Country guide · Belgium

Google Ads Government Certification in Belgium

Quick answer

Google’s policy lists Belgium as a regional exclusion for two related categories: vehicle owner registration and license plate numbers (Germany is the only other country excluded for both). Google does not name any Belgian document as an example. Other covered services in Belgium follow the general rules, so certification may still be required depending on the service.

Key points

  • Belgium: regional exclusions for vehicle owner registration and license plate numbers.
  • No Belgian examples and no other Belgium-specific rule in Google’s policy.
  • Driver licenses, road tolls, passports and background checks have no Belgian exclusion.
  • Exclusion applicants still apply through Google’s certification form and complete advertiser verification.

Quick summary

Quick summary
TopicWhat it means
Mentioned in Google’s policy?Yes: two regional exclusions
Belgian examplesNone
Regional exclusions for BelgiumVehicle owner registration; license plate number
Not excludedDriver licenses, public road access fees, passports, background checks and other categories
Country-wide certification rule?No

The policy for advertisers in Belgium

Belgium’s references are both about vehicles. Services that help with registering a vehicle or obtaining a plate and target Belgium can use the exclusion route. For everything else, Google’s policy has no Belgian specifics, so advertisers should assess each service against the general rules.

Does Belgium require Google Ads government certification?

There is no Belgium-wide rule. In short:

  • Vehicle registration and license plate services targeting Belgium: regional exclusions; no need to qualify as a government or authorized provider, but you still apply to be excluded.
  • Other covered services (driver licenses, passports, identity numbers, background checks, tolls…): certification may be required depending on the service and advertiser.

Belgian references in Google's policy

Belgium in Google's policy
CategoryGoogle’s descriptionBelgium
Vehicle owner registrationApplying for a car registration card or number, services enabling direct registry or renewal, paying registration feesRegional exclusion
License plate numberApplying for or renewing a license plate number, applying for a vehicle registration plate numberRegional exclusion

Belgium-specific considerations

Vehicle import and registration services

Services that handle registration of imported or second-hand vehicles and the related plate can use the exclusions when targeting Belgium. Check that each service you advertise really fits one of the two categories.

What is still covered

Driver license services, emissions-zone or toll payments, and identity or travel documents are not excluded for Belgium. Unlike Australia, Canada or several Latin American countries, Belgium is not listed as an exclusion for public road access fees and passes.

Cross-border targeting

An exclusion applies to the listed region. Registration services targeting neighbouring countries need to check those countries separately; Germany has the same two exclusions, France and the Netherlands do not.

Government providers in Belgium

Federal, regional and municipal authorities can apply as government providers using their official domains (for example belgium.be or regional domains).

Authorized non-government providers

For covered services, Belgian intermediaries must meet the three authorized-provider criteria: explicit authorization with a link on an official, public government website for the specific service, a domain limited to that service, and targeting limited to the authorized region. A Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (KBO/BCE) number or trade registration is not authorization.

Advertiser verification

Use the Belgian document list Google shows in your account. Belgian companies often operate under a trade name; make sure the legal name on the documents matches the payments profile exactly.

Certification vs advertiser verification

An exclusion is granted through the certification process; verification is separate. See the comparison.

Landing page considerations

We recommend clear company identification and enterprise number, fees shown separately from official charges, a link to the official service and no government branding, also for excluded vehicle services.

Common problems

  • Extending the vehicle exclusions to driver license or toll services.
  • Not applying for the exclusion.
  • Trade name vs legal name mismatches in verification.

Practical preparation checklist

  1. List vehicle registration and plate services separately.
  2. Apply for the regional exclusion with the correct category.
  3. Assess other services under the general rules.
  4. Prepare verification documents.

Offering vehicle or other government-related services in Belgium?

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Next steps

Frequently asked questions

Can I advertise vehicle registration services in Belgium?

Belgium is a regional exclusion for vehicle owner registration and license plate numbers. You do not need government or authorized-provider status for these categories but still apply to be excluded.

No. Driver license regional exclusions are Israel and Italy only.

No. Belgium is not in the list of regional exclusions for public road access fees and passes.

Official Google sources

Google updates its policies and help pages. Check the current version of these pages before you apply or change your account. We last checked them on the “Last reviewed” date shown at the top of this page.

Keep reading

Related resources

Policy Reference

Covered categories, exclusions, enforcement and recent changes.

Germany

Führungszeugnis is a named example. Regional exclusions for health insurance, vehicle owner registration and license plates.

Netherlands

The VOG (certificate of conduct) is a named example of criminal background checks. No regional exclusions.

Written and reviewed by

Mathew D'Souza

Google Ads Specialist · 10+ years of experience

Mathew D'Souza is a Google Ads Specialist with more than 10 years of professional experience in digital advertising and Google Ads. Through Ads Verification Pro, he provides independent guidance and practical support for advertisers dealing with Google Ads policy, verification, certification and compliance requirements.

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