A vehicle in the deceased's name is not just paperwork. Until a decision is made the car must stay insured and no one can drive it without risk. Below are four practical scenarios with the official Belgian procedure for each.
First gather the documents
Before doing anything, collect:
- the registration certificate (parts 1 and 2 of the pink form, or the credit-card sized card);
- the certificate of conformity (COC);
- the current insurance policy (at least third-party);
- an extract from the death certificate (every administration will ask for it).
Keep these together in your Nalenta dossier. Each office will ask again.
Scenario 1: an heir keeps the vehicle
A legal heir (spouse, child, parent) can transfer the vehicle on the basis of a certificate or deed of inheritance. At the DIV (Vehicle Registration Service), submit:
- registration application (form 705);
- insurer's attestation that the vehicle is insured in the new name;
- proof of heir status;
- the old registration certificate.
Cost: €30 registration fee, plus €30 for a new plate if you choose a personal plate. The existing number plate may be kept by the spouse or a child within four months of the death.
Scenario 2: the vehicle is sold
Before sale a roadworthiness test for sale is mandatory at an approved centre (around €41). At the sale:
- buyer and seller (heir) sign the back of the pink registration certificate;
- the buyer registers the vehicle in their name within four months of the test;
- the heirs receive the sale price and book it into the estate.
Important: the original insurance remains in force until the vehicle is re-registered. Cancel the policy only after the DIV confirms.
Scenario 3: take the vehicle off the road
If no one takes the vehicle, you cancel the registration:
- return the number plate to the DIV (by registered mail or via an approved Bpost drop-off point);
- request a deregistration certificate;
- send that certificate to the insurer so the policy ends on the deregistration date.
From the moment the plate is handed in, the vehicle is no longer insured and cannot be driven, not even for a short trip.
Scenario 4: scrap the vehicle
For scrapping, deliver the vehicle to an approved depollution and destruction centre (Febelauto network). You receive a destruction certificate which serves as proof for the deregistration at the DIV. Insurance ends on the date of the certificate. No trade-in value, but a clean close.
Insurance during the in-between period
Between the date of death and the decision, the car may sit on the drive. The insurer cannot unilaterally cancel the policy during the first four months, provided a legal heir keeps paying the premium. Ask in writing for confirmation that the policy runs in the name of the estate.
Fines and taxes still arriving
Traffic fines from before the death remain payable by the estate. Road tax is refunded pro rata from the deregistration date. Send the death certificate and deregistration certificate to the Vlaamse Belastingdienst, the SPW Fiscalité (Wallonia) or Brussels Fiscality.
How Nalenta helps
In Nalenta you record in the dossier what happens with the vehicle. We then generate the correct letters (return of plate, cancellation of insurance, notification to the tax administration) and track the deadlines in your checklist.