On Car-free Sunday, motor vehicles are not allowed to drive anywhere within Brussels-Capital Region between 09.30 and 19.00.
However, there are a few exceptional cases where people may need to use a car on this day. So they can make an application to their municipality to get an exemption. This exemption may be granted after the case has been assessed, as the municipality retains the right to accept or refuse any application, depending on the case presented to it. The examples mentioned below should not in any way be considered cases that guarantee you will be granted an exemption. Here are some examples:
- Journey to/from the airport: an exemption may be granted to drive to the airport, in order to drop off or pick up someone who cannot use public transport; a copy of the plane ticket or proof of the booking reservation must be carried.
- A home move or the transport of bulky/fragile items: as the date of Car-free Sunday is known to everyone, we ask that you make your own arrangements in advance and plan your move on another day or either before or after the scheduled times of Car-free Sunday (before 09.30 or after 19.00). If you simply cannot organise your home move on another day or at another time (please provide proof that your booking of equipment/vehicles cannot be cancelled), you may apply for an exemption.
- Participation in a secondhand market or a market: as with the transport of items, it is also recommended that your travel should take place outside the times when car travel is not allowed. If that is impossible, you may apply for an exemption to the municipality.
- Professional work where you are likely to be called on in an emergency, e.g. state security, national defence, or a duty doctor.
In some exceptional cases, car travel is permitted without an exemption:
- People with disabilities can travel by car as long as they have their card with them on their trip. They can also be transported by a third party, if the person with a disability is riding in the same car.
- Pregnant women are allowed to travel by car and do not need an exemption to go the hospital or the maternity ward for childbirth. An exemption may also be applied for at the municipality, if the pregnant woman is unable to travel in any form of transport other than a car for medical reasons (on presentation of a medical certificate).
- Travel for an emergency or medical reason bypresenting a medical certificate.
If you are a resident of Brussels, you should address your application for an exemption to your municipality’s administration.
If you are not a resident of Brussels, you should address your application for an exemption to the municipality to which you want to travel.
Official deadline for requests for derogations for the whole region is September 17, 2025 (contact your local council for details). If you are living in Brussels, you should submit your exemption application to your municipal administration.