Belgium plans vignette requirement from 2027

Anyone driving by car to or through Belgium can so far largely use the motorways without a vignette requirement. That could change: The three regions of Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels have agreed on a road toll for light vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes. The introduction of a digital Belgian vignette is planned from May 2027. Whether you are coming from Belgium or from abroad is not supposed to play a role. All vehicles in this weight class are intended to contribute to the maintenance of the roads.

On the weight limit: The Belgian information refers to vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes. According to the reports available, this means the usual limit for light vehicles, comparable to the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR).

Important to note upfront: The plans are a political agreement among the regions, but not yet legally finalised. Further approvals are still needed, including at the European level. For your trip planning, it is therefore already worthwhile to get an overview now, without you having to buy a Belgian vignette yet.

What Belgium is planning and from when

Until now, many travellers could cross Belgium as a transit country without an additional motorway charge. From 2027, that is set to change. The digital vignette is to be linked to the number plate and purchased online or at petrol stations. Compliance with the toll requirement is to be monitored via a video system. According to reports, violations could result in fines of around 70 euros.

Wallonia's Minister for Infrastructure and Mobility, François Desquesnes, justified the measure by stating that everyone who uses the roads should make a fair contribution to their upkeep. Flemish Finance Minister Ben Weyts pointed out that drivers from Flanders also pay charges in other European countries. The vignette system in Austria was cited as one comparison.

Planned prices and durations

According to the information available, the annual vignette is expected to cost between 90 and 125 euros. The exact amount depends on the vehicle model and its emissions. For emission-free vehicles such as electric cars, around 90 euros per year is cited. Older models with higher emissions under Euro 0 to Euro 3 emission standards are expected to cost up to 125 euros per year.

In addition to the annual vignette, shorter durations are planned. These include a 24-hour option, a ten-day vignette, and options for one or two months. This is of particular interest for holidaymakers and those travelling through from Germany, who only pass through Belgium briefly or stay in the country for a few days.

Whether the final prices and durations will be adopted exactly as described still depends on further political and legal steps. For planning purposes, therefore: treat the prices and start date as the current state of planning and check the official information shortly before your trip.

Who does the planned vignette apply to?

The regulation is aimed at light vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes. The official Belgian wording refers to cars, combination vehicles and vans below this limit. There is no separate figure there comparable to the Austrian technically permissible total mass. In practice, it concerns the well-known threshold for light vehicles, which comes close to the gross vehicle weight rating. Whether motorcycles are included is reported inconsistently. In some cases, motorcycles are said to be exempt. You should therefore check the final scope before the introduction.

Foreign number plates are expected to be affected just as much as Belgian ones. For German holidaymakers, this means: anyone driving on Belgian motorways from 2027 onwards to France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, or back to Germany should factor the vignette requirement into their travel cost calculations. For heavy vehicles over 3.5 tonnes, a different system — the distance-based heavy goods vehicle charge — already applies in Belgium. The new vignette is intended to specifically cover the light vehicles that have so far often travelled without their own road usage charge.

Politically, the toll is also partly justified on the grounds that users from abroad in particular should contribute more to the costs. At the same time, there is discussion in Belgium about relieving domestic drivers through other taxes or the vehicle tax. This is precisely the point where things become legally sensitive.

EU law and the experience with the German car toll

The Belgian plans must be confirmed by the European authorities. The European Union prohibits unequal treatment based on nationality. Germany had already attempted to introduce a similar system and to relieve German vehicle owners via the vehicle tax. In 2019, the European Court of Justice ruled this to be discriminatory, because the economic burden in practice fell mainly on the owners and drivers of vehicles registered in other member states.

Whether Belgium can implement the planned vignette in a way that remains compatible with EU law therefore remains open. For travellers, this means: expect an introduction from 2027, but keep an eye on the final design and the legal approval status.

What this means for your trip planning

If you use Belgium as a transit country, you should check from the planned start date which duration suits your route. For a short crossing, a 24-hour or ten-day vignette may be sufficient. For longer stays or repeated trips within the same period, a monthly or annual vignette may make more sense. You will likely be able to purchase the vignette online before entering, and you should make sure that the number plate and validity period are entered correctly. For trips continuing on to Austria or Switzerland, the toll systems there remain unchanged and follow their own rules.

Neighbouring countries have different toll regulations

In Austria, vehicles up to 3.5 t technically permissible total mass (excluding occupants, field F.1) require a valid vignette on motorways and expressways. If the technically permissible total mass exceeds 3.5 t, the vignette requirement no longer applies, and the distance-based toll with a GO-Box applies instead. In addition, a section toll or special toll is charged on certain sections, for example at tunnels such as the Brenner or the Tauern, as well as on alpine roads. The vignette does not cover these sections. You can find details in our guide Toll in Austria, on vehicle classes, and on the section toll or special toll. For Austria, you can conveniently purchase the 10-day vignette flat rate online with us.

In Switzerland, on the other hand, different rules apply than in Belgium and Austria. There, the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) including occupants is decisive. For vehicles up to 3.5 t GVWR, there is an annual vignette; shorter durations as in Belgium or Austria are not available in Switzerland. If the GVWR exceeds 3.5 t, the vignette no longer applies, and the heavy vehicle charge takes effect instead. In addition, separate fees apply for the Great St Bernard and Munt la Schera tunnels, as well as for car transport by rail. You can find an overview in the guide Toll in Switzerland and on vehicle classes.

With our route planner, you can see before departure which toll products your planned route requires. Checking in advance is particularly worthwhile for transit trips through several countries.

The Europamaut team wishes you a pleasant trip!

Even with a possible vignette requirement, Belgium remains an important transit country in Western Europe. Anyone who keeps an eye on the planned introduction from 2027 and checks prices and durations before travelling will avoid unnecessary surprises at the border. If you have any questions about the vignette or the toll in Austria or Switzerland, you can reach us at any time by email.