Flag protocol in Belgium: order and position

When several flags fly side by side, an order of precedence decides which flag takes the place of honour. The most detailed rules in Belgium are in circular VR 2015/37 of the Flemish Government, for the public buildings of the Flemish Government, the provinces, the municipalities and the districts. Businesses, associations and private individuals often use the same rules as a guide.

The order of precedence

According to the circular, the order of the official flags is:

1. the Belgian flag
2. the Flemish flag
3. the European flag
4. the provincial flag
5. the municipal flag

A flag's rank is also the number of the pole it flies on. Whether the poles are on the façade, on the roof or in front of the building makes no difference, according to the circular.

The position of the poles

To number the poles, the observer stands, according to the circular, with their back to the building. The arrangement depends on the number of flags.

With an odd number of flags (1, 3, 5 …), pole 1 is in the middle:

With an even number of flags (2, 4, 6 …), poles 1 and 2 are in the middle:

In both tables the building is behind the observer, and left and right are as seen from that position.

When a flag is missing or added

If a flag is not flown, the following flags move up one or more places, according to the circular. If the Belgian flag is not flown, for example, the Flemish flag takes pole 1. Conversely, a flag placed among the others moves the following flags back one place. The flag of a foreign state thus goes on pole 2, after the Belgian flag, and the other flags move back one place. More on this is in the guide on foreign flags in Belgium.

Theme flags

The circular also mentions theme flags: flags that are not official flags and were made for a special occasion, such as a festival flag. Their position depends on the other flags:

• if only the theme flag and the Flemish flag are flown, the Flemish flag goes on the right pole and the theme flag on the left pole
• if the theme flag, the Flemish flag and the Belgian flag are flown, the Belgian flag is in the middle, the Flemish flag on the right and the theme flag on the left

Here too, the observer stands with their back to the building.

Size and care

According to the circular, all flags have the same size when more than one is flown. It also recommends checking the heraldic colours and figures of the flags, keeping flags clean and replacing them in good time, and shaking them loose when they wrap around the pole.

The order of anthems

The circular also sets an order for the anthems at official ceremonies. At the start of a ceremony: first the Belgian anthem, then any foreign anthems and finally the Flemish anthem. At the end the reverse: first the Flemish anthem, then any foreign anthems and finally the Belgian anthem. The Flemish anthem consists of the first two verses of De Vlaamse Leeuw.

In Wallonia, Brussels and the German-speaking Community

The decrees of the French Community, the Walloon Region and the German-speaking Community set out where and when their flag is flown, but do not give their own order of precedence like the Flemish circular. For a specific case, the protocol service of the authority concerned can give an answer.