How to sit the Belgian theory exam in English, by region

English is by far the most requested translation in Flanders: of 12,889 exams sat there with an audio translation in 2023, 9,232 were in English (a count that includes the risk-perception test) (GOCA Vlaanderen, annual report 2023). English is possible everywhere in Belgium. But each region organises it differently, and the differences matter: they change what you see on the screen, what you pay, and where you can go.

This guide covers each region in turn, then what the differences mean for how you study.

Facts checked on 29 September 2026 against the official regional pages linked in each section. Fees and rules change, so check your region’s page again before you book.

The same exam in every region

The exam itself is the same everywhere:

• 50 multiple-choice questions on a touchscreen, at an approved test centre.
• 41 out of 50 to pass. You start with 50 points. A wrong or unanswered question costs 1 point. A wrong answer on a question about a serious offence (a third- or fourth-degree offence) or about the speed limit costs 5 points.
• Two wrong answers on those serious questions mean you do not pass, whatever your other answers score. This rule is written into the rules of all three regions: the Flemish and Walloon versions of annex 4 to the Royal Decree of 23 March 1998, and art. 3.1.12 of the Brussels Government decree of 29 March 2018.
• 15 seconds at most to answer each question. In Flanders the 15 seconds start once the question has been read out in full (vlaanderen.be).
• You must be at least 17 to sit it.

What changes from region to region is the language, and so the way English reaches you.

Flanders: an English audio translation over a Dutch screen

How it works. Since 1 January 2023, Flanders uses an audio translation (in English, French or German) instead of interpreters. The screen always stays in Dutch: language law does not allow it to be translated (GOCA Vlaanderen). Through headphones you hear each question and every answer option first in Dutch, then in English (vlaanderen.be). Only after the question has been read out do your 15 seconds begin.

What it costs. The exam fee is €19, plus €43 for the audio translation: €62 in total (vlaanderen.be).

How to book. Choose any Flemish test centre and check on its website whether you need an appointment. When you arrive, tell the desk that you want the exam with the audio translation, and in which language. You cannot bring your own interpreter (vlaanderen.be).

What to bring. Your identity card. If you do not have a Belgian identity card, bring your residence card (vreemdelingenkaart). A copy is not accepted.

Coming in 2027. On 3 July 2026 the Flemish Government approved in principle a new rule: from 1 January 2027, to take the practical driving test in Flanders you will need a theory pass from a Flemish test centre, with no transition period (vlaanderen.be). If you plan to take your practical test in Flanders, sit the theory exam there too.

Brussels: an interpreter appointed by the centre

How it works. In the Brussels-Capital Region the exam is in French or Dutch. For English (or German, or sign language) you can have an interpreter appointed by the test centre. Sessions with an interpreter are by appointment only (be.brussels).

What it costs. The exam fee is €19. The interpreter costs €50 on top (be.brussels).

Where. There are two test centres in the Region: Anderlecht and Schaerbeek.

Keep your practical test in mind. To take the practical test in Brussels, you must have passed the Brussels theory exam within the last three years (be.brussels; decree of 29 March 2018, art. 3.2.4). A theory pass from Flanders or Wallonia does not open the Brussels practical test.

Wallonia: an interpreter, by appointment, at two centres

How it works. In Wallonia the exam is in French. It can be taken in German at the Eupen centre, and in Dutch or English by appointment at the Couillet and Wandre centres only (wallonie.be). In Dutch or English you are assisted by an interpreter, a sworn translator chosen by the test centre and paid by you, and the exam takes place no more than two months after you register (Royal Decree of 23 March 1998, art. 32 §3, Walloon Region version). If you want English, contact one of those two centres early.

What it costs. The exam fee is €17, and the interpreter adds €59: €76 in total, paid again for each attempt (IODDA tariff table, rates from 1 January 2026).

What you need. Proof that you are registered in the population register, the foreigners’ register or the waiting register of a Belgian municipality, and that you normally live in Belgium, which means at least 185 days a year. Students enrolled in a Belgian school or university for at least 185 days can instead bring a certificate from their institution, a valid foreign identity card, and the identification number their municipality gave them (wallonie.be).

Keep your practical test in mind. Since 1 January 2026, the Walloon practical test requires a theory pass from Wallonia obtained less than three years earlier (Royal Decree of 23 March 1998, art. 34, Walloon Region version, as amended by the Walloon Government decree of 28 November 2024).

The three regions side by side

What this means for how you study

You will decide against text in Dutch or French. In Flanders especially, the English is something you hear, not something you can read again. Learn the rules well enough that you recognise the situation, not just the English wording. It helps to know the Dutch or French names of the main signs and terms you will see on the screen.

The 15 seconds are for deciding, not reading. The question is read to you in full before the clock starts. Practise making your decision quickly once you know what is being asked.

Plan the practical test at the same time. Because Brussels and Wallonia, and Flanders from 2027, want a theory pass from their own region, take the theory exam where you will take the practical one.

Know which questions cost five points. Two wrong answers on serious-offence or speed questions mean you do not pass, so those rules deserve most of your attention. Our exam topics mark the topics most of those questions come from.

If you want to see how the questions feel, try 10 real-style questions — free, without an account.