Holy Week 2026 brings one of the tightest networks of heavy-goods vehicle (HGV) driving bans in Europe, with 15 countries imposing 76 separate restriction windows between 4 and 10 April. Although Belgium itself does not ban trucks on public holidays, its exporters and logistics providers will feel the squeeze as key transit neighbours – France, Germany and Luxembourg – enforce near-round-the-clock prohibitions on Easter Sunday (5 April) and Easter Monday (6 April). The Nakordoni border-monitoring platform, which compiled the restrictions, highlights complete 24-hour shutdowns for HGVs in France and Switzerland, and nationwide bans in Germany from midnight to 22:00 on both holiday days. Austria extends its Tyrol corridor curbs from 07:00 on Holy Saturday, affecting Belgian hauliers heading to Italy or the Western Balkans. Penalties range from €75 in Germany to €5,000 in Austria for non-compliance. Multinational manufacturers operating just-in-time supply chains out of the Port of Antwerp face the greatest risk. Containers that land on Saturday risk missing onward road connections until Monday night, while fresh-food exporters must secure perishable-goods exemptions or switch to rail. Forwarders are advising shippers to preload by Friday noon and book secure parking in Luxembourg or the Dutch border region ahead of the 24-hour closures.
![Easter-Week Truck Bans Across 15 EU States Set to Disrupt Belgian Supply Chains]()
Should rerouting plans force Belgian drivers to pick up loads in non-EU hubs or pass through the UK, securing extra transit paperwork can become an additional bottleneck. VisaHQ’s Brussels-based specialists (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) can fast-track work or transit visas and supply the supporting letters carriers need, helping operators sidestep last-minute border refusals while they juggle the holiday bans.
The bans coincide with record cross-channel freight demand as UK firms rush Easter deliveries ahead of the 10 April launch of the EU Entry/Exit biometric system. Capacity at Belgian secure truck parks is already over 90 % for the long weekend, according to industry group Febetra. Companies should notify customers of possible 24- to 48-hour delays, revise driver schedules to avoid infringement fines and monitor live border-queue data feeds. While the restrictions end on 10 April, the after-effects – including congestion at French and German rest areas – typically ripple into midweek. HR teams managing posted drivers should check that staff carry ATP certificates for perishable loads and have contingency accommodation in case of unforeseen layovers.
Should rerouting plans force Belgian drivers to pick up loads in non-EU hubs or pass through the UK, securing extra transit paperwork can become an additional bottleneck. VisaHQ’s Brussels-based specialists (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) can fast-track work or transit visas and supply the supporting letters carriers need, helping operators sidestep last-minute border refusals while they juggle the holiday bans.
The bans coincide with record cross-channel freight demand as UK firms rush Easter deliveries ahead of the 10 April launch of the EU Entry/Exit biometric system. Capacity at Belgian secure truck parks is already over 90 % for the long weekend, according to industry group Febetra. Companies should notify customers of possible 24- to 48-hour delays, revise driver schedules to avoid infringement fines and monitor live border-queue data feeds. While the restrictions end on 10 April, the after-effects – including congestion at French and German rest areas – typically ripple into midweek. HR teams managing posted drivers should check that staff carry ATP certificates for perishable loads and have contingency accommodation in case of unforeseen layovers.
