Driving in Europe from the UK: licence, IDP, UK sticker and country rules

For driving in Europe on a short trip, a British driver needs a valid UK photocard licence, the vehicle's log book (V5C) or a VE103 for a hired or leased car, a UK identifier on the car and any sticker, vignette or kit the country asks for. No international driving permit is needed in the EU or Switzerland with a photocard licence.

That is the short answer from GOV.UK. The detail changes from one country to the next, and that is where most fines come from: a Crit'Air sticker in Paris, a pass for an Italian historic centre, a vignette on Swiss or Austrian motorways. This guide puts the common rules first, then compares France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Switzerland and Austria in one table.

Every fact below was read on GOV.UK and on the official site of each country on 29 October 2026, and the sources sit under each table. It covers a holiday or a short trip. If you are moving abroad, the rules are different: GOV.UK asks you to exchange your UK licence in your new country rather than get a permit.

Your full UK photocard licence is enough to drive on holiday in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, as long as it is valid on every day you drive. GOV.UK asks you to carry it with you and to renew it online if it has expired or is about to.

A lost, stolen or damaged licence must be replaced before you leave. An online application usually arrives within 5 days, according to the GOV.UK driving abroad guide; a postal one takes longer. Drivers who got their licence in Northern Ireland may be asked for the paper counterpart by a hire company.

Hiring a car? Hire companies may ask for your licence information. You share it with a check code from the DVLA, which you can generate up to 21 days before the trip. Hire firms can also set their own rules, such as a minimum age or a year of driving experience, which GOV.UK mentions for Italy and Austria.

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  Paper licence: GOV.UK says holders may need to update to a photocard licence or get the right international driving permit, as it states for Italy, Germany, Portugal and Austria.
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  Provisional licence: Not valid for driving in Spain, according to GOV.UK travel advice.
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  Licence from Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man: Some EU countries may ask for a permit: an Isle of Man licence needs one in Italy and Germany.

No, not with a UK photocard licence: GOV.UK states that you do not need an international driving permit (IDP) to visit and drive in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein. The exceptions are paper licences, licences issued in Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man, and stays longer than a country's limit.

Two of the seven countries in this guide set a time limit for visitors. In Germany, a UK photocard licence covers periods of up to 6 months; beyond that you need the 1968 IDP alongside it. In Portugal, the limit is 185 days. Check your own case on the GOV.UK international driving permit checker.

An IDP costs £5.50 and is issued in person at certain shops with PayPoint. You must live in Great Britain or Northern Ireland, hold a full UK licence and be 18 or over. GOV.UK points out that you cannot buy one outside the UK, so get it before you leave.

Yes, unless your number plate shows the UK identifier with the Union flag. GOV.UK states that you must display the UK identifier when driving a UK-registered vehicle abroad, and the white oval UK sticker has replaced the GB sticker since 28 September 2021.

Spain is the exception that catches people out. You must display a UK sticker to drive in Spain, Cyprus and Malta whatever is on your number plate, even a plate with the UK identifier and the Union flag. In the Republic of Ireland, no UK sticker is needed.

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  Plate with the UK identifier and the Union flag: No sticker needed, except in Spain, Cyprus and Malta.
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  Plate with a GB identifier and the Union flag: UK sticker needed.
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  Plate with the EU flag or the flag of England, Scotland or Wales: UK sticker needed.
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  Plate with letters and numbers only: UK sticker needed.
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  Old GB sticker on the car: Cover it or remove it before you drive abroad.

Never put the UK sticker on the number plate itself: GOV.UK is explicit on that point.

Carry the vehicle's log book (V5C) for your own car, or a VE103 certificate for a car hired or leased in the UK, on any trip of less than 12 months. GOV.UK also lists your insurance certificate among the documents to take, and asks drivers to check that their vehicle cover applies in each country they drive through and what proof to carry.

Some countries add their own document rules. Spain and Portugal require you to carry ID when driving. In Germany, you may need written permission from the registered owner to drive a car you do not own. In Portugal, a UK-registered car can be used for up to 183 days in any 12-month period, for tourism only.

Towing a caravan or a trailer over 750kg? GOV.UK says you need category BE on your licence. Adding it is free: send form D1, a letter saying you are travelling abroad and your licence to the DVLA.

It depends on the country: GOV.UK lists a reflective jacket, a warning triangle, emission stickers for some city centres and headlight converter stickers among the items you may need. GOV.UK warns that emission stickers may need buying weeks ahead.

Low-emission zones

France, Spain and Germany all limit older or unlabelled cars in some city centres. In France, a Crit'Air sticker is needed to drive in a low-emission zone; GOV.UK names central Paris, Lyon and Grenoble, from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday. A car registered abroad orders it online only, on certificat-air.gouv.fr, the only official site. The usual fine is €68 (about £57), up to €450 (about £380).

In Germany, some inner-city areas are an environmental zone (Umweltzone), open only to vehicles that meet set exhaust standards and carry the emissions sticker. In Spain, foreign-registered cars do not receive the Spanish pollution sticker, but some cities, such as Barcelona, ask you to register the car in advance. Italian cities use a different system, covered below.

Vignettes and tolls

Switzerland and Austria charge for their motorways with a vignette bought before you drive on them. Portugal has toll roads, and GOV.UK asks drivers to understand the toll system and how to pay before they go; a Toll Payment Portal handles a toll road used without paying.

Two points to know. The Swiss e-vignette is sold only on the official Via shop (e-vignette.ch or via.admin.ch), and the Swiss customs office warns of fake websites. In Austria, 2026 is the last year the sticker is sold: from 2027, only the digital vignette remains.

Safety kit

Austria's official portal lists a warning triangle and reflective clothing for every car, with the clothing worn when you step out after a breakdown or an accident, and a first aid kit in every vehicle. For the other countries, GOV.UK points to each country's rules: read the country's page before you go.

The seven countries share the licence rules but differ on stickers, city access and tolls. France and Germany control emissions in city centres, Italy controls access to historic centres, Switzerland and Austria charge for motorways, and Spain asks for a UK sticker on every UK car.

In Italy, a ZTL boundary is marked with the letters ZTL in black on a yellow background. Passing the sign without a pass can trigger a camera and a fine, and GOV.UK notes that hire companies can sell you a pass. Rome also bars certain vehicles from its green band (fascia verde) to cut pollution.

Our country guides for France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Portugal, the Swiss and Austrian vignettes, the Crit'Air sticker, the UK sticker and the international driving permit are being written and will be listed here as they go live.

Start a few weeks before you leave: GOV.UK warns that some emission stickers need buying weeks ahead, and a replacement licence applied for online usually takes up to 5 days.

1. Check your licence is a valid photocard; renew or replace it if needed.
2. Check the IDP rule for each country you will cross on the GOV.UK international driving permit checker.
3. Look at your number plate and add a UK sticker if needed, always for Spain.
4. Pack the V5C, or ask the lease or hire company for a VE103.
5. Order the stickers and vignettes of your route: Crit'Air, the German emissions sticker, the Swiss or Austrian vignette.
6. Check the kit each country asks for and put it in the car.
7. For a hire car abroad, generate your DVLA check code in the 21 days before the trip.
8. Read GOV.UK travel advice for each country on your route the week you leave.

• Can I drive in Europe with a UK driving licence?

  Yes. A full UK photocard licence lets you drive on a visit to the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. Carry it with you and check it is valid for the whole trip.

• Do I need an international driving permit to drive in France?

  No, not with a UK photocard licence: GOV.UK says you do not need one in France, and lists the 1968 permit for the country. A hire company can still set its own rules, so check with it.

• How long can I drive in Germany on a UK licence?

  Up to 6 months with a UK photocard licence. If you stay longer, GOV.UK says you need the 1968 international driving permit alongside your UK licence.

• Do I still need a GB sticker?

  No. The UK sticker replaced the GB sticker on 28 September 2021. Cover or remove an old GB sticker, and display a UK sticker unless your plate shows the UK identifier with the Union flag.

• Do I need a UK sticker to drive in Spain?

  Yes, always. GOV.UK says you must display a UK sticker to drive in Spain, Cyprus and Malta whatever is on your number plate.

• How much is an international driving permit?

  £5.50, issued in person at certain shops with PayPoint. You must live in Great Britain or Northern Ireland, hold a full UK licence and be 18 or over.

• Which documents do I need to take my car to Europe?

  Your UK driving licence, the log book (V5C) for your own car or a VE103 for a UK hire or lease car. Spain and Portugal also require ID when driving.

• How much is the Swiss motorway vignette?

  CHF 40 (about £36), as a sticker or an e-vignette. A 2026 vignette runs from 1 December 2025 to 31 January 2027, and the e-vignette is sold only on the official Via shop.

• Do I need a Crit'Air sticker to drive in Paris?

  Yes, to drive in the low-emission zone. GOV.UK says central Paris, Lyon and Grenoble require it from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday. A UK car orders it online on certificat-air.gouv.fr.

• Can I take my hire car from the UK to Europe?

  Yes, with a VE103 certificate from the hire or lease company, which replaces the log book abroad.