European regulations for truck drivers
HGV rules in Europe, country by country
Plan your trips with the driving bans, public holidays, seasonal restrictions, ADR rules and national specifics that matter to truck drivers.
General information checked against official sources. Always check for temporary measures before a sensitive journey.
The countries covered
27 countries covered, grouped by major region.
No country matches this search.
Western and Alpine Europe
- Austria Saturday 15:00 to Sunday 22:00, public holidays 0:00–22:00, and a general night ban 22:00–5:00. National ban : Yes Seasonal restrictions : Conditions apply Night-time ban : Yes Checked on
- Belgium No weekend or public holiday ban; local restrictions and ADR rules. National ban : No Seasonal restrictions : No Night-time ban : No Checked on
- France Saturday 22:00 to Sunday 22:00 across the whole network, plus public holidays, special Saturdays and the Île-de-France. National ban : Yes Seasonal restrictions : Yes Night-time ban : Conditions apply Checked on
- Germany Sundays and public holidays closed from 0:00 to 22:00, plus summer Saturdays on the main routes. National ban : Yes Seasonal restrictions : Yes Night-time ban : Regional Checked on
- Liechtenstein Outside the European Union Sundays and public holidays closed all day, and a night ban 22:00–5:00. National ban : Yes Seasonal restrictions : No Night-time ban : Yes Checked on
- Luxembourg The weekend ban only targets transit traffic, with different hours depending on the country of destination. National ban : Conditions apply Seasonal restrictions : No Night-time ban : No Checked on
- Netherlands No weekend ban; restrictions in bad weather and urban environmental zones. National ban : No Seasonal restrictions : No Night-time ban : No Checked on
- Switzerland Outside the European Union Total ban on Sundays and public holidays, and every night from 22:00 to 5:00. National ban : Yes Seasonal restrictions : No Night-time ban : Yes Checked on
- United Kingdom Outside the European Union No national weekend or public holiday ban; only local restrictions exist. National ban : No Seasonal restrictions : No Night-time ban : Regional Checked on
Northern Europe and the Baltics
- Denmark No weekend ban; restrictions in Copenhagen and for special transports in high heat. National ban : No Seasonal restrictions : Conditions apply Night-time ban : No Checked on
- Estonia No national weekend or public holiday ban; only local restrictions apply. National ban : No Seasonal restrictions : No Night-time ban : No Checked on
- Latvia No national weekend or public holiday ban; a single local restriction, in Riga. National ban : No Seasonal restrictions : No Night-time ban : No Checked on
Southern Europe and the Adriatic
- Croatia Public holidays 14:00–23:00 and the eve of holidays 15:00–23:00 on SR and CR roads, tightened from 15 June to 15 September. National ban : Conditions apply Seasonal restrictions : Yes Night-time ban : No Checked on
- Greece Restrictions on certain motorway sections: summer Fridays 16:00–21:00 and Sundays 15:00–21:00 or 22:00. National ban : Conditions apply Seasonal restrictions : Yes Night-time ban : No Checked on
- Italy Sundays and public holidays 9:00–22:00, from 7:00 between June and September, plus an annual calendar of fixed dates. National ban : Yes Seasonal restrictions : Yes Night-time ban : No Checked on
- Portugal Restrictions focused on dangerous goods and on the approaches to Lisbon and Porto on Monday mornings. National ban : Conditions apply Seasonal restrictions : No Night-time ban : No Checked on
- Slovenia Sundays and public holidays 8:00–21:00 on a list of routes; foreign trucks are held at the border. National ban : Conditions apply Seasonal restrictions : Yes Night-time ban : No Checked on
- Spain The national ban targets dangerous goods; Madrid, Barcelona and two regions add their own rules. National ban : Conditions apply Seasonal restrictions : Conditions apply Night-time ban : No Checked on
Central and Eastern Europe
- Belarus Outside the European Union No weekend ban: the only restrictions are the spring thaw and heatwaves. National ban : No Seasonal restrictions : Yes Night-time ban : No Checked on
- Bulgaria No general closure, but mandatory routes, winter restrictions and bans in Sofia. National ban : No Seasonal restrictions : Yes Night-time ban : No Checked on
- Czech Republic Sundays and public holidays 13:00–22:00, extended to Fridays and Saturdays in July and August. National ban : Yes Seasonal restrictions : Yes Night-time ban : No Checked on
- Hungary Weekend ban with seasonal hours: Saturday 22:00, or 15:00 in summer, until Sunday 22:00. National ban : Yes Seasonal restrictions : Yes Night-time ban : No Checked on
- Poland Public holidays 8:00–22:00 and the eve of holidays 18:00–22:00 above 12 t, with a summer tightening. National ban : Conditions apply Seasonal restrictions : Yes Night-time ban : No Checked on
- Romania No national ban: the restrictions mainly target the DN1 (E60) between Bucharest and Brașov. National ban : Conditions apply Seasonal restrictions : Yes Night-time ban : No Checked on
- Serbia Outside the European Union No calendar restrictions for standard heavy goods vehicles; specific rules for abnormal loads. National ban : No Seasonal restrictions : No Night-time ban : No Checked on
- Slovakia Sundays and public holidays 0:00–22:00 on the main routes, plus summer Saturdays 7:00–19:00. National ban : Yes Seasonal restrictions : Yes Night-time ban : No Checked on
- Turkey Outside the European Union No national weekend or public holiday ban; local restrictions and ADR rules. National ban : No Seasonal restrictions : No Night-time ban : No Checked on
What is common and what changes from one country to another
Common European rules
These rules follow the driver from one country to the next: they do not change when you cross a border.
- Daily and weekly driving time
- Compulsory breaks while driving
- Daily and weekly rest periods
- Obligations relating to the tachograph and the driver card
- Mobility Package rules on the driver's return
- Common principles for the carriage of dangerous goods (ADR)
National or local rules
These change at every border, sometimes in every region. Never assume that the neighbouring country applies the same thing.
- Weekend driving bans
- National and regional public holidays
- Summer and seasonal restrictions
- Night-time bans
- Urban areas and low emission zones
- Compulsory routes for ADR vehicles
- Weight thresholds and vehicle categories concerned
- Level of penalties and enforcement procedures
- Local exemptions and temporary orders
Fines: same offence, a very different bill
The same offense (for example exceeding 4.5 hours of driving) is classified in the same way everywhere thanks to Directive 2006/22, but the amount of the fine is set by each country. The result varies from simple to tenfold: some countries impose very heavy sanctions, others more moderately, and several accumulate fines per day of violation noted during the same inspection.
National scales evolve regularly. Before a dispute or a trip, check the amount in force in the country concerned, or get support (union, legal advice).
What a driver must check before crossing a country
- The exact date and time of your trip through the country.
- The total weight and the category of your vehicle.
- Whether any dangerous goods are on board.
- National public holidays, but regional ones too.
- The seasonal restrictions in force at that time of year.
- Local or urban restrictions along your route.
- Whether a compulsory route applies.
- The exemptions you might come under.
- The most recent official source, before you set off.
Regulations available in 23 languages
TruckerMaster makes the essential information available to European drivers in their own language, while keeping the links to the official national sources.
Plan your trip and keep your driving hours under control
Check the rules of the country you are crossing, then track your driving and rest times in TruckerMaster.
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