Driving a UK car in Europe
Checked against official sources on 8 November 2026 ยท Each country guide is checked every day
Driving your own car abroad? Start with what every UK driver needs, then choose a country for its stickers, tolls, speed limits, winter rules and fines. Every guide is checked against official UK and local government sources.
Before you go: what every UK driver needs
- A UK sticker, unless your number plate shows "UK" with the Union flag GB stickers are no longer valid. Spain, Cyprus and Malta need a UK sticker whatever your plate shows. Ireland doesn't need one
- Your photocard driving licence Still have an old paper licence, or one from Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man? You may need an international driving permit (ยฃ5.50 at a PayPoint). Monaco and San Marino need one even with a photocard licence
- Your logbook (V5C) showing your current address Hire or lease car from the UK? Take a VE103 certificate instead
- Your insurance certificate Every UK policy covers the minimum needed in the EU, so you don't need a green card
- Headlights set for driving on the right, so they don't dazzle oncoming drivers Many newer cars do this from a setting in the car's menu (check your handbook). Others need beam deflector stickers. Not needed for Ireland
- A passport for everyone in the car Less than 10 years old on the day you arrive and valid for 3 months after you leave, for the Schengen countries
๐ Border checks happen before you leave
Driving to a Schengen country? Your passport is checked, and the EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) records your fingerprints, at Dover or Folkestone before you cross, or at the port when you arrive by ferry. Allow extra time at busy periods.
Check your passport for your trip โChoose a country
Stickers, vignettes and tolls
- Vignettes (a pass for the motorways): Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, Czechia, Hungary and Slovakia. Buy them only on the official sites linked in each guide.
- An international driving permit as well as your UK licence: Monaco and San Marino, unlike the countries around them.
- Toll motorways, paid as you go: France, Italy, Spain, Croatia, some motorways in Poland and the Envalira tunnel into Andorra. Portugal has electronic-only tolls that UK cars must set up first.
- Camera tolls and charges, billed after your trip: Norway, Sweden's congestion tax, Dublin's M50 in Ireland and the A24 tunnel in the Netherlands.
- City low-emission zones that need a sticker or registration: the Crit'Air sticker in France, the green sticker in Germany, free registration in Belgium, and registration for Krakรณw in Poland and Barcelona in Spain.
FAQs
Do I need a UK sticker to drive in Europe?
You need a UK sticker unless your number plate shows the UK identifier with the Union flag. GB stickers are no longer valid. In Spain, Cyprus and Malta you need a UK sticker whatever is on your number plate. You don't need one in Ireland.
Do I need an international driving permit to drive in Europe?
Not with a UK photocard driving licence for most of Europe, but Monaco and San Marino need one as well as your licence. You may need one if you still have an old paper licence, or a licence from Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man. A permit costs ยฃ5.50 from shops with PayPoint. Hire companies sometimes ask for one, so check first.
Do I need a green card to drive my car in Europe?
No. Every UK car insurance policy includes the minimum cover you need to drive in the EU, so you don't need a green card. Check your policy for anything more than the minimum.
Which countries need a vignette or motorway sticker?
Of the countries in our guides, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, Czechia, Hungary and Slovakia sell a vignette for their motorways, and you need the Swiss or Austrian one to reach Liechtenstein. Belgium plans one from May 2027. France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Poland and Croatia charge tolls on some motorways instead, and Norway and Sweden charge some tolls automatically by camera.
What documents do I need to take my car to Europe?
Your driving licence, your logbook (V5C) showing your current address, and your insurance certificate. If the car is hired or leased in the UK, you need a VE103 certificate instead of the logbook. Some countries, such as Belgium and Luxembourg, also expect you to carry your MOT certificate.
Where are passports checked when I drive to Europe?
For the Schengen countries, your passport is checked, and the EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) records your fingerprints, before you leave the UK at Dover or Folkestone, or when you arrive at a ferry port in Europe. Your passport must be less than 10 years old on the day you arrive and valid for 3 months after you leave.
More for your trip
Sources
Checked on 8 November 2026. Each country guide lists its own official sources.