Germany Belgium
Germany 
BelgiumLast reviewed July 2026
Crossing the border
Germany and Belgium share a land border you can cross by car. Keep your passport, national driving licence and International Driving Permit together, and check opening hours and any toll or vignette requirements before you travel.
Driving rules in Belgium
- Priority to the right at unmarked junctions.
- Reflective vest and warning triangle required.
- 0.05% alcohol limit.
- Low-emission zones in Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent.
What to see when you arrive in Belgium
- the Grand-Place in Brussels
- the medieval canals of Bruges
- the historic centre of Ghent
- Antwerp's cathedral and diamond quarter
- the Atomium
Once you're driving in Belgium
Destination-specific detail sourced from national road authorities, motoring clubs and rental policies — the things that catch cross-border drivers out.
Driving on a foreign licence
EU/EEA licences are valid indefinitely; non-EU visitors may drive on a valid home licence for the length of a normal tourist stay, but an International Driving Permit (or certified translation) is required if the licence is not in the Roman alphabet, and rental firms often ask for an IDP regardless.
Tolls & road charges
There are no motorway tolls for cars; the only paid road is the Liefkenshoektunnel near Antwerp (around 6 euros). However, Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent operate Low Emission Zones where foreign and rental cars must be registered online before entry or face fines of roughly 150-350 euros.
Parking in the cities
Cities use paid meter/app zones plus blue zones where a cardboard parking disc gives free time-limited parking (commonly 2 hours); pay via apps like 4411, Seety or Parking.brussels. Overstaying or no disc in a blue zone costs about 37 euros per period.
Fines & camera enforcement
Police can impose immediate fines on non-residents (paid on the spot for a receipt, otherwise you go to court), with speeding starting around 53 euros and phone/seatbelt offences over 100 euros; camera fines on rental cars are billed to the hirer after the agency hands over your details.
If you have an accident
Dial 112 for police/ambulance. Complete the European Accident Statement (constat amiable) with the other driver - the Belgian insurers' Crashform app can file it electronically - and call police if there are injuries, disputes or a foreign/uninsured vehicle.
Driving in the capital
Brussels' Low Emission Zone covers all 19 municipalities 24/7, and you must register a foreign or rental plate online beforehand; the city is also heavily one-way with the chaotic, lane-free Schuman and Montgomery roundabouts catching out visitors.
Sources: theaa.com · parking.brussels · 112.be · eccbelgium.be