From 1 September, mandatory inspections for second-hand vehicles will no longer be required in Flanders.
The change follows a reform approved on Friday by the Flemish government on Friday, according to Mobility Minister Annick De Ridder (Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie, N-VA).
The Vooruit party had opposed some of the proposed relaxations in recent months.
The reform aims to eliminate “gold-plating,” which refers to the imposition of stricter rules than those mandated by European standards.
Second-hand inspections will no longer apply to cars and motorbikes purchased within Belgium by Flemish residents. Only imported vehicles will still need to undergo the check.
The CarPass system, which records information such as mileage, will remain mandatory during sales transactions.
Vehicle owners who wish to have a pre-sale inspection can request an early periodic check instead.
Older vehicles, currently inspected annually, will now only need a check every two years. This adjustment previously applied only to cars under ten years old but will now extend to passenger cars older than ten years or with more than 160,000 kilometres on the odometer.
From 2026 to 2028, vans and light freight vehicles will transition gradually from annual to biennial inspections. Taxis and ambulances will move from six-monthly checks to yearly inspections.
The same extended timelines will apply to agricultural vehicles, buses, and fairground trucks.
As of September, installing a tow hitch will no longer require inspection approval.
Several other simplifications are also set to take effect.
Vehicle owners will no longer need to present proof of insurance during inspections, as this is already verified federally with ANPR cameras.
The temporary three-month inspection certificate for administrative shortcomings will be abolished. For minor defects, owners will now receive a regular certificate with standard validity.
For vehicles failing inspection with a red card, the repair deadline will be extended from 15 days to 2 months.
And, by the end of next year, the government plans to approve a new reform that will allow garages to carry out vehicle inspections.
