Heavy goods vehicle (HGV) and trailer documents you need to legally cross international borders in a UK-registered vehicle.
Your vehicle must be taxed and you must carry certain documents about your HGV and trailer with you if you drive a commercial vehicle carrying goods between countries. These include:
There is separate guidance about the HGV driver documents you need for international road haulage – see separate page for Drivers Documents
Vehicle and trailer registration documents
Your need to carry your vehicle registration documents when driving abroad for less than 12 months. This can be either:
There are different rules if you take the vehicle out of the UK for 12 months or more.
Trailer registration certificate
You need to carry the trailer registration certificate when you travel abroad.
Find out how to register your trailer to take it abroad.
If you have an abnormal load trailer
You also need to carry a ‘certificate of keeper’ if you have an abnormal load trailer.
Certificates for specialist vehicle approvals
You need to carry any documents about specialist approvals your vehicle has. These might include approvals for:
Goods vehicle operator licence disc
You must display a valid operator licence disc for either:
Haulage licences or permits needed for the journey
You need to carry copies of the licences or permits that are needed for the journey you are making.
Check which international road haulage permits you need to carry.
If you’re carrying out a job within an EU country (cabotage)
You need to carry extra documents about the load you are carrying if you are doing a cabotage job. See separate page for information on Cabotage.
If you’re using an ECMT permit
If you are using a European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) permit, you also need to carry:
Find out more about ECMT permits.
Vehicle insurance and green cards
You must have suitable motor insurance cover when you drive abroad.
In some countries, you will need to carry a ‘green card’ as proof of the insurance cover.
Where you need green cards
You need a green card to drive in:
You do not need a green card to drive in the EU (including Ireland), Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Serbia or Switzerland.
When you need more than one green card
You will need to carry more than one green card if:
You must carry a physical copy of your green card when driving abroad. Electronic versions of green cards are not acceptable.
Make sure your employer has green cards
Make sure your employer either:
When you will have to show your green cards
You will need to show green cards if you are involved in an accident.
Find out more about vehicle insurance.
If you’re involved in a road accident
Contact your insurance provider if you are involved in a road accident in the EU.
Any legal proceedings against either the responsible driver or the insurance provider of the vehicle will need to be brought in the EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway where the accident happened. You might have to make your claim in the local language.
You will not get compensation in some countries if the accident is caused by an uninsured driver or if the driver cannot be traced.
Get legal advice if you need more information about this.
Goods insurance
In some countries, you may need to produce a certificate of insurance for the goods carried to avoid paying a premium.
Check the rules with the British Embassy in the countries you are travelling through or too.
UK stickers (previously a GB sticker)
You do not need a UK sticker if either:
You must display a UK sticker clearly on the rear of your vehicle if your number plate has any of the following:
If you are in Spain, Cyprus or Malta, you must display a UK sticker no matter what is on your number plate.
If you have an old-style GB sticker, cover or remove it.
Vehicle security checklist
You must secure your vehicle to stop people using it to enter the UK illegally.
Record the checks you do on the vehicle security checklist There are multi-lingual check documents at this link.
Vehicle tolls, charges or taxes
You may have to pay a:
Some non-EU countries have an agreement with the UK that means that registered goods vehicles are exempt from these taxes.
Countries currently charging visiting foreign goods vehicles to use their roads include:
Austria, Belarus, Bosnia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland Tunisia, Turkey and Ukraine.
Check locally for the latest, most up-to-date information about road charges and taxes.
You may need to carry paperwork, stickers, payment cards or electronic toll devices to use roads abroad.
Vehicle emission levels and controls
Many European towns and cities are Low Emission Zones (LEZ). This means that vehicles are not allowed in (or charged a fee) if their emissions are above a certain level.
The above link is a crucial link to check, as you may be required to purchase a permit in a cities low emission zone (LEZ) or risk facing a heavy fine.
Fuel duty and value added tax
When you buy motor fuel in the UK, the price includes tax. When you take your vehicle abroad, some countries may charge additional tax on the fuel in your tanks.
Taxes on UK fuel entering EU countries
There is no limit on the amount of fuel that you can carry between EU countries in ‘standard tanks’, provided that it remains in these and is not off-loaded.
Some EU countries (including Belgium and France) interpret a ‘standard tank’ differently and say that supplementary tanks fall outside this category.
In these countries, for a tank to qualify as a ‘standard tank’, you must be able to show that:
In Belgium and France, authorities might say that ‘catwalk tanks’ and ‘belly tanks’ do not meet these rules. You might be charged additional duty or fined when carrying fuel in these tanks.
Find information on the fuel you can legally use in a road vehicle
