Summary
Are you a truck driver wanting to transport dangerous goods?
In Belgium, as throughout the European Union, you must have an ADR driver training certificate.
This training certificate:
- is mandatory for all drivers of vehicles transporting dangerous goods over the threshold of exempted quantities on the road, regardless of the maximum authorised mass (MAM) of the vehicle
- comes in the form of a card, a permit
- certifies that you have completed training and passed an examination on the special requirements for the transportation of dangerous goods by road
ADR: TRANSPORT OF DANGEROUS GOODS BY ROAD
The ADR is an international agreement, created under the aegis of the United Nations, which regulates the transport of dangerous goods by road.
To learn more about the ADR agreement, visit the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe website (see "Useful links" below)
A COMMON OBJECTIVE
The objective of the ADR is to minimise the risks related to the transport of dangerous goods.
In Wallonia, the ADR-ADN unit of the SPW Agriculture Natural Resources Environment (SPW ARNE) is one of the authorities competent for the training and examination of ADR drivers. As a supervisory authority, it is responsible for checking:
- the validity of your identity
- the results of your examination
TO OBTAIN YOUR ADR DRIVER CERTIFICATE
Every year, nearly 2,000 drivers take the ADR examination in Wallonia.
To take this examination, you must attend a training course at one of the certified training centres.
It is these training centres that, at the end of your training, will register you for the examination to obtain your ADR driver card.
See the "Conditions" section for more details on the courses, the centres that provide them and the organisations to contact for certain specialised courses.
Please contact the ITLB asbl and consult their vade mecum (see "Contacts" and "Useful links" below)
TO EXTEND YOUR CERTIFICATE
The training certificate is valid for five years.
As the ADR is updated every two years, you can extend your certificate by taking a refresher course at one of the certified training centres to update your technical and legal knowledge in the relevant training categories.
You must then pass the corresponding test.
You will find more information and advice in the "Procedure" section below.
If you have a valid foreign certificate issued by a competent authority in another ADR contractor country, you are eligible to enrol in a refresher or extension course in an approved training centre and take the corresponding examinations after the ADR-ADN unit of the SPW ARNE has verified your data.
Key points
The training certificate is valid for five years.
The cost of the training is not determined and varies according to the costs incurred by each centre.
The cost of an examination, including the creation and mailing of the certificate, is approximately €90.
In detail
Carriers and drivers who want to transport or already transport dangerous goods by road in Wallonia.
TRAINING COURSES
The training courses, which include a theoretical and a practical part, differ depending on the dangerous goods you want to transport:
- Basic training (Category I training, required for everyone) allows the transport of dangerous goods in packages and in bulk (skips and containers).
- Specialisation training (optional) can only be taken after the basic training (category I). It includes:
- the transport of dangerous goods in tanks (category II training) or
- the transport of explosive materials and objects (category III training).
- The specialisation training for the transport of liquid fuels (category IV training) is for drivers who exclusively transport liquid fuels, such as fuel tankers. In this case, this training is sufficient and you are exempt from the basic training (category I).
For the transport of radioactive materials, the specialisation training and the certificate are only issued by the Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (FANC).
Each training centre provides the basic training course and the courses for one or more specialisations. You can take a course in the region of your choice (Wallonia, Brussels, Flanders), regardless of where you live.
The cost of the training is not determined and varies according to the costs incurred by each centre.
EXAMINATIONS FOR OBTAINING THE ADR DRIVER CERTIFICATE
After completing your initial training, you will be invited to take the corresponding examination, which consists of a written test (open book) of one or more parts (one part for each category of training completed).
To pass this exam, you will need to score at least 50% of the points in each part you sat.
Registration for the exam is only through the training centre where you completed your training.
In French-speaking Belgium, the Institut Transport Routier et Logistique Belgique (ITLB asbl) organises the ADR driver examinations for categories I, II and IV.
The cost of an examination, including the creation and mailing of the certificate, is approximately €90.
The Federal Public Service Economy organises the examinations for the transport of explosive materials and objects (category III training).
For the transport of radioactive materials, the certificate is issued by the Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (FANC).
STAGES FOR OBTAINING YOUR ADR DRIVER CERTIFICATE
- Register with the approved training centre of your choice to take the basic ADR driver training and/or a specialisation course
- Once the training is completed, take the ADR driver examination during a session organised by the ITLB asbl. Registration for the exam is through the training centre where you completed your training.
The ITLB sends the examination results and the identity documents of the candidates to the ADR-ADN unit of the SPW ARNE for validation.
If you pass the exam, you will receive your ADR certificate by registered mail approximately ten business days after validation.
There is no legal processing time for the application. However, if you have not received your certificate one month after passing your examination, it is possible that your letter has been lost. Contact the ITLB if this happens. There is no charge for a second letter to be sent.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS TO BE PROVIDED
Valid identity papers accepted by the FPS Interior:
- national identity card for nationals of a European Union Member State
- any document (passport) for non-citizens
The ITLB will contact you if a supporting document is missing for data entry.
DO YOU WANT TO SUBMIT A CHALLENGE?
If you did not get your certificate and you do not agree with this decision, send an email to adr.adn@spw.wallonie.be.
AND TO RENEW YOUR CERTIFICATE?
Your certificate is valid for five years.
One year before your certificate expires, take a refresher course for the categories that concern you at an approved training centre and pass the control test to renew your certificate.
- If you pass the control test within 12 months of your certificate expiry date, the renewal will begin on the expiry date of your current certificate (e.g. for a certificate valid until 25/6/2024, a test passed on 14/9/2023 will result in a five-year renewal beginning 25/6/2024).
- If you pass the control test more than 12 months before your certificate expiry date, the renewal will begin on the date on which you pass the examination (e.g. for a certificate valid until 25/6/2024, a test passed on 22/4/2023 will result in a five-year renewal beginning 22/4/2024).
Please note! Don't wait until the last moment to start the process of extending your training certificate. If your certificate expires and you have not passed or taken the control test, you will have to take a basic training course again and take the initial exam!
Useful links
- Consult the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe website on ADR
- Consult the list of approved ADR driver training and examination centres in Belgium - ITLB website (ADR section) - Only available in French
- Consult the vade mecum of the Institute of Road Transport and Logistics Belgium- only available in french
- Consult the Federal Nuclear Regulatory Agency's website for ADR Class VII driver training and examinations - only available in French
- Consult the website of the FPS Economy for any questions about the transport of explosive materials and objects - only available in French