Temporary registration of a vehicle - W plate

General information on the W plate

The W plate is intended for persons staying temporarily in Belgium. See the table showing the validity of the plates.

The end date of the validity period is inscribed on the plate using 3 indicators:

• the two figures stamped in the middle show the year;
• the two stickers show the day (above) and the month (below). They are in red or blue according to the tax regime.

Each plate is automatically deregistered when it expires.

For whom?

The persons entitled to a W plate are:

• persons temporarily away from Belgium;
• natural persons having their main residence in a country that is not a Party to the road traffic conventions;
• persons with a procedure underway with a view to obtaining a residence permit in Belgium;
• persons registered in the Waiting Register of a Belgian municipality;
• students originating from a non-EU country, for the duration of their studies in Belgium;
• persons originating from a non-EU country, on an assignment in Belgium for a foreign company, for the duration of their assignment;
• visa holders having bought a vehicle in Belgium for a temporary stay (the same applies to people who do not need a visa);
• foreign owners of a vehicle that they are moving or making move to Belgium, without it carrying a valid foreign registration plate or which does not yet have valid insurance.

Where and how much?

Applications to register a vehicle with a W plate must be submitted to the DIV offices: City Atrium – Vooruitgangstraat 60 Rue du Progrès - 1210 Brussels. (open every working day from 8:30 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 15:30)

See information on prices and delivery.

How to register a new vehicle with a W plate?    

To register a vehicle with a W plate, follow the steps below: 

• Complete and sign the registration application form that the seller has given you. You can be assisted and/or represented by a proxy (e.g., a company used to this type of registration - customs agency) or your insurer. 

PLEASE NOTE: Not all insurance companies offer temporary insurance! Please contact insurers directly to find out if they offer this type of insurance.

An application is submitted using original documents. No photocopy, even legalised, is accepted. The DIV officer should check, with the aid of the original documents, the accuracy of the information mentioned on the registration application form. Temporary registration is not allowed as long as the application is not complete and all the required documents have not been submitted. The promise to provide the documents at a later date or to show them when the registration documents are issued is not sufficient to process the application.

• Enclose the following original documents with the application:

• • proof of insurance contract (“green card”);
  • purchase invoice / sales contract;
  • original passport or identity card, issued abroad, valid and in a language understood by the DIV office or accompanied by an official translation;
  • a recent and original certificate of residence abroad if the identity documents do not mention any address;
  • if a Schengen visa is required for the country concerned, it must be submitted.

A W plate can be issued to a company established in an EU Member State based on a valid certificate proving that the company is actually established or registered abroad. This recent certificate is issued by a foreign authority. It must clearly include the name and address of the company, as well as its VAT number, as mentioned on the registration application form.

How to register a used vehicle with a W plate?    

Please note:

The seller must give you a registration application form, as they had to present the vehicle at a vehicle inspection station. This form is valid for TWO MONTHS after the date of your visit to the station. Check the date in box X13 (station stamp + date).

The seller must also give you their latest registration certificate or a Police Certificate if they no longer have their registration certificate. If you do not receive either of these 2 documents, ask them to take the necessary steps with the Police. 

If you have bought a vehicle that has not been presented at a vehicle inspection station, you must take it to the station, where you will receive a registration application form. Find a vehicle inspection station and useful information on this matter.

To register a vehicle with a W plate, follow the steps below: 

• Complete and sign the registration application form. You can be assisted and/or represented by a proxy (e.g., a company used to this type of registration - customs agency) or your insurer. 

PLEASE NOTE: Not all insurance companies offer temporary insurance! Please contact insurers directly to find out if they offer this type of insurance.

An application is submitted using original documents. No photocopy, even legalised, is accepted. The DIV officer should check, with the aid of the original documents, the accuracy of the information mentioned on the registration application form. Temporary registration is not allowed as long as the application is not complete and all the required documents have not been submitted. The promise to provide the documents at a later date or to show them when the registration documents are issued is not sufficient to process the application.

• Enclose the following original documents with the application:

• • proof of insurance contract (“green card”);
  • the latest registration certificate (or a certificate of involuntary dispossession from the Police if the registration certificate is lost/stolen);
  • purchase invoice / sales contract;
  • the proof that the vehicle inspection certificate is still valid;
  • original passport or identity card, issued abroad, valid and in a language understood by the DIV office or accompanied by an official translation;
  • a recent and original certificate of residence abroad if the identity documents do not mention any address;
  • if a Schengen visa is required for the country concerned, it must be submitted.

A W plate can be issued to a company established in an EU Member State based on a valid certificate proving that the company is actually established or registered abroad. This recent certificate is issued by a foreign authority. It must clearly include the name and address of the company, as well as its VAT number, as mentioned on the registration application form.

Status of your registration application  

Would you like to know the status of your registration application with the DIV? Go directly to our application “My vehicle, my plate”.

Extension

The period of validity of a temporary registration may be extended if the extension is granted BEFORE THE DATE WHEN THE TEMPORARY REGISTRATION COMES TO AN END, and if the conditions for the original registration are still valid when the extension is applied for. The total duration may not exceed the maximum duration set by the Royal Decree of 20 July 2001 on vehicle registration.

A new plate with a new number is issued when extending the temporary registration. A new registration certificate with the new period of validity will be issued with this new plate, and two new stickers will be affixed to the plate.

See the table with the validity periods for short-term temporary plates.

An application for extension is also submitted using original documents.

Incompatibility of temporary plates

A vehicle registered with a W plate may be registered later under a temporary plate by another holder, before the current validity expires.

Once the validity of the W plate has expired, the same holder can only register their vehicle with an ordinary plate.