From 1 September, the deadlines and conditions for vehicle inspections are being relaxed in Flanders. Passenger cars over four years old will now only need to be inspected every two years. The insurance certificate will no longer be checked during the inspection, a separate inspection of the tow bar will no longer be required, and the deadline for having major faults repaired will be extended to two months.
At present a passenger vehicle requires its first MOT or car inspection when the car reaches the age of four, calculated from the date of first registration. After that, the car must be inspected every year. From 1 September, this will only be required every two years.
In addition, the insurance certificate will no longer be checked during the MOT or car inspection. This check is already carried out at the federal level using ANPR cameras. A separate inspection of the tow bar is also no longer required.
If major faults are identified, the driver will be given two months to rectify them. Previously, this period was 15 days. Furthermore, the three-month temporary roadworthiness certificate issued for administrative shortcomings is being abolished. You will now receive a roadworthiness certificate with the standard period of validity, but the missing or incorrect documents must still be rectified.
The inspection date is also changing for other vehicle categories. Vans and light goods vehicles will gradually transition from annual to biennial inspections. In the first phase, this will apply to vehicles that are no more than four years old. Taxis and buses will now only need to be inspected every other year.
Not everybody happy
The federation representing the sector GOCA Vlaanderen and trade unions, amongst others, have previously criticised the reforms, which, according to the trade union front, “seriously undermine road safety, the objectivity of inspections and employment in the sector”.
Nothing changes in Wallonia and Brussels. A roadworthiness certificate therefore remains valid for just one year there. However, you do not have to have your car inspected in the region where the vehicle is registered or where you live. A roadworthiness certificate is therefore valid throughout the country.
Motoring organisation Touring fears ‘inspection tourism’, whereby motorists from Brussels and Wallonia have their cars inspected in Flanders. Touring is therefore calling for the same rules to apply throughout Belgium.
Further relaxations in the pipeline
From next year, further relaxations will be introduced. The second-hand vehicle inspection required when selling a car or motorbike will be abolished from 1 January, but only for cars sold within Belgium.
Motoring organisation Touring considers this a regrettable situation, as it means buyers have less certainty about the condition and faults of a second-hand car. Touring recommends having second-hand cars inspected by an independent expert or mechanic before purchase.
Furthermore, the Car-Pass, which records a car’s mileage history, remains compulsory. The seller of a car must still attend the inspection to have the mileage recorded and will receive a Car-Pass based on an inspection that may be up to two years old.
By the end of 2027, MOTs or car inspections can be carried out by official inspection centres but also by an authorised garage.