Driving a foreign car in Belgium

You live abroad

If you live abroad and want to drive your car to Belgium, you are allowed to do so provided your car has registration plates issued by another European country or by a country with which it has an agreement on traffic matters.

You live in Belgium

If you live in Belgium and you intend to drive a vehicle registered abroad, this is basically not allowed. There are a number of exceptions.

Anyone living in Belgium who wishes to drive on the public road in Belgium must register the vehicle in Belgium, even if it has already been registered abroad. There are a number of exceptions to this rule:

• If you live in Belgium and you borrow a vehicle which is registered abroad, you are allowed to drive it for a period of one month at the most. In that case, you must keep a written authorisation of the foreign owner in the car. The owner must state in this document that he has lent the car free of charge, for an agreed period, with end date. 
• If you are a student living abroad, but temporarily staying in Belgium for your studies at a Belgian school or university, you must keep the valid certificate of registration as a student in the car for the actual duration of your studies.

LowEmission Zones in Belgium

Belgium has three Low Emission Zones (LEZ): Antwerp, Brussels and Ghent. Only cars which comply with certain environmental requirements are admitted in these cities. This is applicable for cars registered in Belgium and elsewhere.

Find out if your car complies on the website of the LEZ for Antwerp, Brussels and Ghent.

Does your car comply with the requirements but it is not registered in Belgium? You should sign up on the website from the LEZ you wish to enter. If you fail to do so, you may have to pay a fine up to 350 euro in Brussels for example.  

Your car doesn’t meet the access criteria? An exception is made, provided that you purchase a day pass on the website from the LEZ you wish to enter.

Good to know: Make sure you only buy your day pass on the official websites. Day passes offered on other websites are not valid.