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Driving in Belgium

Belgian roads follow an orderly network labeled by letters and differentiated by road type. While Belgium has a modern toll-free road system, driving can be challenging due to heavy traffic and some drivers exceeding speed limits. To legally drive in Belgium long-term, non-EU license holders must take written and road tests, whereas EU licenses only need to be swapped for a Belgian one. The process takes place at one's municipality town hall along with residency proof and license/fee.

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Serge Lebrun
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1K views2 pages

Driving in Belgium

Belgian roads follow an orderly network labeled by letters and differentiated by road type. While Belgium has a modern toll-free road system, driving can be challenging due to heavy traffic and some drivers exceeding speed limits. To legally drive in Belgium long-term, non-EU license holders must take written and road tests, whereas EU licenses only need to be swapped for a Belgian one. The process takes place at one's municipality town hall along with residency proof and license/fee.

Uploaded by

Serge Lebrun
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Driving in Belgium

iStockphoto The roads crisscrossing Belgium's flat countryside are labeled and categorized by letters of the alphabet. In this article: 1. Driving in Belgium 2. Exploring Belgium by Car: Legal Issues Although Belgium is not exactly a big country, driving allows you to make use of its modern, tollfree road network and to see the local sights at your own convenience. The InterNations guide gives you a succinct introduction to the most important aspects of driving in Belgium. If you plan on living in Belgium as an expat, you are probably keen on driving in Belgium too. Owning a car allows one to easily travel through this beautiful country. Despite the fact that Belgium is a fairly small nation, where the distance between two points is never more than 300 km, most Belgians own at least one car per household.

Road Infrastructure in Belgium


Belgiums 154,012 kilometers of roads follow an orderly network. Belgian roads are labeled and differentiated by letters of the alphabet. A-roads connect major cities and international destinations and usually radiate out from Brussels. B-roads are shorter routes between other, slightly smaller cities. R-roads are ring roads that form around large cities, and N-roads connect secondary cities and towns. Provincial roads abound in Belgium; however, they rarely have signposts. There are no toll roads in Belgium, aside from the Liefkenshoek Tunnel in Antwerp. The Belgian highway system is purportedly among the best lit in Europe, which eases driving at night.

If you are planning on driving in Belgiums capital, be very cautious concerning the traffic, as congestion in Brussels is terrible. Dont be surprised if you spend a fair amount of time waiting in traffic. Additionally, the city is reportedly quite dangerous to drive in. This is mainly due to the fact that many Belgians drive at extreme speeds. A 2012 nationwide study conducted by the Belgian Institute for Road Safety reports that in built-up areas less than one in ten Belgians adhere to the maximum speed limit. Although highways have a standard speed limit of 120 km/h the study announces that 40% of drivers go much faster. Brussels R0 Ring is apparently a nightmare concerning traffic; however, the Agency for Roads and Traffic is presently working on improving this congestion. Compared to its neighbors France, Germany and Netherlands, Belgium has the highest road death rate per capita amongst all three, thus having one of the highest in Western Europe.

How to Get a Driving Permit in Belgium


Persons with a valid drivers license that was originally issued in a European Union member state can go on driving in Belgium with their normal license until it expires. It is recommended to trade it in for a Belgian license though, as this simplifies things for the police and can serve as a form of identification. If your license was issued in a non-EU country, you are allowed to drive with an international driving permit for visits that are up to six months in duration. However, if you intend to visit the country for a longer time or if you establish resident status, you need to apply for a local license for driving in Belgium. The country has a license agreement with some nations, so their citizens are able to simply trade their license in for a Belgian one. Citizens from most other countries must take both the written and practical driving test in order to legally drive in Belgium. To find out which non-EU countries need to meet which requirements, visit the Federal Public Service of Mobility and Transport and check their list of countries whose citizens qualify for swapping their national permits for driving in Belgium. The application for a Belgian drivers license takes place at the town hall in the municipality you are registered in. You need to supply a completed application form, proof of residency, your original license, an application fee, and passport photos. After that, there are no more obstacles to driving in Belgium.

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