The western end is at the North Sea (51°5′22″N 2°32′43″E / 51.08944°N 2.54528°E / 51.08944; 2.54528 near De Panne and Bray-Dunes).

The Belgian side of the border is shared by, from north to south, the provinces of West Flanders (Flemish Region) and Hainaut, Namur and Luxembourg (Walloon Region).

The French side of the border is shared by, from north to south, the departments of Nord and Aisne (region of Hauts-de-France) and Ardennes, Meuse and Meurthe-et-Moselle (region of Grand Est).

The limits of the border are outlined in the 1820 Treaty of Kortrijk, agreed between France and the then-United Kingdom of the Netherlands.

[1] A commission was convened in 2000 concerning the maintenance of the border posts between France and the Belgian province of West Flanders.