Procedure isolated case

Vehicles of all categories, except category L (see page category L), can be approved through a procedure called "isolated case" if they meet the following conditions:

  • vehicles without European COC or without Belgian approval certificate not registered in another Member State
  • vehicles imported from a country of the European Economic Area or Switzerland for which validation cannot be checked due to non-conformity
  • converted vehicles already registered and in possession of a European COC or a Belgian approval certificate. These are vehicles that have not been approved in accordance with Directive 2007/46/EU or 858/2018/EU. There is a different specific maximum in-service date for each vehicle category

Please note that the following vehicles cannot follow this procedure:

  • vehicles put in service before 15 June 1968
  • vehicles registered under the oldtimer licence plate

To start the procedure, make an appointment with one of the approved technical inspection centres in the Brussels-Capital Region.

Required documents

Certain mandatory documents are required for opening a file. The following documents must be presented to the technical inspection centres:

  • certificate of registration and/or approval from the country of origin
  • purchase invoice
  • at the request of the authority, a test report or approval certificate from the manufacturer/importer/agent related to the emission standards may be required

Transformation or modification of the vehicle

Some additional documents are required when converting or modifying the vehicle:

  • manufacturer's agreement or certification
  • if necessary, the regulatory documentation of the elements that have been changed or added
  • EU approval certificate or manufacturer's test report
  • test report from an accredited laboratory;
    • For example, conversion to a double cabin, evidence of seats
  • assembly instructions or instructions for added components or technical entities
  • if necessary, a detailed description of any modifications or additions made to the vehicle by the bodyshop
  • detailed plan in accordance with the transformation

Additional documents

Vehicles from outside the European Union

  • one or more official documents from the manufacturer that provide the technical data necessary for the vehicle registration procedure
  • the list of regulations or equivalent standards to which the vehicle conforms, signed by the manufacturer

Depending on the type of approval

  • if the vehicle comes from the United States or Canada, a CARFAX certificate, to be requested via www.carfax.eu
  • if necessary, a VIN re-stamping certificate
  • if necessary, test reports from an accredited laboratory
  • if you are moving, a certificate of address (or embassy)

Vehicles from the United Kingdom

Vehicles with a European approval number can be registered in Belgium without any problems.

The United Kingdom is no longer part of the European Union as of 1 January 2021. The approval procedures for vehicles imported from the UK without a European approval number have therefore been adapted. Vehicles registered for the first time before 1 January 2021, can still be registered after a validation procedure; vehicles registered for the first time after 1 January 2021, will be registered through individual approval.

If the British vehicles do not have a registration certificate in accordance with Directive 199/37/EC, they must have the following documents:

  • heritage certificate with technical specifications. Applications are made via the website if there is no longer an official vehicle representative (https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/archive/heritage-certificates)
  • CRIS certificate from the organisation for recreational vehicles; applications are made via https://www.cris.co.uk/cris-check/
  • one or more official documents from the manufacturer that provide the technical data necessary for registering the vehicle
  • Category O2: manufacturer's certificate before first use

American vehicles

American vehicles do not meet Euro standards. Depending on the situation, it is possible that the vehicle cannot be approved and therefore registered.

US vehicle emissions are determined differently than in the European Union. When importing a US vehicle, the date of the first registration is key in the vehicle approval process. For category M (passenger transport), all vehicles must comply with a minimum EURO 4 or California Level from the registration date of 01/01/2006. The manufacturer can provide a declaration of conformity to a certain EURO or California Level standard. For category N, the same requirement applies, but with a registration date of 01/01/2007.