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Peptides Explained

Belgium

Peptides and Belgian law: the 1964 medicines law and the FAMHP

In short

About 6 minutes for the short version; 8 with every detail open.

  • Belgium follows the same EU rules as the Netherlands. A medicine needs a licence.
  • Medicines may never be posted to you from outside the EEA. A first seized parcel brings a warning.
  • A second time, you can be asked to pay at least €400 to settle the case.
  • With a doctor and a pharmacist, you can get a medicine approved abroad. Not a peptide approved nowhere.
  • Doping rules belong to the Communities. Tests also happen in gyms.
Last reviewed
A pale stone building with tall columns, a carved front and two flags, behind a neat garden.
Brussels: the house where the Belgian lawmakers meet. Photo: Oakenchips (Wikimedia Commons) CC BY-SA 3.0 Image details

Each section starts with the short answer. The rest is folded under “In detail”.

What does Belgian law say about peptides?

The same as EU law: a medicine needs a licence. Belgium is strict about parcels from abroad.
The four rules of the Belgian medicines law that matter most here.
RuleWhat it says
What a medicine isAnything offered as treating or preventing disease in people, or anything that can change body functions through a drug-like effect, or make a diagnosis.1
The licence ruleA medicine may only be put on the market after a licence from the Belgian minister or the European Commission.2
AdvertisingAll advertising for a medicine without a licence is forbidden, and so is public advertising for prescription medicines.3
Buying and holdingBuying or holding medicines that do not follow the law is itself an offence that can bring a fine.4

The law is the Law of 25 March 1964 on medicines for human use. The FAMHP enforces it. In Dutch it is called the FAGG, in French the AFMPS.1,5

In detail How the Belgian definition compares with the Dutch one

Both come from the same EU directive, so they use the same two tests. One is how the product is presented. The other is what it can do in the body.1,6 The FAMHP puts it simply. A product is a medicine if it contains a pharmacologically active substance. It is also a medicine if it is presented as one, for example with a claim such as “prevents cancer”. That it is sold elsewhere as a supplement or a cosmetic “is not a valid argument”.5

One difference from Dutch law stands out. The Belgian law names buying and possessing such medicines as offences.4 The Dutch law does not name buying.7 We describe how the FAMHP handles this in practice below.

Parcels from abroad

Can I have a peptide sent to me in Belgium?

No. From outside the EEA, medicines may never be sent to you. From the EU, only approved ones.
A peptide with no licence cannot legally be sent to you, from anywhere. Belgian medicines law, article 12quater, and the FAMHP's answers on seized parcels (last updated 23 July 2024).
From outside the EEA (the EU plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein)From another EU country
Can a medicine be posted to you for your own use?No “Never permitted”, says the FAMHP.5Yes A reasonable amount, if it is approved there and was obtained legally.8,5
Can a peptide with no licence be posted to you?No The FAMHP treats it as a medicine, and no medicine may be sent from there.5No Only medicines approved in an EU country may be sent.5

A medicine that is not on the Belgian market can only be imported for you by a Belgian pharmacist. You need your doctor’s prescription and a statement from your doctor.5

A second seized parcel can cost money

€400

the least you are asked to pay to settle the case after a second seizure

What was counted The FAMHP's stated policy for seized postal parcels, page last updated 23 July 2024 Source Questions and answers on seizure of postal packages due to illegal importation of medicinal products or importation of non-compliant medical devices5

In detail What happens when a parcel is seized

The FAMHP describes its approach like this:5

  • First time: you get a warning, and the case is closed.
  • Second time: you are offered an out-of-court settlement of at least €400. In exceptional cases the file goes to the public prosecutor.
  • Antibiotics: zero tolerance. A fine is possible the first time.
  • Your products: you do not get them back. If you think the seizure was wrong, you can object by registered letter within 14 days.
  • A parcel you did not order: contact the FAMHP; you can also report it to the police.

Each case is handled on its own, so the FAMHP says this may not apply to every product.5

In detail Medicines online in Belgium

In Belgium, prescription medicines may only be handed over in person, at a pharmacy, on a prescription. Only pharmacies may sell medicines online, and only medicines that need no prescription. Their websites must be notified to the FAMHP and the Order of Pharmacists.5

Legal online pharmacies in the EU show a common logo. Clicking it should lead to an official list of legal sellers. Many illegal websites look professional and claim their products come from Europe.5,6 The FAMHP can only shut down “.be” websites itself.5

What this means for you in practice

What happens if a peptide is sent to me in Belgium?

A parcel that is found is seized. The first time, you get a warning. Later, you may pay.
What the Belgian rules mean for one person, step by step.
  1. The parcel can be stopped. The FAMHP treats a product with an active substance as a medicine, whatever the label says.5
  2. The first time, a warning. The case is then closed.5
  3. The second time, a settlement. You are offered a settlement of at least €400. In rare cases the file goes to the prosecutor.5
  4. You do not get the product back. The FAMHP says the quality of such products cannot be guaranteed.5
  5. Reporting a side effect is a separate thing. The FAMHP says it uses side-effect reports only for the scientific study of the medicine.9

Passing a product on or selling it is treated more strictly. If you know it does not meet the law, the penalty can include prison as well as a fine.4 If you already use a product, see product risk and warning signs.

Is there a legal way to get it?

Only with a doctor and a pharmacist, and only if the drug is approved in another country.
The Belgian routes work for medicines approved abroad. None fits a peptide approved nowhere. Belgian medicines law, article 6quater, and the FAMHP's list of approved programmes (snapshot of 20 September 2026).
A medicine approved in another countryA peptide approved nowhere (for example BPC-157)
Import by a pharmacist, with a prescription and a doctor’s statement?Yes If no suitable medicine is on the Belgian market.10No Only medicines approved in their country of origin.10,5
A compassionate use or medical need programme?Yes If the company runs one and it is approved.11No None is listed for any peptide on this site.11
A clinical trial?Yes If a trial runs and you qualify.10Unknown Only if a trial exists. We found none running in Belgium.12
In detail The routes in the law, one by one

Article 6quater of the medicines law lists the exceptions to the licence rule:10

  1. Special needs. A medicine supplied on a genuine order from a prescriber. It is for patients who cannot be treated well with medicines approved and available in Belgium.
  2. Compassionate use. For a group of patients with a long-term, seriously disabling or life-threatening disease. An EU licence application must be filed, or trials must be running.
  3. Medical need programmes. For a medicine that is approved, but not yet for this use.
  4. Import by a pharmacist. Only of a medicine approved in its country of origin. You need a prescription and a doctor’s statement. The statement says you cannot be treated well with a medicine on the Belgian market.

The law also needs no licence for a medicine that a pharmacy makes for one patient on a prescription. The same goes for a medicine used in a clinical trial.10 We have not checked the Belgian quality rules for pharmacy preparations in detail. In the Netherlands, the raw material must meet an official quality standard; see legal routes.

Sport and doping in Belgium

Who makes the doping rules in Belgium?

The Communities, not the federal state. Testing also happens in gyms and at a low level.
In Belgium, four bodies share the work against doping.
  1. Four responsible bodies. The Flemish, French and German-speaking Communities, and the Common Community Commission in Brussels, have a joint agreement on doping.13
  2. Flemish rules cover hobby sport too. In the Flemish decree, an athlete is anyone who plays sport in an organised setting, at any level, also for fun.14
  3. Different rules for elite and other athletes. Elite athletes are judged by their sports federation. Other athletes have their own disciplinary route.14
  4. More testing than in the Netherlands. Belgium tests far more at lower levels, with surprise tests in gyms. Refusing a test usually brings a ban of two or four years, which also applies in the Netherlands.15

The World Anti-Doping Agency bans, at all times, any drug that no health authority has approved for human use. This applies when no other part of its list covers the drug already.16 See sport and doping.

Reporting a side effect

Where do I report a side effect in Belgium?

To the FAMHP, online. Anyone can report, also for someone else.

You can report any side effect you suspect, even if you are not sure the product caused it. Family and friends can report for you, and so can your doctor or pharmacist.9 The FAMHP needs to know who had the reaction, what happened, which product you suspect, and how it went on. If you know the batch number, add it.9

Sources

Every claim on this page links to one of these sources. Scholarly sources link to their DOI; regulatory sources to the regulator's own page.

In detail All 16 sources, numbered as in the text
  1. Belgische Staat / État belge (1964). Wet van 25 maart 1964 op de geneesmiddelen voor menselijk gebruik, artikel 1, § 1, 1) (definitie van geneesmiddel). ejustice.just.fgov.be (Justel; text updated to 4 June 2026). Law ejustice.just.fgov.be — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  2. Belgische Staat / État belge (1964). Wet van 25 maart 1964 op de geneesmiddelen voor menselijk gebruik, artikel 6 § 1 (vergunning voor het in de handel brengen vereist). ejustice.just.fgov.be. Law ejustice.just.fgov.be — accessed 20 October 2026 ↩
  3. Belgische Staat / État belge (1964). Wet van 25 maart 1964 op de geneesmiddelen voor menselijk gebruik, artikel 9 (reclame). ejustice.just.fgov.be (Justel; text updated to 4 June 2026). Law ejustice.just.fgov.be — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  4. Belgische Staat / État belge (1964). Wet van 25 maart 1964 op de geneesmiddelen voor menselijk gebruik, artikel 16 (straffen). ejustice.just.fgov.be (Justel; text updated to 4 June 2026). Law ejustice.just.fgov.be — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  5. Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (FAMHP / FAGG / AFMPS) (2024). Questions and answers on seizure of postal packages due to illegal importation of medicinal products or importation of non-compliant medical devices. Regulator famhp.be — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  6. European Parliament and Council of the European Union (2001). Directive 2001/83/EC on the Community code relating to medicinal products for human use (consolidated text). Official Journal of the European Communities, L 311. Law eur-lex.europa.eu — accessed 20 October 2026 ↩
  7. Staten-Generaal / Koninkrijk der Nederlanden (2007). Geneesmiddelenwet, artikel 40 (verbod op geneesmiddelen zonder handelsvergunning, en de uitzonderingen). wetten.overheid.nl (BWBR0021505), version in force from 9 September 2025. Law wetten.overheid.nl — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  8. Belgische Staat / État belge (1964). Wet van 25 maart 1964 op de geneesmiddelen voor menselijk gebruik, artikel 12quater (geneesmiddelen voor eigen gebruik uit een andere lidstaat). ejustice.just.fgov.be (Justel; text updated to 4 June 2026). Law ejustice.just.fgov.be — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  9. Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (FAMHP / FAGG / AFMPS) (2023). Questions and answers regarding reporting adverse reactions. Regulator famhp.be — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  10. Belgische Staat / État belge (1964). Wet van 25 maart 1964 op de geneesmiddelen voor menselijk gebruik, artikel 6quater (uitzonderingen op de VHB-plicht). ejustice.just.fgov.be (Justel; text updated to 4 June 2026). Law ejustice.just.fgov.be — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  11. Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (FAMHP / FAGG / AFMPS) (2026). Compassionate use – Medical need. Regulator famhp.be — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  12. U.S. National Library of Medicine, ClinicalTrials.gov (2026). ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 searches: trials of BPC-157 and other peptides on this site with a site in the Netherlands or Belgium. Trial registration clinicaltrials.gov — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  13. NADO Vlaanderen (Dopinglijn) (2026). Regelgeving. Web page dopinglijn.be — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  14. Vlaamse Gemeenschap (2012). Decreet van 25 mei 2012 betreffende de preventie en bestrijding van doping in de sport. Belgisch Staatsblad, 12 July 2012, p. 38313 (original text, as published by NADO Vlaanderen). Law dopinglijn.be — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  15. Dopingautoriteit (2026). Controles in België. Web page dopingautoriteit.nl — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  16. World Anti-Doping Agency (2025). World Anti-Doping Code International Standard: Prohibited List 2026. Regulator wada-ama.org — accessed 20 October 2026 ↩