Belgium plans a road vignette from May 2027: what it means for campers
Belgium plans to introduce a mandatory road vignette from 1 May 2027 for all vehicles up to 3,500 kg, including most motorhomes and cars towing a caravan. The vignette will be digital and linked to your licence plate (no windscreen sticker) and will apply on motorways and main regional roads in Flanders and Wallonia. An annual vignette is expected to cost around 100 euros (90 euros for electric cars, 125 euros for the most polluting), with day, ten-day and monthly passes for drivers passing through. The plans are not yet final and still need approval from all Belgian regions.
Driving through or into Belgium is likely to get a little more expensive from 2027. The Belgian regions plan to introduce a digital road vignette that will also apply to campers and motorhome travellers. Here is what changes, what it costs and what to watch out for.
What exactly is changing?
According to the plans, Belgium will introduce a road vignette from 1 May 2027 for all vehicles up to 3,500 kg. That means not only passenger cars but also most motorhomes and many car-and-caravan combinations will need a vignette to use Belgian motorways and main regional roads. Motorcycles, trucks, coaches and tractors are exempt.
Unlike Austria or Switzerland, there will be no sticker on your windscreen. The vignette will be digital and linked to your licence plate, with enforcement through cameras (ANPR) and mobile checks. You buy it online in advance, including as a foreign visitor.
Worth knowing: the rollout is not yet final. Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels still need to confirm the agreement, and there is a European review pending. The exact start date and tariffs may still shift.
What will it cost?
The tariffs depend on how clean your vehicle is and how long you need the vignette. For an annual vignette you can expect to pay around 100 euros for a car that meets the Euro 4 standard or higher, roughly 90 euros for an electric car and about 125 euros for the most polluting vehicles.
If you only drive through Belgium for a few days, you will not have to pay for a whole year. Shorter passes are planned too, expected for one day, ten days, one month and two months. For a trip heading towards France or the Ardennes, a day or ten-day pass may well be enough.
Work out in advance which pass is cheapest for your journey. For a short stopover a day pass makes sense, but travellers who visit Belgium several times in spring and summer may be better off with a longer period.
Does it apply to motorhomes and caravans?
Yes. The scheme is based on total weight: everything up to 3,500 kg is covered. Most motorhomes stay below that limit, as does a normal car towing a caravan. So for those combinations you will need a vignette as soon as you drive on a motorway or main regional road.
If you have a heavier motorhome above 3,500 kg, you fall into a different category. Heavy goods traffic in Belgium already pays a per-kilometre charge (the Viapass system), so those vehicles fall outside this new vignette. If you are unsure about your motorhome's weight, check the permitted maximum mass on your vehicle registration.
So for most campers travelling with an ordinary motorhome or with a car and caravan, this simply adds a fixed amount to the travel budget. Factor it in alongside fuel and any tolls in France.
Fines and the transition period
From 1 May 2027 you will need the vignette, but a two-month transition period applies. Only from 1 July 2027 will fines actually be issued, giving travellers time to get used to the system.
Anyone caught without a valid vignette after that risks a fine. Under the plans it starts at around 70 euros for a first offence and rises for repeat offences (around 140 euros for a second and 210 euros for a further one).
Because enforcement works via the licence plate, a forgotten sticker is no longer an excuse: the system automatically sees whether your plate has a valid vignette. So arrange it before you set off, just as you plan your route and overnight stops.
How to prepare your camping trip
If you are heading into or through Belgium with a motorhome or caravan in 2027 or later, factor in this extra cost and buy the right vignette online in advance. Choose the period that fits your trip, so you do not pay for a whole year for a single passage.
For many travellers Belgium is mainly a transit country towards France, Luxembourg or the Ardennes, but it is also a destination in its own right, with campsites in the Ardennes and along the coast. For short trips the day or ten-day pass matters most.
On Ovisola you will find campsites in Belgium and in the countries you reach through it, with filters for type and amenities. That way you can plan your route and overnight stays now, while keeping an eye on the final road vignette tariffs.
Frequently asked questions
When does the Belgian road vignette start?+
According to the plans, from 1 May 2027. A two-month transition period applies, so fines will only be issued from 1 July 2027. The rollout is not yet final and still needs to be confirmed by the Belgian regions.
Does the vignette also apply to motorhomes and caravans?+
Yes. The scheme applies to all vehicles up to 3,500 kg, including most motorhomes and ordinary cars towing a caravan. Heavier motorhomes above 3,500 kg fall under a different charge (Viapass), not under this vignette.
What does a Belgian road vignette cost?+
An annual vignette is expected to cost around 100 euros for a car meeting the Euro 4 standard or higher, roughly 90 euros for electric and about 125 euros for the most polluting vehicles. Shorter passes for one day, ten days, one month and two months are also planned.
Do I need to stick anything on my windscreen?+
No. Unlike Austria or Switzerland, the vignette will be digital and linked to your licence plate. You buy it online in advance and enforcement is done through cameras and mobile checks.
On which roads does the vignette apply?+
On the motorways and main regional roads in Flanders and Wallonia. It is not planned to apply on smaller local roads, but through-traffic heading to France or the Ardennes will almost always use a road that requires a vignette.
