Do foreign cars need a Belgium vignette?
According to the current plans, yes. Foreign passenger cars will need a Belgium vignette from 1 May 2027 when using covered Belgian roads. The planned system does not distinguish between Belgian and foreign licence plates — a car registered in the Netherlands, France, Germany or another country is expected to require the same digital vignette as a Belgian vehicle. Final rules may still change until the system is officially approved and launched.
Plans presented in March 2026 may still change. We track official sources and update this page when news breaks.
Last updated: 14 August 2026
Netherlands
- Yes — Dutch-registered passenger cars are expected to need a Belgium vignette from 1 May 2027 when using covered Belgian roads.
- This affects common routes such as Netherlands → Antwerp, Netherlands → Brussels, and Netherlands → Luxembourg/France transit.
- There is currently no announced exemption for Dutch border regions.
Germany
- Yes — German-registered passenger cars are expected to need a Belgium vignette when driving on covered Belgian roads from 1 May 2027.
- This includes common transit routes such as Aachen → Liège and Germany → France through Belgium.
- Short-term options (1–10 days) in the plans may suit through traffic.
France
- Yes — French-registered passenger cars are expected to need a Belgium vignette when using covered Belgian roads from 1 May 2027.
- This is especially relevant for Northern France → Belgium trips and France → Netherlands/Germany transit routes.
- Covered roads include motorways and planned regional main roads — not only long-distance transit.
Equal treatment
Belgian drivers pay too — EU rules prevent charging foreigners only. Your foreign plate is covered under the same planned system.
An estimated 30 million foreign passenger cars pass through Belgium each year.
Digital system
No physical vignette to buy or display. The system is planned to use automatic plate recognition (ANPR). Purchase before you drive on covered roads.
Historical context
Belgium tried a vignette in 2007 but withdrew after Dutch protests. Dutch ministers have again expressed concern — and there is still no announced special border regime for neighbouring countries in the current plans.