Belgium's emergency kit: 3 days on your own
Belgium's National Crisis Center asks every household to keep an emergency kit at home so it can be self-sufficient for at least 3 days (72 hours), in line with EU advice. Plan on 3 to 10 litres of water per person per day: an adult drinks about 1.5 to 2 litres, and the rest is for washing, the toilet and cooking. Register for BE-Alert so the authorities can reach you by text, email or call.
What this means for your household
Set your household size to see the days, water and food the Belgium advice adds up to.
Be self-sufficient for at least 3 days (72 hours).
Drinking water for 2 people. Official figure: 3 to 10 L per person per day for drinking, washing and cooking.
Person-days of food to cover (2 × 3). Pick food that needs no fridge and little or no cooking.
What to keep in your home kit
The Crisis Center's figures cover water and food; the rest are the basics EU preparedness guides share. Keep the kit somewhere easy to reach.
- Water: 3 to 10 litres per person per day, including about 1.5 to 2 litres for drinking
- Non-perishable food for 3 days
- A torch and a battery or wind-up radio, with spare batteries
- A charged power bank
- A first aid kit and your regular medicines
- Copies of identity documents
- Some cash
- Hygiene items and supplies for children and pets
How Belgium warns you
- BE-Alert is the authorities' alert system. It can reach you by text, email or voice call.
- Register free at be-alert.be. You can add up to five addresses, such as your work or your child's school.
- BE-Alert messages come from 1789 or 0477 77 77 55, and will never ask for your bank details.
- If you are told to shelter, go inside, close doors and windows, and follow the news. Sheltering usually lasts a few hours, at most 24.
Belgium-specific steps
- The Crisis Center's 2026 'Prepared together' guide also suggests a smaller kit in the car and at work.
- Install the free 112 BE app. You can add health information, and the emergency centre can ring your phone if you can't speak.
- Make a household emergency plan: who to call, where to meet, and who needs extra help.
Go beyond the minimum: what we recommend
Official lists cover the basics. These are the gaps we see most often when an emergency lasts longer than expected.
- Build toward 7 days of water and food, even if the official minimum is 3. Outages often last longer than planned.
- Keep paper and digital copies of IDs, insurance and prescriptions, so you can prove who you are and get medicines.
- Write the expiry date on everything and check the kit every 6 months, so it doesn't quietly go out of date.
- Plan for phone power: a charged power bank, plus a solar panel or car charger for longer outages.
- Save offline maps of your area and agree a meeting point, in case the mobile network is down.
- An offline survival guide on your phone: HAVEN tracks your kit and expiry dates and works with no signal.Download HAVEN free
Numbers to write down
- 112 · Fire and ambulance
- 101 · Police
- be-alert.be · Official alerts
Keep a paper copy: your phone may be flat when you need it.
Your kit, ready when the network isn't
HAVEN tracks your 72-hour kit in litres and days for your household, reminds you before food and water expire, and keeps first aid guides offline on your phone.
- Coverage in days for your household
- Expiry reminders
- Offline guides and AI
- Free to start, no account needed
How Belgium compares
Belgium: 3 days. Across the 25 governments we checked, most ask for 3 days, a growing group asks for a week, and Austria asks for the most, at 10 to 14 days. See every country's advice.
Belgium preparedness FAQ
How many days of supplies does Belgium recommend?
At least 3 days (72 hours). The National Crisis Center follows the EU recommendation that households can be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours.
How much water should I store in Belgium?
Plan on 3 to 10 litres per person per day. About 1.5 to 2 litres is for drinking; the rest covers washing, the toilet and cooking.
How do I sign up for BE-Alert?
Register free at be-alert.be. You can add up to five addresses, so you'll also be warned about emergencies near your work or your children's school.
How do I know a BE-Alert message is real?
Real alerts come from 1789 or 0477 77 77 55 and never ask for bank details.
What is the emergency number in Belgium?
112 for fire and ambulance, and 101 for police. 112 also works across the EU.
Official sources
- An emergency kit at home (National Crisis Center)
- Prepared together: practical guide (National Crisis Center)
- BE-Alert: alerts on your phone (National Crisis Center)
- Seeking shelter (National Crisis Center)
- Call 112 (National Crisis Center)
This page summarises official advice and is not a substitute for it. Always follow the instructions of your local emergency services. Last checked 2 November 2026.