What does it take to make my car fully compliant with all EU countries?

What does it take to make my car fully compliant with all EU countries? - Positive young multiethnic friends in casual clothes taking selfie on phone while making funny faces in city street

In Belgium every car is required to carry at least one fire extinguisher. In Germany you need to have an environment sticker to drive into a city. In France you might need alcohol testers. Coming from mainland Europe to the UK you are required to apply lamp stickers. You need to have fluo vests in some countries. Sometime only the driver, some times all passengers. Today I learned that in Spain you are required to carry spare glasses. If you are wearing sun glasses, while driving you also need to have spare sun glasses. I could ofcourse ask a question on each country which I intend to visit, but can I make my car fully EU compliant. Meaning I have everything required in if it is required in at least one EU member state.

What inventory should I have in my car? What tests, governmental stickers, or other regulation should I adhere too?



Best Answer

The British AA provides a list of recommended items for selected European countries.

Interestingly, they claim that fire extinguishers are only required for cars registered in Belgium.




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How do I prepare my car for Europe?

European driving checklist
  • Full, valid driving licence and national insurance number.
  • Proof of vehicle insurance.
  • Proof of ID (passport)
  • V5C certificate (the 'log book')
  • Travel insurance documents.
  • European Breakdown Cover policy number and documents.


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    Old cars are a safety issue. A ban on the use of cars made in 1995 and backwards is prohibited. An example of a living problem today is the 700 homes in the Western Valhallway, which are now frozen, as the air is too dirty.

    How long can a UK registered car stay in Europe after Brexit?

    UK law still applies to a UK-registered vehicle if you take it abroad for less than 12 months. That means you need to make sure: your vehicle is taxed in the UK while it's abroad. you have a current MOT.

    Can I take my car to Europe?

    Car shipping to Europe can start at $749, but vary based on the port of origin, port of destination, type of vehicle shipped, shipping method (container shipping vs RoRo shipping), and more. We internationally ship an average of 2,000+ cars every month from USA, Europe, and other parts of the world.



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    More answers regarding what does it take to make my car fully compliant with all EU countries?

    Answer 2

    Some of requirements not typically mentioned:

    • winter tires — under some conditions required in Austria, Sweden, Finland and Germany.
    • warning triangles — Spain and Switzerland require not one, but two of them.
    • fire extinguisher — Poland not only requires you to have it, but to have it in "readily accessible", which means you cannot have it in the trunk. Typically they are put under driver's seat.
    • replacement light bulbs — some countries (France, Poland, Czech Rep., Croatia) require you to have replacement bulbs for any of the lights that is legally required.
    • First-aid kit; some countries (at least in Austria). It can be bought in any pharmacy.

    Answer 3

    Portugal

    • You need at least 1 fluo vest.
    • Warning triangle
    • A spare tire is not required, but if you have one it must be in good shape

    I am not sure these are mandatory for cars with a foreigner license plate though.

    You will need to buy or rent an electronic payment device to be able to use some highways with electronic tolls only.

    Answer 4

    The EU put out an app with a list of traffic rules in different countries and, under the “Other Specific Rules”, a list of safety equipment that might be required (including safety vests, warning triangles, fire extinguishers, and winter tires requirements). Unfortunately, it's short on the specifics, does not seem more comprehensive than other similar lists (e.g. from automobile clubs) and comes with a disclaimer.

    One thing missing in all the answers and lists so far is the fact that devices warning the driver of speed controls ahead are forbidden in a number of countries (sorry link is in Dutch). The details vary from country to country and I don't know if you should realistically worry about it but I guess that to make your car fully compliant you should leave any personal navigation device with such functionality at home (TomTom has a clever work-around: They warn you of broader “danger zone” instead of telling you exactly where the automated speed control is, which is apparently legal, at least in France).

    The environmental sticker system in Germany is also being constantly expanded so that it's now forbidden to ride in many city centers without one. You would need one to make your car fully compliant with German rules (if you wand to go to those cities, obviously).

    Finally, many countries require a specific sticker to ride on the motorways but I don't know if that's really relevant to your question. Getting a year pass for all European motorways would be quite expensive. It makes more sense to buy a short-term sticker whenever you actually need to use a country's motorways. You would usually see warning signs and be able to buy one in the border area.

    Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

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