In 2027, Belgium will introduce a mandatory digital vignette for drivers using its highways, marking the end of free access on these roads for millions of European motorists. This change will affect border residents, vacationers, and drivers from other countries, who will need to plan their routes and budgets accordingly. For years, Belgium’s highways have been among the few in Europe that were free to use, unlike countries such as France and Italy, where tolls are managed by private companies. Starting in May 2027, all vehicles under 3.5 tons will need to purchase a digital vignette to use major highways and regional roads. The system will be linked to the vehicle’s registration number and paid for through a digital platform. The agreement to implement this system was reached after more than two decades of discussion, with the three regions of Belgium—Wallonia, Flanders, and the Brussels-Capital Region—finally coming together on a unified approach. The goal is to raise funds for the maintenance and improvement of the country’s major roads. The vignette will be required on highways and national and regional roads but not on local roads, which could complicate route planning for drivers trying to avoid the fee. According to La Voix du Nord, drivers will need to pay attention to road signs: green for highways, blue for national and regional roads, and white with black text for local roads. This visual system is the opposite of what is used in France. The pricing for the vignette will be flat-rate, similar to models used in Switzerland and Austria. A zero-emission vehicle will cost €90 annually, while older vehicles (Euro 0 to 3) may pay up to €125 per year. Additional options will include short-term vignettes for 24 hours, ten days, or one or two months. The revenue from the system is expected to be significant: Flanders anticipates around €130 million per year, while Wallonia expects €327 million. These funds will support road maintenance, rehabilitation, and new developments, as Wallonia already spends nearly €700 million annually on its roads. Certain vehicles, including motorcycles, agricultural tractors, and buses, will be exempt from the vignette, as will trucks already subject to a toll based on distance traveled. Emergency services, defense, and police will also be exempt. Enforcement will be done through cameras that read license plates and check in real time whether a valid vignette is in place. Drivers caught without a vignette will face a fine of €70. Before the system can be implemented, the agreement still needs final approval from the regions and approval from European authorities. Critics have raised concerns, citing the 2019 case where the European Court of Justice blocked a similar vignette system in Germany due to concerns about fairness for foreign drivers. This leaves some uncertainty about the final timeline for the Belgian reform.