Driving Abroad: Documents, Equipment and Cover

Documents to carry

Driving licence, vehicle registration document, and evidence of insurance. If the vehicle is not registered to you, a letter of authorisation from the owner is frequently required and always sensible.

An international driving permit is required in some countries and not others, and the type required varies. It must be obtained in your country of residence before travel — it cannot be issued abroad.

Passport and, where applicable, visa. Breakdown cover documentation with the international assistance number.

Mandatory equipment

Requirements differ significantly. Warning triangles, reflective jackets for all occupants, first aid kits, spare bulbs, fire extinguishers and breathalysers all appear as requirements in various countries.

Reflective jackets must frequently be accessible from inside the vehicle rather than in the boot, since the requirement is to wear one before exiting on a carriageway.

Headlamp beam adjusters or deflectors are needed when driving on the opposite side, to avoid dazzling oncoming traffic. Some modern vehicles have a setting for this instead.

A national identifier on the vehicle is required in many countries, either as a sticker or incorporated into the number plate.

Check each country you will drive through, not only the destination.

Environmental and access schemes

Low emission zones operate in many European cities, frequently requiring a windscreen sticker or online registration obtained in advance.

Some require registration days before travel and cannot be arranged on arrival. Fines are issued automatically.

Tolls vary: some require transponders, some use cameras with online payment windows, and some are cash or card at barriers.

Insurance

Check that your policy provides the same level of cover abroad rather than only the legal minimum. Many policies reduce to third party only outside the home country unless extended.

Confirm the number of days covered per trip and per year, since limits are common.

Breakdown cover must be specifically extended for international use. Domestic cover does not apply abroad, and recovering a vehicle across borders without cover is expensive.

Practical preparation

Service the vehicle before a long trip and check tyres including the spare.

Carry a physical map or offline navigation as a backup.

Familiarise yourself with local rules that differ: priority conventions, speed limits in poor weather, alcohol limits which are frequently lower, and mobile phone rules.