The City of Ghent uses cookies primarily to optimise your user experience. Cookies provide us with insight into our users’ browsing behaviour and therefore their needs. We make improvements to our website on this basis.

As a result, you get to see more relevant content and navigate through a user-friendly website without any difficulty.

How can you manage your cookie preferences?

Via our website

When visiting our website for the first time, you need to choose which cookies you wish to accept. You can easily change your cookie preferences at any moment by adjusting the cookie settings.

Via your browser

You can also allow a website to place cookies on your computer via your browser settings:

Please keep in mind that, if you disable cookies, our website may no longer function properly.

What are cookies exactly?

Cookies are tiny text files automatically downloaded to your computer’s hard disk whenever you visit a website.

Cookies never have access to your name, address or personal documents stored on your computer or mobile device. They only collect information about how you use our website.

What cookies do we use and why?

Cookies can be sent by different parties.

First-party cookies are cookies managed by the City of Ghent. Third-party cookies send data to external parties such as Facebook and Google. They use these data to provide you with customised content such as relevant ads. In particular cases, our first-party cookies send data to external parties, for instance Google Analytics. These basic behavioural data give us a better insight into what our visitors are looking for and how we can help them better.

The City of Ghent makes every effort to control the use of third-party cookies via our platforms as much as possible.

Via your cookie settings, you can choose which cookies you want to operate on the website and thus determine what information you want to share with the City of Ghent.

  1. Strictly Necessary Cookies
    Strictly necessary cookies are essential to the proper functioning of our website. No consent is required for the use of these cookies. Consequently, you cannot disable them in your cookie settings.
    We use these cookies e.g. to load the website evenly so that it is accessible at all times. Or to read your browser settings so that we can optimise how the website is displayed on your screen.

  2. Performance Cookies
    Performance cookies enable us to gather statistical information about our website. For instance, we can see which pages are visited most and which websites refer traffic to us. This way, we can find out which aspects of our web content need to be improved.

  3. Functionality Cookies
    Functionality cookies make your visit to the website easier. For instance, these cookies allow the website to remember your login details and preferred settings, so you do not have to enter them every time you visit the website.

  4. Marketing Cookies
    Marketing cookies help us tailor our content to your preferences. This way, we hope to offer you content you find interesting and which you have not thought of yet. For instance, the City of Ghent uses these cookies to keep you informed of policy decisions, events and new services.
    In addition, marketing cookies enable you to view content from Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social media platforms on our website.
    Note: even without cookies you will see ads, but they will be less tailored to your preferences and interests.

Detailed list of cookies on the City of Ghent website

Who is responsible for this cookie policy?

Stad Gent (City of Ghent)
Botermarkt 1
9000 Gent (Ghent)

Is the City of Ghent cookie policy subject to change?

Yes, we can adjust this cookie policy at any moment. If so, we will request you to reset your cookie preferences.

How does the City of Ghent handle my personal data?

Some cookies collect personal information. Read more about how the City of Ghent processes your personal information in our privacy statement.

Have any questions or complaints?

  • Questions about the content of our cookies: Gentinfo via the contact form, gentinfo@stad.gent or 09 210 10 10.
  • Questions about your privacy when cookies are used: Data Protection Officer of the City of Ghent via privacy@stad.gent.