Politics · Other · 5 hrs ago
Belgium plans digital road vignette for drivers from May 2027
Belgium plans a digital road vignette from 1 May 2027 for vehicles using its motorways and regional roads.
The rule is expected to cover Belgian drivers and visitors from abroad, with the vignette linked to the vehicle’s number plate.
The planned prices range from €8.10 for one day to €125 for a year, depending in part on the vehicle’s emissions; final prices may change.
The regions say the charge will help fund road maintenance, though some drivers have questioned the cost of paying to use ordinary roads.
Cameras and mobile inspection teams will check number plates, and drivers without a vignette could face a €70 administrative fine, doubled or tripled for repeat offences.
Checks are planned in three stages, beginning with a two-month period focused on awareness, followed by mobile camera checks and then round-the-clock checks using fixed gantries from 1 March 2028.
Belgium plans to require a digital road vignette from 1 May 2027 on motorways and regional roads.
The obligation is expected to apply to Belgian and foreign drivers, with the vignette linked to the vehicle’s registration plate.
Reported annual prices range from €90 to €125, depending in part on the vehicle’s environmental characteristics.
Authorities plan to check compliance using number-plate recognition cameras and mobile inspection teams.
Drivers without a vignette could face a €70 administrative fine, which may double or triple for repeat offences.
- Who
- Drivers in Belgium, including foreign drivers, will be affected.
- What
- A digital road vignette will be required to use motorways and regional roads.
- When
- From 1 May 2027.
- Where
- On Belgian motorways and regional roads.
- Why
- To help fund the maintenance of the road network and have its users contribute to that cost.
An unnamed Lille motorist
Walloon authorities
Aspect
An unnamed Lille motorist
The motorist considers the daily rate high, especially as parking in Belgium often costs extra.
Walloon authorities
The authorities say the system will make all users contribute fairly to maintaining the regional road network.
Aspect
An unnamed Lille motorist
The motorist finds charging for ordinary roads harder to accept than charging for motorways.
Walloon authorities
The Walloon spokesperson says the vignette is intended to fund upkeep of the regional network.
The digital vignette requirement is due to take effect.
The first enforcement phase is planned to focus on awareness, with drivers identified and invited to regularise their situation.
The second phase is planned to use mobile number-plate recognition cameras to target and stop violators and issue fines.
Fixed gantries are also planned to use number-plate recognition systems for continuous checks.
- Start date
- 1 May 2027
- Annual price reported
- €90–€125
- Daily price reported
- €8.10–€11.25
- Fine
- €70, potentially doubled or tripled for repeat offences
- Enforcement
- Number-plate recognition cameras and mobile inspection teams
- Coverage
- Belgian motorways and regional roads
3 sources
What people are saying
The system is intended to make every user contribute to the maintenance of the regional network in a fair way.
How will the different regions check that foreign drivers have acquired this vignette?
The control system planned in Wallonia is based on the same principles as the one presented by Flanders.
Therefore, priority must be given to administrative checks and roadside checks, during which vehicles are stopped following an alert generated by automatic number-plate recognition cameras.