Belgium to introduce mandatory road toll vignette for all vehicles in 2027

Belgium's three regional governments – Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels – have agreed to launch a digital road‑vignette that will be mandatory for all vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes from May 2027. Prices will depend on emissions, ranging from €90 per year for electric cars to up to €125 for older, higher‑polluting models, with shorter‑term options of one day, ten days or two months. The vignette will be sold online and at fuel stations and linked to the vehicle’s licence plate; compliance will be checked by automatic‑number‑plate‑recognition cameras, with a €70 fine for violations.

The revenue – estimated at about €130 million annually – is intended for road maintenance and upgrades, and the government says Belgian drivers will be compensated through a reduction in the traffic tax. The plan has drawn criticism from neighbouring countries, especially the Netherlands, where politicians and provincial officials argue it unfairly burdens foreign motorists and may breach EU non‑discrimination rules. Legal scholars note that EU law requires equal treatment of residents and non‑residents, and the proposal will be examined by the European Commission. Dutch professor Sjoerd Douma warned that “the EU has provisions that this proposal may conflict with.”

Enforcement will rely on video monitoring and ANPR systems, and a €70 fine will be imposed for the first offence, with higher penalties for repeat violations.