Passports, visas, Driver CPC and licence requirements
The types of travel documents you'll need for road journeys from the UK that cross international borders.
You must carry certain documents with you if you drive or travel as a passenger in a commercial vehicle carrying goods between countries.
Driving licences and international driving permits
You will need to carry your United Kingdom driving licence with you. You must have the right category of licence for the vehicle you’re driving.
You do not need an international driving permit (IDP) to drive in the European Union (EU), Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland.
You might need an IDP to drive in some EU countries and Norway from 1 January 2021 if you have:
- a paper driving licence
- a licence issued in Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man
Check with the embassy of the country you will be driving in.
You do not need an IDP to drive in Ireland if you have a UK driving licence.
Driver CPC for lorry drivers
You need a Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) qualification to drive a lorry professionally in the UK, the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
You must carry your Driver CPC card (sometimes called a ‘driver qualification card’ or ‘DQC’) with you.
If you work for a UK company and have a UK Driver CPC card
You can still use your UK Driver CPC card to drive to or through EU countries for all international journeys that UK companies are allowed to make.
If you work for an EU company and have a UK Driver CPC card
Your UK Driver CPC card may no longer be recognised in EU countries.
Check with the relevant organisation in the country where you live and work to find out what you need to do.
Drivers’ hours documents and tachographs
If you drive a goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes on international journeys you must follow the rules on drivers’ hours and tachograph use.
You must have:
- tachograph charts and any legally required manual records for the current day and the previous 28 calendar days
- the driver’s digital smart card, if you have one
You must record annual leave or sick leave by either:
- using a tachograph’s manual inputs
- making a manual record of it on an analogue record sheet or on digital printout paper
This has replaced using an ‘attestation form’ to record this information.
Passports
You must have a valid passport - even if you’re a passenger or crew member.
Check the expiry date and the entry rules of the countries on your route.
On the day you travel, you’ll need your passport to:
- have at least six months left
- be less than 10 years old (even if it has 6 months or more left)
If you do not renew it, you may not be able to travel to most EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
It usually takes three weeks if you need to renew your passport. There’s a premium service if you need it sooner.
These rules do not apply to travel to Ireland. You can continue to use your passport as long as it’s valid for the length of your stay.
Visas
You are able to work in the EU without a visa if do not spend more than 90 days in the EU within any 180-day period.
Check the ‘entry requirements’ section for the countries you’re planning to visit.
Travel to Ireland is not affected - you can travel and work there in the same way as before.