Practical info

In 2016, the three regions of Belgium – Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels- have taken an important step in the tax reform. With the introduction of the Kilometer Charge, not the possession of a truck is being taxed, but rather the use of it. This way the cost of infrastructure is billed in a fair way including the environmental effects.

Whom is it meant for?

The kilometer charge took effect on April 1st 2016 for all Heavy Goods Vehicles of more than 3.5 tons Gross Vehicle Weight and for vehicles of class N1/BC, irrespective whether the vehicle is empty, fully charged or transporting private goods.

What do I need to do to comply with the regulation?

When you have a truck of more than 3,5 tons GVW or an N1/BC, you must have an On Board Unit (OBU) onboard, that is constantly switched on when you take the road in Belgium. An OBU is a small device that registers the number of kilometres you have driven on toll roads. It sends the total to the billing center which delivers you at regular times with a detailed bill.

Where can I get such an On Board Unit?

The OBU can be ordered only at the service providers of the Kilometre Charge, not with Viapass. Contact one of the accredited service providers: Axxès, Satellic, Telepass, TotalEnergies, Toll4Europe and W.A.G. Payment Solutions

Attention: when you come from the UK you must have an OBU to drive the Belgian roads. You can  get an OBU at the border through automatic distribution machines. See at the bottom of this page where you can find them.

 

IMPORTANT! What should I do if the LED of my OBU is red?

Stop your vehicle in a safe place and contact your service provider immediately; this is the company that delivered your OBU. They can restart you or help you find another OBU. It is no use calling Viapass, as Viapass is the supervisory authority and does not manage toll boxes.

By driving with a red LED, or without an OBU, you expose yourself to possible fines.

Paying toll afterwards is a procedure that is not possible in the Belgian system.

Either through one of the 120 service points

ATTENTION: You need to order and install an OBU BEFORE you start driving on the Belgian roads.

Still need a last minute OBU on site? Viapass has instructed the national service provider Satellic to install 120 automated distribution points at the border and in Belgium. You can obtain an OBU at these distribution points and you can return it also there when leaving Belgium to get your deposit back. There is no extra charge for this.

The map with the exact locations is to be found at https://www.satellic.be/en-UK/servicepoints.

What does an OBU cost?

The use of the OBU is basically free. To get a device at Satellic you have to pay a warranty of 135 €. By returning the device  undamaged, you will get a full refund.

At other service providers, the use of the OBU is included in the subscription fee: either ‘à la carte’ for sporadic use, or on a monthly fixed basis for regular use.

The Kilometer Charge

The tariffs of the toll roads have been fixed by the governments of the regions, and are to be found in the ‘download’ section of this website. The tariffs have been fixed on the basis of three parameters:

• The Gross Vehicle Weight: the kilometer charge is due for trucks of more than 3.5 GVW. When the pulling vehicle has a GVW of more than 3.5 tons, the Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) needs to be declared (trailer included when the truck is equipped with a towbar)
• The Euro emission norm: this is the emission norm that categorizes the level of pollution of the truck.
• The type of toll road: all roads in Belgium are toll roads. Most of them are charged at 0-tariff. Other have a paying tariff.

The toll road maps and the tariffs are to be found at the  ‘download’ section of this website.

Adapted rates for zero-emission vehicles
In Flanders and the Brussels Capital Region, a temporary preferential rate of zero euro cent/km applies to zero-emission vehicles – ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicles) – vehicles without an internal combustion engine or vehicles with an internal combustion engine emitting less than 1 g CO2/kWh. However, the OBU remains mandatory for ZEV. In Wallonia (Sofico), ZEV are still classified in the category Euro VI emissions. The measures applied were introduced with a view to encouraging the greening of the truck fleet driving on our roads.

In details:

• Emission-free vehicles with a maximum permissible total weight (MTM) less than or equal to 4.25 tons will not have to pay any kilometer charge during the period from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2029 (for Flanders) and July 1, 2024 to December 31, 2029 (for the Brussels Capital Region).
• For emission-free vehicles with a MTM greater than 4.25 tons, the external cost charge (only) will be set at zero for the period from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2029 (for Flanders) and July 1, 2024 to December 31, 2029 (for the Brussels Capital Region).

The remaining portion of the mileage charge is temporarily reduced

• • by 100 % for the period from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2025 (for Flanders) and July 1, 2024 to December 31, 2025 (for the Brussels Capital Region).
  • by 80 % for the year 2026
  • by 60 % for the year 2027
  • by 40% for the year 2028
  • by 20 % for the year 2029

Avoid surprises

For fiscal reasons, it is important that you always obtain an OBU from one of the providers accredited by Viapass (see top of page) or from their official partners. Make sure that the documents and invoices from the Regions containing the kilometer charging information are always addressed directly to you or your company (and not in the name of the partner or its intermediary).

If you have any questions about which documents to receive, please consult our website or contact your accredited provider. If you notice any irregularities, contact us through our contact form on this website.