What did Antwerp change on 1 January 2025?

The admission standards stepped up to diesel Euro 5 and petrol Euro 2. A 2018 petrol Euro 3 was unaffected by that step and remains admitted; older diesels were the vehicles pushed out.

Do I have to register a foreign-registered car?

Yes, and it costs nothing. The city's LEZ portal links your plate to its emission data so the cameras can recognise it. A compliant car whose plate is not on file is still treated as an unknown vehicle.

When is the zone active?

Continuously. Antwerp's LEZ has run 24 hours a day, seven days a week since February 2017, covering the city centre and part of Linkeroever. There is no quiet hour to slip through.

How much is the fine and does it escalate?

EUR 150 for a first offence, EUR 250 for a second within twelve months and EUR 350 for a third or later. The escalation is per plate, not per driver.

Which vehicles are exempt?

Electric vehicles and recognised oldtimers of 30 years or more. Neither category applies to an ordinary 2018 petrol car, which qualifies on its Euro class in any case.

Antwerp LEZ 2026: Petrol Euro 3 Is In, Free to Register

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

Antwerp’s LEZ admits petrol cars from Euro 2 upward after the 1 January 2025 tightening, so a 2018 petrol Euro 3 is in. The only step left is free registration of the plate — the cameras run 24/7.

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.

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Why petrol came out of the 2025 step untouched

When Antwerp raised its standards at the start of 2025, the change that mattered was on the diesel side: diesel now needs Euro 5, while petrol stayed at Euro 2. A petrol car certified Euro 3 in 2018 therefore sits above the line, and nothing scheduled for 2026 moves it. Confirm the class on the Certificate of Conformity rather than inferring it from the registration year.

Free, but not optional

Registration costs nothing and is done once per plate through the city’s LEZ portal. It is the step that turns a compliant car into a recognised one: the ANPR cameras match plates against the emission register, and a plate that is not in the register is not read as compliant. This is the single most common way a perfectly legal petrol car collects an Antwerp fine.

The zone never closes

Active since February 2017 across the city centre and part of Linkeroever, the LEZ operates around the clock — no evening gap, no weekend pause. That matters more here than in cities with office-hours schemes, because a late ferry or a night arrival at the port offers no shelter.

What it costs to get it wrong

Penalties escalate on a twelve-month clock: EUR 150 for a first offence, EUR 250 for a second and EUR 350 for a third or later, as set out in the city’s LEZ legislation. The escalation follows the plate, so a fortnight of daily unregistered entries is an expensive way to learn the rule.

Before you drive this petrol Euro 3 car into Antwerp

✅ Petrol floor is Euro 2 since 1 January 2025 — a Euro 3 petrol car is admitted
✅ Register the plate on the LEZ portal first; it is free and takes minutes
✅ The zone is active 24/7 — arrival time makes no difference
✅ Fines escalate 150 → 250 → 350 EUR within twelve months
✅ Electric cars and 30-year-old oldtimers are the recognised exemptions