Traffic rulesBelgium

There is no single fixed total because examination fees, municipal charges, driving lessons and compulsory regional training differ.

In 2026, the theory exam costs €19 in Flanders and Brussels and €17 in Wallonia. The practical exam costs €51 in Flanders, €46 in Brussels and €41 in Wallonia. Your municipality also charges for the provisional and definitive licence, while driving-school lessons are charged separately. New drivers living in Flanders must normally complete the compulsory return session, which currently costs €128.

You may take the category B theory exam from the age of 17. The practical exam and definitive category B driving licence are available from the age of 18.

A provisional M36 licence with a guide may be obtained from age 17. A provisional M18 licence, which allows independent practice after the required training and competence assessment, is available from age 18.

You must first pass the category B theory exam. You then choose one of the training routes available in your region and gain practical experience through a driving school, with a guide or through another approved route.

Before taking the road test, you must complete the required practice period and any regional tests or training. After passing the practical exam, you can apply for the definitive driving licence through your municipality. The exact procedure differs between Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia.

Driving school is not always compulsory. Candidates may prepare independently for the theory exam and can choose a supervised learning route that allows them to practise with an eligible guide.

Driving-school lessons are compulsory for certain training routes and after repeated failures. Obtaining an M18 provisional licence normally requires at least 20 hours of practical lessons. After two successive theory-exam failures, you must complete 12 hours of theory lessons. After two successive practical-exam failures, you must normally complete at least 6 hours of practical lessons before trying again.

Yes. Driving-licence categories and provisional-licence models are largely regulated at federal level, but driver training and examinations are organised by the three regions.

Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia have different training routes, practice periods, examination procedures and additional requirements. Flanders normally requires a minimum five-month practice period and a return session for new drivers. Brussels and Wallonia operate their own risk-perception tests and regional training routes. You should therefore follow the rules of the region where you train and take your examinations.

The category B theory exam contains 50 multiple-choice questions. The questions cover subjects such as traffic signs, priority, speed limits, overtaking, stopping and parking, motorways, alcohol, vulnerable road users and safe driving behaviour.

You must obtain at least 41 points out of 50 to pass the category B theory exam.

An ordinary incorrect or unanswered question normally costs one point. An incorrect answer concerning a serious third- or fourth-degree offence, or the permitted maximum speed, costs five points. Two such serious mistakes therefore result in failure.

After two successive failures, you must complete 12 hours of theory lessons at an approved driving school. You must present the certificate issued by the driving school before you can take the theory exam again.

The compulsory course must be followed after the second failure. Theory lessons completed before those two failures do not normally count toward this requirement.

A passed category B theory exam is valid for three years. You must meet the applicable training requirements and take the practical exam while the theory result is still valid.

The validity period cannot normally be extended. If it expires before you complete the process, you must pass the theory exam again.

You can take the category B theory exam at an approved examination centre. Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia each have their own examination centres and procedures.

Choose the region carefully if you intend to take the practical exam there. In 2026, candidates taking the practical exam in Brussels or Wallonia must normally have passed the theory exam in that same region. From 1 January 2027, the same principle will also apply to practical exams taken in Flanders.

This depends on the examination centre and type of session. Some centres require an online or telephone appointment, while others may accept candidates without an appointment at specified times.

Always check the examination centre’s current booking instructions before travelling. An appointment is required for special sessions, including many examinations with language assistance or adapted examination conditions.

You must normally bring an original and valid identity document accepted by the examination centre, such as a Belgian identity card or residence card. A photocopy is not accepted.

If you are taking the exam for the third time after two failures, you must also bring the certificate proving that you completed 12 hours of theory lessons at an approved driving school. Students and candidates with a special residence status may need additional proof that they meet the Belgian residence conditions.

English assistance is available, but the procedure differs by region.

In Flanders, you can use an English audio translation. You first hear the questions and answers in Dutch and then in English, and an additional fee applies. In Brussels, the exam is taken in French or Dutch with an English interpreter appointed by the examination centre. In Wallonia, an English-language session can be taken by appointment at the examination centres in Couillet and Wandre.

Yes. An ordinary incorrect or unanswered question normally costs one point, while an incorrect answer concerning a third- or fourth-degree traffic offence or a permitted maximum speed costs five points.

Because at least 41 points out of 50 are required, two mistakes involving serious offences or maximum-speed rules will normally result in failure.

Study the current Belgian traffic rules and road signs, and practise questions covering priority, speed limits, overtaking, stopping and parking, motorways, vulnerable road users, alcohol, vehicle safety and defensive driving.

Pay particular attention to serious traffic offences and maximum-speed rules, because incorrect answers to these questions carry a heavier penalty. You can prepare through self-study, recognised learning materials, online practice platforms or theory lessons at an approved driving school.

A provisional driving licence allows you to gain practical driving experience before obtaining the definitive category B licence.

The M36 model is valid for 36 months and requires a guide. The M18 model is valid for 18 months and allows independent practice after the required training and competence assessment. The M12 model is an exceptional 12-month licence that may be available after an M36 or M18 licence has expired. A Belgian provisional driving licence is not valid outside Belgium.

Yes. You can choose a supervised training route and practise with an eligible guide who is named on your provisional driving licence.

The guide must satisfy the legal requirements concerning driving experience, licence validity and previous driving disqualifications. Additional regional requirements may apply, such as compulsory training for guides in Flanders.

Belgium has three main category B provisional driving licences: the M36, M18 and M12.

The M36 is valid for 36 months and requires one or two registered guides. The M18 is valid for 18 months and allows independent practice after you obtain the required certificate of competence. The M12 is a one-time 12-month licence with a guide that may be available after an M36 or M18 licence has expired, subject to the applicable conditions.

After passing the theory exam, you receive an application document for a provisional category B driving licence. You can apply through your municipality or, when the application is eligible, online through BelDrive.

For an M36 or M12 licence, the registered guide or guides must complete the required information. For an M18 licence, you must provide a certificate of competence. How this certificate is obtained depends on the region and the training route you followed.

You may drive alone only with a valid M18 provisional driving licence. Before applying for this model, you must complete the required training or assessment and obtain a certificate confirming that you are capable of practising independently.

With an M36 or M12 licence, you may not drive alone. One of the registered guides named on the provisional licence must accompany you.

A guide for an M36 or M12 licence must normally be registered in a Belgian municipality, hold a valid Belgian or European category B licence and have held category B for at least eight years.

The guide must not have been disqualified from driving during the previous three years and must satisfy the other federal and regional conditions. The guide must also normally not have accompanied another learner during the previous year, although exceptions apply to certain close relatives and members of the same household. Additional requirements may apply, such as the compulsory training session for certain guides in Flanders.

The rules depend on the provisional licence. With an M36 or M12 licence, you may drive only with the registered guide or guides permitted by the licence. Other passengers are not allowed.

With an M18 licence, you may carry a maximum of two passengers. Each passenger must be registered in Belgium, have held a valid Belgian or European category B licence for at least eight years and not have been disqualified from driving during the previous three years. Other passengers are prohibited.

No. Belgian provisional driving licences M36, M18 and M12 are valid only within Belgium.

You must wait until you have passed the practical exam and received your definitive driving licence before driving abroad. You must also follow the licence, age, insurance and vehicle-document rules of the country you visit.

Yes. While your M36 provisional licence is still valid, you may change once to an M18 provisional licence, provided that your theory-exam result is still valid.

You must first obtain the required certificate of competence. In Flanders and Brussels, this normally requires at least 20 hours of practical lessons at an approved driving school. Wallonia uses its own regional competence-assessment procedure. Your previous practice period continues to count toward the minimum practice requirement.

Yes. While your M18 licence is still valid, you may change once to an M36 provisional licence, provided that your theory-exam result remains valid.

You must select one or two eligible guides and register them when applying for the new provisional licence through your municipality. Regional guide-training requirements may also apply.

Once the provisional licence expires, you may no longer practise with it. The M36, M18 and M12 models cannot be extended.

After an M36 or M18 expires, you may qualify once for an M12 provisional licence during the following three years. This requires a valid theory-exam result, at least six hours of practical lessons at an approved driving school and an eligible guide. Alternatively, you may take the practical exam through a driving school after satisfying the applicable conditions, or wait three years before applying for another M36 or M18 licence.

No. An M36, M18 or M12 provisional driving licence cannot be renewed or extended beyond its stated expiry date.

Replacing a lost, stolen or damaged document does not create a new validity period. When an M36 or M18 expires, the possible alternatives include applying once for an M12 licence, taking the practical exam through a driving school under the applicable conditions or waiting three years before applying for another M36 or M18.

Yes, under specific conditions. You must have a valid theory-exam result, complete at least six hours of practical lessons at an approved driving school and obtain a certificate from your municipality confirming your previous practice period.

You must take the practical exam with the driving school. Additional regional requirements, such as a valid risk-perception test or minimum practice period, must also be satisfied.

You may register one or two guides on an M36 provisional driving licence.

Each guide must satisfy the legal conditions relating to Belgian registration, driving experience, licence validity and previous driving disqualifications. When two guides are registered, you may practise with either one or with both of them.

Yes. You can add a second eligible guide or replace an existing guide by applying through your municipality.

A new provisional-licence document may need to be issued, but it keeps the same expiry date as the original licence. The new guide must satisfy all federal and regional requirements, including any compulsory guide training.

Yes. Learners following a supervised route may combine practice with their registered guide and lessons from an approved driving school.

Driving-school lessons can help you improve particular skills, prepare for the practical exam or meet a compulsory training requirement. An approved driving instructor may accompany you during lessons without being registered as one of your private guides.

A category B learner driver may not drive between 22:00 and 06:00 on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, the evenings before legal public holidays and the public holidays themselves.

A Belgian provisional licence also does not permit driving abroad, towing a trailer or carrying goods commercially. You must additionally comply with the passenger and guide restrictions that apply to your particular provisional-licence model.

Yes. A vehicle driven by the holder of a provisional licence must display the prescribed L sign in a clearly visible position at the rear.

The sign alerts other road users that the vehicle is being driven by a learner. It must remain visible and must not obstruct the driver’s view or cover the registration plate or vehicle lights.

Yes. There is no general prohibition on motorway driving with a valid category B provisional driving licence.

The learner must use a suitable category B vehicle and comply with all applicable conditions concerning guides, passengers, prohibited hours and the L sign. Motorway practice should begin only when the learner can safely join fast-moving traffic, change lanes and leave the motorway.

No. The holder of an M36, M18 or M12 provisional category B licence may not tow a trailer while practising.

Training for category BE or category B with code 96 follows a separate procedure and requires the appropriate provisional licence, vehicle combination and practical examination.

The practical exam checks whether you can control the vehicle safely and apply the traffic rules in real traffic. The examiner assesses observation, speed, road position, priority, communication, decision-making and manoeuvres.

Regional procedures differ. In Flanders, the examination process includes a computer-based risk-perception test and a road test with two manoeuvres. Brussels also combines a risk-perception test with an examination on public roads. In Wallonia, you must pass the road-risk perception test before taking the practical road examination.

The required practice period depends on the region and training route.

In Flanders, you must normally practise on public roads for at least five months before taking the practical exam. This minimum period does not apply to an M12 provisional licence. In Brussels, the minimum period ranges from three to nine months, depending on the chosen route, while the 30-hour direct-access route has no separate practice period. In Wallonia, routes involving a provisional licence normally require at least three months of practice, while the direct-access driving-school route has no prior practice period.

This depends on the region and training route. The logbook records your journeys, driving conditions and practical experience.

In Brussels, learner drivers following a practice route must keep a logbook, which is checked during the practical exam. The indicative target is 1,500 kilometres for private and combined training and 1,000 kilometres for the 20-hour driving-school route. In Wallonia, candidates following the applicable staged routes must complete the Road Book and drive at least 1,500 kilometres.

Yes. Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia all include a computer-based test that assesses whether you can recognise and respond to hazards in traffic.

In Flanders, the hazard-recognition test forms part of the practical examination and is taken before the road test. In Brussels, you must pass the risk-perception test before proceeding to the road test. In Wallonia, passing the regional risk-perception test is also a condition for admission to the examination on public roads.

The practical exam is taken by appointment at an approved examination centre. Contact or use the booking system of the centre where you want to take the exam.

Check that your theory result, provisional licence, practice period and any required regional tests or training will still be valid on the examination date. Also check the centre’s payment, cancellation and late-arrival conditions before confirming the appointment.

You must normally bring a valid identity document, your provisional driving licence or the required training and practice certificates, and proof that your theory exam and risk-perception test are still valid.

When using a private vehicle, you must also bring the vehicle’s registration certificate, valid insurance certificate and technical-inspection certificate when applicable. Your guide or accompanying person must bring a valid identity document and Belgian or European driving licence. Additional certificates may be required for a logbook, guide training, direct access or compulsory lessons after repeated failures.

Yes. You may normally take the road test in a private vehicle, provided that the vehicle and accompanying person satisfy all applicable requirements.

You may instead use a vehicle provided by an approved driving school or, where permitted, an independent certified driving instructor. When you use a driving-school vehicle, the instructor accompanies you and normally provides the required vehicle documents.

The vehicle must be in safe technical condition, correctly registered and insured, and capable of performing the required checks and manoeuvres.

A private examination vehicle must normally display an L sign and have a second interior rear-view mirror for the guide or examiner. Its lights, brakes and other safety equipment must work correctly. Factory-installed parking sensors and cameras may generally be used, but systems that perform the manoeuvre automatically are not allowed. In Brussels, the vehicle must also satisfy the regional low-emission-zone access conditions.

Yes. However, when you pass the practical exam in a vehicle with an automatic transmission, your driving licence will normally contain code 78. This restricts you to vehicles with automatic transmission.

To remove the restriction, you must prepare in a manual vehicle and pass another practical exam with a manual transmission. This normally requires either two hours of lessons at an approved driving school or at least one month of practice with a provisional model 3 licence before the new exam.

The manoeuvres differ by region. In Flanders, you perform two manoeuvres selected from six possibilities during the road test.

In Brussels, the test includes preliminary vehicle checks, reversing into a parking position behind another vehicle and turning around in a narrow street. In Wallonia, two manoeuvres are selected from possibilities including reverse parking, turning around in a narrow street, reversing in a straight line and entering a perpendicular parking space forwards or backwards.

In Flanders, the examination on public roads lasts at least 40 minutes. The Walloon road examination also lasts approximately 40 minutes.

Brussels separates the risk-perception test from the road test. During the road test, part of the examination consists of 10 to 15 minutes of independent driving, during which you follow GPS instructions and road signs while continuing to apply the traffic rules safely.

Yes. When taking the exam in a private vehicle, your registered guide or another person who satisfies the applicable conditions normally accompanies you.

When using a driving-school vehicle, the approved instructor accompanies you. The examiner also travels in the vehicle and gives directions or assesses the route. A sworn interpreter may be present when language assistance has been arranged in advance.

You may book another attempt, but you cannot normally retake the complete exam immediately on the same day.

After two successive failures, you must complete at least six hours of practical lessons at an approved driving school before taking the exam again. You must present the driving school’s certificate at the next attempt. Additional conditions apply in some regions; in Brussels, for example, the new road test must be taken with the driving school.

After passing, the examination centre gives you an application for a definitive category B driving licence. Passing the exam does not automatically produce the driving licence.

You must submit the application through BelDrive or your municipality. Once the licence has been produced, you must collect it personally from the municipality where you are registered.

The examination certificate or application form is not itself a driving licence. You may drive without learner restrictions only after receiving your definitive driving licence.

While waiting, you may continue driving only when you still hold a valid provisional licence and comply with all its restrictions. If the provisional licence has expired or has been surrendered, you must wait until you receive the definitive licence.

You can apply at the municipality where you are registered or, when eligible, online through BelDrive using your electronic identity card or Itsme.

After an online application, you normally need to visit the municipality only once to collect the licence. The federal charge is at least €20, but the municipality may add its own administrative fee.

The processing time depends on the municipality. An application submitted through BelDrive is normally processed by the municipality within five working days.

You will usually receive an email when the licence is ready for collection. Check your spam folder and contact your municipality if you have not received any information.

A Belgian driving licence in bank-card format has an administrative validity of up to 10 years. The expiry date appears next to code 4b on the front of the licence.

A shorter validity period may apply when the licence is connected to a medical fitness certificate or another restriction. The validity of the physical card is also separate from any expiry date shown for a particular vehicle category.

The return session is a four-hour road-safety course that must be completed between six and nine months after the definitive category B licence was issued. It includes practical exercises, discussion and reflection on driving behaviour. There is no examination at the end.

The obligation normally applies when the definitive licence was issued by a Flemish municipality, the provisional licence was issued by a Flemish municipality after 1 October 2017 and the new driver remains domiciled in Flanders. In 2026, the course costs €128.

If you miss the original period, you receive a reminder and are normally given two additional months to complete the course. You must also pay a supplement of €64.

If you still fail to complete it, an official report may be prepared and the public prosecutor can decide whether to begin criminal proceedings. Depending on the procedure, the resulting fine can be as high as €4,000.

A category B licence allows you to drive cars, vans, some motorised quadricycles and motorhomes with a maximum authorised mass of no more than 3,500 kg. The vehicle may be designed to carry no more than eight passengers in addition to the driver.

A Belgian category B licence also normally includes category AM for mopeds, scooters and speed pedelecs. Limited Belgian exceptions may allow certain category B holders to ride an A1 motorcycle, but these rights depend on when the licence was issued or whether national code 372 has been added.

The vehicle itself may have a maximum authorised mass of up to 3,500 kg. This is the maximum legally permitted weight of the vehicle when fully loaded, not merely its empty weight.

If the vehicle exceeds 3,500 kg, you normally need a category C1 or C licence, depending on its maximum authorised mass and use.

You may tow a trailer with a maximum authorised mass of no more than 750 kg.

You may also tow a trailer weighing more than 750 kg when the combined maximum authorised mass of the towing vehicle and trailer does not exceed 3,500 kg. The vehicle’s registration and technical specifications may impose a lower towing limit that must also be respected.

Code 96 extends category B so that you may drive a category B vehicle with a trailer weighing more than 750 kg when the combined maximum authorised mass is more than 3,500 kg but no more than 4,250 kg.

Code 96 is shown next to category B on the driving licence. It does not create a separate driving-licence category, but it expands the trailer combination permitted under category B.

A category BE licence is generally required when a category B vehicle tows a trailer with a maximum authorised mass of more than 750 kg and the combination exceeds the limits permitted by an ordinary category B licence or category B with code 96.

Under the current rules, the trailer may have a maximum authorised mass of up to 3,500 kg, while the complete vehicle-and-trailer combination may have a maximum authorised mass of up to 7,000 kg. Older licences issued before certain dates may provide broader acquired rights.

You must hold a category B licence and pass the applicable practical examination. A separate theory examination is not required for code 96 or category BE.

You can prepare through an approved driving school or, where permitted, practise with a provisional M3 licence. The practical examination can be taken from the age of 18. Training and examination procedures are organised by Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia.

A routine medical examination is not normally required for an ordinary category B licence. When applying, you must declare that you satisfy the minimum physical and mental fitness standards.

If you cannot truthfully make that declaration because of a medical condition, disability, injury, medication or vision problem, you must undergo an examination by your doctor. A group 2 medical certificate is required when a category B vehicle is used for certain forms of paid passenger transport.

You should consult your doctor and must not continue driving when you no longer satisfy the required medical fitness standards.

Your doctor may issue a driving-fitness certificate, impose a limited validity period or refer you to a specialist driving-fitness centre. Depending on the assessment, you may need to apply for an adapted driving licence containing medical restrictions or requirements relating to the vehicle.

Belgium uses categories A1, A2 and A for motorcycles.

Category A1 covers motorcycles of up to 125 cm³ and 11 kW, with a power-to-weight ratio of no more than 0.1 kW/kg. Category A2 covers motorcycles of up to 35 kW with a power-to-weight ratio below 0.2 kW/kg. Category A covers motorcycles above 35 kW and other motorcycles without the A1 or A2 power restriction.

For goods vehicles above 3,500 kg, you need a category C1 or C licence. Category C1 covers vehicles above 3,500 kg and up to 7,500 kg, while category C covers heavier vehicles. The corresponding categories C1E and CE are required for combinations with a trailer exceeding 750 kg.

For vehicles designed to carry more than eight passengers in addition to the driver, you need a category D1 or D licence. Category D1 covers vehicles carrying up to 16 passengers and measuring no more than 8 metres, while category D covers larger buses and coaches. D1E or DE is required for a trailer exceeding 750 kg.

Code 95 confirms that a driver satisfies the professional-competence requirements for most professional driving with vehicles in categories C or D. It is an addition to the relevant driving-licence category and does not replace the licence itself.

Professional competence is normally valid for five years. To renew it, the driver must complete 35 hours of periodic training and maintain a valid group 2 medical certificate. Certain vehicles, activities and non-commercial journeys are exempt.

Yes. Codes may be printed next to a driving-licence category to indicate medical, technical or administrative conditions that apply when using that category.

For example, code 01.01 may require the driver to wear glasses, while code 78 limits the category to vehicles with automatic transmission. Other codes may require an adapted vehicle, restrict the validity period or record a national entitlement. Drivers must comply with every condition shown on their licence.

The required licence depends on the vehicle’s maximum speed and technical classification, not simply on whether it is described as a moped or scooter.

A vehicle limited to 25 km/h may fall within moped class A and require no driving licence. A moped, scooter or light vehicle capable of more than 25 km/h but no more than 45 km/h normally requires a category AM driving licence.

No. A driving licence is not required for certain two- or three-wheeled mopeds with a maximum speed of 25 km/h.

The vehicle may have an electric motor or an internal-combustion engine with a cylinder capacity of no more than 50 cm³. You must be at least 16 years old to ride one on public roads.

If you do not already hold category A1, A2, A or B, you must pass a theory exam and a practical exam.

You may take the theory exam from three months before your 16th birthday and the practical exam from age 16. There is no provisional category AM licence, so practical training on public roads may take place only through an approved driving school.

Yes. When you obtain a driving licence for category A1, A2, A or B, you normally also receive the right to drive vehicles in category AM.

Check that category AM is correctly recorded on your driving licence. Contact your municipality if you believe that it is missing.

You must be at least 18 years old to carry a passenger on a category AM vehicle.

The vehicle must also be legally designed and equipped to carry a passenger. Both the rider and passenger must comply with the applicable helmet and safety requirements.

A speed pedelec capable of providing assistance above 25 km/h and up to 45 km/h normally falls within category AM when its power does not exceed 4,000 watts.

You therefore need a category AM, A1, A2, A or B licence. A person who already holds one of the motorcycle categories or category B normally receives category AM automatically.

A light quadricycle with a maximum speed of no more than 45 km/h normally requires a category AM licence.

The category covers qualifying light four-wheeled vehicles with a maximum unladen mass of 425 kg and the applicable limits on engine capacity or power. Larger or more powerful quadricycles may require category B instead.

Category G is the Belgian national category for agricultural and forestry vehicles, their trailers and certain types of mobile agricultural machinery used on public roads.

Category G is principally valid in Belgium. It may also be recognised by another country, but you should check the rules of that country before driving there.

You may take the category G theory exam from the age of 15 years and 9 months and the practical exam from the age of 16.

Until age 18, code 205 is placed on the licence. This limits the holder to driving an agricultural vehicle and trailer combination with a maximum authorised mass of no more than 20 tonnes.

People born before 1 October 1982 may drive an agricultural vehicle in Belgium without holding category G.

Holders of categories B, BE, C1, C1E, C or CE may also drive category G vehicles whose maximum authorised mass falls within the limits of their existing licence. Category G is automatically added when category CE is obtained.

You are responsible for monitoring the expiry date and should apply for renewal approximately three months before the licence expires.

Category A and B licences can normally be renewed through BelDrive or at the municipality. A routine administrative renewal does not require another theory or practical exam. You must collect the renewed licence personally from your municipality.

You may continue driving while your existing licence is still valid and you have it with you. Submitting a renewal application does not extend the expiry date printed on the licence.

Once the old licence has expired, you must not drive merely because a renewal application is being processed. An application receipt or confirmation email is not a replacement driving licence.

For a lost or damaged definitive category A or B licence, eligible drivers can normally request a replacement through BelDrive or their municipality.

If the licence was stolen, you must first report the theft to the police and then apply through your municipality. A stolen licence cannot currently be replaced through BelDrive. Because drivers must carry a valid licence, you should not drive until you have a valid replacement or another document that the competent authority confirms is legally accepted.

Yes. When driving in Belgium, you must carry your valid driving licence and identity document.

The vehicle must also have its insurance certificate, registration certificate, conformity certificate and technical-inspection certificate when applicable. A photograph or digital copy on your phone does not normally replace an original document that must legally be carried.

Yes. An old Belgian paper driving licence can currently remain valid, provided that it is readable, undamaged and still accurately identifies its holder.

However, all remaining paper driving licences must be replaced by European bank-card licences by 2033. The bank-card model has an administrative validity of up to 10 years.

You must request a replacement if the licence is lost, stolen, damaged or unreadable, or when you no longer resemble the photograph. You may also replace it voluntarily before the general 2033 deadline.

Eligible holders of category A or B may apply for renewal or replacement through BelDrive. A stolen licence must first be reported to the police, after which the replacement application must be made through the municipality.

Yes. Eligible category A and B driving licences can be renewed online through BelDrive. This includes paper licences and bank-card licences that are approaching their expiry date.

You can access BelDrive using your electronic identity card or Itsme. After the municipality approves the application, you must collect the new driving licence from the municipality.

BelDrive cannot currently process applications from drivers who require a medical certificate, have been disqualified from driving or are subject to reinstatement examinations.

A stolen driving licence also cannot be replaced through BelDrive. Online renewal is not yet available for categories such as BE, C1, C, D1, D, C1E, CE, D1E and DE. These applications must be handled through the municipality.

You need an electronic identity card or Itsme to sign in and complete the application.

If you have an old paper driving licence, you must upload a clear photograph or scan of the front and back. A photograph or scan is not normally required when you already have a bank-card driving licence.

The federal charge for a Belgian driving licence is €20. Your municipality may add its own administrative fee, so the final amount can differ between municipalities.

The amount is normally paid when you collect the new driving licence from the municipality.

The municipality normally processes an eligible online renewal or replacement application within five working days.

You should receive an email when the licence is ready for collection. You can also check the status under My online applications in BelDrive. Check your spam folder and contact the municipality if no message arrives.

After your municipality has processed the application, you will be notified when the driving licence is ready. You must collect it from your municipality.

Follow your municipality’s collection instructions and check which identity documents are required and whether personal attendance is compulsory.

An eligible lost category A or B bank-card licence can normally be replaced through BelDrive. You can also apply through your municipality.

If the licence was stolen, you must first report the theft to the police and then apply for a replacement through your municipality. A stolen licence cannot currently be replaced through BelDrive.

No. A person may hold only one national driving licence issued by an EU or EEA country at the same time.

When one European licence is exchanged for another, the authorities retain or return the previous licence to the country that issued it.

Yes. A valid and readable Belgian paper driving licence remains recognised abroad in the same way as the Belgian bank-card model, although all paper licences must be replaced by 2033.

The national licence is normally sufficient within the European Economic Area. For travel outside the EEA, you may also need an international driving permit or an official translation. Check the requirements of the destination country before travelling.

Normally, yes. A valid Belgian driving licence is generally recognised in another EU or EEA country, and an immediate exchange is not usually required.

The country of residence may require an exchange if the licence expires, is lost, stolen or damaged, has no administrative expiry date or if you commit a traffic offence there. You will then become subject to that country’s validity periods and licence conditions.

You must renew the driving licence in the country where you have your normal residence. You do not normally renew it through a Belgian municipality or embassy.

The new licence will be issued according to the rules of your country of residence and may have a different validity period or different medical requirements.

If you live in another EU or EEA country, you must normally apply for a replacement or renewal from the licensing authority in your country of residence. Your last Belgian municipality can provide confirmation of your Belgian driving-licence details when required.

A Belgian citizen living outside the EEA who is registered with a Belgian embassy and holds a valid Belgian identity card may apply through the last municipality where they were registered in Belgium. Belgian embassies themselves do not issue or renew driving licences.

A driving disqualification is a court-imposed ban on driving motor vehicles. It may be imposed as a penalty for a traffic offence or because the driver is considered physically or psychologically unfit to drive.

The ban may last from eight days to a permanent lifetime disqualification, depending on the offence, the driver’s history and the court’s decision.

When the disqualification is imposed as a penalty, it normally begins on the fifth day after the Public Prosecutor notifies the convicted driver. Saturdays, Sundays and legal public holidays are not included when calculating this period.

The driver must surrender the definitive or provisional driving licence to the court registry specified in the notification. Failing to surrender it on time can extend the effective disqualification period.

Yes. A court may limit the disqualification to particular driving-licence categories. The municipality may then issue a temporary licence showing only the categories that remain valid.

In some cases, the court may order that the ban applies only at weekends and on public holidays. The restricted period normally runs from Friday at 20:00 until Sunday at 20:00, and from 20:00 on the evening before a public holiday until 20:00 on the holiday itself.

The court may make restoration of the right to drive dependent on passing one or more reinstatement examinations.

These may include a theory exam, practical exam, medical examination and psychological examination. You regain the right to drive only after passing every examination ordered by the court.

In 2026, the medical reinstatement examination costs €128.50 and the psychological examination costs €434.

For category B, the theory examination costs €17 in Wallonia and €19 in Brussels and Flanders. The practical examination costs €42 in Wallonia, €46 in Brussels and €51 in Flanders. Fees for other categories may differ, and medical and psychological fees are recalculated annually.

Not necessarily. When the court has ordered reinstatement examinations, the end of the stated ban period does not by itself restore your right to drive.

You must first collect the necessary participation documents from the court registry and pass every required examination. You may drive again only after your right to drive has been formally restored and you hold the required valid licence.

Yes. When a person has held a category B licence for less than two years and is convicted of an offence for which a driving disqualification may be imposed, the court must generally impose a driving ban.

Restoration of the right to drive must also normally depend on passing at least a theory or practical examination. Certain exceptions apply, including specified second-degree offences and some accidents involving only minor injuries.

Cross-recidivism means committing another qualifying serious traffic offence within three years after a final court conviction. The new offence does not need to be identical to the first one.

The rules can apply to combinations involving alcohol or drugs, hit-and-run offences, driving without a valid licence or insurance, serious speeding, fourth-degree offences and the use of a prohibited radar detector.

One new qualifying conviction within three years results in a driving disqualification of at least three months. Two new qualifying convictions result in at least six months, while three result in at least nine months.

The driver must also pass the theory, practical, medical and psychological reinstatement examinations, and the court imposes an additional fine.

An alcohol interlock is a breath-testing device connected to a vehicle. The vehicle can be started only after the driver provides a breath sample below the programmed alcohol threshold.

A court may restrict a driver to vehicles fitted with an approved alcohol interlock for one to three years or permanently. Restriction code 69 is then recorded on the driving licence for the affected categories.

A court may impose an alcohol interlock on drivers caught with a blood-alcohol concentration above 0.8 grams per litre, drivers convicted of intoxicated driving and repeat offenders.

It is generally compulsory from 1.8 grams per litre, unless the judge expressly explains why it is not imposed. It is also compulsory for a serious repeat offender recorded at at least 1.2 grams per litre twice within three years. The convicted person must pay for installation and participate in the required monitoring programme.

A court may impose a driving disqualification when a person is found physically or psychologically unfit to drive safely. This form of disqualification normally takes effect immediately when the judgment is delivered in the driver’s presence.

After at least six months, the person may request a new assessment by submitting an application to the Public Prosecutor. The right to drive is restored only when the required procedure confirms that the person is fit to drive again.

This page was last reviewed on 4 August 2026.

This page was compiled using information published by official Belgian federal and regional authorities. Federal driving-licence rules were checked against information from the Federal Public Service Mobility and Transport. Regional training and examination rules were checked against the official websites of Flanders, the Brussels-Capital Region and Wallonia.

The official information was reorganised and rewritten into a concise question-and-answer format. AI-assisted tools were used to help research, structure and draft the content. The information was then reviewed against official sources, including those listed below.

Driving-licence rules, examination procedures, fees and administrative services can change. Always confirm important requirements with the competent authority or examination centre before applying, booking an examination or making a payment.

Official federal sources

• Federal Public Service Mobility and Transport: driving licences
• Federal rules for provisional category B licences
• Category B vehicles and basic trailer limits
• Category BE, code 96 and trailer combinations
• Driving disqualification and reinstatement
• Cross-recidivism for serious traffic offences
• Alcohol offences and alcohol interlocks

Official regional sources

• Flanders: category B driving licence
• Brussels-Capital Region: obtaining a driving licence
• Wallonia: driving licences

This website is an independent educational resource and is not affiliated with a Belgian government authority or examination centre.

The information is provided for general guidance and does not replace official instructions or legislation.