Driving in Belgium LEZ registration, fines and car-free zones

The Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent guides say, for each city, when to register the plate.

Each LEZ has its own registration. A registration made for Antwerp does not open Brussels, and the Antwerp day pass is valid neither in Ghent nor in Brussels.

In Brussels, the zone covers the 19 municipalities. The R0 ring road and some roads to the transit car parks are outside. In Antwerp, the zone is the inner city and Linkeroever, every day and at every hour. In Ghent, the Euro standard and the fuel decide, without the tightening that had been considered for 2026.

In Ghent, a foreign plate is registered before entry, even if the car is allowed. A Belgian plate that is already allowed needs no action. A Dutch plate is not registered.

In Antwerp, a foreign plate that is allowed is registered once, free of charge, at the latest the day after entry. A Dutch plate is not registered. If the car was allowed but not registered in time, a late registration is possible within 30 days of the fine letter, for 75 €. The administrative fine is then dropped.

In Brussels, a foreign plate is registered even if the car is allowed. Without registration, the fine is 150 €. False information costs 25 €.

In Brussels, without a day pass or an exemption, a car that does not meet the conditions is fined 350 €. Only one fine may be issued every three months, and at most four times a year. For vehicles covered since 1 January 2026, the first finding brings a warning letter. That letter does not allow you to continue. If the car is still not compliant, 350 € may be due from three months after that finding. From 1 July 2026, a fine can cover twelve months. These 350 € are the price of an annual pass the government intends to create. That pass is not on sale.

In Antwerp, the first fine is 150 €, the second within 12 months is 250 €, then 350 €. The day pass costs 45 € for a day that starts in 2026. It is valid until 6:00 the next day, at most 12 times a year, and only in Antwerp. A Euro 4 diesel or older, and a Euro 1 petrol or older, need one. A Euro 5 diesel and a Euro 2 petrol enter without this pass.

In Ghent, the LEZ fine is 185 €, once a day. A Euro 4 diesel enters after payment. An older diesel, and a Euro 1 petrol or older, take a day pass. The price of that Ghent pass is not Antwerp's price of 45 €.

Ghent's car-free zones are not the LEZ. Cameras read the plate at the entrance and compare it with the day's permit list and with exempt vehicles, such as De Lijn buses.

If the plate is not on the list, the fine is 58 €. On pedestrian streets, loading and unloading do not take place between 11:00 and 18:00. An LEZ permit does not open these streets.

Each city has park-and-ride car parks. Check the fare and the hours on the city or operator website before you set off. A car park at the edge does not remove the need to register the plate if the car still crosses the LEZ.

Belgian law (Wegverkeerswet, art. 62bis) bans carrying equipment that makes it harder to enforce the traffic rules or that detects automatic speed devices. A 2023 report by the Vias institute, written for the Federal Public Service Mobility and Transport, reads this as covering radar detectors and jammers only. It says navigation systems and apps that use a database of fixed cameras, or reports from other drivers, are not covered and are allowed under the current law.

The same report recommends changing the law. The law was amended in 2026 (in force on 1 September 2026) but still targets equipment that detects or hinders enforcement; the fine is €800 to €8,000 (art. 29bis). Amanda's speed camera alerts are off in Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and Luxembourg.

Amanda includes Ghent's car-free zones and warns you for free, before you leave, when your destination is inside a zone. It gives navigation with voice guidance and, with Premium, parking near your destination with walking time and fare, using only verified public access.