> A Passion For Antwerp
Keeping in Touch
Since many of you live quite far away from Antwerp, it is understandable that you want to keep in touch with your family and friends in your home country. 
Therefore, we offer a summary of the different ways to contact them, with the emphasis on how to use the Belgian telephone system.

Using the phone


Dialing Belgium from abroad
If you want to call Belgium from abroad dial the international prefix (this number varies per country) and
 

  • the number for Belgium :      32
  • the area codes (omitting 0):   
    for Antwerp and Lier 3
    for Turnhout 14
    for Mechelen 15
                  
  • the telephone number      

Example
If you want to call the tourist information office of the city of Antwerp from abroad, you dial 0032 3 232 01 03


Dialing abroad from Belgium
If you want to dial a phone number abroad from Belgium dial:

  • 00 (international prefix
  • country code
  • area code (omitting 0) 
  • telephone number

You can make international calls to Belgium's neighbouring countries, Spain, Italy, North America and Canada at the interzonal rate (€0.09/min off-peak, €0.18/min on peak hours). Calling to Portugal, Greece, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Finland and Norway is a bit more expensive (€0.20/min off-peak, €0.25/min on peak hours).

Dialing in Belgium
If you want to dial a phone number in Belgium dial:

  • 0
  • area code
  • telephone number

Telephone booths


Telephone booths can be found all over town. In most booths you can only use telephone cards, which can be bought at post offices, railway stations, bookshops, or at telephone shops. You can also find public telephones in post offices and railway stations, at the Belgacom telephone shop in Antwerp and at the various host institutions. 
A local phone call from a public telephone costs €0.025 per minute to €0.05 per minute, depending on the time of day. The cheapest rate is from 7 p.m. until 8 a.m. and during the weekends and holidays. 
Belgian telephone rates for international calls are rather high. The cheapest rates are from 7 p.m. till 8 a.m. and during the weeks and holidays. For information on international rates call free 0800 55 800 (English) or 0800 33 800 (French). For frequent callers cheaper rates can be obtained by using international cards from Belgacom or other companies. See www.belgacom.be/private for further information.
In the city there are also 'telephone-call centres', where you can make calls to all corners of the world, at sharply reduced rates.

Mobile phones

Belgium has three mobile phone operators: Proximus, Mobistar and Base.

  • Proximus: You can choose between a subscription and a call card. The call card is called Pay&Go and comes in three different sorts: Pay&Go Original, Pay&Go AnyTime and Pay&Go Student. You have to put a specific amount of money onto the card before you can make a telephone call. You can choose between €15, €25 and €50. The subscription formula means that payment has to be made at the end of each month and also consists of three formulae: ProxiTime, ProxiFun and ProxiPro.
    Retail outlets include:

B-Com Schoenmarkt 16-18, 2000 Antwerpen

tel.:03 227 41 81 

fax: 03 227 41 62

Fnac Antwerpen Shopping Center Groenplaats, 2000 Antwerpen

tel.: 03 231 20 56 

fax: 03 232 97 22

The Phone House Antwerpen I Meir 38, 2000 Antwerpen

tel.: 03 201 19 80 

fax: 03 201 19 88 

The Phone House Antwerpen II Keyserlei 2, 2000 Antwerpen

tel.: 03 222 90 30 

fax: 03 222 90 39

  • Mobistar: Mobistar also offer the choice between a subscription and a call card. The call card is called Tempo and you can choose between Easy, Together and After School. You can also reload your card with €15, €25 and € 50.
    Retail outlets include:

Mobistar Centre Meir 127, 2000 Antwerpen

tel.: 0495 51 81 50

Fax:03 231 94 00

Belcompany Meir Meir 42, 2000 Antwerpen

tel.: 03 213 11 64

Fax: 03 213 32 28

The Phone House Meir Meir 38, 2000 Antwerpen

tel.: 03 201 19 80

Fax: 03 201 19 88

Tennessee Nationalestraat 100, 2000 Antwerpen

tel.: 03 233 89 26

Fax: 03 232 09 27

  • Base: You can choose between a BASE Prepaid formula, which can be compared to the call cards of the other operators, or a BASE Postpaid formula, which is like the subscription method. The amounts of the Prepaid formula differ from the other operators: you can reload with €7, €14 and €28.
    Retail outlets include:

BASE shop Antwerpen Meir 117, 2000 Antwerpen

tel.: 0486/501.185

fax:03/225.16.25

B-Com Schoenmarkt 16-18, 2000 Antwerpen

tel.:03 227 41 81 

fax: 03 227 41 62

The Phone House  Meir 38, 2000 Antwerpen 

tel.: 03 233 89 26

Fax: 03 232 09 27

Fnac Antwerpen Shopping Center Groenplaats, 2000 Antwerpen

tel.: 03 231 20 56 

fax: 03 232 97 22

Please note, if you call from a landline (fixed telephone) to a mobile phone, there are different tariffs, depending on the operator you are calling to:

  1. Rush hour 
    to Proximus 0.2130 €/min. 
    to Base 0.2870 €/min.
    to Mobistar  0.2810 €/min.
  2. Off-peak hours 
    to Proximus during week 0.1380 €/min.
    to Proximus during weekend 0.1160 €/min.
    to Base 0.1960 €/min.
    to Mobistar 0.1620 €/min.
  3. Connection cost per call
    to Proximus 0.1100 €
    to Base 0.1100 €
    to Mobistar 0.1100 €

 

 
 
Inhoudsverantwoordelijke(n): eCampus