Built-up areas and speed limit zones

A built-up area is an area where houses and other buildings are located close together. You can recognise the start of a built-up area by this road sign.

The name of the town or municipality is optional: the sign may also appear without a name.

In the Brussels-Capital Region, the maximum speed limit in a built-up area is 30 km/h.

A different maximum speed limit may be imposed by an additional road sign placed at or after the start of the built-up area.

In this case, drivers may still travel at 70 km/h, up to and including the next junction, or until another road sign sets a new speed limit.

After the junction, this combination of road signs is often repeated to remind you that you are still in a built-up area and that from that point onwards, the maximum speed limit is 50 km/h again.

If a 30 km/h sign is placed above the sign marking the start of the built-up area, the maximum speed limit is 30 km/h throughout the entire built-up area, not just up to and including the next junction.

This only applies to a 30 km/h sign. It does not apply to other speed limits.

When you leave a built-up area, the maximum speed limit on ordinary roads is 70 km/h in Flanders and the Brussels-Capital Region, and 90 km/h in Wallonia.

When leaving a built-up area, road signs may also impose a different speed limit.

In this example, the maximum speed limit is 50 km/h up to and including the next junction.

If you come across a road sign like the one in this example before the next junction, you may once again drive at 70 km/h in Flanders and the Brussels-Capital Region, and 90 km/h in Wallonia.

If you see a yellow sign with a red border, it is a place-name sign marking the boundary of a municipality.

This sign is not related to a built-up area and, by itself, has no effect on traffic rules.

A zone is an area consisting of one or more roads. The maximum permitted speed is shown on the road sign.

This speed limit always applies, both during the day and at night.

A zone remains in force until you reach an ‘end of zone’ sign.

The maximum permitted speed in a zone is shown on the road sign.

In this example, the maximum permitted speed is 50 km/h.

An electronic zone sign may also be used. It is only in force when it is illuminated. The maximum speed may vary depending on the time of day or the day itself.

In this example, the current maximum permitted speed is 30 km/h.