Flemish Government updates DeWaterbus water transport fares in Antwerp

The Flemish Government has updated the fares of DeWaterbus, the public water transport service operating in and around Antwerp, through a decree of 12 June 2026 published in the Moniteur Belge of 25 August 2026 (reference C-2026/006263). The new tariffs raise single tickets, day passes and subscriptions across the service’s zones, while keeping reduced fares and free travel for several categories.

DeWaterbus is the public service responsible for the longitudinal transport of passengers by water in and around Antwerp, operated on behalf of the Agency for Maritime Services and Coast. The decree was proposed by the Flemish Minister for Mobility, Public Works, Ports and Sports, and sets the tariffs in an annex to the text, which also lays down the categories entitled to reduced or free travel.

New fares for the regular tariff

For the South/North zone, the regular single ticket rises from €4.00 to €5.00, the return ticket from €6.00 to €7.50, the day pass from €15.00 to €18.00 and the 10-trip card from €24.00 to €29.00. Monthly and annual subscriptions go from €70.00 to €80.00 and from €685.00 to €785.00 respectively.

In the City/Harbour ferry zone, the return ticket rises from €1.00 to €2.00, the monthly pass from €15.00 to €17.00 and the annual pass from €125.00 to €144.00.

Reduced tariff and free travel

The reduced tariff applies to young people aged 6 to 24, people over 65 and people with disabilities. In the South/North zone the reduced single ticket rises from €3.50 to €4.50, the return from €5.00 to €6.50, the day pass from €13.00 to €16.00 and the 10-trip card from €21.00 to €25.00, while the monthly pass stays at €60.00 and the school pass at €565.00.

• Reduced tariff applies to: young people aged 6 to 24, people over 65, people with disabilities.
• Free travel: children up to 5 years inclusive, bicycles, scooters.

Entry into force and indexation

On-board payments carry an additional transaction cost of €1.00 per transaction. The new tariffs enter into force on the date published by the operator after notification by the Agency for Maritime Services and Coast.

Regular tariffs may be adjusted at most once every two years, based on the average consumer price index of the preceding calendar year, and any increase cannot exceed the evolution of that index. The index used for this update is 20.52%.

For the commuters and visitors who use DeWaterbus to cross the Scheldt and move along Antwerp’s waterways, the decree means higher prices for most tickets and passes, while preserving reduced fares and free travel for children, bicycles and scooters. The built-in indexation mechanism ensures that future adjustments remain predictable and capped.

Source: Moniteur Belge / Belgisch Staatsblad, N. 190, 25 August 2026, p. 46350-46352 (official reference: C-2026/006263).