BelgiumvsFrance
Belgium and France share a land border — here's how their driving rules differ, side by side.
VERIFIED 2026-07-29 & 2026-07-29 · METHODOLOGY| RULE | Belgium | France |
|---|---|---|
| Driving side | Drives on the right | Drives on the right |
| Urban speed limit | 50 km/h | 50 km/h |
| Rural speed limit | 90 km/h | 80 km/h |
| Motorway speed limit | 120 km/h | 130 km/h |
| Alcohol limit (general) | 0.5‰ | 0.5‰ |
| Alcohol limit (novice) | Same as general | 0.2‰ |
| Mandatory equipment | Warning triangle, Hi-vis vest | Warning triangle, Hi-vis vest |
| Tolls | No general toll | Toll booths |
| Headlights | Not generally mandatory in daylight outside tunnels; recommended in poor visibility. | Dipped headlights recommended in poor visibility; not generally mandatory in daylight outside tunnels, though many newer cars run daytime lights by default. |
| Winter tires / chains | No legal requirement for winter tires or chains, though recommended given variable winter conditions. | In designated mountain zones (Alps, Pyrenees, Massif Central, Vosges, Jura, Corsica), winter tires or snow chains are required from 1 November to 31 March on routes marked with a specific sign — check signage before entering these areas. |
| Low-emission / restricted zones | Brussels, Antwerp, and Ghent all operate low-emission zones (LEZ) requiring vehicle registration and meeting emissions criteria — check each city before driving in, since non-compliant vehicles can be fined even for a single entry. | Numerous "Zones à Faibles Émissions" (Paris, Lyon, Grenoble, and others) require a Crit’Air sticker matching the vehicle’s emissions category. |
| Child seats | Children under 135 cm must use an approved child restraint suited to their height and weight. | Children under 10 years old (or 135 cm) must use an approved child restraint; generally not permitted in the front seat unless an exception applies. |
| Mobile phone use | Hands-free only; holding a phone while driving is prohibited. | Hands-free only; holding a phone is prohibited even while stopped with the engine running. |
| Currency | EUR | EUR |
| Emergency number | 112 | 112 |