Driving in Belgium as a visitor means carrying your licence, registration and insurance papers, knowing that the speed limit changes by region, giving way to traffic from the right at most junctions and registering a foreign car for the low emission zones of three cities. Motorways are 120 km/h everywhere; other roads outside built-up areas are 90 km/h in Wallonia and 70 km/h in Flanders and Brussels unless a sign says otherwise. The rules below come from the Belgian road code and UK government advice, read on 17 October 2026. It is a summary, not legal advice.
What to carry
GOV.UK's travel advice for Belgium says to carry your driving licence, car registration documents, insurance paper, MOT ("contrôle technique") certificate and passport, and your passengers' passports. It warns of speed traps, cameras, unmarked police cars and on-the-spot speeding fines.
Speed limits when driving in Belgium, by region
Speed limits are regional. Article 11 of the Wegcode, the road code of 1 December 1975, has a base text and a version for each region, and the version of the region you are in applies. The general limits for a car, in Justel's text updated to 31 August 2026:
| Where | Flanders | Wallonia | Brussels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inside built-up areas | 50 km/h | 50 km/h | 30 km/h |
| Motorways | 120 km/h | 120 km/h | 120 km/h |
| Other roads outside built-up areas | 70 km/h | 90 km/h | 70 km/h |
The base text still says 90 km/h on those other roads. Flanders lowered it to 70 from 1 January 2017 (Flemish government decree of 30 October 2015), keeping 90 only where a C43 sign shows 90; Brussels set 30 and 70 from 1 January 2021 (Brussels government decree of 16 July 2020). Wallonia kept 90 and since 9 November 2023 adds 70 km/h on what its text calls a "middenrijbaan". All three give 120 km/h on roads with at least two lanes each way where the directions are separated by more than road markings. A C43 sign can set a lower or higher figure, lower limits for vehicle types remain, and a sign beats the table.
Priority to the right
Article 12.3.1 says every driver must give way to the driver coming from the right, except on a roundabout, or where the driver coming from the right enters from a prohibited direction. A driver coming from a road with a B1 (inverted triangle) or B5 (stop) sign, or from a dirt track or path, gives way to traffic on the road they join.
Phone and alcohol
Under Article 8.4 the driver may not use, hold or handle a mobile electronic device with a screen, unless the vehicle is stationary or parked or the device sits in a holder fixed to the vehicle.
The road traffic law of 16 March 1968, Article 34, makes it an offence to drive with at least 0.5 gram of alcohol per litre of blood, or 0.22 milligram per litre of exhaled air. A higher band starts at 0.8 gram per litre of blood or 0.35 milligram per litre of breath.
Cameras and average speed checks
On Flemish roads, the agency Wegen en Verkeer is converting fixed speed cameras into average speed checks, which read number plates with ANPR over a longer distance and pass the data to the federal police. Its map shows only its own checks: police zones can install their own, and mobile ones are used, for example at roadworks. Its red-light cameras also register speeding. How the checks measure is explained in average speed checks in the Netherlands, Belgium and Türkiye. Which warning apps are lawful in each country is in the law on speed camera apps.
Low emission zones in Brussels, Ghent and Antwerp
GOV.UK says foreign vehicles must be pre-registered on the city websites for the low emission zones of Brussels, Ghent and Antwerp. The cities set different deadlines:
- Brussels: foreign-registered vehicles, except Dutch ones, must be registered. It is free, valid five years, and may be done before entering or within five days of entering.
- Ghent: signs mark the zone and smart cameras check cars. Permitted foreign vehicles must be registered, free for certain vehicles, at the latest one day after you enter.
- Antwerp: registration is once only, free, by the day after you enter, and covers all Flemish zones but not Brussels.
A car that does not meet the criteria needs a day pass or a permit. The engine standards are in low emission zones explained.
Tolls and the planned vignette
On the pages read, a car pays a toll in Belgium only in the Liefkenshoek tunnel in Antwerp. Its 2026 rates for a car under 3 metres tall are 4.40 euros with a toll badge, 6.20 euros with a bank, fuel or credit card and 8.00 euros in cash, per passage.
The Walloon government writes that the three regions agreed on a common digital vignette for cars and vans under 3.5 tonnes, registered in Belgium or abroad, planned from 1 May 2027, at 100 euros a year for Euro 4 and up, 125 euros for Euro 0 to 3 and 90 euros for zero-emission vehicles. On 17 October 2026 it is a plan: the texts were adopted in first reading only. How tolls and vignettes compare across Europe is in the guide to how toll roads work.
A new road code is on the way
The federal decree of 3 June 2024 on the Code of the public road repeals the 1975 Wegcode (Article 84) and, as amended on 30 June 2026, takes effect on 1 June 2027 (Article 86). The regional rules, speed limits among them, move to three regional codes on the same date: the Flemish government wrote on 5 November 2025 that all four texts move from 1 September 2026 to 1 June 2027 and that the current rules apply until then.
What BlitzBuddy does in Belgium
In Belgium BlitzBuddy shows fixed speed cameras, red-light cameras and average speed checks, kilometre posts and navigation, and live traffic for Flanders from Verkeerscentrum Vlaanderen, not for Wallonia or Brussels. Speed limits come from OpenStreetMap, and the signs on the road come first. It does not promise a warning for mobile checks. BlitzBuddy is free, with no ads and no subscription. It is available for iPhone; the Android version is coming soon. More guides: driving abroad.
Sources
- Belgium travel advice: Safety and security, GOV.UK
- Koninklijk besluit van 1 december 1975 houdende algemeen reglement op de politie van het wegverkeer (Wegcode), Belgisch Staatsblad, Justel (in Dutch)
- Koninklijk besluit van 3 juni 2024 betreffende de Code van de openbare weg, Belgisch Staatsblad, Justel (in Dutch)
- Wet betreffende de politie over het wegverkeer, 16 maart 1968, Belgisch Staatsblad, Justel (in Dutch)
- Inwerkingtreding nieuwe wegcode uitgesteld naar 1 juni 2027, Departement Mobiliteit en Openbare Werken, Vlaamse overheid (5 November 2025, in Dutch)
- Trajectcontroles, Wegen en Verkeer (in Dutch)
- Flitspalen, Wegen en Verkeer (in Dutch)
- Register your foreign vehicle, Brussels Low Emission Zone
- Low-emission zone in Ghent, Stad Gent
- Registration of a foreign vehicle, Slim naar Antwerpen, City of Antwerp
- Vers la mise en place d'une vignette routière en Belgique, Service public de Wallonie (in French)
- Tarieven en abonnement, NV Tunnel Liefkenshoek (in Dutch)
Sources read on 17 October 2026 and checked again the same day.
Frequently asked questions
What are the speed limits in Belgium?
The Wegcode sets 50 km/h in built-up areas (30 in Brussels) and 120 km/h on motorways. Other roads outside built-up areas are 90 km/h in Wallonia and 70 km/h in Brussels and Flanders. A sign always wins.
Who has priority at a junction in Belgium?
Traffic coming from the right, under Article 12.3.1 of the Wegcode. The exceptions in the text are drivers on a roundabout, and drivers who come from a road with a give-way (B1) or stop (B5) sign or from a dirt track, who must yield.
Do I need to register my UK car for the low emission zone?
Yes, for Brussels, Ghent and Antwerp. GOV.UK says foreign vehicles must be registered on the city websites. Registration is free; a Flemish registration covers the Flemish zones but not Brussels.
Is there a toll or a vignette on Belgian motorways?
Not for a car, on the pages read, apart from the Liefkenshoek tunnel in Antwerp. The regions plan a digital vignette from 1 May 2027, which the Walloon government still describes as a plan.
Can I hold my phone while driving in Belgium?
No. Article 8.4 of the Wegcode bars using, holding or handling a device with a screen while driving unless it sits in a holder fixed to the vehicle.
