Last updated: 16 September 2026

Belgium Vignette 2027: toll roads, prices and rules for driving in Belgium

Driving through Belgium in a car, van or motorhome? From 1 May 2027 you will probably need a vignette, including with a UK or other foreign number plate. Officially it is called a road vignette ("wegenvignet"), but most people call it the Belgium toll vignette. It is digital, linked to your number plate and available for periods from 1 day to 1 year. On this page you will find what the vignette costs, where it applies, how high the fines are, what toll roads Belgium has today and when you can buy it.

Belgium vignette at a glance

What is the Belgium vignette?

The Belgium vignette is digital proof that you have paid to drive on Belgian motorways and regional roads. The official name is road vignette ("wegenvignet"); in the news it is usually called a toll vignette. There is nothing to stick on your windscreen: the vignette is linked to your number plate, and cameras above and beside the road check automatically whether you have one. If you only drive on small local roads you do not need a vignette.

When does the vignette become mandatory in Belgium?

According to the timetable the vignette becomes mandatory on 1 May 2027. Sales start on 1 March 2027, so you can arrange your vignette well in advance. After that there is a two-month transition period: the first fines will not be issued before 1 July 2027.

Timeline: from agreement to first fine

Do I need a vignette to drive in Belgium as a foreign driver?

Yes. The vignette applies to foreign vehicles too, and no exemption is planned for UK, Dutch, German or French number plates. Driving to Bruges, Antwerp, Ghent or Brussels from 1 May 2027, or crossing Belgium on the way to France or Germany? Then you will almost certainly need a vignette, because nearly every route uses motorways or regional roads.

Your nationality makes no difference. What matters is the vehicle and the roads you drive on.

Which vehicles need the vignette?

The vignette becomes mandatory for vehicles with at least four wheels and a maximum permitted mass of up to 3,500 kg. That is the technically permitted maximum mass shown on your registration document. Think of passenger cars, vans and motorhomes. The scheme explicitly applies not only to Belgians but also to foreign road users.

• Applies to cars, vans and motorhomes up to 3,500 kg.
• Applies on motorways and regional roads, not on local roads.
• Mandatory for Belgians and foreign drivers alike.
• The price depends on your car's Euro emissions standard.

Exemptions: who does not need a vignette?

Under the plans a number of vehicles do not need a vignette: motorcycles (the vignette only applies from four wheels), tractors and other agricultural vehicles, emergency vehicles such as ambulances, and vehicles of people with a disability. Lorries are also excluded, because they already pay a kilometre charge in Belgium.

Do I need a vignette for my motorhome in Belgium?

Yes. Motorhomes are covered by the scheme as long as they weigh no more than 3,500 kg. This is the maximum permitted mass shown on your registration document. If your motorhome is heavier, the vignette requirement does not apply. No separate vignette has been announced for a trailer or caravan towed behind a car.

Does the vignette apply across the whole of Belgium?

Yes. Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels are introducing the vignette together, so one vignette lets you use the motorways and regional roads across the whole of Belgium. One caveat: Flanders wants Brussels to drop its own plans for a city congestion charge (SmartMove), so Brussels' participation is not yet politically certain.

How much does the Belgium vignette cost? Prices for 2027

The Belgium vignette is expected to cost €8.10 to €125. The price depends on two things: your car's Euro emissions standard and the period you choose. The cleaner your car, the less you pay. The amounts below come from the draft decree approved by the Flemish government on 10 July 2026, so they are not final yet.

Some news reports mention slightly different amounts, such as €11.30 for 1 day or €23.80 for 1 month. We use the amounts from the official draft decree.

Why do electric cars pay less?

Zero-emission cars, such as electric and hydrogen cars, pay the least. Next come cars with Euro 4 or higher, while older cars with Euro 0 to 3 pay the most. The Euro standard shows how clean your car is; you will find it on your registration document or by asking the manufacturer.

Which vignette do I need: day, 10 days or a year?

For a day trip to Antwerp or Ghent a one-day vignette is enough, while a 10-day, 1-month or 2-month vignette suits a holiday better. If you drive in Belgium regularly, for example for work or to visit family, an annual vignette is the cheapest option.

Buying the Belgium vignette: when and where?

The Belgium vignette is not yet on sale anywhere. Sales are planned to start on 1 March 2027, two months before the vignette becomes mandatory. You will be able to buy it online or through an app, and if you prefer not to buy digitally there will be physical sales points such as petrol stations.

How does the digital toll vignette work?

The vignette is fully digital, so nothing goes on your windscreen. This is how it will work:

1. You choose how long the vignette should be valid.
2. You enter your vehicle's number plate.
3. You add the vehicle details, including the Euro emissions standard.
4. You pay the corresponding amount.
5. From that moment the vignette is digitally linked to your number plate.

How is it enforced?

Enforcement is automatic: cameras above and beside the road read your number plate. You never have to show anything. If your number plate is registered you are fine; if not, a fine follows automatically once the transition period is over.

Fine for driving without a vignette

If you drive on Belgian motorways or regional roads without a valid vignette, you risk a fine of €70 to €210. Because enforcement is automatic, using cameras, the fine simply arrives in the post. There is a transition period, though: no fines are issued in May and June 2027, and the first fines follow on 1 July 2027 at the earliest.

On which roads do you need the vignette?

The vignette applies on all Belgian motorways, ring roads and regional roads. Regional roads are the main roads linking towns and cities, comparable to A-roads in the UK. If you only drive on small local roads you do not need a vignette. There is no official map of all vignette roads yet, but as soon as one appears you will find it here.

Can you cross Belgium without a vignette?

In theory you can, by avoiding motorways and regional roads and taking back roads. In practice that is almost impossible towards cities such as Antwerp, Ghent or Brussels, and it adds a lot of travel time. If you are heading for France, a one-day vignette from €8.10 is the more practical choice in almost every case.

Vignette or low-emission zone (LEZ): what is the difference?

The vignette and a low-emission zone are two different things. The vignette is about driving on motorways and regional roads. A low-emission zone (LEZ) decides whether you may enter a city, based on your car's emissions. So a vignette does not give you access to the low-emission zones of Antwerp, Ghent or Brussels. In those cities you must register a foreign number plate in advance.

Toll roads in Belgium: what you pay now and what changes in 2027

At the moment there are hardly any tolls for cars in Belgium. The motorways are free to use. The only exception is the Liefkenshoek tunnel near Antwerp, where you pay per journey. Lorries over 3,500 kg have paid a kilometre charge via an on-board unit since 2016, but that does not apply to cars, vans and motorhomes.

From 1 May 2027 the vignette is added to this. Think of it as the new road toll for cars in Belgium: you do not pay per kilometre or at a toll booth, but one fixed amount for a period. That is why the media often call it a toll vignette, while the official name is road vignette. It is exactly the same vignette.

Why is Belgium introducing a vignette?

Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels are introducing the vignette together. Belgium has long been frustrated that foreign motorists use Belgian roads without paying towards them. An estimated 30 million foreign cars drive through the country every year. The vignette is meant to change that. The regions expect to raise around 200 million euros a year, money they want to spend on improving the roads.

Belgians pay for the vignette too, but get part of it back through a discount on their annual road tax. That discount differs per region and does not cover everything: about half of Flemish drivers will pay the same or less, the other half more.

Criticism and debate about the toll vignette

The plan is controversial in the Netherlands. The Dutch motoring organisation ANWB says foreign drivers are treated unfairly and has spoken out against the vignette. The Dutch government is critical too: infrastructure minister Karremans called the vignette a regrettable extra burden and has asked for a study into whether the scheme discriminates against foreigners. A complaint to the European Commission has not been ruled out.

Critics point to Germany, which wanted to introduce a toll and refund its own residents. The European Court of Justice rejected that plan (the Pkw-Maut) in 2019 because it disadvantaged foreigners. Researchers at Maastricht University warn that Belgium runs the same risk. Belgium believes its plan will stand, because Belgians only get part of the amount back. The European Commission is watching closely, as a vignette that in practice only hits foreigners is not allowed. The coming months will show whether the opposition changes the introduction.

What the vignette means for foreign drivers

No exemption is planned for people who live near the border or work in Belgium: even if you cross the border every day, you will need a valid vignette.

If you continue through Belgium into France, bear in mind that you may also come across French low-emission zones on the way. See our page about the French Crit'Air emissions sticker.

Driving to Belgium: checklist for foreign drivers

1. Check your travel date — If you travel before 1 May 2027 you do not need a vignette yet. After that you do, although the first fines will not be issued before 1 July 2027.
2. Check your vehicle — The vignette applies to vehicles with at least four wheels up to 3,500 kg: cars, vans and motorhomes. Motorcycles are exempt.
3. Know your Euro standard — Your Euro emissions standard decides which rate you pay. You will find it on your registration document (V5C in the UK) or by asking the manufacturer.
4. Choose the right period — A day trip needs a different vignette from a holiday. Watch the end date so your vignette does not expire before the return journey.
5. Do not forget the low-emission zones — A vignette does not give access to the low-emission zones in cities such as Antwerp, Ghent or Brussels. Check those rules separately.

Driving in Belgium requirements: what else you need

Besides the vignette, a few rules for driving in Belgium may differ from what you are used to at home:

• Speed limits: 120 km/h on motorways, 70 km/h (Flanders) or 90 km/h (Wallonia) outside built-up areas and 50 km/h in towns, often 30 km/h in city centres.
• Carry a warning triangle and a high-visibility vest, and use them if you break down. Right-hand-drive cars need headlamp beam deflectors and a UK identifier.
• Low-emission zones: in Antwerp, Ghent and Brussels you must register a foreign number plate in advance, or you will be fined. This is separate from the vignette.
• Carry your driving licence, vehicle registration document and proof of insurance. For a short visit with an EU or UK-registered car no extra paperwork is needed.

Travelling further into Europe? Also see the Switzerland vignette and the Austria vignette.

Frequently asked questions about the Belgium vignette

Summary: Belgium vignette 2027

From 1 May 2027 you will probably need a digital vignette in Belgium for vehicles with at least four wheels up to 3,500 kg, so also for foreign cars, vans and motorhomes. This toll vignette is linked to your number plate, is available for periods from 1 day to 1 year and costs €8.10 to €125 depending on the Euro emissions standard. Sales start on 1 March 2027, while the first fines (€70 to €210) follow on 1 July 2027 at the earliest.

The scheme is not final yet, because the parliaments and the European Union still have to approve it. That is why we keep this page up to date. Want a message as soon as you can buy the vignette? Leave your email address below.