries before contacting users to avoid legal issues.

Conclusion

Belgium offers robust support for two-way SMS and number portability, making it ideal for interactive SMS campaigns. However, compliance with local regulations, including opt-in consent and content restrictions, is essential. By following the guidelines and best practices outlined above, your SMS campaigns in Belgium will be both effective and compliant.

For more information on SMS regulations in Europe, visit the European Commission's official website.