Guidance

Check if you need to register a trailer before towing it abroad

You must register commercial trailers over 750kg gross weight and all trailers over 3,500kg gross weight before towing them through some European countries.

• From: Department for Transport, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency and Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain
• Published: 25 October 2018
• Last updated: 28 March 2019 — See all updates

Trailers that have to be registered

You must register your trailer if you will be towing it through these countries.

This applies to all:

• commercial trailers over 750kg gross weight
• non-commercial trailers over 3,500kg gross weight

This means that these trailers making international journeys will need to:

• display their own registration plate (separate from the vehicle towing them)
• have a trailer registration certificate that can be shown to a foreign authority on request

Register your trailer

You must register your trailer to travel in these countries:

Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and Ukraine.

Register your trailer to take it abroad.

It costs:

• £26 to register a trailer for the first time
• £21 to issue a new registration certificate for a new registered keeper
• £10 for a replacement UK trailer registration certificate

Countries where you don’t need to register your trailer

You do not need to register trailers that are only used:

• in the UK
• for journeys between the UK and Ireland

You also do not need to register trailers used in:

• Cyprus
• Liechtenstein
• Malta
• Spain

However, you must register trailers to tow them through any country where the rules apply to reach Cyprus, Liechtenstein, Malta or Spain.

If you have an abnormal load trailer

You need a keeper’s certificate for an abnormal load trailer to take it abroad. Carry the keeper’s certificate in your vehicle when you go abroad.

Some countries measure abnormal loads differently from the UK. Check with each country you’re travelling through to find out if the load you’re transporting counts as abnormal there.

Register for updates on GOV.UK and via DVLA email alerts.

Published 25 October 2018
Last updated 28 March 2019 + show all updates

1. 28 March 2019

   You must register commercial trailers over 750kg and all trailers over 3,500kg before towing them through Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and Ukraine.

2. 26 February 2019

   Link to 'Register your trailer to take it abroad' start page added.

3. 1 February 2019

   Listing the information required to register a trailer for international use.

4. 25 October 2018

   First published.