Reinstatement exams Belgium: medical and psychological

After a conviction for driving under the influence, you do not always get your licence back automatically when the driving ban (déchéance du droit de conduire) ends. The judge can make your reinstatement conditional on exams: a theory exam and a practical exam, a medical exam and a psychological exam. For a repeat offence, all four are compulsory. In this article we explain how the medical and psychological reinstatement exams (examens de réintégration) work.

This article complements our overviews of drink driving in Belgium and drug driving in Belgium.

When do you have to take reinstatement exams?

In addition to a driving ban, the judge can decide that you may only drive again after passing one or more reinstatement exams (Article 38 of the Road Traffic Act, loi relative à la police de la circulation routière). In cases of driving under the influence, these are often the medical and psychological exams.

For a repeat offence within three years, the judge is obliged to impose all four reinstatement exams. Read our article on repeat drink or drug driving.

If several measures are imposed, the order is fixed: first the driving ban, then the reinstatement exams and only after that any alcohol interlock (éthylotest antidémarrage).

Step 1: choosing a centre

After the judgment, the public prosecutor sends you a letter with a list of approved centres that can hold the reinstatement exams.

You have one month to tell the public prosecutor which centre you choose. Preferably choose a centre close to where you live.
You can also give your choice earlier, through the court registry.
If you do not communicate anything, the public prosecutor chooses for you. This usually causes delay, and that choice can no longer be changed afterwards.

The public prosecutor then contacts the centre. The centre gets in touch with you and first asks you to pay. Only then can you make an appointment. The centre must have enough capacity to examine you for the first time within 14 days of receiving the file and your payment.

Step 2: the exams

The exams take place in the official language of the region where the centre is located: Dutch in Flanders, French in Wallonia, Dutch or French in Brussels. If you do not have a sufficient command of that language, you must bring a sworn interpreter yourself.

The psychological exam

A psychologist assesses to what extent your attitudes, your choices and your behaviour in traffic are consistent with safe driving. The exam has three parts:

an interview about the offence and the circumstances, your education and your work, your family and social situation, your use of alcohol, drugs or medication and your mental state;
questionnaires about your use of substances and about personality traits that affect how safely you drive;
computer tests of your reaction time, your attention and your perception. No computer experience is needed, and anyone who cannot use a computer gets a paper version.

For an offence involving alcohol or drugs, the psychologist looks in particular for signs of abuse or dependence, stable abstinence if there has been a problem in the past, a good understanding of what happened and the motivation to change your behaviour.

This may sound daunting, but most people get through it without difficulty. The exam is designed to identify drivers who have a real problem.

The medical exam

A doctor checks whether you meet, physically and mentally, the medical standards in Annex 6 of the Royal Decree on the driving licence. In cases of driving under the influence, the doctor pays particular attention to signs of alcohol or drug abuse or dependence. The doctor can ask for additional tests, such as blood or urine tests, or a specialist’s opinion. The tests that can help are discussed in our article on the PEth test, hair analysis and blood values.

Step 3: the decision

After the exams, the doctor and the psychologist review your file. If you have taken both exams, the doctor decides after consulting the psychologist. There are three possible outcomes:

Fit. You can get your licence back, provided the other conditions of the judgment are also met.
Fit subject to conditions. The centre can impose restrictions that are noted on your licence, such as validity limited to certain vehicles, a limited period, zero tolerance for alcohol or vehicle adaptations.
Unfit. You have to take the exam again.

The decision is sent to you, to the public prosecutor and to the court registry.

What if you fail?

You have to retake the exam you failed.
The law does not set a fixed waiting period between two attempts. The centre can set one and, after an unfavourable decision, it is often six months in practice. Sometimes it is also useful to wait of your own accord, for example until there are no longer any traces of a substance in your body.
If you have been declared unfit twice in a row at the same centre, or if you dispute the conditions, you can ask to take the exams at another centre, designated by the minister.
You can contact the centre again three weeks before the end of a period of unfitness or of a restriction.

How much do the exams cost?

You pay for the exams yourself. The rates are set by ministerial decree and indexed every year. At Vias, they cost the following in 2026:

Exam	Price (2026)
Medical exam	125 euros
Psychological exam	425 euros
Total	550 euros

Driving without having passed the exams

As long as you have not taken and passed the exams imposed, you may not drive. Anyone who does so anyway commits a separate offence (Article 48 of the Road Traffic Act). In addition to a penalty, a new driving ban of at least three months then follows automatically.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I have to take the reinstatement exams?

At a psycho-medical-social centre approved by the FPS Mobility and Transport, such as Vias or another approved centre. The public prosecutor sends you a list. You choose yourself, but you must communicate your choice within one month. If you do not, the public prosecutor chooses.

How much does a psychological reinstatement exam cost?

At Vias, the psychological exam costs 425 euros in 2026 and the medical exam 125 euros, making 550 euros in total. The rates are indexed every year and set by law. You pay in advance; only then do you get an appointment.

How long does it take to get an appointment?

The centre must be able to examine you for the first time within 14 days of receiving your file from the public prosecutor and your payment. The biggest delay usually happens earlier, when you do not communicate your choice of centre in time.

Can I prepare for the psychological exam?

Preparing for the tests themselves is not necessary. It is, however, useful to be honest and consistent about what happened, and to show that you have learned from it. Evidence of ongoing support or of abstinence, such as a PEth test or a hair analysis, can strengthen your file.

What if I do not speak the centre’s language well?

The exams take place in the official language of the region where the centre is located. In Brussels, you can choose between Dutch and French. If you do not have a sufficient command of the language, you must bring a sworn interpreter yourself, at your own expense.

What happens if I drive after the driving ban without having taken the exams?

You are then driving without a valid right to drive. That is a separate offence, punished with a penalty and automatically a new driving ban of at least three months. So always wait until you have actually passed the exams and got your licence back.

Have your case reviewed

Have you been ordered to take reinstatement exams, or are they a risk in your case? We explain what lies ahead and help you meet the deadlines. Contact us.

Law as at 29 September 2026. We update this article when the rules change.

Medical and psychological reinstatement exams: how they work