If you operate vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating above 3.5 tonnes on international journeys, you need a number of licences and permits.

You must have a vehicle operator licence to carry your own goods, and other people’s goods, both in the UK and on international journeys.

Find out more about:

• being a goods vehicle operator in Great Britain
• being a goods vehicle operator in Northern Ireland

The other licences and permits you need depend on which countries the vehicle will travel to or through.

UK Licence for the Community

You can apply for a UK Licence for the Community if you make international journeys for hire or reward within the EU, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

You can use the licences in:

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.

Find out how to apply for a UK Licence for the Community and the rules you have to follow.

ECMT international road haulage permits

You can apply for European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) international road haulage permits for journeys between 43 ECMT member countries:

Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and the UK.

You can also use an ECMT permit to carry out a third cross-trade job in the EU.

Find out how to apply for ECMT permits and the rules you have to follow.

ECMT international removal permits

You can apply for a permit for laden or empty journeys if you’re a specialist removal company and you move household goods and business possessions between or across the 43 ECMT countries:

Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and the UK.

Find out how to apply for international removal permits and the rules you have to follow.

Bilateral road haulage permits for some non-EU countries

You can apply for bilateral road haulage permits for some non-EU countries the UK has agreements with:

Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Russia, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey and Ukraine.

Find out how to apply for bilateral international road haulage permits and the rules you have to follow.

Countries the UK does not have arrangements with

You need to apply for licences from countries that the UK does not have a special arrangement or agreement with.

Get advice from the embassies of the countries you need to travel through or to.

Carrying goods for your own business or not for hire and reward (‘own account’)

‘Own account’ is where either:

• your vehicle is only carrying goods in connection with your own business
• your delivery contents are not for hire or reward

Own account journeys in the EU

You do not need a UK Licence for the Community for own account journeys between the UK and EU if the following conditions apply:

• the goods you’re carrying are your property, or have been sold, bought, let out on hire or hired, produced, extracted, processed or repaired by you
• the journey’s purpose is to carry the goods to or from your premises or to move them for your own requirements
• you employ the drivers, or they’re put at your disposal for your own requirements
• you either own the vehicles carrying the goods, have bought them on deferred terms, or have hired them
• transporting the goods is only to support your main business activity – transporting goods cannot be your main business activity

Extra documents for Cyprus or Hungary

For own account journeys between the UK and Cyprus or Hungary, you must carry documents in the vehicle that show:

• the name and address of the operator
• the operator’s trade or business
• the nature of the goods being carried
• loading and unloading points
• registration number of the vehicle being used
• the route the haulage takes

You may be asked to provide evidence of the ownership of the goods.

Own account journeys in non-EU countries

You must have a bilateral international road haulage permit for own account journeys to:

• Belarus
• Morocco
• Russia
• Tunisia
• Turkey

You do not need a bilateral international road haulage permit for own account journeys to:

• Georgia
• Kazakhstan
• Serbia
• Ukraine