Buying a New Car in Belgium

Information on the paperwork and processes involved when buying a new car in Belgium...

New cars are generally sold by a dealership. They may also be bought abroad and imported. Full details of the processes and the financial implications can be found on the Federal government website. Buying a new vehicle from a VAT (TVA) registered business means paying VAT to the vendor. The current rate is 21 percent of the purchase price of the vehicle.

The dealer selling a new car

The seller provides the following:
  • Bill of sale/invoice, including details on
    • the make, model, engine size of the vehicle
    • VAT (price without VAT, VAT rate, VAT amount, total VAT inclusive price paid)
  • Request for registration (Demande d'immatriculation – formulaire rose/Inschrijving van voertuigen). This will have two stamps/stickers (vignettes/vignet), known as the 705 and the 904.
    • 705 vignette is proof that a vehicle has gone through the necessary customs formalities
    • 904 vignette is proof that the vehicle is registered with all the necessary VAT formalities completed and the VAT paid
  • Certificate of Conformity (certificat de conformité) proving the vehicle conforms to European safety and emissions standards

The buyer's responsibility

The buyer takes this paperwork to the local Vehicle Registration Office (Direction Immatriculation, DIV).
  • Central DIV (Direction Circulation Routière /Dienst voor Inschrijving van de Voertuigen) At: City Atrium, Rue du Progrès 56, 1210 Brussels (Saint-Josse-ten-Noode) Tel: 02 277 30 50
In order to register the car in Belgium on standard Belgian plates, the new owner needs to provide a permanent address, as shown on their identity card or residence permit. Proof of date of birth will also be required. A person staying temporarily in Belgium may buy a car, but they may only apply for temporary registration. This request must be accompanied by evidence of a permanent address elsewhere, as well as a valid identity document such as a passport (with potentially an official translation). The buyer must make the request in person; all details supplied will have to be validated. Examples of all the relevant documents, including help to complete them, are available on the Ministry of Transport website (in French and Dutch).

Buying a new car from abroad

A new vehicle is one which enters Belgium within six months of its first registration, or which has travelled less than 6,000 Km on its arrival. Imported vehicles must be declared to the Belgium customs office (bureau de douane Belge). If the vehicle has been bought outside the EU then the buyer/importer must decide where they wish to complete the customs formalities – in Belgium or in another EU country (if the vehicle has passed through it on its way to Belgium). For comprehensive advice on the VAT implications, consult the tax authorities Administration de la fiscalité des entreprises et des Revenus in Brussels.