Certificates, licences and permits for HGVs and trailer

In this guide:

  • Certificates, licences and permits for HGVs and trailer

    Essential documentation about your HGV and trailer to carry when you drive a commercial vehicle carrying goods abroad.

    There is some essential documentation which you need to carry about your HGV and trailer if you drive a commercial vehicle carrying goods abroad.

    Vehicle and trailer registration documents

    You need to carry your vehicle registration documents when driving abroad for less than 12 months.

    This can be either:

    There are different rules if you take the vehicle out of the UK for 12 months or more.

    Trailer registration certificate

    You need to carry the trailer registration certificate when you travel abroad.

    Find out how to register your trailer to take it abroad.

    If you have an abnormal load trailer

    You also need to carry a ‘certificate of keeper’ if you have an abnormal load trailer.

    Certificates for specialist vehicle approvals

    You need to carry any documents about specialist approvals your vehicle has. These might include approvals for:

    Goods vehicle operator licence disc

    You must display a valid operator licence disc for either:

    Haulage licences or permits needed for the journey

    You need to carry copies of the licences or permits that are needed for the journey you’re making.

    Check which international road haulage permits you need to carry.

    If you’re carrying out a job within an EU country (cabotage)
    You need to carry extra documents about the load you’re carrying if you’re doing a cabotage job.

    If you’re using an ECMT permit

    If you’re using a European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) permit, you also need to carry:

    • an ECMT certificate of compliance for the vehicle and trailer
    • an ECMT certificate of roadworthiness

    Find out more about ECMT permits.

    Also on this site
    Driver documents required for international road haulage
    International transport and distribution
    How to move goods by road
    Content category
    Transport

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  • Insurance, tax and vehicle security documents

    Documents on vehicle and goods insurance, and various tolls, taxes, charges and permissions you need to carry abroad.

    There are various documents you need to bring about your vehicle, or pre-journey permissions obtained, when driving a commercial vehicle carrying goods between countries.

    Vehicle insurance and green cards

    You must have suitable motor insurance cover when you drive abroad.

    In some countries, you will need to carry a ‘green card’ as proof of the insurance cover.

    Where you need green cards

    You need a green card to drive in:

    Albania, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Iran, Israel, Moldova, Morocco, Russia, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine.

    You do not need a green card to drive in the European Union (including Ireland), Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Serbia or Switzerland.

    When you need more than one green card

    You will need to carry more than one green card if:

    • you have fleet or multi-vehicle insurance - you’ll need a green card for each vehicle
    • your vehicle is towing a trailer - you’ll need one for the towing vehicle and one for the trailer (you need separate trailer insurance in some countries)
    • you have 2 policies covering the duration of your trip, for example, if your policy renews during the journey

    You must carry a physical copy of your green card when driving abroad. Electronic versions of green cards are not acceptable.

    Make sure your employer has got green cards

    Make sure your employer either:

    • contacts their vehicle insurance provider at least six weeks before you travel to get a copy
    • prints green cards their insurance providers electronically send to them (this does not need to be printed on green paper)

    When you will have to show your green cards
    You will need to show green cards if you’re involved in an accident.

    Find out more about vehicle insurance.

    If you’re involved in a road accident

    Contact your insurance provider if you’re involved in a road accident in the EU.

    Any legal proceedings against either the responsible driver or the insurance provider of the vehicle will need to be brought in the EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway where the accident happened. You might have to make your claim in the local language.

    You will not get compensation in some countries if the accident is caused by an uninsured driver or if the driver cannot be traced.

    Get legal advice if you need more information about this.

    Goods insurance

    In some countries, you may need to produce a certificate of insurance for the goods carried to avoid paying a premium.

    Check the rules with the British Embassy in the countries you’re travelling through or to.

    UK stickers (previously a GB sticker)

    You do not need a United Kingdom sticker if either:

    • your number plate includes the UK identifier on its own or with the Union flag (also known as the Union Jack)
    • you're driving in Ireland

    You will need to display a UK sticker clearly on the rear of your vehicle if your number plate has any of the following:

    • a Great Britain identifier with the Union flag (also known as the Union Jack)
    • a Euro symbol
    • a national flag of England, Scotland or Wales
    • numbers and letters only - no flag or identifier

    If you’re in Spain, Cyprus or Malta, you must display a UK sticker no matter what is on your number plate.

    If you have a GB sticker, cover or remove it.

    Find more details on vehicle flags, symbols and identifiers.

    Vehicle security checklist

    You must secure your vehicle to stop people using it to enter the UK illegally.

    Record the checks you do on the vehicle security checklist.

    Vehicle tolls, charges or taxes

    You may have to pay a:

    • vehicle toll or charge in EU countries
    • vehicle tax in some non-EU countries

    Some non-EU countries have an agreement with the UK that means that registered goods vehicles are exempt from these taxes.

    Countries currently charging visiting foreign goods vehicles to use their roads include:

    Austria, Belarus, Bosnia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland Tunisia, Turkey and Ukraine.

    Check locally for the latest, most up-to-date information about road charges and taxes.

    You may need to carry paperwork, stickers, payment cards or electronic toll devices to use roads abroad.

    Vehicle emission levels and controls

    Many European towns and cities are Low Emission Zones (LEZ). This means that vehicles are not allowed in (or charged a fee) if their emissions are above a certain level.

    Check the European Low Emissions Zone website to find out which areas are LEZs and what you must do to enter them.

    Fuel duty and value added tax

    When you buy motor fuel in the UK the price includes tax. When you take your vehicle abroad some countries may charge additional tax on the fuel in your tanks.

    Taxes on UK fuel entering EU countries

    There’s no limit on the amount of fuel that you can carry between EU countries in ‘standard tanks’, provided that it remains in these and is not off-loaded.

    Some EU countries (including Belgium and France) interpret a ‘standard tank’ differently and say that supplementary tanks fall outside this category.

    In these countries, for a tank to qualify as a ‘standard tank’, you must be able to show that:

    • it’s of a type that was permanently fitted by the manufacturer to all motor vehicles of the same type as the vehicle in question
    • its permanent fitting enables fuel to be used directly for propulsion or, where appropriate, by refrigeration or other systems

    In Belgium and France, authorities might say that ‘catwalk tanks’ and ‘belly tanks’ do not meet these rules. You might be charged additional duty or fined when carrying fuel in these tanks.

    Find information on the fuel you can legally use in a road vehicle.

    Also on this site
    Driver documents required for international road haulage
    International transport and distribution
    How to move goods by road
    Content category
    Transport

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Attending an inland border facility

In this guide:

  • Attending an inland border facility

    How to prepare when moving goods and attending an inland border facility, and the process when you arrive.

    Last updated: 20 September 2023

    This guidance will help you to understand how to prepare to visit an inland border facility (IBF) and the process to follow when you arrive.

    Before you go to an inland border facility

    1. Check what services are offered at each of the IBFs, not all facilities carry out the same functions.
    2. Check how busy an IBF is before leaving for your journey.
    3. Book in to attend an IBF. Booking in will mean HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) should be able to deal with you more quickly.

    Traders using an Authorised Consignor or Consignee (ACC) do not need to attend an inland border facility. ACCs can start and end transit movement of goods at their own premises.

    You only need to attend an inland border facility if you’re travelling through the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel or Holyhead and you’re moving goods:

    • under the Common Transit Convention (CTC) and are not using the services of an ACC to start or end your Transit movements
    • into the country under the CTC and have been instructed to report to a site for those goods to be checked

    When you may need to attend an inland border facility

    You must follow instructions about whether you need to get your goods checked by customs on arrival or if you’re able to continue your journey.

    You should use your goods movement reference number in the ‘check if you need to report for an inspection’ service to understand if your goods are held. If you’re arriving into the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel, you’ll need to attend an inland border facility to have these checks carried out.

    In some cases you may also be stopped by Border Force officers within the port to have checks performed on your vehicle or load. If this happens, you must still attend an inland border facility to complete customs functions if you have received instructions to do so.

    The goods must be taken to an inland border facility directly and must arrive in the same condition as the goods were at the time of importation.

    You may be liable to a penalty of up to £2,500 if you fail to follow HMRC instructions.

    When you do not need to come to an inland border facility

    You do not need to come to an inland border facility if you:

    • have a vehicle that is empty
    • are travelling in and out of the United Kingdom by other ports
    • are using the services of an ACC
    • are using other (non-CTC) import or export procedures to move your goods in or out of the UK

    Get ‘border ready’

    Get ready before you reach Kent

    You must be ‘border ready’ before you reach Kent ports or you’ll be turned back and could be fined.

    If you’re crossing the Channel through the Eurotunnel or the Port of Dover, you must check a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) is ready to cross the border

    For outbound movements leaving the UK through the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel

    If you need to use an inland border facility and are coming to Kent from elsewhere, you should get ready before arriving in Kent. Do not wait until you’ve reached the port in Kent or you will be turned back.

    To get ready you should attend the IBF at Sevington.

    Holyhead

    Get ready before you travel to Holyhead. If your journey allows, you can also make use of the services at Warrington or Birmingham inland border facilities before you arrive at Holyhead.

    Check for more information on getting ready for Welsh ports.

    Documents you’ll need to bring

    You’ll need all relevant paperwork in relation to your movement.

    Common Transit Convention movements

    To start a CTC movement out of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), you’ll need to:

    • get from your agent or freight forwarder for every consignment:
      • the Local Reference Number (LRN)
      • either all the export declaration references and include this in a goods movement reference, or a Master Unique Consignment Reference (if there is one) in writing
    • show the LRN and either all the export declaration references in a goods movement reference, or a Master Unique Consignment Reference in writing, at the Office of Departure to get a Transit Accompanying Document (TAD)

    To end a movement at an Office of Destination, you’ll need to present the TAD and provide the Movement Reference Number (MRN) for every consignment.

    If you’re a:

    • trader using an Office of Destination at an IBF you should make sure that import entries are submitted and have arrived by the time the goods reach the Office of Destination
    • driver attending an Office of Destination you should have details of the customs entries for the consignments you’re carrying (for example, entry numbers and dates)

    Goods without arrived import entries will need temporary storage.

    If you’re a driver attending an IBF with goods that need temporary storage you may have to use an alternative facility at your own expense.

    IBFs cannot be used for commercial storage.

    ATA Carnet movements

    For both inbound and outbound movements, you’ll need to present the ATA Carnet documents for each consignment.

    CITES movements

    For both inbound and outbound movements, you’ll need to present a CITES permit for each consignment.

    Locations of inland border facilities

    You can find a list of inland border facility locations.

    Stop 24 and Dover Western Docks

    Vehicles that are excluded from Sevington for being oversized or for containing hazardous goods can be processed at these sites.

    In the event of a problem with HMRC inland border facilities, you may be directed to Dover Western Docks or Stop24.

    This is in addition to existing commercial operations already provided at these sites.

    Tell HMRC that you’re going to be attending an inland border facility

    You should tell HMRC in advance that you’re attending an IBF if the goods you’re moving:

    • are going to an office of departure or office of destination (starting or ending a transit movement)
    • are covered by an ATA Carnet
    • need a CITES permit

    Regardless of why you attend the site, if your goods have been flagged as ‘held’ for a compliance check, you must let front office staff know about this upon your arrival.

    You can also check if there are any delays at an IBF.

    What to expect when visiting an inland border facility

    There will be local signage in place to help direct you to the site along the strategic main roads.

    Upon arrival at the site, you’ll be greeted by a traffic management marshal.

    There will be automatic number plate recognition cameras at the entry and exit points of the site. This monitors vehicles entering and exiting the site to manage traffic and security.

    A quick visual inspection of the vehicle will be done by security marshals at the entry checkpoint. For example, they’ll check that there are no leaks and that the vehicle is not prohibited as a result of these checks.

    Following this, you’ll be directed to a vacant parking bay. Once you’ve parked your vehicle, you’ll be asked to switch your engine off by the traffic marshal and to keep it off whilst you’re parked. There should be no idling of engines.

    If your goods have been flagged as ‘held’ for a compliance check, you must tell front office staff this when you arrive.

    You’ll then take your documents to the front office and be directed to wait in your vehicle while the paperwork is processed. Once this is complete, you’ll receive either an approval and exit receipt to move off-site, or a non-approval where you will follow a separate process.

    You’ll then be able to exit the site and rejoin the strategic main road.

    Duration of the checks

    HMRC estimates that you will need between one to two hours at the facility to go through customs clearance. Make sure you leave sufficient time when planning your journey.

    The sites are staffed and operated 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

    Once you’ve completed the paperwork process, you can return to your vehicle and you should leave immediately.

    Facilities available on sites

    All sites will provide water, toilets, and handwashing facilities. Additional facilities are offered on a site-by-site basis as outlined in each site-specific section. Cookers and fires are not permitted on-site.

    If your vehicle is excluded

    It’s possible that vehicles may arrive at the site that are classed as ‘excluded’ from the requirement to park on the site. This is based on things like load content, vehicle size and the presence of hazardous goods. If there are any issues, your vehicle will be moved to the marshal inspection bays for further examination by a senior security marshal.

    Vehicles are excluded if they contain:

    • livestock and other live loads (exemptions to this apply on sites that process CITES movements)
    • any vehicle transporting abnormal loads, which are:
      • a weight of more than 44,000kg
      • an axle load of more than 10,000kg for a single non-driving axle and 11,500kg for a single driving axle
      • a width of more than 2.9m
      • a rigid length of more than 18.65m
    • the following hazardous goods:
      • class 1 substances and articles (explosives) and class 4.1 substances (polymerizing substances)
      • category I or II nuclear material
      • high consequence dangerous goods
      • class 6.1 substances (insecticides)
    • vehicles subject to Special Types General Order (STGO) 2003

    Holyhead restrictions on tankers

    Holyhead cannot receive tankers containing over 3,000 litres of hazardous or contaminant liquid.

    The Holyhead facility has no penstock valve to help drain away spillages.

    Liquid contaminants include organic matter which is highly polluting to watercourses, such as:

    • milk
    • food
    • crops
    • dirty water
    • silage effluent and slurry
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  • Tell HMRC that you're going to be attending an inland border facility

    You can use this service to tell HMRC in advance that you're attending an inland border facility when moving goods.

    You can use this service to tell HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) in advance that you’re attending an inland border facility (IBF) because the goods you’re moving:

    • are going to an office of departure or office of destination (starting or ending a transit movement)
    • are covered by an ATA Carnet
    • need a CITES permit

    This will help you get processed on-site as quickly as possible.

    If there is another reason why you need to attend an IBF, you should tell the onsite marshals the reason when you arrive.

    Before you start

    You’ll need to know your:

    • arrival date and time
    • reason for attending
    • Local Reference Number (for outbound transit movements)
    • Movement Reference Number (for inbound transit movements)
    • the reference number you’ll discharge your movements against

    If you're a haulier or freight forwarder, you’ll also need to know the driver’s:

    • mobile phone number
    • vehicle registration (front number plate) of the heavy goods vehicle (HGV)

    To end the movements of goods in transit you’ll need either:

    How to tell HMRC

    Before you can tell HMRC you’re attending an IBF, you’ll need to create an account. You can create an account the first time you use the service.

    Start now

    Alternatively, you can download the free HMRC app from the:

    If you do not have a signal

    If you cannot tell HMRC that you’re going to attend an IBF before you arrive, you must report to the front office.

    More information about inland border facilities

    You can also find out about:

    Actions
    Download the HMRC app from the App Store for iOS
    Download the HMRC app from the Google Play Store for Android
    Also on this site
    Attending an inland border facility
    Check if there are any delays at an inland border facility
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  • Check if there are any delays at an inland border facility

    Service for transport professionals to check for delays and closures at the inland border facility you're attending.

    Last updated 3 April 2023

    If you’re a driver, freight forwarder or haulier, you can check how busy a site is to help you plan your journey.

    The facility will show as:

    • amber if it’s at 60 per cent full ‘delays possible’
    • red if it’s at 80 per cent full ‘delays expected’

    Start now

    Alternatively, you can download the free Attend Inland Border Facility app from the:

    It is illegal to use this app when driving. You must only use it before starting your journey or when parked up at an inland border facility.

    How you can get notifications

    All messages from the service will be shared using:

    • push notifications through the smartphone app
    • the user submission summary on the web service
    • text messages or email to the driver’s mobile phone

    To help plan your journey make sure you check:

    Actions
    Download the HMRC app - App Store for iOS
    Download the HMRC app - Google Play Store for Android
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    Attending an inland border facility
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Check what certificates you need to move your consignment

In this guide:

The linear model to move goods in groupage

In this guide:

The consolidation hub model to move goods in groupage

In this guide:

The hybrid model to move goods in groupage

In this guide:

How to pre-notify the Northern Ireland point of entry

In this guide:

How to seal your consignment

In this guide:

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