This may be useful for UK members travelling to/in France:
Things you must as a UK citizen carry in your vehicle when driving a UK vehicle in France specifically (as at February 2025):
1. A valid driving licence covering you for the vehicle you are driving.
A UK-issued driving licence is fine on its own, but if you are using a licence issued not in the UK but in Guernsey or the Isle of Man you must carry with it an International Driving Permit (IDP) to validate it to allow you to drive in France.
(Be aware that you may need one to accompany a UK-issued old paper licence to drive in some other mainland European countries, eg Belgium, Croatia, Hungary, Norway, Romania, Cyprus etc, so if you are still using an old paper licence do check the requirement for any other countries that you plan to drive to/through).
2. Valid passport for each occupant of the vehicle.
(Passport must be less than 10 years from issue date & must still have at least 3 months before that ten year anniversary remaining on it on the day you’re due to return.)
3. The V5C “logbook” for the vehicle (the original document, not a photocopy).
It’s a V103 instead if the vehicle is hired.
4. Certificate of Vehicle insurance (the original document not a photocopy) proving at least third-party cover.
5. A valid current MOT certificate (the A4 proof of pass sheet) if your vehicle is of an age to require it.
6. A UK symbol in an “easily read” location on the rear of the vehicle (UK replaced GB from September 2021). Can either be the UK symbol on your rear numberplate, or a separate UK sticker.
If towing a trailer, that must display a UK symbol too.
7. At least one warning triangle. (Two if towing)
8. A High-Vis vest for each occupant of the vehicle, located where you can get to them without leaving the vehicle.
9. If you need glasses for driving, then you are required to carry a spare pair in the car with you whilst driving.
10. A valid Animal Health Certificate from a UK Vet for any dogs/cats you have with you.
11. A valid visa if your stay will take you over 90 days or part days in any Schengen zone country in a running 180-day period.
12. If the vehicle has a max weight of above 3500kgs, it must clearly display “Angles Mortes” signs on both front sides, and also at the rear.
13. Your dipped headlamps must be adjusted or adapted (using “beam benders”) so as not to dazzle oncoming traffic. Some modern vehicles have a control to adjust the direction of the headlights, and some LED headlights do not need beam deflectors. All other vehicles must be fitted with headlamp converters to block or redirect the beam that would otherwise have shone onto the offside of the road when driven in France.
It DOES NOT MATTER whether you do not plan to drive at night, this adaptation must be made if your headlights require them (in case you have to drive through a tunnel, in rain, in fog). If you do not do it, you are driving illegally, with all the (lack of) First Party insurance cover implications of driving illegally.
14. Since 2021 under the French “Mountain law” if driving within 48 specific French “Departements” (google for the full list) in mountainous regions such as the Alps, Massif Central and Pyenees between 1st November and 31st March you must now have “winter” or “4season” tyres fitted and/or carry snow chains/socks.
Winter tyres are defined as those with the ‘M+S’ (Mud and Snow) marking. From winter (November 1st) 2024 onwards such tyres must ALSO be marked ‘3PMSF’ (3 Peak Mountain Snowflake).
Any all-season/4season tyres must now have all the above markings too.
(If you are over 3500kgs and towing a trailer, then you MUST carry snow chains too even if the vehicle is on winter/4season tyres).
In addition, there are other things to be aware of:-
15. Remember that unlike the UK, in France (and indeed almost all other mainland European countries) the speed limit really is the maximum, there is much less allowance if caught driving at any speed above the applicable limit for your vehicle.
On motorways and some other main dual carriageway routes the speed limit is automatically reduced if it’s raining, & further reduced in fog …look out for signs confirming the lower limits.
Don’t try to drive at the limit, always drive below it.
16. If your vehicle’s max weight (“MAM”) is above 3500kgs (or even if below that but you are towing a trailer/caravan and the combined weight is over 3500kgs) then you count as a “Heavy Goods Vehicle” for speed limit purposes …which on many stretches of roads is substantially lower than for cars & vehicles under that weight limit (watch for signs showing a lorry with the kph speed limit below it).
17. The signpost at the entrance to a town/village showing it’s name always automatically marks the start of its 50 kph urban speed limit (unless additional signs say the limit is different to that). That only ends at the other end of the village as you pass its other name sign with the diagonal line through it.
18. At any junction with a “Stop” sign, you really must come to a complete halt before then moving off again, even if the junction is clear. You’ll be fined if caught not doing so.
19. There are still some towns/villages which have the old “priority to the right” system. Be cautious when approaching roads joining yours from the right.
20. All occupants must wear a seat-belt at all times whilst being carried in the vehicle, and animals must be securely restrained or caged.
21. Children under 10 years of age must be in an approved and appropriate child restraint or booster seat (appropriate for their size and weight).
22. You must not use your mobile telephone at all whilst driving for making/receiving calls, NOT EVEN through a hands-free system or Bluetooth headset. You can use it as a sat nav so long as you don’t touch it whilst driving.
23. It’s illegal to use anything in your vehicle which warns you of the location of speed cameras.
24. You must not wear headphones or a headset or earbuds when driving.
25. It is specifically forbidden under French road traffic law (and under the national laws of most other mainland European countries) to tow another vehicle on its road wheels on any public road.
You can only tow a car behind your motorhome if it is carried on a proper trailer: “Code de la Route – Article R311-1
Modifié par Décret n°2016-697 du 27 mai 2016 – art. 1″.
26. European Union biosecurity protection law forbids the personal importation of any meat or dairy products. Attempting to smuggle any such items is actually a serious criminal offence which if discovered in a spot check really can as well as getting you denied entry, can also result in a criminal conviction and a ban on future entry.
27. Whilst it may be a good idea, there is actually NO legal requirement at all to carry a fire extinguisher, nor to carry a first aid kit, nor spare light bulbs; and contrary to endlessly repeated Brit myth there was in fact never ever any enforced requirement to carry a breathalyser (the entire never-enforced provision was finally repealed back in 2020).
28. The level of alcohol permitted whilst driving in France is substantially lower than in England (0.5mg/ml compared to 0.8mg/ml), and drivers who passed their test less than three years ago are restricted even further to just 0.2mg/ml.
29. French law requires that all cities/towns with a population of over 150,000 inhabitants and with urban air pollution above set levels should have introduced a ZFE-M (urban low emissions zone) by 1.1.25.
Out of all the 3,200 cities towns and villages in France there are now around 20 which have a “ZFE-M” requiring a clean enough category of the national “Crit’air” system of emissions sticker to enter. Crit’air stickers range from 0 (cleanest) down to 5, and the very oldest/dirtiest vehicles do not even qualify for a sticker at all. As an example: a “Euro 5” diesel engined vehicle would get a Crit’air category 3 sticker.
Cities which already have ZFE-M zones before 1.1.25 include: Paris, Lyon, Aix-Marseille, Toulouse, Nice, Montpellier, Strasbourg, Grenoble, Rouen, Reims, Saint-Etienne, Aix-Marseilles (in some of those it’s ZFE is only active at certain times of the day or days of the week); since 1.1.25 many additional new ones have launched including Le Havre, Caen,Toulon, Avignon, Nancy and others.
In most existing ZFE’s you need a category 3 or cleaner sticker to enter whenever their ZFE is active . In a few of the new 2025 ones at present only vehicles too dirty to obtain a sticker are presently banned, but in the years ahead only category 3 or cleaner will be allowed in.
However, in practice you actually no longer need a crit’air sticker at all to visit/transit through Rouen, Toulouse, Strasbourg, Reims, Lyon, Grenoble or Annecy. Because to enter any of those 7 at a time when their zone is active you now EITHER need to display a crit’air sticker of a clean enough category OR you just go online to that city’s ZFE-M website and book a free online day pass instead, regardless of whether you have a sticker & regardless of the emissions level of your day-guest vehicle.
30. Whilst there is no legal requirement to carry a “European Accident Insurance Report” form from your insurance company, it’s a good idea to have one with you.
31. Make absolutely certain (get it in writing from them) that your chosen breakdown/recovery insurer knows and accepts for cover the age, exact dimensions, and weight of your vehicle, and READ the terms and conditions of the policy so you understand what it actually does and does not cover.
32. Remember to take your GHIC (or old EHIC if still valid) basic emergency health cover cards, and the policy certificate/details of your private medical insurance cover…and READ the terms and conditions of that insurance policy.
33. Remember that for almost all UK citizens the absolute maximum total visit time you can now spend within the Schengen Treaty zone group of countries (without first obtaining a pre-entry visa) is “90 days or part days in any running 180 day period”.
Getting caught overstaying as an illegal immigrant can get you arrested, fined, deported & banned from re-entry for “between 1 and 20 years with a normal minimum of at least 2 years”. (Well over 100,000 illegally present non-EU/EEA citizens are caught, arrested, fined, deported from the Schengen zone every year).
Ensure you leave enough “headroom” days in order to remain below that absolute maximum in case of breakdown/delays before leaving…use one of the free apps to help calculate your total visit time.