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Part of Transport goods out of the UK by road: step by step
Guidance

Get ECMT permits to transport goods internationally

Apply for permits to transport goods to, through or from European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) countries, and the rules you must follow.

Updates to this page

From:
Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency and Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain
Published:
26 November 2018
Last updated:
2 January 2026
Show all updates

  1. ECMT permits are now digital. The way you access and use the permits has changed.

  2. The phone number for the DVSA International Road Haulage Permits Office has changed.

  3. Updated the address for the International Road Haulage Permits Office.

  4. You can now get bilateral road haulage permits for Azerbaijan and Norway. You need an ECMT permit if you want to carry out a cross-trade job within the EU after an unladen journey from the UK.

  5. Updated the information about permit fees to reflect that the fee for annual permits depends on the time of year you apply for them.

  6. You cannot currently use ECMT permits to travel to Russia or get a bilateral road haulage permit to Belarus or Russia.

  7. Updated where you need permits, as you no longer need ECMT permits to transport goods to, through or from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Added information about applying for short-term and annual ECMT permits for 2022.

  8. Updated the information about applying for short-term permits, as you can now apply for these for the rest of 2021.

  9. Updated the 'Check if you need ECMT permits' section to make it clearer when you need ECMT permits, and what other options there are for other types of permits.

  10. Updated why you need ECMT permits in 2021, and how to buy short-term (30-day) permits to use in January and February 2021 if you want to make a third cross-trade movement.

  11. Updated to confirm that emails have been sent to tell applicants if they’ve been allocated an ECMT permit for 2021.

  12. Removed the link to apply for ECMT permits for 2021 as the application period has ended. Updated the section on what happens next if you applied.

  13. Added a link to the service to apply for ECMT permits for 2021. The deadline to apply is 11:59pm on 20 November 2020.

  14. Added information about preparing to apply for ECMT permits for 2021 between 2 November and 20 November 2020.

  15. Changed the date that you can complete most international journeys without an ECMT permit from 31 December 2019 to 31 July 2020. This is because the European Commission has extended a temporary set of measures.

  16. Added a link to the service to buy ECMT permits for November and December 2019.

  17. Updated information about buying permits for journeys until 31 December 2019. You'll be able to buy these permits from 30 August 2019 - you only need to buy them if you’ll be travelling to non-EU or EEA countries through the EU or EEA.

  18. Added information about how to prepare for Brexit, which includes a link to a new guide about how to carry out international road haulage after Brexit.

  19. Updated to confirm you can continue to use your EU Community Licence until 31 December 2019 if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, and that you would need an ECMT permit to transport goods through EU or EEA countries to non-EU or EEA countries who are ECMT members. Added information about how to apply for short-term ECMT permits for April 2019.

  20. Updated the guidance on applying, as applications for 2019 permits closed at 11:59pm on Saturday 16 March 2019.

  21. Added information about how to apply for a further allocation of ECMT permits the UK has secured, if you have not already applied for a 2019 permit.

  22. Added information about the UK government working to put arrangements in place with individual EU member states, updated information about what happens next if you applied for an ECMT permit for 2019, and added information about how to get an ECMT ‘certificate of roadworthiness’ for vehicles and trailers.

  23. Updated the guidance on applying, as you can no longer apply for ECMT permits for 2019. Applications closed on Friday 18 January 2019.

  24. Extended the deadline to apply for 2019 permits from 11:59pm on 21 December 2018 to 11:59pm on 18 January 2019, and added information about short-term permits.

  25. Added guidance on meeting the ECMT Quality Charter.

  26. First published.

You must have an ECMT permit (also known as an ECMT licence) to use a vehicle weighing 3.5 tonnes or more to:

  • transport goods to, through or from ECMT member countries
  • carry out some types of cross-trade jobs in the EU

Cross-trade is loading goods in one country and unloading them in another country, with a vehicle registered in a third, different country.

You can only use ECMT permits to travel through countries that are part of the scheme.

There are 2 types of permits you can apply for:

  • short-term permits for 30 days
  • annual permits valid until 31 December 2026

You can make an unlimited number of journeys within the time your permit is valid for.

ECMT countries

There are 43 ECMT member countries:

  • all EU countries except Cyprus
  • Albania
  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Belarus
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Croatia
  • Georgia
  • Liechtenstein
  • North Macedonia
  • Moldova
  • Norway
  • Russia
  • Serbia
  • Switzerland
  • Turkey
  • Ukraine
  • United Kingdom

You cannot currently use ECMT permits to travel to Russia because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Check if you need ECMT permits

There is a limited number of ECMT permits, so you may be able to use other permits for your journey instead.

When you must use an ECMT permit

You must use an ECMT permit to:

  • transport goods to, through or from Armenia
  • carry out 1 or 2 cross-trade jobs between any ECMT countries that are not in the EU
  • carry out 3 cross-trade jobs between any ECMT countries
  • carry out a cross-trade job between the EU and a non-EU country that is a member of ECMT
  • carry out a cross-trade job in the EU after an unladen journey from the UK

Example

A journey that includes 3 cross-trade jobs:

  • UK to France – outward journey
  • France to Belgium – first cross-trade journey
  • Belgium to Netherlands – second cross-trade journey
  • Netherlands to Germany – third cross-trade journey
  • Germany to UK – return journey

Returning to the UK does not count as one of the 3 cross-trade jobs.

When you can use a UK Licence for the Community instead

You should apply for a UK Licence for the Community instead of an ECMT permit if:

  • you only want to carry out 1 or 2 cross-trade jobs in EU countries, Liechtenstein or Switzerland
  • your journey only goes through EU countries, Liechtenstein or Switzerland

When you can use bilateral haulage permits instead

You cannot currently get bilateral permits for Belarus or Russia because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

You should apply for a bilateral road haulage permit instead of an ECMT permit if your journey only involves any of these countries:

  • Azerbaijan
  • Belarus
  • Georgia
  • Kazakhstan
  • Morocco
  • Norway
  • Russia
  • Tunisia

You should also use a bilateral road haulage permit if you are travelling:

  • through Turkey to another country
  • in Ukraine using a vehicle that meets Euro 3 or Euro 4 emissions standards

When you do not need a permit

You do not usually need a permit to transport goods to, through or from:

  • Albania
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Moldova
  • Montenegro
  • North Macedonia
  • Serbia
  • Turkey – unless you are travelling through Turkey to another country
  • Ukraine – unless you are using a vehicle that meet Euro 3 or Euro 4 emissions standards

When you can use ECMT permits

You can only use an ECMT permit in one vehicle at a time. When a vehicle returns to the UK, you can then use the permit in another vehicle. You must return to the UK after every third journey.

You cannot use ECMT permits for:

  • unaccompanied trailers or semi-trailers
  • vehicles with a lower Euro emissions class than the permit allows
  • cabotage - loading and unloading goods within one country, with a vehicle registered in another country

Use an ECMT permit with a hire or lease vehicle

You can use ECMT permits for vehicles you hire or lease.

Your hire or lease contract must state that only your company can use the vehicles for the duration of the contract.

Only your staff from your company are allowed to drive hire or lease vehicles when using an ECMT permit.

Check if you’re eligible

To apply for ECMT permits, you must:

  • have a vehicle operator licence from Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) or Northern Ireland
  • use vehicles for your ECMT journeys that meet Euro 5 or Euro 6 emissions standards
  • meet the ECMT quality charter

Restricted or standard national operator licence holders

If you have a restricted or standard national operator licence, before you apply for an ECMT permit you need to apply for a standard international operator licence or:

What it costs

You’ll pay a fee to apply for permits, as well as a fee for each permit.

Application fees

There is a fee of £10 per permit when you apply.

Short-term permit fees

Short-term permits cost £10.

They last for 30 days from the date of your first journey.

Annual permit fees

The fee depends on the time of year you apply for an annual permit.

When you apply Cost
January to March £123
April to June £93
July to September £62
October to December £31

Apply for permits

You can apply for:

  • short-term permits for 30 days
  • annual permits valid until 31 December 2026

Email the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) International Road Haulage Permits Office to apply.

DVSA International Road Haulage Permits Office
irhp@dvsa.gov.uk

You need to include:

  • your operator licence number
  • the date of your first journey
  • the type of journey (third cross-trade, cross-trade from an EU country to a non-EU country, or travel to a non-EU ECMT country)
  • the journey destination, including your loading and unloading points
  • which countries you’ll go through to reach your destination
  • how many permits you need
  • the type of permits you’d prefer (annual or short-term)
  • which type of vehicle you’ll use (Euro V or Euro VI)

What happens next

  1. Pay the fees. DVSA will email you within 5 working days with details on how to pay.

  2. Email irhp@dvsa.gov.uk to confirm you’ve paid the fees.

  3. DVSA will assign you digital permits within 5 working days.

  4. Apply for ECMT certificates to show your vehicle meets safety standards.

  5. Add vehicle and journey information to the online permit system.

  6. Access ECMT permits and share them with your drivers.

Apply for ECMT certificates

Once DVSA has granted your permits, you must apply for certificates to show that your vehicles and trailers meet safety and emissions standards. You do not need to apply again if you already have these certificates.

ECMT certificate of compliance

Contact your vehicle or trailer manufacturer to request an ECMT certificate of compliance. This confirms if the vehicle meets the correct Euro emissions standard.

The manufacturer may charge for this certificate.

ECMT certificate of roadworthiness

You can apply online for an ECMT certificate of roadworthiness for your vehicle or trailer.

There is no fee for this certificate.

You’ll need:

  • the vehicle registration (number plate)
  • the trailer registration number if you’re applying for a trailer
  • the vehicle or trailer type and make
  • the certificate of compliance number, if you have one
  • vehicle identification number (VIN)
  • engine type and number

Apply for an ECMT certificate of roadworthiness on the manage your vehicle operator licence service.

Add vehicle and journey information to the permit system

Before you start your journey, you must add information to the permit system on the International Transport Forum website.

When DVSA assigns ECMT permits to you, they’ll email you with either:

  • information on how to sign in to the International Transport Forum website to access your permit
  • confirmation that you can access your permit on the International Transport Forum website, if you already have an account

You must add the following details for each of your vehicles and trailers:

  • vehicle or trailer registration (number plate)
  • vehicle identification number (VIN)
  • Euro emissions category – for vehicles only
  • certificate of compliance
  • certificate of roadworthiness

You then need to use the online logbook on the permit system to add details about your journey to your ECMT permits.

You must add the following details to the logbook:

  • date you depart from the UK
  • date you depart from any places you are transiting through
  • date you arrive back in the UK
  • places you are loading, transiting through or unloading at
  • vehicle and trailer registration (number plate)
  • gross weight of your vehicle and trailer
  • odometer reading in km at departure

You can update the logbook later if there are any changes to your journey.

During the journey, you must update the logbook with:

  • changes to the weight of your vehicle, if you have loaded or unloaded goods
  • odometer reading in km at any loading or unloading points

At the end of the journey, you must update the logbook with:

  • gross weight of your vehicle and trailer
  • odometer reading in km at arrival

How to use ECMT permits

ECMT permits are digital. You can access them on the International Transport Forum website.

There are different ways to share the permits with your drivers:

  • create accounts for your drivers on the permit system so they can sign in and view the permits
  • print out a copy of the permit and give this to the driver – this must be on white paper
  • save a PDF of the permit and send this to the driver

The driver can then show a paper copy of the permit or a digital copy on their phone during their journey.

The permit includes:

  • dates the permit is valid for
  • who issued the permit
  • QR codes that officials can scan to check your permit is valid

If you have more than one vehicle operator licence

You can use an ECMT permit for a vehicle assigned to any of your operator licences. The ECMT permit is not allocated to a specific operator licence.

You cannot transfer a permit to another business entity, for example, a sister company.

If your vehicle breaks down or is involved in an incident

If a vehicle breaks down or is involved in an incident and you replace it with a different vehicle for the rest of the journey, you must update the online logbook. You must include the:

  • reason for the replacement
  • location where the vehicle was replaced
  • licence numbers for both vehicles

You will also need to upload proof to the permit system, such as a police report of the incident or a document showing the failure of the vehicle.

Documents the driver must carry

During the journey, the driver must have a copy of the permit. They can print it out or show it on their phone or tablet.

The driver must also carry a copy of these documents:

  • ECMT certificate of compliance
  • ECMT certificate of roadworthiness
  • a UK Licence for the Community during journeys to, through or from EU countries
  • ECMT Journey Information Document

You must not seal these certificates in foil or coat them with a protective film.

Check what other vehicle documents and driver documents the driver needs to carry on international journeys.

It’s illegal to not have the right documents for the journey. Your driver can be fined for not carrying them.

ECMT Journey Information Document

The permit system generates the ECMT Journey Information Document. It has information about the ECMT permit, including the last 10 journeys made with the permit.

The driver can show a paper copy of this document or a digital copy on their phone during their journey. You must print paper copies on white paper.

Documents to carry when using a hire or lease vehicle

If you are using a vehicle that you have hired or leased, the driver must also carry the contract of hire or lease, or a certified extract from the contract. This must include the:

  • name of your company
  • name of the company you are leasing the vehicle from
  • date of the contract
  • time you have hired the vehicle for
  • vehicle identification number (VIN)

If the driver is not the person who hired the vehicle, they must carry their employment contract or a certified extract from the contract that includes the:

  • name of their employer
  • name of the driver
  • date and duration of the contract, or a recent payslip

Find out how to certify a document if you want to use an extract from a contract.

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Contents

This page is Part of Transport goods out of the UK by road: step by step

  1. Step 1 Apply for operator licences and permits

    1. Check if you need a vehicle operator licence
    2. Apply for a vehicle operator licence

    You'll need other licences and permits, depending on the countries you're driving to or through.

    1. Check which licences and permits you need

  2. Step 2 Register and get approval for your vehicle

    You may need to register your trailer to drive through or to the EU if it weighs over 750kg.

    1. Register your trailer to take it abroad

    You’ll need to get specialist vehicle approvals to transport any of the following:

  3. Step 3 Make sure your driver is eligible to drive abroad

    1. Check your driver has the documents they need to drive abroad

    The driver must carry these documents with them.

  4. Step 4 Check the rules for the goods you're carrying

    1. Find out what you need to do if you're exporting your own goods

    There are rules for transporting certain goods. Your driver may need to follow set routes or stop at specific check points. Check the rules for:

    1. Find out what you need to apply for if you’re moving goods temporarily out of the UK

    If you're transporting goods outside the EU they must have been cleared by customs (given ‘permission to progress’). The exporter can tell you if this has happened.

  5. Step 5 Make sure your driver has the right export documents

    Your driver will need copies of:

    • any export licences
    • the road consignment note (‘CMR note’)
    • the Movement Reference Number (MRN) from the export declaration - if you're moving goods out of the EU
    • the MRN and the Local Reference Number (LRN) - if you're moving goods under the Common Transit convention (CTC)
    • the ATA Carnet document - if you're moving goods out of the EU temporarily
    • the TiR Carnet document - if you’re moving goods in a sealed load compartment with a seal number

    The exporter should be able to give all of these to you.

    You'll also need to have a customs seal approval certificate for the vehicle if you’re moving goods in a sealed load compartment. You'll get this when your vehicle passes the TiR test.

    You may need to use the Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) to move goods through some ports.

    1. Check how to move goods through ports that use the GVMS

  6. Step 6 Find out what vehicle documents your driver needs to carry

    1. Check what HGV and trailer documents your driver must carry
    2. Check what driving documents your driver must carry

  7. Step 7 Check you are ready for the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel or Holyhead

    You may need to attend an inland border facility if you're leaving from the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel or Holyhead.

    1. Check whether you need to attend an inland border facility

  8. Step 8 Check local road rules

    1. Check the road rules for European countries on the AA website
    2. Check travel advice for countries outside Europe

    When you have your documents, insurance and any extra equipment you need, you can transport goods abroad.