Belgium by Car

Many European countries have Low Emission Zones (LEZs). In Belgium, these exist in the cities of Brussels, Antwerp, and Ghent. The goal – improving air quality in heavily polluted urban areas – is understandable. However, for foreign visitors, there is an expensive trap that you only discover when a penalty notice arrives in your mailbox.

Every vehicle from abroad (except vehicles from the Netherlands) must be registered online – even if it already meets the required emission standards, including fully electric vehicles. If you fail to do so, you may enter the zone without any apparent issue, but your vehicle will be detected by cameras and you may later receive a fine of up to €350 by mail. There is little clear indication of this requirement on site. Enforcement is fully automated through ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras. The license plate is checked against a database, and if the vehicle is not registered, entry is considered a violation.

Unfortunately, the implementation is not particularly visitor-friendly. Imposing a three-digit fine on the owner of a modern, low-emission vehicle solely because of a missing free online registration is disproportionate to the actual purpose of the scheme. Furthermore, it is not obvious on site that such a registration requirement even exists.

Registration is free for most vehicles and takes only a few minutes. It does not necessarily have to be completed before entering the zone, it can also be done shortly afterward: within 24 hours in Antwerp and Ghent, and within five days in Brussels. Once registered, the registration remains valid for five years in Brussels and indefinitely in Antwerp and Ghent, provided the vehicle and license plate remain unchanged.