Was Euro 5 diesel not supposed to be banned in 2026?

It was pencilled in for 1 January 2026, then scrapped - not postponed - by the Flemish Government on 28 November 2025. Diesel Euro 5 and petrol Euro 2 remain the standards in force.

Does a compliant car still have to register?

Yes, if it is foreign-plated. Belgian vehicles come from the DIV register and Dutch ones from the RDW register automatically; every other foreign plate must be registered once, free, and registration is accepted up to one day after entering.

EUR 150 for a first offence, EUR 250 for a second within 12 months and EUR 350 for a third or later within 12 months. Notices arrive by registered post, and objections must go back the same way within 30 days - email is not accepted.

Can a non-compliant car buy its way in?

With a day pass at EUR 45, capped at 12 per vehicle per year. It is not a parking ticket: parking still has to be paid separately.

Does a Flemish registration cover Brussels?

No. One Flemish registration covers Antwerp and Ghent, but Brussels runs its own system and its own register; a route through both needs both.

Antwerp 2026: Euro 5 Diesel Stays In, If Registered

Checked against official sources 19 Sep 2026 · Next review 2026-12-18

A 2014 diesel at Euro 5 meets Antwerp’s standard: the step to Euro 6 planned for 1 January 2026 was scrapped on 28 November 2025, not postponed. The second test is administrative — a foreign plate must be registered once, free, or the fine starts at EUR 150.

Can your car enter Antwerp?

Enter your vehicle's fuel + Euro class → instant verdict for Antwerp (LEZ). Fine if wrong: EUR 150 first offence; EUR 250 second within 12 months; EUR 350 third and later within 12 months.

Check now

The tightening that did not happen

The Flemish roadmap had diesel moving to Euro 6 and petrol to Euro 3 from January 2026. That step was dropped, which leaves the standards set on 1 January 2025 in place: diesel Euro 5, petrol Euro 2. A 2014 Euro 5 diesel is therefore admitted on the same terms as a much newer car — and unlike Brussels, which went ahead with its own ban, Antwerp asks nothing more of it.

Compliance is not the same as admission

This is where Antwerp catches people. ANPR cameras compare every plate against the Flemish list of admitted vehicles, and a car that is clean but absent from that list reads as a violation.

Belgian plates are drawn from the DIV register automatically.
Dutch plates are pulled from the RDW register and need no action either.
Every other foreign plate must be registered once, free of charge, and the city accepts registration up to one day after entering the zone.
A Flemish registration also covers Ghent, but it is not valid in Brussels, which runs a separate system.

Where the zone starts and stops

The whole city centre plus Linkeroever across the Scheldt, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for every vehicle type — campers, vans and coaches included. The ring motorway is outside it, so a bypass legitimately avoids the zone altogether.

Costs if something goes wrong

Situation	Cost
First offence	EUR 150
Second within 12 months	EUR 250
Third or later within 12 months	EUR 350
Day pass for a non-compliant car	EUR 45, maximum 12 per year

Notices arrive by registered post and objections go back the same way within 30 days; emailed objections are not accepted.

Antwerp checklist for this car

✅ Euro 5 diesel is admitted — the 2026 tightening was scrapped, not deferred
✅ Register the plate before entering unless the car is Belgian or Dutch
✅ Registration is free, and late registration is accepted for one day only
✅ A Brussels registration does not carry over; register there separately
✅ Bypassing on the ring road keeps you outside the zone entirely