Driving Licence

If you're planning on driving when on holiday abroad, you may need an international driving permit (IDP).

Currently you don't need an IDP to drive in the EU, Switzerland, Iceland, or Liechtenstein. But you may need one for some EU countries and Norway if you still have a paper driving licence, or if your licence was issued in Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man.

There are 3 types of IDP and you may need more than one type if you are going to drive through more than one country.

Insurance

Your insurer should be able to provide you with a 'green card', which is proof of your insurance when driving abroad. You will need to carry a physical copy of this if you're going to drive in the EU (including Ireland), Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Serbia or Andorra. You may also need to carry it if driving elsewhere in the world.

Keep the green card handy when travelling, as you may be requested to show it at border checks as you move between countries, at police checks or if you're involved in an accident.

See our section on Travel Insurance for more information on choosing an insurance policy.

Other documentation

If leaving the UK with your own car, take your vehicle registration documents (V5C) with you. If you're hiring a car, get a 'vehicle on hire certificate' (VE103) to prove your entitlement to use the vehicle.

For your own car, you would need to have a GB sticker on the rear of your vehicle depending on what your current number plates look like and what countries you're going to drive in.

Check the driving rules of the country you're planning to drive in during your holiday, as these do differ and can require you to have various other documents.