Naturism in Belgium: laws and customs

At a glance

What the law says

The new Belgian Criminal Code, passed in 2024 and in force in 2026, punishes exhibitionism: "deliberately imposing on the sight of others" your naked genitals or an act of a sexual nature, in a public place or one visible to the public (art. 184, Moniteur belge 08/04/2024). It carries the lightest penalty in the code, level 1: for example a fine of €200 to €20,000 or 20 to 120 hours of community service (Book I of the Criminal Code). In front of a minor the penalty goes up one level (art. 185).

The rule speaks of "deliberately imposing" nudity on others: it does not seem to target people who are naked where nudity is accepted, but we have found no court rulings saying so. The exact date it came into force is not clear: April or September 2026, depending on the source.

In practice, on the beaches what matters most are the municipal bylaws, which punish violations with municipal administrative penalties (the "GAS").

Where you can be naked

• Bredene: for the municipality it is "the first and only" naturist beach on the Belgian coast, opened in 2001 at the foot of a dune reserve. It is about 300 m long, from east of lifeguard post 6 "Hippodroom" to the border with De Haan, and it is naturist only from the Saturday before the Easter holidays to the second Sunday of October. On peak days it hosts about 1,000 naturists; clothed people may walk along the shoreline (Gemeente Bredene, 2022 police bylaw).
• Naturist stays: you can find them in the list of naturist places in Belgium.

Tolerated beaches and bans

In Bredene the police bylaw bans being naked on the beach or in the dunes outside the boundaries of the naturist beach. Wearing clothes that do not fully cover the genitals also counts as naked (same source). We have not checked the rules of the other coastal resorts or of the municipalities where our listed places are.

In 2026 Bredene put up new signs in four languages (among other things: no staring, no filming, no entering the dunes), a rope between beach and dunes, and checks that include drones (Het Nieuwsblad, 2026). By July the police had counted 46 reports for prohibited behaviour since the start of the year, mostly in the dunes, where access is forbidden (VRT NWS, 2026); in 2027 the reserve will be fenced off (Le Soir, 2026). For the mayor the problems concern "only exceptions": most people want "simply to enjoy a day out", and the municipality is "grateful" to the naturists.

Topless, towns and saunas

• Topless: we found no specific rules for the beach.
• In town: Knokke-Heist, Blankenberge and De Panne ban walking around the centre bare-chested or in a bikini, with a fine of €350; on the beach and the promenade swimwear is still allowed (VRT NWS, 2021).
• Sauna: our research found no sources.

The local mood

Belgium is less open than the Netherlands. Where nudity is provided for, it is accepted and even supported by the authorities, but there is only one place on the coast, the beach at Bredene, and outside the designated zones it is banned. We have not found any surveys on nudity.

The problem everyone recognises is sexual behaviour and voyeurs in the dunes, who gather at Bredene precisely because it is the only real naturist spot in the country (r/naturismeNL, 2025). Many Belgian naturists prefer to go to the Netherlands or to clubs.

Naturist associations

• Belgian Naturist Federation (FBN): the national federation recognised by INF-FNI, the international federation, and named by the municipality of Bredene as the contact point for the beach.

Whether places require a membership card is not clear: it is best to ask beforehand.

LGBTQ+ travellers

No legal risk: same-sex relations have been legal since 1795, and joint adoption for same-sex couples has existed since 2006 (ILGA World).