Here’s a guide for what you need to stay legal on the continent, regardless of where you’re headed – we’ll look at the specific needs of France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Ireland, and Switzerland further down the page.
1: Passport. Ensure your passport is valid. It must been issued less than ten years before your outward travel date, and it must have at least three months’ beyond your planned return date, as required by the EU/Schengen regulations.
2: Licence. There is no need for an International Driving Permit (IDP) as your UK Licence is still valid. The exceptions are if you are still holding old-style paper licence rather than a photocard, or if your licence was issued in Gibraltar, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man. In those, you will need a 1968 IDP to drive legally in most EU/EEA countries (including France and Germany, but not Spain For information on global IDP requirements please visit our guide.
3: Bike documents. It is essential to carry the bike’s5c (log book and MoT certificate at times. If you are not legal owner (for instance, if bike is on finance), you require a form V103 to prove you have permission from the owner to it out of the country. If you do not possess the V5c at, you will need a V103B as replacement. Contact the finance company well in advance if uncertain.
4: Insurance. You no longer need a Green Card to drive in the European Union, but you will need your insurance certificate. However, it must an original document; if it is supplied digitally, you can print it out.
5: GB sticker. The old GB sticker is no longer valid for in Europe. You now need a UK sticker, unless your number plate already has the ‘UK’ identifier and Union flag. However, if number plate displays ‘GB’ with the Union flag, the Euro symbol, the England, Scotland, or Wales flags, or has no flags at all, you must display a UK sticker clearly on the rear of the vehicle.
In Spain, Cyprus, or Malta, you must display a UK sticker regardless of what is on the plate. If you have a GB sticker, need to cover or remove it before driving outside the UK. You do not need a UK sticker to ride or drive in Ireland.
6: Travel/breakdown insurance. This is not obligatory, but it is highly recommended, and should include repatriate for you and your bike it is to be worthwhile. You must ensure that the policy you choose not only riding bikes, but also the specific type of bike and type of.
7: EHIC/GHIC. The EH (European Health Insurance Card), which ensured you wouldn’t incur a hospital bill if something went wrong, is now defunct post-Brexit (although existing cards are still valid until their expiry dates). We thought that would be the end of it, but it has returned now rebranded as the Global Health Insurance Card (GH). It remains free and still works across Europe.
Although it is not mandatory to carry one, it would be unwise not to, considering that even a short stay in hospital could result in substantial expenses. If happen to forget to one, can still file a claim retrospectively but you unlikely to receive a full refund.
8: A calendar. Frequent travellers should be mindful of dates. Post-Brexit, UK are subject to the same rules as other non-Europeans, limiting them to 90 days in the area within any 180-day period This may not an issue for most visitors taking a holiday, but if your work frequently takes you abroad and you wish to vacation in EU, it can quickly add up.
Please note that it is a rolling 180-day period. If uncertain, you should work back from your return date to 180 days before that and calculate how many days you have been in the Schengen area within that period (your passport should have been stamped upon entry and exit, making it easier). Then, subtract that number from 90 to determine how many days you are allowed to stay this time.
9: ETIAS Visa Waiver Third-country nationals who not require an actual visa to visit the EU or Schengen (including British citizens will need electronic waiver before travel. system is called ETIAS, which stands for the European Information and Authorisation System, and it similar to the ESTA for travel to the USA. The system is set to come into force November 202, but it has already been several times and may be postponed again. Even once, there will almost be at least a six-month grace before it becomes mandatory. Applications will be made online and are fairly simple; you will need a scanned copy of your and a biometric digital photo The cost is 7 eurosbew of third-party extra). Approval should be granted immediately (ET claims 95% of applications will be ‘within minutes’), it may take to four days if additional checks are required and up to four weeks further information is needed. It is valid for three years, but if your passport expires before then, so does the ETIAS, and you will need reapply as as you renew your passport.
10: Tools/spares/puncture kit: Not mandatory, but potentially useful. It is up to you whether you carry spares, but small toolkit is always, even if it only tighten up a loose sat-nav mount or trim a frayed strap.
A puncture kit is indeed valuable, it is entirely useless unless you know how to use it. Therefore, ensure you practice a few on an old tire before you embark on your journey..
A useful: if you have a bike with a single-sided swingarm and a large nut on the hub, it is advisable to carry a suitable socket with you. While getting puncture fixed or a new tire fitted is relatively easy, not every tire shop or bike store will have the appropriate socket for your specific bike.
Other things you might need when riding in Europe
Depending on which countries you’re visiting, you may need extra paperwork, equipment and/or knowledge. Check each countries page for more information.
France
Even if you’re not actually going to France, you’ll probably be passing through and you need to be legal while you’re there.
In addition to the main requirements for the EU, France has a few extras:
- You should carry a reflective/hi viz jacket or gilet at all times, in case of emergencies.
- You should have an in-date alcohol tester (although there’s no fine for not having one).
- In theory you should also have approved reflective stickers on your helmet, although no one ever does (including the locals), and we’ve never heard of anyone being nicked.
- You may well get nicked for riding without CE-approved gloves though.
- Contrary to popular wisdom you do NOT need to carry a spare bulb kit… although it’s not a bad idea anyway.
Probably the most important thing to know before riding in France is how the Priorité à Droite rule works – you’ll find a full explanation in our guide to riding in France here.
Spain
Spain’s one of our favourite places to ride as there’s little traffic away from the towns, plenty of accommodation, and great food in busy coastal resorts. But head a couple of miles inland and you might not see a soul all day.
And then there’s the roads… we can’t think of anywhere you get such a variety of tarmac, and so much opportunity to get into an all-day bend-swinging groove. Generally, the list of required papers/kit is the same as for the rest of the EU, but you also need…
- Spare glasses (if you’re a specs wearer)
- You should have a reflective/hi viz jacket or gilet with you on the bike in case of emergencies.
- Loud pipes are frowned upon and can get you an on-the spot fine.
There are quite a few other peculiarities and things to watch out for in Spain, including new urban speed limits and rules – see our full guide to riding in Spain here.
Germany
A very popular destination for UK bikers with great scenery, fine roads, excellent beer and the opportunity to go as fast as you want, legally. What’s not to like? Well, not that much, but as you might expect those high speeds come with a warning…
- Not all Autobahnen are unrestricted – only about half of the total.
- Even derestricted motorways still carry an advisory limit of 130km/h (80mph) – if you ride faster, you accept the consequences if it all goes wrong, and you also expose yourself to prosecution for even minor driving faults.
- Often the motorways are too congested to go fast anyway, in which case remember filtering’s only legal in completely stationary traffic.
- Depending where you go, noisy pipes can get you into hot water, and some roads are sometimes closed to motorcycles completely at certain times as a result of noise problems.
- Despite some advice to the contrary, motorcycles don’t need special stickers to enter low-emissions zones in German cities.
See our full guide to riding in Germany.
Italy
Italy’s a great place to ride – we really must do a full guide on it soon. From the mountains and lakes in the north, through the industrial belt and down to the agricultural south, it’s got a bit of everything. Basic paperwork/equipment rules are the same as elsewhere in the EU, with a few additions…
- You need a reflective/hi-viz gilet on board.
- Be wary of filling up on motorways – fuel can be frighteningly expensive, and if you accidentally choose an attended pump, that rises from frightening to terrifying…
- Also terrifying is the general standard of driving – be very, very wary approaching junctions, overtaking slower traffic in town, out of town… well, just everywhere. All the time.
See our Italy guide here.
Ireland
The Emerald Isle is in the EU, and we’re not, so most of the same advice applies as elsewhere in the EU. But bizarrely you don’t necessarily need a passport – your photocard driving licence should suffice. We’d take a passport anyway, just in case.
Check out our guide to riding in Ireland here.
Switzerland
Switzerland’s far too law-abiding to be fun on a bike for very long, although it does have some magnificent scenery of course. Mainly it’s just easier to go through it than around it when you’re on your way to Italy.
Although it’s not part of the EU (or the EEA for that matter), Switzerland has signed treaties that mean riding there is pretty much the same as in the EU. Be aware that Switzerland operates a Prorité à Droite rule, like France, which can catch out the unwary.
Apart from that, the main thing is to get a Vignette for the motorways if you’re planning to use them; you can get one at most garages or at the border, or online in advance for around 40 euros. Get stopped on the motorway without one and it’s a big fine. Speeding fines are also big – around £200 for a minor offence – so be careful. Also, don’t park up on the pavement – more big fines.
See our Switzerland guide here.