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Drive on the right and normally overtake on the left.

Many basic traffic rules remain Belgian federal rules, including priority, alcohol, seat belts, child restraints and mobile-phone use. The Brussels-Capital Region is responsible for important regional matters such as its general speed regime, low-emission zone, vehicle inspection and road management.

Call 112 for an ambulance, the fire service or other emergency assistance. For urgent police assistance in Belgium, you can also call 101.

The general Belgian limit applies. A driver is punishable from 0.5 g/L of alcohol in the blood, equivalent to 0.22 mg/L in exhaled air. A lower threshold of 0.2 g/L applies to specified professional drivers.

No separate lower alcohol limit applies simply because a driver is young or inexperienced. The ordinary 0.5 g/L threshold applies.

The general speed limit throughout the Brussels-Capital Region is 30 km/h. This City 30 rule applies unless a traffic sign indicates another limit.

Yes. Certain major roads are specifically signed at 50 km/h or 70 km/h. These are exceptions to the regional 30 km/h default, so drivers must follow the posted signs.

In a residential or meeting zone indicated by the appropriate traffic signs, the maximum speed is 20 km/h.

Yes. The Brussels Low Emission Zone (LEZ) covers all 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region and applies continuously. Vehicle access depends mainly on vehicle category, fuel type and Euro emission standard.

No. The R0 Ring is outside the Brussels LEZ. Certain roads providing access to designated transit car parks are also excluded, allowing some drivers to reach a Park & Ride without entering the LEZ itself.

As of 1 January 2026, ordinary diesel passenger cars generally need to meet at least Euro 6, while petrol cars generally need at least Euro 3. Always check the official LEZ vehicle checker because rules depend on the vehicle category, fuel, Euro standard and any applicable exemption.

Yes. From 1 January 2026, Euro 5 diesel and Euro 2 petrol vehicles covered by the rules no longer satisfy the normal access criteria. This followed the restoration of the previously scheduled LEZ milestone after a Constitutional Court ruling in September 2025.

Yes. Motorcycles are now among the vehicle categories covered by the Brussels LEZ. In 2026, petrol motorcycles that do not meet at least the applicable Euro 3 requirement can be excluded unless an exemption or other permitted access arrangement applies.

Most vehicles registered abroad must be registered with the Brussels LEZ system even if they satisfy the emission standard. Vehicles registered in the Netherlands are currently exempt from this separate registration requirement because their data can be obtained automatically.

Yes. A vehicle that does not meet the normal LEZ requirements can generally use a day pass, subject to the applicable conditions. A maximum of 24 day passes per calendar year and per vehicle is currently allowed.

No. Ordinary passenger cars do not need a Brussels road vignette, and there is no general passenger-car toll for driving on Brussels roads.

Yes. Goods vehicles covered by the Belgian Viapass kilometre charge, principally vehicles over 3.5 tonnes used or intended for goods transport and certain semi-trailer tractors, must use a functioning On Board Unit. Covered vehicles travelling in the Brussels-Capital Region are subject to the regional kilometre-charge rules.

Ordinary cars do not have a general requirement to use dipped headlights throughout normal daylight. Lights must be used at night and when visibility is insufficient.

Yes. Two-wheeled mopeds and motorcycles must use their dipped headlight and red rear light continuously while riding, subject to the applicable technical rules for daytime running lights.

Yes. The driver and passengers must wear a seat belt on seats equipped with one, subject to limited legal exemptions.

Children under 18 years old and shorter than 135 cm must normally travel in a suitable child-restraint system. Specific exceptions apply in certain vehicles and circumstances.

Yes. Drivers and passengers of motorcycles and the relevant categories of mopeds must wear an approved protective helmet.

Except when the vehicle is stationary or parked, a driver may not use, hold or manipulate a mobile electronic device with a screen unless it is fixed in a holder intended for that purpose.

The general Belgian rule is priority from the right. A driver must give way to a vehicle approaching from the right unless traffic signs, signals or another statutory exception establish a different priority.

A driver entering a roundabout must give way to traffic already circulating on the roundabout.

Yes. At an uncontrolled pedestrian crossing, drivers must approach at moderate speed and give way to pedestrians who are on the crossing or about to enter it.

Within a built-up area, a driver must leave at least 1 metre of lateral distance when overtaking a cyclist or two-wheeled moped rider. Outside a built-up area, the minimum is 1.5 metres.

Inside a built-up area, a driver travelling in the same direction must allow a bus or trolleybus to leave its stop when its driver signals the intention to pull out. Slow down and stop if necessary.

In heavily congested traffic where a lane ends or becomes blocked, drivers should continue using the available lanes until near the obstruction and then merge alternately. The driver in the continuing lane must allow one vehicle to merge in turn.

Yes. As soon as a queue begins to form on a road with at least two lanes in the same direction, drivers must create a rescue corridor for priority vehicles. The rule also applies on urban roads.

A valid EU or EEA driving licence is recognised in Belgium. Qualifying non-EU licences can also be recognised under international conventions or bilateral arrangements. An International Driving Permit is therefore not universally required; it depends on the licence concerned.

Yes. Motor vehicles used on Belgian public roads must have at least third-party liability insurance.

Belgian vehicle rules require important safety equipment including an approved warning triangle, retro-reflective safety vest, fire extinguisher and first-aid kit. The applicable breakdown rules determine when the vest and warning triangle must be used.

Yes. An ordinary passenger car generally enters periodic technical inspection when it reaches about 4 years of age. Brussels currently retains an annual periodic-inspection framework for older private cars, although the exact validity shown on the inspection certificate and particular vehicle circumstances must always be checked.

Traffic signs rely largely on standard symbols, while written road information in the officially bilingual Brussels-Capital Region commonly appears in French and Dutch.