Taking a Vehicle Abroad

Taking a Vehicle Abroad

Hiring a motorhome or campervan and getting on the road is exciting at the best of times, but taking a vehicle abroad can really help you explore all corners of a country and go where many tourists can’t.
Before you get swept up in the hype and begin planning exactly where you’ll be heading in each country, it’s a good idea to familiarise yourself and sort all off the boring bits first. Unfortunately, there are quite a few things to consider, so we’ve tried to condense them all into this one helpful article.
driving abroad

Yourself

We’ll start simple, as you can probably guess what you’ll need to take yourself, aside from your usual day-to-day stuff, make sure you take with you your passport (with more than six months validity left on it), your driving licence and an International Driving Permit, if required – more on that later.

driving abroad

The Vehicle

Get that document wallet ready because you’ll need quite a few proofs here, starting with proof of ownership of the vehicle – don’t worry if you’ve hired from an excellent organisation such as GOAT Roadtrip, as we’ll provide you with a copy of the V5C or VE103 document which you’ll need instead. You’ll also need proof of your MOT, if the vehicle is over 3 years old and proof of your vehicle insurance and if necessary, your Green Card, which we’ll seamlessly transition onto next…

driving abroad

Green Cards

Since August 2021, the rules surrounded Green Cards have changed slightly, so even if you’ve been away before and think you’re on top of everything, keep reading anyway.

You now do not need a Green Card if you are travelling in the following areas and countries:

  • The EU
  • Andorra
  • Bosnia & Herzegovina
  • Iceland
  • Lichtenstein
  • Norway
  • Serbia
  • Switzerland

If you’re travelling anywhere else in Europe, then you will still need a Green Card.

Separate Green Cards are required for cars, motorhomes and anything being towed by a motorised vehicle, including caravans, and trailers. Be sure to ticket Category A (car) for Green Cards relating to a car, campervan or motorhome.

driving abroad

Types of Licence

You don’t need an International Driving Permit to drive in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, if you have a photocard driving licence issued in the UK. If your licence was issued in Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man, or is a paper licence, then you still may need an International Driving Permit (otherwise known as an IDP).

In general, there are three different types of IDP’s, which depend on the country you’re driving in. These are:

  • 1926
  • 1949
  • 1968

You need to apply for more than one of these if you are travelling through several countries. You can find out more information and check out each country’s type of IDP here.

driving abroad
driving abroad

Equipment

Make sure you do your research into the requirements of driving in each of the countries you are visiting. At the very least, you should make sure that you have a high-vis vest, warning triangle, headlamp converters and a UK sticker.

Now that we’ve successfully “taken back control” of things since Brexit, it’s important that you cover up or remove any old GB stickers that you may have on your vehicle. A UK sticker must be clearly displayed on the rear of your vehicle if your number plate has the Union Jack on it, a Euro symbol, a national flag of any of the British Isles, or no flag at all. To keep it simple – put a UK sticker on the back of your vehicle regardless to be on the safe side.

Vehicle Hire

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