Belgium will introduce a digital road vignette on 1 May 2027. Despite Luxembourg’s request, no exemption is planned for the border area.
Luxembourg had asked for an exemption for journeys of a few kilometres across the border, particularly for owners of Luxembourg-registered cars. In its reply of 21 August to a parliamentary question, the government said it feared an extra burden for residents, a drop in trade near the border and more traffic diverted onto local roads. Belgium has refused, as Virgule reports. Wallonia’s mobility minister, François Desquesnes, ruled the option out. A short trip between Luxembourg and Arlon will therefore cost as much as a drive across the whole of Belgium.
The vignette is electronic and tied to the number plate. It will apply to vehicles under 3.5 tonnes, whether Belgian or foreign, on motorways and regional roads. According to the Walloon government’s official website, the annual price is €100 for Euro 4 and newer vehicles, €125 for Euro 0 to 3 and €90 for zero-emission vehicles. For occasional trips, 24-hour, ten-day, one-month and two-month passes are available, priced at 9%, 12%, 19% and 30% of the annual rate. A Euro 4 vehicle will therefore pay €9, €12, €19 or €30. Driving without a vignette carries a €70 fine, which can be doubled or even tripled for repeat offences.
| Prices in euros (€) | |||
| Duration | Euro 4 and newer | Euro 0 to 3 | Zero-emission vehicle |
| Annual | 100 | 125 | 90 |
| 24 hours (9% of annual price) | 9,00 | 11,25 | 8,10 |
| 10 days (12% of annual price) | 12,00 | 15,00 | 10,80 |
| 1 month (19% of annual price) | 19,00 | 23,75 | 17,10 |
| 2 months (30% of annual price) | 30,00 | 37,50 | 27,00 |
Belgian drivers would pay more
In parallel, the regions are reforming vehicle taxation to offset the vignette for Belgian residents. The authorities had promised that the change would be cost-neutral, but according to Test-Achats, the cut in the registration tax will not cover the cost of the vignette. Belgian motorists would therefore pay more. In Wallonia, the reduction, planned from 1 April 2027, would be €75 for an engine size of 751 to 1,950 cc, and classic cars would pay nothing. From 1 January 2027, Flanders will apply a calculation based on CO₂ emissions and weight to new registrations, with no change for electric cars. In Brussels, the cut is expected on 1 July 2027, with the tax reduced to €0 for the smallest cars, but there has been no official announcement. The final amounts are not yet known.
That leaves the question of legality. EU law prohibits any discrimination on grounds of nationality, and a comparable German project, a vignette for everyone offset for residents, was struck down. The European Commission does not have to approve the system beforehand, since no notification is required for light vehicles. It will assess compliance, notably on non-discrimination, once the vignette is in force. For Luxembourg motorists, the bill is therefore taking shape well before the system goes live, while the legal question remains open.
