From 1 May 2026, preferential rates in federal museums will be standardised to ensure greater clarity and fairness, Belgium’s Federal Minister Vanessa Matz announced on Saturday.
Currently, access conditions across federal museums vary widely, with differences in discounts and free entry policies. Some visitors, such as those with disabilities, pay reduced rates at certain institutions but full price at others, which the minister described as “confusing for visitors and unfair to certain groups.”
Common rules will be introduced for free entry and discounted rates across all federal museums open to the public.
From May, free admission will be granted to specific groups upon presentation of valid proof, including children under three, people with disabilities and their companions, teachers, and journalists. Discounts will apply to young people under 25 (60% off), seniors over 65 (25% off), job seekers, and people with BIM status (60% off). Museums will also offer free admission to all on the first Wednesday afternoon of each month, except for the Planetarium.
These policies will be uniformly enforced across all federal institutions.
Federal museums will also gain greater flexibility in setting their base admission prices, which previously required ministerial approval—deemed cumbersome and misaligned with operational realities. Pricing decisions will now be handled by a management committee comprising museum directors, representatives from Belspo (Belgian Science Policy), and the Finance Inspection.
Minister Matz explained that the new framework aims to provide more autonomy to institutions while safeguarding public access to culture. She emphasised that affordability remains a priority.
However, alongside this flexibility, several federal museums will increase their standard entry prices from 1 May. According to Le Soir, the Royal Museum for Central Africa will raise its full-price ticket from €12 to €15, while the Royal Museums of Art and History will increase theirs from €10 to €15. Ticket prices for the Royal Museums of Fine Arts will rise from €10 to €13, while the full-price entry at the Royal Library (KBR) will remain unchanged at €11.
