Environmental zones

What about environmental zones in Belgium, and in which cities do you need an environmental sticker? Below it is explained in detail!

Belgium Environmental zones

• More specifically, Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent have environmental zones.
• An environmental zone in Belgium is referred to as a lage-emissiezone (LEZ, low emission zone) or zone de basses émissions (ZBE) .

Brussels Environmental Zones

• The entire Brussels-Capital Region has been covered by the low-emission zone (LEZ), i.e. all 19 municipalities. The Ring (R0) is not covered, nor are any access roads to the Ring or to transit car parks.
• Every vehicle entering the LEZ is registered with cameras. The license plate is compared with a database of authorized vehicles.
• Vehicles with a Belgian or Dutch registration do not need to be registered. Vehicles from other countries must be registered in advance at lez.brussels/nl/content/registratie.
• Note: Anyone who enters the LEZ with a vehicle that is not admitted will be fined € 350 per violation, see lez.brussels/en/content/control.

Admission requirements

• Vehicles running on diesel without Euro standard or with Euro 1, 2 and 3 and vehicles running on petrol, LPG and CNG without Euro standard or with Euro 1 standard will no longer be admitted in the Brussels LEZ.
• Please note: As of January 1, 2022, diesel vehicles with Euro 4 will no longer be allowed; From January 1 to March 31, 2022, there will be a transition period for these vehicles and no fines will be imposed, only warnings will be issued.
• In 2025, diesel vehicles with Euro 5 and petrol, LPG and CNG vehicles with Euro 2 will also be banned.
• For a complete overview see lez.brussels/en/content/which-vehicles.
• A day pass can be requested for a maximum of 8 days per year for these vehicles. See lez.brussels/nl/content/dagpas.
• See lez.brussels/nl/content/kaart for a map of the LEZ with parking options where you can switch to public transport.
• In the event of severe air pollution, the authorities in Brussels can introduce extra measures, such as a speed limit or a ban for certain types of vehicles. Such a measure is announced in the media.

Detailed information about the LEZ in Brussels can be found at lez.brussels/nl. Information about air quality and additional measures can be found at air quality.brussels.

Antwerp Environmental Zones

• The entire Antwerp city center and Left Bank is a low-emission zone (LEZ). The most polluting cars are no longer allowed to enter this part of the city. The requirements were further tightened in 2020 and will be tightened again in 2025, see slimnaarantwerpen.be/nl/lez-nieuw-vanaf-2020.
• The zone is indicated by road signs and applies permanently.
• The measure applies to diesel vehicles that do not meet the Euro 5 emission standard. Cars with a petrol engine may only enter the LEZ if they meet at least the Euro 2 standard. The Euro standard (indicated with a number 1 to 6) is stated on the vehicle registration certificate (B: registration certificate). The higher the number, the less polluting the vehicle. For diesel vehicles with Euro 4 and some with Euro 3, a temporary permit can be purchased, see below.
• You can find extensive information about the LEZ on slimaanantwerpen.be .
• On lez.antwerpen.be you can check whether or not the vehicle meets the admission standards.
• Every vehicle entering the LEZ is registered with cameras. The license plate is compared with a database of authorized vehicles. Vehicles with a Belgian or Dutch registration do not need to be registered in advance, vehicles from other countries do.
• Note: Anyone who enters the LEZ with a vehicle that is not admitted will be fined € 150. If the fine is repeated, the fine will be higher.
• Drivers with an adapted car and a disabled parking card are exempt, provided they have registered in advance via lez.antwerpen.be. Previously registered vehicles must be re-registered in 2020. This registration is valid for all of Flanders, not for Brussels and Wallonia.
• The admission conditions that apply up to and including 31 December 2019 can be found on slimaanantwerpen.be/nl/lez/check-uw-leetuig/toelatingsvoorwaarden. NB: the exemption option for disabled people on the basis of the right to an increased healthcare allowance only applies to residents of Belgium.

Exemption from the environmental zone of Antwerp

• The Antwerp LEZ does not apply to mopeds and motorcycles.
• Drivers with an adapted car and a disabled parking card are exempt, provided they have registered in advance via lez.antwerpen.be. Previously registered vehicles must be re-registered in 2020. This registration is valid for the whole of Flanders, not for Brussels and Wallonia.

Vehicle not allowed in Antwerp

If your vehicle is not allowed in the LEZ in Antwerp, there are a number of options:

• Buy a day pass. A day pass costs € 35 per day and can be purchased online or at LEZ machines. This option may be used per license plate 8 times a year. More information about the day pass plus locations of machines can be found on slimaanantwerpen.be/nl/lez/lez-dagpas. A day pass is only valid in the city for which it was requested.
• Apply for temporary admission via slimaanantwerpen.be .
• Park outside the zone and continue by public transport.

Ghent Environmental Zones

• Ghent has a low-emission zone (LEZ) within the city ring R40.
• The regulations in Ghent are almost the same as in Antwerp, and registration of the vehicle on lez.stad.gent/ is mandatory. After filling in the requested information, it shows whether your vehicle is eligible for free access to the LEZ or for a day pass or another scheme. The information is on the car registration certificate.
• For a map of the zone, see stadgentd8.stad.gent/nl .
• Note: Anyone who enters the LEZ with a vehicle that is not allowed will be fined € 150.
• View the ‘frequently asked questions’ on lez2020.gent about the LEZ in Ghent.
• Furthermore, there are five car-free areas in Ghent.
• In certain cases, a permit can be granted to drive in a car-free zone, including for visiting a resident or hotel in the zone and for transporting less mobile persons.
• For detailed information about car-free zones in Ghent, see stad.gent (search for ‘car-free areas’).

Exemption from the environmental zone of Ghent

• The LEZ in Ghent does not apply to mopeds and motorcycles.
• Drivers with an adapted car and a disabled parking card are exempt, provided they have registered in advance via lez.stad.gent .

Vehicle not allowed in Ghent

If your vehicle is not admitted to the LEZ in Ghent, there are a number of options:

• Buy a day pass. A day pass costs € 35 per day and can be applied for online at stad.gent . This option may be used per license plate 8 times a year. A day pass is only valid in the city for which it was requested.
• Apply for temporary admission via stad.gent .
• Park outside the zone and continue by public transport.

New environmental zones Belgium

• After long and careful consideration, Mechelen and Willebroek have decided not to introduce a low-emission zone, see mechelen.be/lage-emissiezone-lez.
• As of 1 January 2023, the whole of Wallonia will become a low-emission zone (zone de basses émissions; ZBE). For current information (in French only) see: wallonie.be/fr/actualites/interdiction-progressive-du-diesel-un-site-pour-sinformer and walloniebassesemissions.be.
• Walloon municipalities themselves can decide to introduce a low emission zone at an earlier stage. Until now, this is only the case in Namur and Eupen, further information is still pending.

Low emission zone signage Belgium

A low emmission zone in Belgium is indicated by a LEZ is traffic sign.

Here you will find more information about Belgium.