Various documents linked to a person's vehicle will be included in the online 'wallet' which the Federal Government is set to introduce at the end of this year.
An online 'wallet' for all people living in Belgium, which would eventually bundle all official documents, from visas to marriage certificates, is expected to be introduced by the end of 2023 to simplify administrative processes. The tool, introduced by Secretary of State for Digitalisation, Mathieu Michel, will also allow people to store their vehicle documents here.
"The intention is that eventually you will only need your smartphone with you, and that it will contain everything from your driving licence to registration, inspection and conformity certificates," Michel's spokesperson Koen Peumans told The Brussels Times.
While the tool with several basic building blocks, such as a service allowing citizens to easily contact various government departments, will already be launched at the end of this year, "it will take a bit longer for the digitalisation of car documents," Peumans noted.
Electric versions not yet accepted
Anyone driving a car in Belgium must carry original copies of their driving licence and identity card, green or white card issued by insurers, the registration certificate issued by the Vehicle Registration Department (DIV), inspection certificate issued by the technical inspection and a certificate of conformity issued by the manufacturer of the car.
Some people only carry copies of these documents, or online versions, but these are not accepted during police checks, and cannot be used to prove that the vehicle is properly insured in case of an accident.
In the best case scenario, they are asked to drop by the police station with the originals a few days later. However, forgetting these documents often results in a fine and even confiscation of the vehicle.
These inconveniences and costs would be resolved once the digital wallet project is introduced and includes the ability to upload the official digital vehicle documents, as this would mean the documents would no longer have to be physically present in the vehicle.
