Can I jaywalk?
No, crossing on red or away from the crossing is an offence — pedestrians must follow the lights and the nearest crossing. As a pedestrian you must obey the pedestrian lights: red means you may not start crossing. If there is a pedestrian crossing within 20 metres, you must use it (art. 42 of the road code). If you cross elsewhere, it must be perpendicular to the roadway, without dawdling, giving way to traffic and watching the vehicles. Breaking this — crossing on red or ignoring the crossing — is a first-degree offence: since 1 July 2026 an immediate settlement of €64 (plus a €10.67 surcharge).
📋 The rules
- Red pedestrian light: you may not step onto the roadway
- If there is a crossing within 20 metres, you must use it (art. 42 of the road code)
- Crossing elsewhere only perpendicular to the roadway, giving way to traffic
- Don't dawdle and keep an eye on approaching vehicles
- Fine: first-degree offence — €64 since 1 July 2026 (+ €10.67)
🔓 Exceptions
- With no crossing within 20 metres, you may cross where you like, as long as you go perpendicular and safely
- Instructions from an authorised person (e.g. a traffic warden) always take priority over the lights
- Cyclists are not pedestrians: they follow the vehicle lights or the bicycle lights, and running a red is for them a third-degree offence (€191)
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Crossing improperly as a pedestrian is a first-degree offence: the lightest category, but not a free pass. Since the 1 July 2026 increase the immediate settlement is €64 (previously €58), plus a €10.67 administrative surcharge — so the older amounts still circulating online are out of date. If you don't pay, the file goes to the prosecutor, who can bring you before the police court, where the bill runs higher than the settlement. On a bike you are no longer a pedestrian but a driver: running a red then becomes a third-degree offence of €191.
📎 Official sources
- VSV / Veilig Verkeer · where pedestrians must cross →
- Wegcode.be · road code (art. 42) →
- Mobilit.belgium.be · immediate settlements (1 July 2026) →
❓ Frequently asked
Can I cross on red if there are no cars?
No. A red pedestrian light means you may not start crossing, even if the road looks completely clear. It stays a first-degree offence: an immediate settlement of €64, plus a €10.67 administrative surcharge.
Do I always have to use the pedestrian crossing?
If there is a crossing within 20 metres, yes, you are obliged to use it. If there is none nearby, you may cross where you like, but perpendicular to the roadway and giving way to traffic.
How much is a fine for crossing improperly?
Since 1 July 2026 it is an immediate settlement of €64 plus a €10.67 surcharge; before that it was €58. If you leave the settlement unpaid, the prosecutor can still take you to the police court.
Does the same apply to cyclists?
No: cyclists count as drivers and follow the vehicle lights, or the bicycle lights where they exist. Running a red weighs heavier for them — it is a third-degree offence of €191, nearly three times as much.
What if a warden signals the opposite of the light?
You follow the warden. Instructions from an authorised person, such as a traffic warden at a school gate, always take priority over the traffic lights — including over a red pedestrian light.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “jaywalking fine belgium”
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- “red light pedestrian”
- “immediate settlement pedestrian 64 euro”