What documents should I carry when driving in the EU?
Carry your UK driving licence, valid vehicle-insurance evidence and the correct vehicle document: a V5C if it is your vehicle, or a VE103 showing permission to take a hired or leased vehicle abroad. These driving papers are separate from passports and any entry evidence required by the countries you visit.
Driver documents
GOV.UK says to carry your UK driving licence. A UK photocard licence is normally enough for a visit to the EU, Switzerland, Iceland or Liechtenstein, but check whether your licence type or a country outside that group requires an IDP.
Every traveller also needs the travel document required for the destination. For a British citizen travelling to France, check both the passport's issue date and expiry date before departure.
Vehicle documents
Take the original V5C log book when driving your own vehicle to the EU for less than 12 months. If the vehicle is hired or leased, GOV.UK identifies the VE103 as the document that shows you are allowed to use it abroad.
Carry proof of valid insurance and check the policy with the insurer. The legal minimum described by GOV.UK is not necessarily the same as the wider cover, roadside help or recovery you want for the trip.
Border evidence is a separate check
Border officials can ask for evidence connected with your stay. France's entry guidance says this may include accommodation, onward or return travel, enough money for the stay and travel insurance. What applies depends on the destination and traveller, so use its current FCDO entry page rather than relying on a generic checklist.
Store the originals where the driver can reach them, and keep secure offline copies separately for reference if the originals are lost. A copy does not automatically replace an original where the rule asks you to carry the document.
Sources
- driving licence, insurance and vehicle documents (checked )
- passport and border evidence for France (checked )