Guidance

ECMT international road haulage permits

Permits to travel to or through European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) member countries, and the rules you have to follow.

From:
Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency and Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain
Published
26 November 2018
Last updated
16 September 2024 — See all updates

ECMT permits allow you to transport most types of goods (or drive an empty vehicle) through ECMT member countries.

You need to follow rules about using your ECMT permits, including your drivers carrying the right documents.

Check if you need ECMT permits

You can use 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 cannot currently use ECMT permits to travel to Russia because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

A limited number of ECMT permits are available. However, you can usually make journeys to 42 of these 43 countries without an ECMT permit.

EU countries, Liechtenstein and Switzerland

You only need your UK Licence for the Community if your journey is between the UK and an EU country, Liechtenstein or Switzerland.

You do not need an ECMT permit.

Cross-trade jobs in the EU

You can use your UK Licence for the Community to carry out 2 cross-trade jobs (moving goods between 2 countries) in the EU.

You need an ECMT permit if you want to carry out a third cross-trade job. The ECMT permit will let you carry out 3 cross-trade jobs between any ECMT country.

Cross-trade jobs between EU and non-EU countries

You need an ECMT permit if you want to carry out a cross-trade job between the EU and a non-EU country. The non-EU country must be an ECMT member country.

Cross-trade jobs in the EU following an unladen journey from the UK

You need an ECMT permit if you want to carry out a cross-trade job within the EU after an unladen journey from the UK.

Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine

You do not usually need any permits to transport goods to, through or from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine.

However, you need to get a bilateral road haulage permit if you’re travelling:

  • through Turkey to another country
  • in Ukraine using a Euro III or Euro IV vehicle

Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Norway, Russia or Tunisia

You cannot currently get bilateral permits for Belarus or Russia because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

You can get bilateral road haulage permits instead of ECMT permits if your journey involves Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Norway, Russia or Tunisia.

Unlike ECMT permits, many more of these permits are available.

Armenia

You must have an ECMT permit to transport goods to, through or from Armenia.

If your journey also includes any other ECMT countries, you should:

  • use your ECMT permit for the journey
  • not apply for separate bilateral permits - you cannot use a bilateral road haulage permit at the same time as an ECMT permit

What you cannot use ECMT permits for

You cannot use ECMT permits:

  • to travel through ECMT countries to countries that are not in the scheme
  • for cabotage (loading and unloading goods for hire or reward between 2 points in a country by a vehicle that’s not registered in that country)

Cyprus is not part of the ECMT scheme. You cannot use an ECMT permit to transport goods through Cyprus to ECMT countries.

Eligibility

To apply for an ECMT permit, you must:

How much it costs

How much you have to pay depends on:

  • the type of permit you’re applying for
  • when you apply

Short-term permits

Short term permits cost £10.

They are valid for 30 days.

Annual permits

Annual permits are valid until 31 December 2024.

The fee for annual permits depends on the time of year you apply for them.

When you apply Cost
January to March £123
April to June £93
July to September £62
October to December £31

Application fees

You will also have to pay a non-refundable £10 application fee for each permit you apply for.

Apply for permits

You can apply for:

  • short-term permits for 30 days
  • annual permits valid until 31 December 2024

Email the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) International Road Haulage Permits Office to apply.

DVSA International Road Haulage Permits Office
irhp@dvsa.gov.uk

You need to include:

  • your operator licence number
  • the date of your first journey
  • the type of journey (third cross-trade, cross-trade from an EU country to a non-EU country, or travel to a non-EU ECMT country)
  • the journey destination, including your loading and unloading points
  • which countries you’ll go through to reach your destination
  • how many permits you need
  • the type of permits you’d prefer (annual or short-term)
  • which type of vehicle you’ll use (Euro V or Euro VI)

What happens next

You might be asked to send proof that you’ll be travelling to your destination (for example, a contract to import and export, or evidence of recent or regular journey to the country).

You’ll then need to pay a £10 application fee and pay for your permits.

  1. Pay the non-refundable £10 application fee for each permit when DVSA requests it.

  2. Email DVSA to confirm you’ve paid the application fee.

  3. Pay the permit fee when DVSA requests it.

  4. Email DVSA to confirm you have paid the permit fee.

  5. DVSA will post your permits to you.

Rules for using the permits

You must carry your UK Licence for the Community during any journeys to or through EU countries when you’re using an ECMT permit.

You can use an ECMT permit to make an unlimited number of journeys within:

  • a calendar year, if you have an annual permit
  • 30 days of the start date on the permit, if you have a short-term permit

You have to return to the UK after every third journey.

You can only use your original permit. You cannot:

  • make copies of it
  • transfer it to other vehicle operators or businesses
  • use it in more than one vehicle at a time

Do not laminate the permit, as it may be stamped at checkpoints.

Example If you have 10 ECMT permits, you can have a maximum of 10 vehicles making journeys to or through ECMT countries at once.

When a vehicle returns to the UK, you can use the same permit to make another journey during the period it is valid for, or you can move the permit to another vehicle on your operator licences. That vehicle can then make journeys to or through ECMT countries.

If you have more than one vehicle operator licence

You can use an ECMT permit for a vehicle assigned to any of your operator licences. It’s not allocated to a specific operator licence.

You’re not allowed to transfer a permit to another business entity, for example, a sister company.

Rules for the vehicles and trailers

You cannot use ECMT permits you’re allocated:

  • for unaccompanied trailers or semi-trailers
  • with vehicles of a lower Euro emissions class to that shown on the permit (for example, you cannot use a Euro VI permit in a Euro V vehicle, but you can use a Euro V permit in a Euro VI vehicle)

Get an ECMT ‘certificate of compliance’ for vehicles and trailers

You must carry an ECMT ‘certificate of compliance’ in your vehicle and trailer. They must confirm the vehicle meets the correct Euro emissions standard and the trailer meets the technical safety requirements.

If your permit application is successful, request a certificate from your vehicle or trailer manufacturer.

Get an ECMT ‘certificate of roadworthiness’ for vehicles and trailers

You must carry an ECMT ‘certificate of roadworthiness’ for your vehicle and trailer.

If your permit application is successful and you do not already have a certificate, apply online to get one.

Apply for an ECMT certificate of roadworthiness.

Before you start

To apply for an ECMT certificate of roadworthiness, you need:

  • your username and password if you’ve used the service to manage your vehicle operator licence before (you can register in the service if you’ve not used it before)
  • the vehicle registration number (number plate)
  • the trailer registration number or ID number from DVLA (if you’re applying for a trailer)
  • the vehicle or trailer type and make
  • the certificate of compliance number (leave this blank if you do not have the number)
  • vehicle identification number (VIN)
  • engine type and number

Meet the ECMT Quality Charter

You must meet the ECMT Quality Charter requirements.

If you have a standard international operator licence

You already meet the requirements of the charter if you have a standard international operator licence

If you have a restricted or standard national operator licence

If you have a restricted or standard national operator licence you need to:

  • have a transport manager
  • give proof you have the higher levels of financial standing needed for a standard international licence

You can also apply for a standard international licence to show you meet the ECMT Quality Charter.

Fill in the ECMT log book before a journey

Each ECMT permit comes with a log book.

Before you start a journey, fill in the permit’s log book (in pen, not pencil) with a full record of all the journey’s details.

If you make a mistake, cross it out. Make sure the mistake is still readable, as it may need to be checked.

What drivers need to carry during journeys

The driver will need to carry these documents for all of the outward and return journey:

  • the ECMT permit
  • the ECMT permit log book (plus the issued translation sheets)
  • the ECMT certificate of compliance for the vehicle and trailer (plus the issued translation sheets)
  • a certificate of roadworthiness for the vehicle and trailer (plus the issued translation sheets)

The driver must show the documents at checkpoints when asked.

Find out how different countries carry out checks.

Check what other vehicle documents and driver documents the driver needs to carry on international journeys.

It’s illegal to not have the right documents for the journey. Your driver can be fined for not carrying them.

Send journey records to DVSA

If you have an annual ECMT permit, you must send the original (top sheet) for each completed page of the ECMT log book to DVSA within 2 weeks of your return to the UK.

You must send the complete ECMT log book to DVSA within 2 weeks of the permit’s expiry date.

International Road Haulage Permits Office
DVSA
Quarry House
Quarry Hill
Leeds
LS2 7UE

Lost, damaged or stolen permits

Contact DVSA straight away if you lose or damage a permit, or if one is stolen.

You should also tell the police if a permit is stolen.

DVSA International Road Haulage Permits Office
irhp@dvsa.gov.uk
Telephone: 020 8158 0250
Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm
Find out about call charges

If you give up your operator licence

Send your ECMT permits and log books to DVSA if you apply to give up (‘surrender’) your vehicle operator licence.

Get help with ECMT permits

Contact the DVSA International Road Haulage Permits Office to get help with ECMT permits.

DVSA International Road Haulage Permits Office
irhp@dvsa.gov.uk
Telephone: 020 8158 0250
Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm
Find out about call charges

Updates to this page

Published 26 November 2018
Last updated 16 September 2024 + show all updates

  1. Updated the address for the International Road Haulage Permits Office.

  2. You can now get bilateral road haulage permits for Azerbaijan and Norway. You need an ECMT permit if you want to carry out a cross-trade job within the EU after an unladen journey from the UK.

  3. Updated the information about permit fees to reflect that the fee for annual permits depends on the time of year you apply for them.

  4. You cannot currently use ECMT permits to travel to Russia or get a bilateral road haulage permit to Belarus or Russia.

  5. Updated where you need permits, as you no longer need ECMT permits to transport goods to, through or from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Added information about applying for short-term and annual ECMT permits for 2022.

  6. Updated the information about applying for short-term permits, as you can now apply for these for the rest of 2021.

  7. Updated the 'Check if you need ECMT permits' section to make it clearer when you need ECMT permits, and what other options there are for other types of permits.

  8. Updated why you need ECMT permits in 2021, and how to buy short-term (30-day) permits to use in January and February 2021 if you want to make a third cross-trade movement.

  9. Updated to confirm that emails have been sent to tell applicants if they’ve been allocated an ECMT permit for 2021.

  10. Removed the link to apply for ECMT permits for 2021 as the application period has ended. Updated the section on what happens next if you applied.

  11. Added a link to the service to apply for ECMT permits for 2021. The deadline to apply is 11:59pm on 20 November 2020.

  12. Added information about preparing to apply for ECMT permits for 2021 between 2 November and 20 November 2020.

  13. Changed the date that you can complete most international journeys without an ECMT permit from 31 December 2019 to 31 July 2020. This is because the European Commission has extended a temporary set of measures.

  14. Added a link to the service to buy ECMT permits for November and December 2019.

  15. Updated information about buying permits for journeys until 31 December 2019. You'll be able to buy these permits from 30 August 2019 - you only need to buy them if you’ll be travelling to non-EU or EEA countries through the EU or EEA.

  16. Added information about how to prepare for Brexit, which includes a link to a new guide about how to carry out international road haulage after Brexit.

  17. Updated to confirm you can continue to use your EU Community Licence until 31 December 2019 if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, and that you would need an ECMT permit to transport goods through EU or EEA countries to non-EU or EEA countries who are ECMT members. Added information about how to apply for short-term ECMT permits for April 2019.

  18. Updated the guidance on applying, as applications for 2019 permits closed at 11:59pm on Saturday 16 March 2019.

  19. Added information about how to apply for a further allocation of ECMT permits the UK has secured, if you have not already applied for a 2019 permit.

  20. Added information about the UK government working to put arrangements in place with individual EU member states, updated information about what happens next if you applied for an ECMT permit for 2019, and added information about how to get an ECMT ‘certificate of roadworthiness’ for vehicles and trailers.

  21. Updated the guidance on applying, as you can no longer apply for ECMT permits for 2019. Applications closed on Friday 18 January 2019.

  22. Extended the deadline to apply for 2019 permits from 11:59pm on 21 December 2018 to 11:59pm on 18 January 2019, and added information about short-term permits.

  23. Added guidance on meeting the ECMT Quality Charter.

  24. First published.

Sign up for emails or print this page

Contents

Part of Transport goods out of the UK by road: step by step

  1. Step 1 Apply for operator licences and permits

    1. Check if you need a vehicle operator licence
    2. Apply for a vehicle operator licence

    You'll need other licences and permits, depending on the countries you're driving to or through.

    1. Check which licences and permits you need

  2. Step 2 Register and get approval for your vehicle

    You may need to register your trailer to drive through or to the EU if it weighs over 750kg.

    1. Register your trailer to take it abroad

    You’ll need to get specialist vehicle approvals to transport any of the following:

  3. Step 3 Make sure your driver is eligible to drive abroad

    1. Check your driver has the documents they need to drive abroad

    The driver must carry these documents with them.

  4. Step 4 Check the rules for the goods you're carrying

    1. Find out what you need to do if you're exporting your own goods

    There are rules for transporting certain goods. Your driver may need to follow set routes or stop at specific check points. Check the rules for:

    1. Find out what you need to apply for if you’re moving goods temporarily out of the UK

    If you're transporting goods outside the EU they must have been cleared by customs (given ‘permission to progress’). The exporter can tell you if this has happened.

  5. Step 5 Make sure your driver has the right export documents

    Your driver will need copies of:

    • any export licences
    • the road consignment note (‘CMR note’)
    • the Movement Reference Number (MRN) from the export declaration - if you're moving goods out of the EU
    • the MRN and the Local Reference Number (LRN) - if you're moving goods under the Common Transit convention (CTC)
    • the ATA Carnet document - if you're moving goods out of the EU temporarily
    • the TiR Carnet document - if you’re moving goods in a sealed load compartment with a seal number

    The exporter should be able to give all of these to you.

    You'll also need to have a customs seal approval certificate for the vehicle if you’re moving goods in a sealed load compartment. You'll get this when your vehicle passes the TiR test.

    You may need to use the Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) to move goods through some ports.

    1. Check how to move goods through ports that use the GVMS

  6. Step 6 Find out what vehicle documents your driver needs to carry

    1. Check what HGV and trailer documents your driver must carry
    2. Check what driving documents your driver must carry

  7. Step 7 Check you are ready for the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel or Holyhead

    You may need to attend an inland border facility if you're leaving from the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel or Holyhead.

    1. Check whether you need to attend an inland border facility

  8. Step 8 Check local road rules

    1. Check the road rules for European countries on the AA website
    2. Check travel advice for countries outside Europe

    When you have your documents, insurance and any extra equipment you need, you can transport goods abroad.