From 1 January 2027, the mandatory technical inspection before the sale of a used car will disappear in Flanders for vehicles already registered in Belgium.

Mobility organization VAB says buyers should therefore rely on three “safety lines”: the regular roadworthiness inspection, the Car-Pass, and, for those seeking greater certainty, a voluntary professional diagnosis.

The warning comes as Belgium’s used-car market remains far bigger than the new-car market. More than 734,000 used cars were registered in 2025, compared with around 414,000 new ones. VAB says private buyers often turn to used cars mainly for budget reasons.

A green certificate is not a health check

According to VAB, the periodic inspection remains useful, but buyers should not mistake a green certificate for proof that the entire car is mechanically sound.

The test focuses mainly on road safety, emissions and administrative requirements. It does not assess many components that can generate expensive bills shortly after purchase.

VAB cites examples such as a failing alternator (€1,000), a worn clutch (€2,000), a drive belt (€800), or a defective air-conditioning compressor (€1,200). Its own diagnosis center checks such items and can also measure the State of Health of an EV battery.

Car-Pass forms the second line, providing mileage history and, increasingly, maintenance information, recalls, and, when available, battery-health data. The third, according to VAB, is a more extensive technical diagnosis before purchase.

There is also a commercial element: VAB itself sells such diagnoses. Still, a roadworthiness inspection is not designed to predict how much life remains in a clutch, battery or gearbox.

One in five has a serious defect

The bigger question is whether Flanders is removing too much protection at once. Since September 1st, 2026, all passenger cars in Flanders have moved to a two-year periodic inspection interval.

From January 1st, 2027, the mandatory second-hand inspection will no longer apply to cars already registered in Belgium; imports will still need one.

That is controversial because GOCA Vlaanderen says 93,029 of the 482,809 vehicles subjected to a second-hand inspection in 2025 had a major or dangerous defect: just over 19%, or almost one in five. Problems frequently concerned brakes, tires, suspension and lighting.

GOCA has an institutional interest in retaining inspections, just as VAB has one in promoting diagnostics. But those figures make the reform more than a simple exercise in cutting red tape.

Flanders goes its own way

The change also creates an unusual situation in Belgium. Wallonia and Brussels currently retain a specific used-car inspection before a vehicle is registered to a new owner. In Wallonia, that includes the normal technical check plus 33 additional inspection points.

Internationally, Flanders is not alone. The Netherlands does not require a fresh APK simply because a car changes owner; even a vehicle with an expired APK can be transferred, although it may not legally be driven without complying with the APK obligation. Germany also links roadworthiness testing to fixed intervals rather than to the sale itself.

France takes the opposite approach. When a private individual sells a passenger car more than four years old, the seller must normally provide a technical inspection dated less than six months ago.

Europe could tighten again

There is another twist. Flanders says the reform brings the system closer to what European rules actually require and removes additional regional obligations.

But the European Commission has proposed tightening the EU roadworthiness framework, including annual inspections for cars and vans over ten years old, plus new checks for EVs, electronic safety systems and emissions. That proposal is not yet law, but it runs counter to Flanders’ new two-year rhythm for all passenger cars.

The weakest buyers may carry the biggest risk

VAB’s 2023 Ipsos research found that 46% of used-car buyers were between 18 and 46, and that 60% of those buyers had a low income.

That creates an awkward paradox: people buying the cheapest cars may be least inclined to spend extra on an independent inspection, yet they are also least able to absorb a €1,000 alternator or €2,000 clutch failure.

So, from 2027, buying a used car in Flanders will be easier and less bureaucratic. It will also place more responsibility on the buyer. Car-Pass remains essential, but beyond mileage history and basic roadworthiness, “buyer beware” will gain considerably more weight.