Flag sizes in Belgium: which flag for which pole

In Belgium there is no legal table linking the size of a flag to the height of the pole. The Constitution sets the colours of the tricolour, but not its dimensions, and the royal decree on flag flying says nothing about sizes. In practice, flag suppliers follow a rule of thumb and a range of standard sizes.

The rule of thumb

A Belgian flag supplier, DVC Signstore, uses the rule of thumb that the height of the flag is about a quarter of the length of the pole. An 8 metre pole then takes a flag 2 metres high, which in the 2:3 proportion is a 200 × 300 cm flag. For longer poles the supplier rounds the height of the flag down a little.

Standard sizes by pole length

The supplier gives this table:

According to the supplier, the table applies to all kinds of flags: logo flags, provincial and municipal flags and theme flags. The flag size calculator shows the size for each pole length.

The proportions of the Belgian flag

Two proportions are in use for the Belgian tricolour:

• 2:3, the proportion of most flags in the trade. A flag 150 cm high is then 225 cm long.
• 13:15, an almost square shape often cited as the proportion of the national flag. A flag 150 cm high is then about 173 cm long. This proportion is not in the Constitution, and its origin is unclear.

For other official flags, the regulations sometimes do set the proportions. The decrees of the French Community (1991) and the Walloon Region (1998) set the proportion 2:3 for their cockerel flag.

Several flags side by side

According to circular VR 2015/37, all flags have the same size on Flemish public buildings when more than one is flown. If a tricolour in 13:15 flies next to a Flemish flag in 2:3, one looks wider than the other. It is therefore customary to choose the same size and proportion for all flags.

Façade flags

On houses in Belgian streets, the flag often hangs from a façade pole that sticks out from the wall at an angle. These flags are smaller than flagpole flags, for example 60 × 90 cm or 100 × 150 cm, so that they do not drag against the façade or over the pavement. More on poles is in the guide on types of flagpoles.

Wind and size

A larger flag catches more wind and puts more load on the pole, the halyard and the pulley. Manufacturers therefore state a maximum flag size for each pole, based on the wind load in Belgium. More on this is in the guides on flagpole heights and flagpole safety.