Driving in Europe: the UK driver's checklist
What a British car actually, legally needs in France, Switzerland, Italy and Austria - and the widely repeated requirements that turn out not to be requirements at all.
In 2026 a UK driver needs their driving licence, the V5C, and proof of insurance. You do not need a green card, an International Driving Permit or a breathalyser. You do need headlamp adjustment, a warning triangle, and - in most of these countries - a hi-vis jacket. You may not need a UK sticker at all, depending on your number plate.
Half of what gets repeated about driving in Europe is either out of date or was never true. What follows is only what we could source to GOV.UK, the RAC or the AA. Where those sources disagree, we say so rather than picking the tidier answer.
The paperwork
Carry your UK driving licence, your V5C vehicle log book, and your certificate of motor insurance. That is the legal minimum, and none of it needs to be applied for in advance.
- Driving licence. "You need to carry your UK driving licence with you" (GOV.UK).
- V5C log book. GOV.UK requires you to "carry one of the following documents: your vehicle log book (V5C), if you have one." If the car is leased or hired, that document is a VE103 instead.
- Insurance certificate. You still need valid vehicle insurance, and the original certificate should be carried.
- Passport. A travel document, not a motoring one - but obviously you are not getting on the train without it.
Tell your insurer where you are going. Your UK policy provides the legal minimum cover across the EU automatically, but whether it extends your comprehensive cover abroad, and for how many days, varies enormously between insurers.
The UK sticker: you probably do not need one
You do not need a UK sticker if your number plate already has the UK identifier with the Union flag. You do need one if the plate shows a GB identifier, a Euro symbol, a national flag of England, Scotland or Wales, or nothing but letters and numbers.
This is the single most misunderstood rule of post-Brexit driving, and the wording on GOV.UK is unambiguous: "You do not need a UK sticker if your number plate has the UK identifier with the Union flag (also known as the Union Jack)."
Two things to note. First, GB stickers have been discontinued - an old GB plate or sticker is no longer valid, and you need the UK identifier. Second, there is an exception that catches people out: "You must display a UK sticker to drive in Spain, Cyprus and Malta, no matter what's on your number plate." Not relevant to the Alps, but worth knowing if you carry on south.
Headlamps
Headlamp adjustment is compulsory in France, Switzerland, Italy and Austria. A right-hand-drive car's dipped beam throws light to the left, which on a right-hand-drive road means straight into the eyes of oncoming traffic.
The AA's guidance puts the legal principle plainly: the requirement is "not to dazzle oncoming drivers," and without adjustment a RHD dipped beam will do exactly that, "and this could result in a fine."
How you achieve it depends on the car. Older cars need stick-on beam deflectors. Most cars built in the last decade have a headlight-levelling setting in the vehicle menu or a physical switch that flips the beam pattern for driving on the right - check the handbook before you spend money on stickers you do not need. Cars with adaptive LED or matrix headlights often handle it automatically.
What to carry, by country
| Item | France | Switzerland | Italy | Austria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headlamp adjustment | Compulsory | Compulsory | Compulsory | Compulsory |
| Warning triangle | Compulsory | Compulsory, and not in the boot | Compulsory | Compulsory |
| Hi-vis jacket | Compulsory | Not compulsory | See note below | Compulsory |
| First aid kit | Not compulsory | Not compulsory | Not compulsory | Compulsory |
| Fire extinguisher | Not compulsory | Not compulsory | Not compulsory | Not compulsory |
| Breathalyser | Not compulsory | Not compulsory | Not compulsory | Not compulsory |
The Italian hi-vis question. Our two sources disagree, and we would rather tell you than smooth it over. The AA's equipment matrix marks a reflective jacket as compulsory in Italy. The RAC's Italy guide says it is "not mandatory to carry" - but that "you could be fined for walking on the road or hard shoulder if not wearing one." That is a carry-versus-wear distinction, and the practical conclusion is identical: carry one, and put it on before you get out.
The same logic applies everywhere. Switzerland's rule that the warning triangle must be within reach and not in the boot exists because you are meant to deploy it before you walk into traffic. Keep the jacket in the door pocket, not with the luggage. Whether or not a given country has legislated the storage location, the physics of the situation has not changed.
One caveat on our sources
The AA's compulsory-equipment chart, which we used for the matrix above, is dated July 2015 and is still the live document on their site. Equipment law changes slowly, but if a fine turns on it, check the current national rule directly before you travel.
Three things you were told that are not true
You do not need a breathalyser in France
The RAC is direct about this: "You're not required to have a breathalyser kit in your vehicle when driving in France. In 2020, the rule changed to no longer make it a legal requirement" (RAC). The requirement was introduced in 2012, the fine for non-compliance was never actually brought into force, and the obligation itself was removed in 2020. Ferry-port shops have been selling them to nervous Britons ever since.
You do not need a green card
"You do not need to carry a green card when you drive in the EU… or Switzerland" (GOV.UK). This changed in August 2021 and a great deal of pre-2021 advice is still circulating.
You do not need an International Driving Permit
"You do not need an international driving permit (IDP) to visit and drive in the EU, Switzerland, Iceland or Liechtenstein" (GOV.UK), provided you hold a photocard licence.
Vignettes, tolls and Crit'Air
Switzerland charges CHF 40 for a motorway vignette. Austria charges €12.80 for ten days, €32.00 for two months or €106.80 for the year. The Grossglockner is a separate €46.50 toll on top. France charges tolls per section, and requires a Crit'Air sticker in its low-emission zones.
- Switzerland - CHF 40. Valid from 1 December of the previous year to 31 January of the following one, so one sticker covers fourteen months. An e-vignette linked to the number plate has been available since August 2023 (Federal Office for Customs and Border Security).
- Austria - €12.80 / €32.00 / €106.80 for ten days, two months and a year respectively, valid from 1 December 2025 (ASFINAG).
- The Grossglockner is not covered by the Austrian vignette. It is a separately tolled private road: €46.50 for a car, €36.50 for a motorcycle (GROHAG).
- France - Crit'Air. Required in France's low-emission zones (ZFE). For a foreign-registered vehicle the official price is €5.11 including postage, sent by post within about ten working days (service-public.gouv.fr). Order it a month before you travel, and only from the official site - the lookalike sites charge several times as much for the same sticker.
And one that will genuinely cost you
Speed camera alerts are illegal in France. French law prohibits devices capable of detecting speed cameras, and this has been "extended to include GPS-based systems capable of displaying fixed speed camera locations." Penalties reach €1,500, with confiscation of the device and the vehicle (RAC).
In practice: before you cross, set your navigation app to show "danger zones" rather than exact camera positions. Most of them have a France setting for precisely this reason. Doing nothing and hoping is a poor plan when the stated penalty includes the car.
Common questions
Do I need a UK sticker to drive in Europe?
Not if your number plate already displays the UK identifier with the Union flag. You do need one if the plate shows a GB identifier, a Euro symbol, a national flag of England, Scotland or Wales, or just letters and numbers. In Spain, Cyprus and Malta a UK sticker is required regardless of the plate.
Do I need a breathalyser to drive in France?
No. It has not been a legal requirement since the rule changed in 2020. Carrying one is sensible; you cannot be fined for its absence.
Do I need a green card to drive in the EU?
No. GOV.UK confirms you do not need a green card for the EU or Switzerland. You still need valid insurance, and you should carry the certificate.
Do I need an International Driving Permit?
No, not for France, Switzerland, Italy or Austria, provided you hold a UK photocard driving licence.
Do I need headlamp beam deflectors?
Headlamp adjustment is compulsory in all four countries. Whether you need stickers depends on the car: many modern headlights have a beam-pattern setting in the vehicle menu, and adaptive units often adjust themselves. Check the handbook first.
Are sat-nav speed camera alerts illegal in France?
Yes. French law bans devices that detect speed cameras, extended to GPS systems that display fixed camera locations. Penalties reach €1,500, with confiscation of the device and the vehicle. Switch your app to "danger zone" mode before you cross.
What is compulsory in Austria that is not compulsory elsewhere?
A first aid kit. Austria requires one - in a strong, dirt-proof box - where France, Switzerland and Italy do not.
We handle the paperwork too
On every trip we run, the vignettes, the crossing and the road book are arranged before you leave. You get a printed list of exactly what to put in the car. Nothing bought at a ferry terminal in a panic.
See the trips