Guidance

Register road haulage journeys within Europe from 2 February 2022

Check which types of journeys you’ll need to register online if you transport goods within Europe using a car and trailer, van or HGV from 2 February 2022.

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This page explains what you need to do if you use cars towing trailers, vans or HGVs to transport goods within Europe from 2 February 2022.

It will be updated when more details are available.

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From 2 February 2022, you’ll need to register the details of some journeys within the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway before the journey starts.

This will apply to you if you use:

  • vans of any size or other light goods vehicles (sometimes called ‘light commercial vehicles’)
  • vans towing trailers
  • cars towing trailers
  • HGVs
  • HGVs towing trailers

Which journeys you must register

You must register the journey if you transport goods between 2 points in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway for commercial purposes. This means that you load goods at one point and unload them at another point in any of those countries.

Your drivers are sometimes called ‘posted workers’ if they’re working on a journey like this.

This includes:

  • cabotage jobs
  • cross-trade jobs
  • moving goods for your own business’ use

Cabotage is loading goods in one of these countries and unloading them at a different place in the same country, using a vehicle registered in the UK.

Cross-trade is loading goods in one of these countries and unloading them in different one of these countries, using a vehicle registered in the UK.

You must also register journeys where you move goods for your own business’ use between these countries. This includes if your business is not mainly about moving goods.

If you’re a Northern Ireland vehicle operator

You will need to register journeys within Ireland if they’re covered by the rules.

Journeys that will not need to be registered

You will not need to register the journey if it’s:

  • using a vehicle not carrying goods
  • from the UK to one place in Europe, where you can both unload and load goods
  • from the UK to Europe, and you unload goods at more than one place in Europe (but you cannot load goods in Europe)
  • from Europe to the UK, and you load goods at more than one place in Europe (but you cannot unload goods in Europe)
  • from the UK to a non-European country (but you cannot load or unload the goods while you’re in Europe)

Register the journey

Registering the journey is sometimes called a ‘postings declaration’.

The online service to register journeys is being developed by the EU. Sign up for email alerts to be told when it’s available.

There’s no fee to register a journey.

When you register the journey, you will need:

  • your vehicle operator licence number (if you have one)
  • contact details for your transport manager or another contact person in the UK (so European countries can ask for further documents)
  • your drivers’ names, addresses and driving licence numbers
  • the dates your drivers’ most recent employment contract with you started (or the contract with the agency if you’re using agency drivers)
  • the type of employment contract
  • the estimated start and end dates of the journey
  • the vehicle registration (number plates) of the vehicle and trailer

You will get penalties if you do not register the journey.

Documents your driver will need to carry

From 2 February 2022, your driver must carry a digital or physical copy of the information you register for the journey.

The rules are not changing for the other documents your drivers will need. They will still need to carry all of the usual:

Your drivers will get penalties from the enforcement authorities in the European countries they’re stopped in if they do not have the right documents.

Documents European countries can ask you for

From 2 February 2022, enforcement authorities in EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, will be able to ask you (as the operator) for:

  • copies of the documents that drivers have to carry
  • documents about the driver’s pay during the journey, their employment contract and timesheets for their work

You must upload the information you’re asked for using the online service. You must do it within 8 weeks of being asked for it.

The Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain or the Transport Regulation Unit in Northern Ireland will be able to take action against you if you do not upload the information.

Published 26 August 2021
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