Registering a Foreign Car in Belgium

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Registering a Foreign Car in Belgium

Foreign vehicles that have been moved permanently to Belgium need to be officially registered with the authorities. For some car owners there will be some physical changes required to their vehicle before the authorities are satisfied.

Where and When to Register a Vehicle

New arrivals in Belgium have six months from the date of their own registration with their commune to register any vehicles that they have brought with them. Anyone staying in Belgium for more than one year must import and register their vehicle. They will not be asked to pay any import tax as long as the vehicle has been used, the owner can provide proof that the car was theirs prior to the move to Belgium and that (in the case of newer vehicles only) the car was purchased at least six months prior to arrival in Belgium.

Registration (Immatriculation/Inschrijving) of all vehicles in Belgium is the responsibility of the Direction des Immatriculations des Véhicules/Dienst voor Inschrijving van de Voertuigen (DIV). The main administration office is in Brussels but there are regional offices throughout the country.

• DIV, Direction Circulation Routière/Dienst voor Inschrijving van de Voertuigen
  At: City Atrium, Rue du Progrès 56, 1210 Brussels
  Tel: 02 277 30 50
• To find a regional office and opening hours: Click here then “A Bruxelles” for offices in Brussels or “En Province” for all other areas

Vehicles belonging to temporary residents of Belgium (in Transit)

Belgian number plates can only be requested when the applicant has legal residency in Belgium. Non-residents who plan to have their vehicle with them for some time will need temporary plates for insurance purposes. The DIV issues provisional (known as transit) licence plates valid for a six-month period, renewable once. In this case the import formalities need not be completed. Anyone wishing to take advantage of this scheme must provide proof of their address outside Belgium and proof of appropriate insurance cover.

• Full details of this system and who can qualify can be found on the Ministry of Transport Website: Click here (in French)

Importing a Vehicle from Within the EU

Anyone wishing to import their vehicle in to Belgium will be asked to provide the following documentation to the customs authorities:

• Residency permit showing a permanent address in Belgium
• Proof of purchase for the vehicle to be imported
• Previous registration document

No import tax will be payable if these conditions are met.

Customs

Customs clearance is handled by the Administration des Douanes et Accises/Administratie der Douane en Accijnzen.

• Douanes et Accises Bruxelles
  At: 11 Rue de l'Entrepôt, 1020 Bruxelles (Bureau 0.3)
• Tel: 02 422 11 91
• To find a local office: Click here

Note: UK citizens have other obligations if they permanently export a vehicle. Full details are given on the Directgov website.

Registration

Registration of the vehicle is then handled by the DIV. It records the vehicle as on the road in Belgium and also issues the number plate (plaque d'immatriculation/inschrijvingsplaat). In Belgium the licence plate remains the property of the owner and can be transferred to another vehicle in the event of a sale/purchase. Again this process is handled by the DIV. In order to register a vehicle in Belgium and therefore to receive a licence plate, the following documentation must be presented to the DIV:

• Proof of residency
• A certificate of conformity for the vehicle (attestation de conformité/attest van conformite) This is usually supplied by the vehicle manufacturer or local agent. Many will ask for a copy of the registration documents
• The invoice/proof of purchase for the vehicle
• The vehicle's original registration certificate (certificat d'immatriculation/inschrijvingsbewijs)
• Evidence of insurance cover, provided by a Belgian insurer
• Customs clearance forms, provided by the Customs department
• A vehicle-roadworthiness certificate (controle technique/Autokeuring). To find a local testing centre: Click here
• The registration application form. This is available from the DIV, from roadworthiness test centres or from insurance companies. It must have the customs and insurance stickers attached. There is just one application form which covers all types of vehicle (cars, scooters) and all situations (new, second hand and imported)
• The required fees. This will include a one-off introduction tax (taxe de mise en circulation/belasting op de inverkeerstelling) and an annual road tax (taxe de circulation/verkeersbelasting) dependent on the size of the vehicle's engine
• Fiscal tax stamps (available from Post Offices)

Note: Copies of documents are not accepted.

As long as all these documents are in order the licence plate will be issued within a few days and will be sent in the post if a postal application has been made. If application is in person then the licence plate can be issued on the spot by the DIV office. The plate then needs to be attached to the rear of the vehicle and a second one needs to be made up for the front, at the owner's cost.

Importing a vehicle from outside the EU

This is a more complicated and lengthier process. As a result many people either choose not to import their vehicle or find they require the services of a specialist broker or agent.

• Some background information on importing personal and household items is available on the Finance/Customs Ministry website (in French)

Bringing a vehicle into Belgium from outside the EU as part of personal and household effects can mean that it is exempt from customs duties and VAT. However, the owner must have lived outside the EU for at least the previous twelve months, have bought the car outside the EU and have driven it for at least six months prior to arrival, have already paid the VAT equivalent in another country and must subsequently keep the vehicle for personal use for a minimum of twelve months following import.

Customs clearance must be given before starting the registration process.

• Belgian customs (Ministère des Finances Services Douane/Ministerie van Financier Kantoor Douane)
  At: Rue Picard 1-3, 1210 Brussels
• To find a local customs office: Click here

Belgium customs must be provided with the following documents:

• Letter requesting exemption from customs duties and VAT
• The bill of sale/invoice for the car
• Certificate of ownership or title
• Receipt to prove payment of sales tax (VAT equivalent)
• Certificate of insurance for at least the six months prior to import
• Proof of residency outside the EU for at least 12 months prior to arrival in Belgium
• Shipping document for personal effects

If a vehicle has been owned for less than six months or does not meet the requirements for import duty exemption for any other reason, the owner will be liable for both customs duties and VAT based on the market value of the car.

Registration

Essentially the process is the same as for EU vehicles. The vehicle still needs its own Belgian licence plates and to obtain these the same documentation will be required by the DIV.

Other Vehicles

Scooters and mopeds also need to be imported and registered correctly. The DIV needs the same documentation as for cars, including customs clearance, VAT clearance, original registration documents and a certificate of conformity.

Further Information

• The Belgian Government portal
• The Ministry of Transport (in French & Dutch)
• Federal Finance Ministry – Tax and Customs information (some of it in English)
• AngloINFO INFOrmation page on Driving in Belgium