International road haulage: HGV driver documents

Back to News

Check which documents you need to carry if you're the driver or a passenger in a lorry or other heavy goods vehicle (HGV) that crosses 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. These include:

• a valid UK driving licence
• an international driving permit ( IDP) if you need one for the countries you’re travelling in
• a valid Driver Certificate of Professional Competence ( CPC) card
• a valid passport
• healthcare documents

Driving licences and international driving permits

You will need to carry your UK 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 EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland.

You might need an IDPto drive in some EUcountries and Norway if you have:

• a paper driving licence
• a licence issued in Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man

Driver CPC for lorry drivers

You need a Driver 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 CPCc ard

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

If you’ve been sick or taken other time off in the 28 days before your journey carry a form (called an ‘attestation form’) from your employer.

Vehicle and trailer 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:

• Albania
• Azerbaijan
• Belarus
• Iran
• Israel
• Moldova
• Morocco
• Russia
• Tunisia
• Turkey
• Ukraine

You will need to carry more than one green card if:

• you have fleet or multi-car insurance - you’ll need a green card for each vehicle
• your vehicle is towing a trailer - you’ll need one for the towing vehicle and one for the trailer or caravan (you need separate trailer insurance in some countries)
• you have 2 policies covering the duration of your trip, for example, if your policy renews during the journey

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 got green cards

Make sure your employer either:

• contacts their vehicle insurance provider at least 6 weeks before you travel to get a copy
• prints green cards their insurance providers electronically send to them (this does not need to be printed on green paper)

When you will have to show your green cards

You will need to show green cards if you’re involved in an accident.

You may need to show green cards at police checks and at the border when:

• you enter the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway
• move between the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway

This will depend on the border authorities of each country.

If you’re involved in a road accident

Contact your insurance provider if you’re 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.

Passport

You must have a valid passport - even if you’re a passenger or crew member.

On the day you travel, you’ll need your passport to:

• have at least 6 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 3 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 can work in the EU without a visa if do not spend more than 90 days in the EU within any 180-day period.

Healthcare

You should always get appropriate travel insurance with healthcare cover before you go abroad.

A European Health Insurance Card ( EHIC) gives you the right to access state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in the EU country.

You can continue to use an EHIC. If you apply for a card now, you’ll get a new UK Global Health Insurance Card ( GHIC) instead of an EHIC.

GHICsand most UK EHICs will not cover you in Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland. If you’re visiting those countries, make sure you have travel insurance with health cover.

Leave photocopies of all medical, insurance and legal documents as back-up with family or friends in case you need copies outside of your company’s normal business hours.

Check you r HGV is ready to cross the border (Kent Access Permit)

You no longer need a Kent Access Permit ( KAP) to enter Kent.

The Check an HGV is ready to cross the border service has closed. Staff at haulier advice sites can help you check that you have the paperwork you need to cross the border.

gov.uk