International HGV Driving.
Updated: 2 days ago
What to know before you leave Ireland.
International driving means planning for more than the delivery address. Your paperwork, border route, toll arrangements and legal driving times all need to match the journey.
This guide covers the basics for Irish-based HGV drivers travelling to Great Britain and mainland Europe. Your transport office should provide the arrangements for your specific vehicle, load and route.
1. Documentation
Organise your documents before departure and keep them accessible for inspections.
Driver documents
Valid driving licence with the correct categories.
Driver CPC qualification card.
Tachograph driver card and required supporting records.
Valid passport and any necessary visas or immigration permissions.
ADR certificate where required.
Driver attestation where applicable to the driver and operation.
Vehicle and operator documents
Confirm that the vehicle carries the required registration, roadworthiness and insurance evidence, together with the relevant operator-licence documents.
This should include the vehicle's original Vehicle Registration Certificate (VRC), commonly called the tax book or logbook. You must also have valid motor insurance covering the countries you intend to travel through.
An insurance Green Card provides internationally recognised proof of cover, but it is not compulsory for Irish-registered vehicles travelling within the EU.
It may be required in certain countries outside the EU, so check your route and speak to your insurer before departure. Make sure your insurance covers international commercial haulage, not simply domestic operations.
Don't assume that because the lorry is insured at home, every country and every type of work is automatically covered.
International hire-or-reward journeys within the EU normally require the appropriate certified true copy of the operator’s Community Licence.
Additional permits or documents can be needed for journeys outside the EU or for hired vehicles. Check these before departure. Irish road haulage licensing — Department of Transport
Additionally, drivers should also consider their own medical cover before travelling. An European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is free to obtain and provides access to medically necessary state healthcare during temporary stays in participating European countries, subject to local conditions and charges.
However, it is not a substitute for proper travel and medical insurance. It will not cover everything, particularly private treatment or medical repatriation if you become seriously ill or injured and need to be brought home.
Comprehensive medical and travel insurance is strongly recommended, but make sure the policy specifically covers working abroad as a professional HGV driver, as ordinary holiday insurance may exclude work-related activities.
Check whether your employer provides suitable cover before purchasing your own policy. Nobody wants to discover they aren't covered while sitting in a hospital hundreds of kilometres from home. Government of Ireland
Load documents
Depending on the journey, these can include the CMR consignment note, delivery documents, customs or transit references, dangerous-goods documents and certificates for controlled goods.
Keep backup copies, but do not assume a photograph replaces a document that must be carried in its prescribed form.
Tachograph reminder: drivers must be able to produce the required records for the current day and the preceding 56 days.
Confirm that the vehicle has the correct tachograph for international work and that you understand its country-entry and activity-recording functions. Tachograph requirements — RSA
2. What is a CMR?
Drivers commonly use “CMR” to mean the international road consignment note. It records the transport arrangement and provides evidence of the goods collected and delivered.
It normally identifies the sender, carrier, consignee, collection and delivery locations, goods, package quantities and relevant instructions.
Before signing at collection:
Check the details against the load and job instructions.
Check package numbers, marks and apparent condition where reasonably possible.
Record specific damage, discrepancies or limits on what you could check.
Follow the company procedure for reservations and obtaining the sender’s acknowledgement.
At delivery, obtain the required receipt, signature and delivery details. Record shortages, damage or refusals accurately and notify the office.
A CMR is not a customs declaration or permission to release goods. Having a signed CMR does not mean customs formalities are complete. CMR guidance and completion instructions — IRU
3. Customs basics
The route matters as much as the destination.
Journey | What to establish |
Direct Ireland–EU ferry | Ordinary Union goods generally move without import/export customs declarations, but special goods, customs status and excise rules can create additional requirements. |
Ireland–Great Britain | Check the applicable export, import, safety and security, and port requirements. |
Ireland–EU through Great Britain | Check the customs transit procedure and the requirements at each crossing. |
Journey involving another non-EU country | Obtain country-specific customs and transport instructions. |
Northern Ireland has distinct arrangements. Do not apply Great Britain procedures to a Northern Ireland movement without checking.
Useful terms include:
MRN: the reference identifying a customs declaration or movement.
Transit: a customs procedure allowing goods to move under customs control.
TAD: Transit Accompanying Document.
PBN: Ireland’s Pre-Boarding Notification for relevant ferry freight movements.
GMR: the UK Goods Movement Reference used for movements through ports operating GVMS.
These references do different jobs. A PBN does not replace a GMR, and neither replaces the underlying declarations. Your office or customs agent should provide the correct references and tell you what to do with them. Revenue’s guidance on transit through Great Britain
4. Border and port procedures
Before heading to the port, check:
The correct terminal, sailing and check-in deadline.
That the booking and movement references match the vehicle, trailer and load.
That the required declarations have reached the correct status.
Whether you must attend a customs office or inspection facility.
Who to contact if a reference is rejected.
For relevant GB-to-Ireland movements, a valid PBN is needed before ferry check-in. Before arrival in Ireland, check Revenue’s assigned channel: it tells you whether you may leave the port or must attend customs. Follow the channel instructions and any subsequent directions. Customs advice for drivers — Revenue
For UK ports using GVMS, have the GMR available and check whether the vehicle has been selected for inspection. Boarding a ferry does not, by itself, mean every customs step is finished. GB–EU RoRo guidance — UK Government
For a sealed or transit load, follow the customs instructions. Do not break a customs seal or unload goods without the necessary authorisation.
5. Toll systems
There is no single toll arrangement covering every European country.
You may encounter toll booths, automatic number-plate charging, prepaid arrangements or an on-board unit that records travel on chargeable roads.
Before departure, confirm:
Which countries and roads your toll account covers.
That the device is assigned to the correct vehicle.
That weight, axle and emissions information is correct.
Whether settings must change after coupling a different trailer.
How to recognise and report a device fault.
That payment arrangements are active.
Examples
Germany: Toll Collect operates the truck-toll system. Vehicle and combination details affect the charge. Toll Collect
Austria: HGVs within the GO toll system need a GO-Box or another authorised device. ASFINAG GO toll
Netherlands: the truck toll began on 1 July 2026, replacing the Dutch Eurovignette requirement. Check that your provider and device support the new system. Dutch truck-toll payment guidance
If the device reports a fault, follow the provider’s instructions promptly. Do not assume the office can correct everything after the journey.
6. Low Emission Zones and city access
A Low Emission Zone, or LEZ, restricts or charges vehicles according to emissions criteria. Some cities also have zero-emission zones, delivery windows, weight restrictions or separate safety-permit schemes.
A vehicle’s emissions standard alone may not be enough. Foreign vehicles can require advance registration, a sticker, documentary proof or a permit.
Check the exact delivery address and approach route, including:
Whether the vehicle is permitted.
Any registration or sticker requirement.
Charges and payment deadlines.
Delivery hours and local access restrictions.
Diversion routes and nearby waiting areas.
France uses Crit’Air certificates for relevant environmental restrictions. Check the rules for the specific city and date. Official Crit’Air website
London also has a separate HGV Safety Permit scheme for vehicles over 12 tonnes, including foreign-registered vehicles. This is separate from emissions compliance. Transport for London HGV permit guidance
7. Weekend, Sunday and public-holiday restrictions
Some countries restrict HGV movements on Sundays, public holidays, summer weekends or particular roads.
Restrictions can depend on vehicle weight, trailer use, cargo, location and time. An empty vehicle is not automatically exempt, and an exemption for one type of perishable load does not cover every refrigerated load.
Example: France
The general restriction for goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes runs from Saturday at 22:00 to Sunday at 22:00, and from 22:00 before a public holiday until 22:00 on the holiday. Additional seasonal and regional restrictions apply, with specified exemptions. Official French HGV restrictions
Check every country you will pass through, using local dates and times. A holiday in a transit country can affect the journey even when the collection and delivery countries are operating normally.
Plan suitable parking before the restriction begins. A booked delivery slot does not override a driving ban.
8. Different road signs and rules
Do not assume familiar-looking signs mean the rules are identical.
Before entering a country, check:
HGV speed limits for the vehicle and road type.
Overtaking restrictions and permitted lanes.
Weight, axle-load, height, width and length limits.
Winter tyre, chain and equipment requirements.
Priority rules and roundabout layouts.
Requirements for emergency access lanes.
Local tunnel and dangerous-goods restrictions.
Continental Europe generally drives on the right. Take particular care after leaving ferry terminals, service areas and delivery yards. A right-hand-drive cab also changes your view at junctions and while overtaking.
Know your actual vehicle height and dimensions. Use HGV routing, but follow signs and restrictions even when the navigation system suggests otherwise.
National rules differ, and ordinary car speed limits may not apply to your truck. Country-by-country road rules — European Commission
9. Cabotage
Cabotage means carrying goods between two places within a country where the haulier is not established.
For example, an Irish operator delivers a load from Ireland to France, then accepts a separate collection in Lyon for delivery in Paris.
Under the general EU framework, a qualifying incoming international delivery can permit up to three cabotage operations within seven days, using the same vehicle—or the same motor vehicle for an articulated combination.
A four-day cooling-off period also restricts further cabotage by that vehicle in the same Member State. Different conditions apply when cabotage takes place in a Member State other than the country of the incoming delivery.
This is a summary, not permission to accept a job. The operator must check the full conditions and ensure the required evidence is available. UK cabotage rules must be checked separately. EU cabotage rules — European Commission
Posting rules are another consideration. Cabotage and many cross-trade operations can require a driver posting declaration and host-country employment conditions.
Ordinary bilateral journeys and transit generally receive different treatment. Ask the office whether a declaration is required and obtain the necessary copy. Posting of drivers — European Commission
10. Schengen
Schengen concerns border controls on people. Customs procedures concern goods. They are separate systems.
Ireland is not part of the Schengen area. Carry a valid travel document when travelling between Ireland and Schengen countries. Checks can also take place within Schengen, including at temporarily controlled borders.
Irish and other EU citizens
EU citizens benefit from free-movement rights. The Schengen 90-days-in-180 visitor limit does not apply to Irish citizens in the same way it applies to non-EU visitors. Longer stays can involve residence formalities. EU citizens’ travel documents and rights
Non-EU drivers based in Ireland
An Irish residence or employment permission does not automatically provide permission to enter or work in every other country.
Check passport, visa, permitted-stay and professional-driver requirements for your nationality and route. Where the short-stay limit applies, time spent on previous trips—including holidays—can affect the remaining allowance. Schengen short-stay guidance
The Entry/Exit System can also apply to non-EU short-stay travellers, including holders of Irish residence permits. EES guidance — European Commission
For Great Britain, check UK entry requirements separately. Irish citizens do not need a UK ETA. Other drivers should check their own circumstances, especially when returning through Britain from mainland Europe. UK ETA exemptions
11. Before leaving Ireland
Use this as your final departure check.
Yourself
Licence, CPC, driver card and passport checked.
Required visas and permissions confirmed.
Driving, working and rest time planned realistically.
Required tachograph records available.
The vehicle
Walkaround check completed and defects resolved.
Roadworthiness, insurance and operator documents checked.
Correct tachograph fitted and functioning.
Actual height, dimensions and weights known.
Toll equipment working and correctly configured.
Required safety and winter equipment available.
The load
CMR and delivery documents checked.
Load secured and any discrepancies recorded.
Customs references and status confirmed.
Seal numbers and temperature settings recorded where relevant.
Any ADR or controlled-goods requirements addressed.
The journey
Ferry booking, terminal and check-in deadline confirmed.
Border and customs instructions understood.
Toll coverage, LEZs and city permits checked.
Weekend, holiday and route restrictions checked.
Safe parking and realistic delivery times planned.
Out-of-hours transport-office, customs-agent and breakdown contacts saved.
If the load, vehicle, route or delivery plan changes, check the arrangements again. A different trailer, extra collection or diversion can change the requirements.
Guidance checked October 2026. Country rules, border systems and temporary restrictions can change; confirm the requirements for each journey before departure.
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