Importing and registering your car in Brussels

PUBLISHED ON 23/04/2026

Bringing your car with you when you settle in Brussels entails several administrative steps and tax considerations. Planning ahead is key! With customs formalities, technical inspections, insurance and regional taxes, it is essential that you fully understand the stages in order to avoid any surprises. The Expat Welcome Desk will guide you through the main requirements for registering your vehicle in Belgium.

Importing a vehicle: steps to follow

Once registered with the municipality in which you live, you are technically required to complete the steps necessary to register your vehicle in Belgium.

You are permitted to drive a foreign-registered vehicle in Belgium for a maximum period of 30 days per year.

Note: it is important to ensure that you have your green card (international insurance certificate) in your vehicle at all times, in order to be able to prove that the vehicle is fully insured.

Complete the pink form

Before any registration, you need to obtain a pink form with the green “705” disk from Belgian customs.

How to do it?

Using the MyMinfin app
Or by email to SPF Finances

Required documents:

For a change of registration plate:

Registration certificate
ID card or "annexe de la commune” [temporary ID document issued by the municipal administration]
Odometer reading of the vehicle (km)

For a vehicle purchased:

1 PDF file: purchase invoice and copy of the ID card (or “annexe de la commune”)
1 PDF file: foreign registration certificate (all parts)
Odometer reading of the vehicle (km)

Once your file is processed, you will receive confirmation of the E705 disk by email.

We recommend that you send your documents (in a single PDF file) with your full address to the contacts at the SPF Finances.

Technical inspection: a mandatory step

Before registration, the vehicle must pass a technical inspection. This technical inspection may also be undertaken abroad (before registration of the vehicle in Belgium).

Two scenarios:

Change of owner: complete inspection of the vehicle
No change of owner: administrative checks (without presenting the vehicle)

Technical inspection centres in Brussels:

Anderlecht (Rue du Labeur)
Haren (Rue de la Grenouillette)
Evere (Rue Colonel Bourg)

For further information: http://www.autocontrole.be/

Third party liability insurance: a legal obligation

Before driving, it is mandatory that you contract a Belgian third-party liability insurance policy (“vehicle third-party liability”).
Your insurer may also handle the registration application.

The third-party liability insurance policy is not valid in the country in which the person is settled or will expire if the vehicle is re-registered there.

It is therefore necessary to have an insurance policy that is effective in Belgium.

Registration with the DIV [Vehicle Registration Service]

The registration application is made to the DIV (Direction pour l’Immatriculation des Véhicules - Vehicle Registration Service):

Address:
DIV– 56 Rue des Minimes, 1210 Brussels

You can:

Submit your application yourself
Or entrust your insurer to do it

Taxes related to registration

Several taxes may be applicable depending on your situation.

Obligatory taxes

Taxe de mise en circulation (TMC) [First Registration Tax]
Payable once only upon registration.
Calculated according to the type of vehicle.
Road tax
Annual tax based on the engine power of the vehicle.

For further information on the calculation of road tax: https://fiscalite.brussels/taxes-de-circulation

Specific taxes (depending on the case)

Import duty (10%)

If the vehicle was purchased outside the European Union (EU)

VAT (21%)
Applicable if:
- You purchase a new vehicle in the EU
- You import a vehicle (new or second hand) from outside the EU

A vehicle is considered to be new if it:

is less than 6 months old, or
has less than 6,000 km on the clock

LEZ Zones in Brussels: note the restrictions

The Brussels-Capital region has a Low Emission Zone (LEZ). The most polluting vehicles are not permitted to drive in this zone to protect the health of citizens.

Vehicles registered abroad (with the exception of vehicles from the Netherlands) must be registered before entering the Brussels-Capital region. This registration is free of charge and can be done on-line via the official website www.lez.brussels.

Things you need to know:

Some vehicles (notably old diesel vehicles) are prohibited
Access depends on the Euro standard of the vehicle
A warning followed by a fine is applied in the event that the rules are not respected

Following registration

If your vehicle is more than 4 years old:
You will need to carry out a mandatory annual technical inspection
You will receive a notification by post