Mobility budget 2026: the complete guide
Corporate mobility has been changing fast. Belgium introduced the mobility budget to make commuting more flexible, more sustainable, and more tax-efficient for both employers and employees. Whether you manage a fleet for a large enterprise or are just getting started, this guide covers everything you need to know about the legal mobility budget in 2026.
Table of contents
What is the mobility budget?
The mobility budget, also known as the legal mobility budget or, the federal mobility budget, is a Belgian incentive that allows employees to exchange their company car or their right to a company car for a tax-free budget. Employees can spend this budget on alternative and sustainable mobility options. No taxes? In Belgium? Yes, it's possible.
For employers, the mobility budget does not entail any additional cost compared to a company car. The legal mobility budget equals the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of the employee's company car. All car costs are converted into a budget. Switching to a legal mobility budget is cost-neutral for the employer.
Make sure none of your employees has a mobility budget exceeding 1/5 of their total gross annual salary on 1 January.
Note: A draft law currently proposes to make the mobility budget mandatory for all companies offering a company car in their salary packages. If adopted, companies would have until 1 January 2027 to comply, and until 1 January 2028 for smaller companies with 15 to 50 employees. The legislation is pending final parliamentary approval. We are monitoring this closely.
Budget limits in 2026:
| Type | Amount |
|---|---|
| Maximum yearly budget | €3.233 |
| Maximum yearly budget | €17.244 |
| Maximum % of gross annual salary | 20% (1/5 rule) |
What is the total gross annual wage of the employee?
The gross annual wage includes:
Gross salary
Tips
Premiums
It does not include: holiday pay, allowances for occupational accidents, or shares/stocks. This salary base sets the fiscal boundaries for the maximum benefit available to each employee.
What are the benefits of the mobility budget?
For employers:
No additional cost vs. a company car, it's cost-neutral
More attractive, flexible salary packages
Better sustainability reporting and lower CO2 footprint
For employees:
Tax-free spending on mobility and housing
Freedom to choose how they commute
Potential cash-out at year end
Curious about the financial impact? Use our free TCO calculator to run the numbers.
Is my company eligible for the mobility budget?
Companies must meet one key criterion: they must have made one or more company cars available to at least one employee for an uninterrupted period of at least 36 months.
Companies that have existed for less than 36 months are eligible as soon as they have allocated at least one company car to an employee.
⚠️ This applies to companies of all sizes from growing SMEs to large enterprises with hundreds of employees.
↘ Download our complete mobility budget guide for a full eligibility checklist.
Is my employee eligible for the mobility budget?
Employees can opt for the mobility budget if they already have a company car or are eligible for one according to the company's car policy.
The previous waiting period has been abolished. Employees can now opt in immediately when they become eligible for a company car, no waiting required.
For HR managers: eligibility is determined by your existing company car policy. Employees who are entitled to a car can request the mobility budget at any time.
How to calculate the amount of a mobility budget?
The mobility budget in Belgium is calculated based on the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of a company car. This includes not only the purchase or leasing price but also additional costs such as fuel, insurance, maintenance, and taxes. The TCO is used to determine the annual cost of the company car for the employer. Once this TCO is established, the mobility budget amount can be set to that amount.
You can do this TCO calculation very easily by using our free TCO calculator.
Part-time employee? There's no obligation to lower the amount. Although for fairness reasons, some employees do it using the pro-rata method. Read more about how to keep the policy fair for part-time employment here.
What can I spend the mobility budget on?
This budget can be spent on three main categories (also called the pillars) from an environmentally friendly company car (pillar 1) to sustainable transport options or housing costs (pillar 2). The remaining budget that hasn't been spent at the end of the year is received in cash (not subject to standard income tax or social security but is reduced by a fixed solidarity contribution of 38.07%). All expenses in categories 1 and 2 are tax-free if they meet the legal conditions.
Pillar 1: Eco-friendly company car
A mobility budget can still include a company car, as long as it is:
- an electric car
- a company car where:
The CO2 emission is less than 95g of CO2 per kilometer;
the emission standard for air pollutants must at least correspond to the standard in force for new vehicles or to a later standard;
if it is a hybrid car, the energy capacity of the electric battery must be at least equal to 0.5 kWh per 100 kg of car weight;
The car must score at least as good as the previous company car for the above three conditions
From 1 January 2026, only fully electric cars will be considered environmentally friendly. There is no obligation for the employer to offer Pillar 1.
Plug-in hybrids and other low-emission cars that meet the above criteria can still qualify under Pillar 1, provided they were ordered before 1 January 2026. Any car ordered from 2026 onward must be fully zero-emission to be eligible.
Pillar 2: Sustainable mobility and housing costs
For employees, the budget can be spent on:
Personal mobility:
- Buying, renting, leasing or maintaining an (electric) bike, scooter, hoverboard, and more
- Protective equipment for the driver and passengers
- Parking costs
Public transport:
- Subscriptions (for the employee and family members under the same roof)
- Individual tickets (no household restriction)
Shared mobility:
- Shared cars, bikes and scooters
- Rental cars (max. 30 days)
- Taxis
Housing costs:
- Rent, mortgage capital and interest, if the employee lives within 10 km of their normal workplace (as the crow flies), or works more than 50% from home
Pillar 3: Cash-out
Any unspent budget at year end is paid out in cash. This cash-out:
- Is not subject to standard income tax
- Is not subject to standard social security contributions
- Is subject to a fixed solidarity contribution of 38.07% (used for social rights such as pension)
This makes it significantly more advantageous than a regular salary increase.
More about the three pillars: Understanding the 3 pillars of the mobility budget
Real-life examples: how employees use the mobility budget
Jeroen has a Volkswagen ID5 company car. He decided to start with the legal mobility budget, as he is also pleased with a smaller company car and the freedom to choose other mobility options. An example of what is possible:
| Total budget | €15.000 |
|---|---|
| Pillar 1 | €8.500 |
| Skoda Enyaq | €8.500 |
| Pillar 2 | €3.800 |
| Racing bike | €2.500 |
| Eurostar tickets | €400 |
| Shared Scooters | €600 |
| Bike maintenance | €300 |
| Pillar 3 | €2.700 |
| Cash (38,07%) | €1.027,89 |
Tom has the right to have an Audi Q4 e-tron company car. He decided to start with the legal mobility budget, as he doesn’t need his company car and is eligible for housing costs within the legal mobility budget. An example of what is possible:
| Total budget | €12.000 |
|---|---|
| Pillar 1 | €0 |
| Pillar 2 | €12.000 |
| Housing rent | €8.800 |
| Car rental | €1.700 |
| SNCB subscription | €1.500 |
| Pillar 3 | €0 |
How to implement the mobility budget in your company:
Whether you run a mobility budget platform for a large enterprise or are setting up your first mobility budget solution as an SME, these 5 steps apply:
1. Write a mobility budget policy
Define your sustainable mobility policy and get the paperwork ready. This is a legal requirement before you can get started.
Need help? Use our legal document templates or talk to our experts.
2. Determine the budget
The mobility budget is based on the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). The TCO determines the budget and should be formalised in your mobility policy.
3. Receive a written request
The law requires a written request from the employee (e.g. by e-mail) before they can switch.
4. Sign an addendum
This document formalises the exchange of the company car for the mobility budget, including the budget amount and terms.
5. Manage the budget
Employees should be able to check their balance at any time. Mbrella's mobility budget software handles everything: budget tracking, expense validation, reporting and payroll integration, no paperwork needed.
What are the other types of mobility budgets?
In Belgium, 3 types of Mobility Budgets exist:
The Legal (or Federal) Mobility Budget
The Flex Mobility Budget
The Business Mobility Budget
Legal budget | Flex budget | Business budget | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Let employees switch their company car for a green & tax-free mobility budget | Give mobility freedom to your employees with a budget they can consume on all things mobility | Reimburse your employees for work-related mobility expenses like parking |
| What can it be spent on? | Eco-friendly cars, public transport, parking, electric steps, shared bikes,... housing (!) and cash | Same as the legal budget. But no housing costs | Every work-related mobility expense |
| How is it taxed? | Tax-free | Commuting with bike or public transport and parking costs are tax and RSZ free. Other commuting expenses can be taxed, but are RSZ free. Expenses used for private reasons are handled like gross wage. | Not taxed. A pure reimbursement |
| Payroll Integration? |  | | |
| Conditions |
| Can be used by everyone. Can also be used within the framework of a cafeteria plan | Can be used by everyone |
Legal budget | Flex budget | Business budget | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Let employees switch their company car for a green & tax-free mobility budget | Give mobility freedom to your employees with a budget they can consume on all things mobility | Reimburse your employees for work-related mobility expenses like parking |
| What can it be spent on? | Eco-friendly cars, public transport, parking, electric steps, shared bikes,... housing (!) and cash | Same as the legal budget. But no housing costs | Every work-related mobility expense |
| How is it taxed? | Tax-free | Commuting with bike or public transport and parking costs are tax and RSZ free. Other commuting expenses can be taxed, but are RSZ free. Expenses used for private reasons are handled like gross wage. | Not taxed. A pure reimbursement |
| Payroll Integration? | | | |
| Conditions |
| Can be used by everyone. Can also be used within the framework of a cafeteria plan | Can be used by everyone |
Avoid the hassle of finding the right formula for your TCO.
With our free Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Calculator template you can start calculating your mobility budget in no-time.
Related content
TCO Calculator
Mobility Budget Guide 2026
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FAQs
Every question has an answer. Can't find the answer to your question? Let us know!
Living close to work is a sustainable mobility solution par excellence. That is why you can finance your rent or interest or capital reimbursements on your mortgage loan with your legal mobility budget if you live within 10 km (as the crow flies) of your normal place of work.
Depending on the reimbursement history of the company to the employee the bike allowance, the public transport reimbursement, the employer organized carpool reimbursement and the provision of a company bike can be on top or within the legal mobility budget. When is this the case?
- On top: If an employee has one of the above allowances 3 months before the request of his/her legal mobility budget, the employee can have the allowance on top of the mobility budget. This employee will get therefore by example a legal mobility budget and a bike allowance. The employer is not obliged to give these allowances on top of the mobility budget. It is thus the choice of the employer if this is allowed or not.
- Within: If an employee didn't receive the allowance 3 months before the request of his/her legal mobility budget, the employee can only get these allowances within the mobility budget. This means that the mobility budget can be used to pay for these commute. The legal mobility budget of the employee will thus by example be used to get his bike allowance.
- In Mbrella: Our platform At the moment our product can only allow one of the two above mentioned options within one company. The employer needs to decide if every employee gets their allowances within or on top of the legal mobility budget.
This taking into account te above mentioned rules. So the employer can only decide to give the allowance on top, if every employee is eligible for this.
Yes, CREG rates vary by region and are based on the employee’s place of residence.
They set the maximum per-kWh amount employers can reimburse employees for charging a company EV at home.
This depends on the size of your company and how advanced your company is (existing mobility policy, TCO calculation...). We take the necessary time to ensure a high-quality and fully compliant implementation. For SMEs ready and looking for a standard implementation it typically takes 10 business days to a few weeks from the preparation phase to operational platform. Don’t hesitate to reach out to find out what applies to your company.
It will be. Companies with more than 50 employees will have until 1 January 2027 to comply, and until 1 January 2028 for companies with 15 to 50 employees. Companies with fewer than 15 employees are currently exempt. The ONSS ‘importance code’ is used to determine the average number of employees (set each year in January by the ONSS based on employment during the reference period, which includes the first three quarters of the previous year and the fourth quarter of the year before that). Exception: employers qualifying as a “company in difficulty” (according to the applicable fiscal definition) are not required to offer the mobility budget when the 36‑month condition is met.
When your employees hit the road to a customer or to an event, they often have mobility-related expenses like parking, public transport, electric steps,.... These professional expenses can be reimbursed via a business budget.
The Flex mobility budget is a budget that all employees can use to reimburse their sustainable mobility expenses. They can spend the budget on public transport, parking, electric steps, shared bikes... instead of limiting their options to only train for instance. It's the ideal alternative for companies that don't meet the strict conditions of the federal mobility budget or who want to reward their employees with a sustainable perk. But no housing costs are possible, and taxes and social contributions are paid depending the expense type.
If you live within 10 km of your normal place of work, you can finance rent or mortgage interests and capital payments with the federal mobility budget. Is your normal place of work explicitly mentioned on your employment contract BUT do you usually (more than 50%) work somewhere else (like from home)? Then your 'normal place of work' can be your actual place of work. Be careful that your employer needs to prove this to the Administration.
Depending on the reimbursement history of the company to the employee the bike allowance, the public transport reimbursement, the employer organized carpool reimbursement and the provision of a company bike can be on top or within the federal mobility budget if the allowance was there at least 3 months before the request for the federal mobility budget.
No, employers are not required to offer all mobility options within the federal mobility budget. They have the flexibility to choose which options to provide, based on their company policy and the needs of their employees. Employers must ensure clear communication about the available options to their employees. Expense categories can be managed in Mbrella.
Yes, the federal mobility budget benefits smaller companies by being cost-neutral and enhancing employee satisfaction through flexible, eco-friendly transport options, while offering tax advantages and supporting sustainability goals.
To calculate the allowed mobility budget, you need to determine the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of the company car. This including all related expenses such as purchase or lease price, fuel, insurance, maintenance, taxes, and depreciation. You can use the actual costs formula or the lump-sum formula. The chosen calculation method should be used consistent within your company. Mbrella can help you calculating the TCO.
Employees eligible for the Federal mobility budget must either have a company car or be eligible for one under their employer's (car) policy. The previous waiting period requirement has been removed, allowing immediate eligibility. However, the mobility budget can only available if the employer meets some requirements (See "Is my company eligible to offer the mobility budget?")
In Belgium, there are 3 types of Mobility Budgets. The Legal, Flex and Business mobility budgets. Read all about their differences here.
The Federal mobility budget is a flexible system allowing employees to exchange their (right to a) company car for a budget. This budget can be spent on eco-friendly cars, sustainable transport options, and housing costs. Unused budget can be received as cash at the end of the year at a favorable tax rate. This offering tax benefits and promoting sustainable mobility.