Importing Your Own Car to Brussels
Importing a vehicle into Belgium and obtaining its registration within the correct commune needs to be done within 6 months of the applicant’s arrival in the country. Any person bringing a vehicle into the country and planning on residing in Belgium for over a year must provide ownership documents and proof that they have owned the car for over 6 months (newer vehicles only). In these cases, there will be no import tax. Registration must be done at the Direction des Immatriculations/Dienst voor Inschriving van de Voertuigen (DIV) who has offices all around Belgium. You can find an office close to you at http://www.mobilit.fgov.be/.
Requirements are different depending on whether the vehicle is being imported from within the European Union or not.
Importing from Outside the EU
When importing a vehicle from outside the EU, import tax may be avoided if
- you have lived outside the EU for the last 12 months,
- you bought the vehicle outside the EU,
- you have owned it for over 6 months before arriving in Belgium,
- you paid the VAT in the country where you bought it, and
- you plan to keep it for at least the next 12 months.
The vehicle must be cleared at customs before registration begins. Customs offices can be found at http://fiscus.fgov.be/interfdanl/fr/index.htm and the following documents are required for clearance;
- Certificate of Ownership/Title
- Invoice for the car
- Proof of payment of VAT/Sales tax
- Proof of insurance paid in the last 6 months before moving to Belgium
- Shipping document
- Evidence of living outside the EU for the last 12 months
- Letter requesting no VAT and customs duties be paid.
Registering the Vehicle
For registration you must go to the Direction des Immatriculations/Dienst voor Inschrivingvan de Voertuigen (DIV-see the website above) where the vehicle is recorded and a Belgian number plate will be issued. Only the rear plate is issued and the onus is on the owner to get the front number plate printed at a garage. The number plate becomes the property of the owner and can be transferred to another vehicle should you sell the car or buy another. The following documents are required to register the car:
- Proof of residency in Belgium
- Attestation of conformity of vehicle – manufacturer or a local agent can provide this, and a copy of the vehicle registration may be required
- Vehicle invoice
- Original registration certificate
- Evidence of local insurance
- Customs clearance forms
- Vehicle road-worthiness certificate. For testing centers go to http://www.goca.be/fr/inspection/kaart_belgie.asp
- Registration application form which can be found at the DIV, vehicle test centres or the insurance company. Must have customs and insurance stickers on it.
- Fees – a one-time introduction fee and an annual road tax that is dependent on the vehicle size.
- Fiscal tax stamps, can be found at the post office.
These documents can be mailed in and processing will take a few days, or you can go in person and can be cleared on the same day.
Importing a Vehicle within the EU
For people bringing a vehicle from within the EU, the following documents are required to prevent payment of import taxes;
- Residence permit with Belgian address
- Vehicle proof of purchase papers
- Existing registration document
Registration
For registration the requirements are the same as for vehicles being imported from outside the EU.
Go to the Direction des Immatriculations/Dienst voor Inschriving van de Voertuigen (DIV) where the vehicle is recorded and a Belgian number plate will be issued. Only the rear plate is issued and the onus is on the owner to get the front number plate printed at a garage. The number plate becomes the property of the owner and can be transferred to another vehicle should you sell the car or buy another. The following documents are required to register the car:
- Proof of residency in Belgium
- Attestation of conformity of vehicle – manufacturer or a local agent can provide this, and a copy of the vehicle registration may be required
- Vehicle invoice
- Original registration certificate
- Evidence of local insurance
- Customs clearance forms
- Vehicle road-worthiness certificate. For testing centers go to http://www.goca.be/fr/inspection/kaart_belgie.asp
- Registration application form which can be found at the DIV, vehicle test centres or the insurance company. Must have customs and insurance stickers on it.
- Fees – a one-time introduction fee and an annual road tax that is dependent on the vehicle size.
- Fiscal tax stamps, can be found at the post office.
These documents can be mailed in and processing will take a few days, or you can go in person and can be cleared on the same day.
Temporary Residents of Belgium – Staying for up to 1 year
For insurance purposes it is necessary for people with legal residence in Belgium and staying less than a year to register their vehicle with the DIV. They will be issued with temporary number plates for 6 months and it can be renewed once. It is not necessary to fulfill customs requirements for people in this category. Proof of residence outside Belgium and the appropriate insurance in that country are required for this permit.
