Road vignette to make foreign motorists contribute to Belgium’s road network

From 1 May 2027, Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels will introduce a road vignette for passenger cars and other vehicles weighing up to 3.5 tonnes. The Flemish Government aims to ensure that foreign road users also contribute to investments in the road network. At the same time, Flanders will reform its annual vehicle tax from 1 January 2027, keeping the overall tax burden for Flemish motorists broadly unchanged.

“An estimated 30 million foreign passenger cars drive through Belgium every year without contributing to the construction or maintenance of our roads,” said Flemish Finance Minister Ben Weyts. “For the past 20 years, there has been ongoing debate about making foreign motorists pay their fair share and about introducing road pricing. This reform addresses both issues.”

Vignette required on major roads

From 1 May 2027, the road vignette will be mandatory for all passenger cars and vehicles weighing up to 3.5 tonnes using motorways and regional roads. In Flanders, this covers around 7,000 kilometres of major roads, representing roughly 10% of the road network. No vignette will be required on the more than 61,000 kilometres of local roads.

The vignette will be digital and linked to the vehicle’s licence plate. It will be available for a range of validity periods:

According to the Flemish Government, more than 97% of passenger cars registered in Flanders already comply with the Euro 4, Euro 5 or Euro 6 emissions standard.

Motorcycles, coaches, tractors, emergency service vehicles and military vehicles are exempt from the scheme.

Simpler vehicle tax

As EU legislation does not allow Member States to charge only foreign drivers or to fully compensate Flemish motorists on an individual basis, Flanders will simultaneously reform its annual vehicle tax.

The current, complex calculation method will be replaced by a simpler system based primarily on two criteria: the vehicle’s weight and its CO₂ emissions. Heavier, less environmentally friendly vehicles will pay more, while lighter, cleaner vehicles will pay less.

For a small minority of vehicles, two additional factors may apply, namely vehicles with engines larger than 2,400 cc and older diesel cars meeting the Euro 5 standard or below.

“Germany has been trying for ten years to introduce a vignette exclusively for foreign motorists, but EU law simply does not allow that,” Ben Weyts said. “We believe this reform squares the circle: foreign drivers will finally contribute through a system that complies with European rules, while Flemish motorists will receive compensation. The biggest winner will be our road network, as we are planning the largest road investment programme in our history.”

Recent diesel cars and lightweight petrol vehicles set to benefit most

The Flemish Government expects that, thanks to the combination of the road vignette and the new vehicle tax, around half of all Flemish car owners will ultimately pay the same or less than they do today. This will mainly benefit drivers of modern, low-emission diesel cars and lightweight petrol vehicles. Owners of vehicles with larger engines or older diesel cars will generally pay more.

If the new system would leave a Flemish motorist worse off, they will have the option of remaining under the current vehicle tax system until they purchase their next vehicle.

Exceptions for electric vehicles, lease cars and classic cars

There will be no changes to the vehicle tax for electric cars. Vehicles registered before 1 January 2026 will remain exempt. Newly registered electric vehicles will continue to pay the current reduced annual rate of €103. The existing rules for lease cars will also remain unchanged.

Classic cars and light commercial vehicles will receive a flat 30% reduction in annual vehicle tax.

However, all of these vehicle categories will still require a road vignette to use regional roads in the future.

The reformed vehicle tax will take effect on 1 January 2027, followed four months later by the introduction of the road vignette on 1 May 2027.