Cabotage

Cabotage – If you are a UK goods vehicle operator (haulier) working in the EU, you need both of the following:

UK Licences for the Community have replaced EU Community Licences. If you have an EU Community Licence, you will automatically be sent a UK Licence for the Community. Find out how to get a UK Licence for the Community.

As a driver, you must have a certified copy of the UK Licence for the Community with you in the vehicle when you are working in the EU.

You can carry out a limited number of cabotage and cross-trade jobs in an EU country if you are a UK haulier with a UK Licence for the Community. The jobs must follow a journey where goods were transported from the UK.

Cabotage and cross-trade

Cabotage is loading and unloading goods within one country, with a vehicle registered in another country.

Cross-trade is loading goods in one country and unloading them in another country, with a vehicle registered in a third, different country.

When and where UK hauliers can carry out cabotage and cross-trade jobs

Hauliers can carry out up to two (2) haulage jobs within the EU after dropping off goods from the UK. Only one of the jobs can be cabotage.

You must complete the cabotage job:

within 7 days of dropping off the goods you brought from the UK
in the same EU country where you dropped off the goods from the UK

If you are transporting your own goods (also called ‘own account’ journeys), you need to follow the cabotage and cross-trade rules in EU countries unless you are:

driving an empty trailer from one EU country to another
dropping off goods in the EU that you’re transporting from the UK
picking up goods in the EU and dropping them off in the UK
transporting goods for a non-commercial purpose

If you are carrying out jobs in Ireland

You can carry out up to two (2) cabotage jobs in Ireland if both of the following apply:

you are registered as a goods vehicle operator in Northern Ireland
you have travelled from Northern Ireland

Both cabotage jobs must be completed within 7 days of dropping off the goods you brought into Ireland.

If you have a European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) permit for 2021

You can carry out one additional cross-trade job (3 haulage jobs in total) before returning to the UK. Find out about ECMT permits.

You may have to register for, and pay, VAT in the country where the journey took place.

Your right to carry out cabotage or cross-trade jobs may be removed temporarily or permanently if you breach safety rules.

Documents you need for cabotage jobs

When you are carrying out cabotage jobs in the EU, you must have documents with you to show the following:

the name, address and signature of the sender and haulier
the place and the date you picked up the goods
the place you are delivering to
the name, address and signature of the international consignee with the date of delivery
a description of the goods, the method of packing, the number of packages and their special marks or numbers
the gross mass of the goods or their quantity
the number plates of the vehicle and trailer

It is important to note the changes that took place on the 21 May 2022, concerning all operators using vans, cars and trailers to transport goods to the EU from the UK for hire and reward. This includes existing or those planning on using vans and other light goods vehicles and trailers in addition to their existing HGV haulage operation.

For further information on moving goods in/out of the UK on a UK registered vehicle, and the new laws surrounding Light Goods Vehicles moving goods in/out of the UK for hire and reward, please visit the links below:

Transport goods out of the UK by road: step by step – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Transport goods in Europe in vans or car and trailers – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

International Operations