Apply for a van or other light goods vehicle operator licence
You need to apply for a vehicle operator licence if you use a van or other light goods vehicle to transport goods in Europe.
You need a standard international goods vehicle operator licence to use your vans or car and trailers over 2.5 tonnes to transport goods for hire or reward in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
Find out more about transporting goods in Europe in vans or car and trailers
What you need to apply
When you apply you need:
- the vehicle registration (number plate) and gross plated weight of each vehicle you want to be on your licence
- to upload documents showing you have enough money to keep your vehicles and run your business
- proof that your transport manager has the Transport Manager CPC qualification or has been temporarily recognised as a transport manager
Unlike an application for a licence to use heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), you will not need:
- an operating centre
- to advertise your application in a local newspaper
Financial evidence
When you apply, you need to upload documents to prove that you have access to a set amount of finance to run your business. The amount you need depends on how many vehicles you have.
You must have £1,600 available for the first vehicle in your fleet. You need an extra £800 per additional vehicle in your fleet.
Example You have a fleet of 5 vans.
You need to have £1,600 for the first van.
You then need £800 each for the remaining 4 vans (£800 × 4 = £3,200).
You need to prove you have access to funds of at least £4,800 (£1,600 + £3,200).
Financial documents to upload
The proof can include:
- bank statements
- building society accounts
- credit card accounts
- an opening balance (if you’re a new business)
- overdraft facilities
- invoice finance agreements
- audited accounts
If you upload bank statements, they must:
- be in the name of the person or organisation applying for the licence
- cover the 28-day period immediately before the date you apply
- show itemised transactions as well as the opening and closing balance
You must be able to explain any large or unusual deposits to the account during the 28-day period.
Transport manager
You’ll need either:
- a copy of your transport manager’s CPC qualification certificate (if they have the qualification)
- the reference number for an approved application to be temporarily recognised as a transport manager (if they do not yet have the qualification)
How to apply for a licence
What you need to do depends on when you’ll be making your first journey in Europe.
If you’ll be making journeys in Europe immediately
When you apply for your operator licence, you should also ask for an interim licence.
An interim licence is a temporary licence that can be issued more quickly than your full licence. This means that you will be able to use your interim licence to operate in Europe while your full licence is still being processed if you meet the requirements.
It can take up to 7 weeks to issue your full licence.
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Apply for your operator licence. Fill in all the sections of the application and upload all the documents you’re asked for.
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At the end of your application, select ‘Yes’ when you’re asked if you want to apply for a ‘time limited interim authority’ (an interim licence).
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Pay the normal application fee of £257, and the £68 interim licence application fee.
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The Office of the Traffic Commissioner (OTC) will send you an interim operator licence disc to display in each of your vehicles if your application is successful.
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OTC will process your full application and tell you if you’ve been granted a full licence.
Your interim licence will end:
- if you cancel your application for an operator licence
- when your application for a full operator licence has either been granted or refused
You’ll get a refund of the £68 interim licence application fee if either:
- your full licence can be issued instead of giving you an interim licence
- your application for an interim licence is refused
If you’ll only be making journeys in Europe at least 7 weeks from now
You do not have to ask for an interim licence if you’ll only be making journeys in Europe at least 7 weeks from now. This is because there should enough time to process your application for a full licence. However, you can still choose to do this if you want to.
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Apply for your operator licence. Fill in all the sections of the application and upload all the documents you’re asked for.
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At the end of your application, select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ when you’re asked if you want to apply for a ‘time limited interim authority’ (an interim licence) depending on what you want to do.
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Pay the normal application fee of £257 (and the £68 interim licence application fee if you decide to ask for one).
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OTC will process your full application and tell you if you’ve been granted a full licence.
Before you start
You need:
- a debit or credit card
- your username and password if you’ve used the service before
You can register in the service if you’ve not used it before.
You’ll usually get a decision within 7 weeks if you apply online. It can take longer - for example, if you do not provide all requested supporting documents when you apply.
What it costs
| Fee type | Cost |
|---|---|
| Application for a goods vehicle operator licence | £257 |
| Application for an interim licence | £68 |
| Issue of your full vehicle operator licence | £401 |
| Renewal (‘continuation’) fee paid every 5 years | £401 |
Help with your application
If you live in England, Scotland or Wales, contact the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to get help.
DVSA customer service centre
Telephone: 0300 123 9000
Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 6pm
Find out about call charges
Contact the Transport Regulation Unit if you live in Northern Ireland.
Transport Regulation Unit
Telephone: 0300 200 7831
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Find out about call charges
Updates to this page
Published 21 March 2022Last updated 22 May 2024 + show all updates
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You can no longer apply to be temporarily recognised as a transport manager.
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Updated the timescale it can take to issue a full vehicle operator licence from 9 weeks to 7 weeks.
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You now need a standard international goods vehicle operator licence to use a van or car and trailer to transport goods for hire or reward in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
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First published.