Triangle, vest, first-aid kit, fire extinguisher
RequiredAll four are required in the car. Fire extinguisher is the unique-to-Belgium one: most other countries don't require it.
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Country driving guide · 2026
Driving in Belgium
Everything UK and EU drivers need before crossing the border into Belgium: 4 legal requirements + 2 other things worth knowing.
4
Required
0
Recommended
2
Good to know
Tick before you go
Pre-departure checklist for Belgium
4 legal must-haves. Print it, tick them off, throw it in the glovebox.
Triangle, vest, first-aid kit, fire extinguisher
All four are required in the car. Fire extinguisher is the unique-to-Belgium one: most other countries don't require it.
Brussels + Antwerp + Ghent LEZ
Cars must register before entering. Older diesels (pre-2014) are banned in Brussels altogether. Cameras enforce: fines arrive by post.
Pet travel: Animal Health Certificate
GB pets need an AHC from a UK vet within 10 days of entering Belgium. Valid 4 months onward and for re-entry to GB.
Source: gov.uk: AHC for EU travel →Priority to the right: even on bigger roads
Outside built-up areas and at any unsigned junction, traffic from the right has priority: even if you appear to be on the main road. Failure to yield is a €174 fine.
Source: Touring: priority rules →
Required equipment
Emissions / low-emission zones
Brussels + Antwerp + Ghent LEZ
RequiredCars must register before entering. Older diesels (pre-2014) are banned in Brussels altogether. Cameras enforce: fines arrive by post.
Money
Customs allowance back to the UK
Good to knowPer person on return: 18 L still wine + 4 L spirits + 200 cigarettes or 250g tobacco + £390 of other goods. Belgian chocolate and beer count toward the £390 cap.
gov.uk: customs allowanceDocuments
Pet travel: Animal Health Certificate
RequiredGB pets need an AHC from a UK vet within 10 days of entering Belgium. Valid 4 months onward and for re-entry to GB.
gov.uk: AHC for EU travelDriving rules
Priority to the right: even on bigger roads
RequiredOutside built-up areas and at any unsigned junction, traffic from the right has priority: even if you appear to be on the main road. Failure to yield is a €174 fine.
Touring: priority rulesDipped headlights in poor visibility
Good to knowDipped beams required in rain, fog, snow and at dusk: DRLs alone are not enough. Fog lamps only when visibility drops below 200 m.
Belgian mobility: lightsPlan your Belgium road trip
We'll build the itinerary, estimate fuel + tolls, and show EV chargers along the route, and this checklist appears automatically on every trip that crosses into Belgium.
Start planning →Popular destinations in Belgium
Places to add to your Belgium road trip.
Indicative budget
Rough cost for 1,000 km in Belgium
A back-of-the-envelope estimate for a typical petrol car at 40 UK mpg, with 800 km of motorway driving. Real fuel prices move monthly: treat this as a ballpark.
Fuel
€123
~70.6 L · 1,000 km @ 40 mpg
Tolls
€0
800 km of motorways
Vignette
—
Not required
Total estimate
€123
1,000 km road trip
Don't get caught out
Watch out for these
Brussels + Antwerp + Ghent LEZ
RequiredCars must register before entering. Older diesels (pre-2014) are banned in Brussels altogether. Cameras enforce: fines arrive by post.
Priority to the right: even on bigger roads
RequiredOutside built-up areas and at any unsigned junction, traffic from the right has priority: even if you appear to be on the main road. Failure to yield is a €174 fine.
Touring: priority rules →On the way home
Returning to the UK
Customs allowance back to the UK
Per person on return: 18 L still wine + 4 L spirits + 200 cigarettes or 250g tobacco + £390 of other goods. Belgian chocolate and beer count toward the £390 cap.
gov.uk: customs allowance →