Parking in Antwerp
Coming by car? Driving into the centre of Antwerp is slow and parking is expensive. Here is where to park near the sights, the cheaper Park & Ride option, and what you need to know about the Low Emission Zone.
🚫 Low Emission Zone (LEZ)
The whole city centre of Antwerp and Linkeroever (the left bank) form a Low Emission Zone, enforced 24/7 by number-plate cameras. It applies to all vehicles, including cars, camper vans, vans and coaches, whether registered in Belgium or abroad.
- Diesel cars must be at least Euro 5: Euro 5 and Euro 6 diesels are admitted, Euro 4 and older only with a day pass.
- Petrol, LPG and natural gas cars must be at least Euro 2; Euro 1 and older only with a day pass. Electric and hydrogen cars are always admitted.
- The stricter rules planned for 2026 were scrapped by the Flemish government on 28 November 2025, so these norms still apply in 2026.
- Non-compliant vehicle? An LEZ day pass costs €45 and is valid for one day until 06:00 the next morning, up to 12 times a year. Buy it online (up to 4 months ahead and at the latest the day after) or at one of the seven LEZ machines in the city.
- A day pass for Antwerp is not valid in Ghent or Brussels.
Foreign cars: Foreign-registered vehicles (except Dutch ones) must be registered once, for free, at lez.antwerpen.be, before entering or at the latest the day after. You need the registration certificate and, if applicable, the European certificate of conformity. A registration is valid for every LEZ in Flanders (also Ghent), but not for Brussels. Not registered in time? Even a compliant car gets a fine; late registration within 30 days of the fine costs €75.
Fine: €150 for a first offence, €250 for a second one within 12 months, and €350 for every further offence within 12 months of the previous fine.
Car parks near the sights
Grote Markt · Indigo
Groenplaats · Indigo
Zuiderterras · Mobiliteit en Parkeren Antwerpen
Meir · Interparking
Hopland · Interparking
Oudaen · Interparking
Opera · Indigo
Roosevelt · Interparking
Station-ZOO · Indigo
Hangar 26 · Indigo
't Zuid Zillion · Indigo
Park & Ride: park outside, tram in
- P+R Linkeroever
- P+R Merksem
- P+R Luchtbal
- P+R Olympiade
- P+R Wommelgem
Street parking
In the historic centre (between the Scheldt, the Leien, Brouwersvliet and Kasteelpleinstraat) visitors can no longer park on the street at all: only residents and permit holders may. Around it, you pay Monday to Saturday. In the red zone (09:00–22:00, max. 3 hours) the first hour costs €2.60, the second €3.80 and the third €6.40; light green costs €1.40 for the first hour and €1.80 after that. Further out, dark green (€1.40, then €1.80 per hour) and yellow (€0.90 per hour) have no time limit until 19:00. Parking is free on Sundays and public holidays (except in the event zones around the AFAS Dome). Pay at the meter by card, by app (4411, EasyPark, Yellowbrick, Seety and others) or by SMS to 4411 (Belgian numbers). For a day of sightseeing, a car park or a P+R is cheaper and simpler.
Tips
Foreign car? Register it first
Even if your car meets the LEZ norms, a foreign number plate (except Dutch) must be registered once for free at lez.antwerpen.be, at the latest the day after you drive in. Otherwise the fine is €150.
No street parking in the old town
Visitors can't park on the street in the historic centre. Head straight for a car park, such as Grote Markt, Groenplaats or Zuiderterras, all within a few minutes' walk of the Grote Markt.
Park for €1 at a P+R
The P+Rs on the edge of the city cost €1 for the first 24 hours and are all outside the LEZ. For Merksem, Luchtbal and Linkeroever, the De Lijn app sells a temporary €6 combi ticket: parking up to 24 hours plus a return trip for one person. A regular De Lijn ticket costs €3 and is valid for an hour.
Going to the ZOO? Use the ZOO deals
ZOO visitors pay €8.60 at Station-ZOO (09:00–19:00, book in the Indigo Neo app) or €5 for a full day at Roosevelt with the promo code from the ZOO website, booked in advance with Interparking.
Mind the height limit
Many older car parks in Antwerp only take vehicles up to about 1.85–1.90 m. With a van or roof box, choose Zuiderterras (3.50 m), Hopland (2.25 m) or Meir (2.20 m), or a P+R (2.20 m; Olympiade has no limit).
Trams to Linkeroever are paused
Until the end of March 2027, no trams run under the Scheldt because of tunnel works. From P+R Linkeroever, take the shuttle bus to Operaplein instead.
Plan your trip → Put these places in a day plan with walking times.
More guides
Checked: 1 October 2026. Prices and hours can change; check the official site before you go.