Belgium
Part 1: Driving with a Disability
Are there any laws or regulations in your country that restrict whether people with disabilities can obtain a driving licence?
Yes. Like all EU countries, Belgium has regulations on fitness to drive in accordance with Annex III of Directive 2006/126/EC. Applicants with a physical or psychological disability need to be examined in a specialized test center in order to determine their fitness to drive. If an applicant is found fit to drive, certain conditions or vehicle adaptations may be imposed in the form of EU codes mentioned on the driving licence. Also, the applicant’s fitness to drive may be limited to certain vehicle categories. For instance, applicants missing a limb may be excluded from driving motorcycles. There are no levels of disability mentioned in the Belgian regulations.
Are there restrictions on the type of vehicle or adaptation to controls that can be driven by a person with a disability?
No
Do the same restrictions apply to a person with a disability visiting your country in their own or a rented vehicle? Please give details.
No
Please include links to any websites or other sources of information for your country on this topic.
Name of Department/Ministry - SPF Mobilité et Transports – FOD Mobiliteit en Vervoer – FPS Mobility and Transport
email address for queries - [email protected]
Phone number for queries - 02 277 48 70 – 02 277 48 71 – 02 277 31 11
website (s) - for further information on driving with a disability in the Flanders and Brussels Capital Region, visit: https://www.vias.be/en/private-persons/cara/
For further information on driving with a disability in the Wallonia region, visit: https://www.awsr.be/services/aptitude-a-la-conduite/
Part 2: Parking Cards for people with a disability
Does your country have a national scheme of parking concessions for people with a disability?
Yes
Which categories of people with a disability are eligible for the parking card?
Wheelchair users
People with walking difficulty
People with vision impairment
People with mental health issues, learning disabilities
or other hidden disabilities (please describe)
Other (please specify):
score 12 points on a scale of 18 in terms of reduced self reliance.
Are there parking spaces reserved for people with a disability?
Yes
If you have answered yes, where are the reserved parking spaces?
On street,
In municipal car parks,
Other (please specify):
There are also places reserved in private car parks and in car parks for customers of shops, shopping centres, and leisure or tourist centres. The standards are set by the regional authorities (Brussels-Capital Region, Flemish Region, Walloon Region).
What concessions does the parking card give people with a disability?
Free parking on-street,
Free parking in municipal car parks,
Extended time limit for on-street parking (please give details below)
Other (please specify):
Not always applicable (depends on specific schemes per city)
– Free parking on street: not systematically. Free parking places depend on the municipalities where you can get information about the rules in force or on the car park manager in the case of a private car park.
- Free parking in municipal car parks: free parking places depend on the municipalities where you can get information about the rules in force. As regards private car parks, information can be obtained from the car park manager.
- Extended time limit for on-street parking (please give details below): yes, there is an exemption for disabled parking card holders. In accordance with Article 27.4 of the Traffic Regulations, easier parking conditions are given to disabled persons: time limits for parking in the blue zone are not applicable to vehicles used by disabled persons when the parking card is affixed to the inside of the windscreen.
Are there any regions or cities in your country that do not recognise the parking card, or which have their own, different system?
No
Are the same concessions available to visitors with a disability?
Yes
If you have answered yes to Question 13 above, please tell us if there is a formal system of reciprocal recognition of parking cards from other countries?
Which countries' parking cards are recognised (please list): EU members states
What other proof of eligibility should a visitor with a disability carry with them? (Please give details):
None (only a parking card)
Are there minimum dimensions for the size of a parking space reserved for a person with a disability?
Yes, these standards fall within the remit of the Regions. Regional regulations govern the accessibility in public places and therefore also the standards for parking spaces in public places:
For the Brussels-Capital Region: Règlement régional d’urbanisme Arrêté du Gouvernement de la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale du 21 novembre 2006.
For the Flemish Region: http://www.toegankelijkgebouw.be/Regelgeving/tabid/71/Default.aspx (link is external)
Please include a link to any websites which give details of the official national policy on parking concessions for people with a disability.
website(s) - further information on concessions can be found at the website - https//handicap.belgium.be
Part 3: Hiring a car if you have a disability
Does your country have any laws which require hire car companies to make adapted vehicles available for people with disabilities to rent?
This is a regional responsibility.
Please give contact details (name, email, phone, weblinks) for anyone who has supplied information:
N/A
Please give details of the section responsible in your ministry for laws/policies on adapted hire cars.
Name of ministry - FPS Economy
website(s) - the website of FPS economy can be found here - https://economie.fgov.be/en
Part 4: Further Information
Please give contact details (email, phone, weblinks) for any sections or organisations which have supplied information for your response to this survey if they are not already listed.
website(s) - for further information on driving in Belgium, please use the following link - https://mobilit.belgium.be/fr/pmr/je_me_deplace_en/je_me_deplace_en_voi…