Caravan registration for travel in most of EU
News to me at least, but according to "the other club" you now are strongly advised to register any trailer, including caravans with a GVW above 750 kg. Apparently a few people have been fined in Germany for not having registered their vans. See gov.uk/register-trailer-to-take-abroad. Of course - it costs to register (£26), and then you have to pay for yet another plate to fix to the van.
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Catch up here -
Full details on the DVLA site.
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The statement, “Although not mandated in the UK, most countries expect trailers over 750kg gross weight driving to or through their country, apart from Ireland, Cyprus, Malta and Spain, to be registered and they may take enforcement action if the trailer is not registered.” in that gov.uk brochure is a bit strange inasmuch as already back in 2018 the UK agreed to implement registration of all trailers in international traffic but somehow didn’t get round to doing so until this year. It’s not as if it’s a brand new requirement.
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It just seems strange that it’s taken 7 years for the issue to surface and for people to be fined. Strictly speaking, registration should have taken place since 2018 but UK legislation took so long to be brought into line with international agreement.
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You should have mentioned all this before @Lutz ☺️
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I wasn't aware of the issue mayself until I read about people being fined for not having their caravan registered. I then did a bit of research and learned that all this should already have been cleared up long ago and not as late as 2025. When the UK government signed the international agreement in 2018 to implement trailer registration, the the UK was still in the EU and the EU granted the UK an exemption for non-commercial trailers such as caravans not to require registration. However, by leaving the EU, that exemption no longer applied and that seems to have been overlooked.
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Ah well if it passed you by till August this year the UK government can't be blamed then either @Lutz. 😉
Anyway including the post you made today at 8:59 about the UK government being a tad slow to implement these rules and/or it was all signed in 2018/overlooked… did you know you have made these sames points a total of 18+ times across two threads?
Quotes, date and times on request.
Hence my post at 10:15.
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double post
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As it doesn't affect me, it's not something that I would normally have picked up unless someone pointed it out and that wasn't until last summer. I admit to having repeated myself a number of times since, but only in response to equally repeated statements questioning how it all came about. Next time I'll just reference my first reply in later posts. 😊
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Actually no, for example the one made at 8:59 today which was not in reply to anyone was it? Many of your posts made on the other thread were made on a stand alone basis and on the same points and claiming amazement that the UK government on for not spotting this and/or not implementing/bringing legislation …, earlier, for further stand alone examples on the other thread: September 3rd (twice), September 5th, September 13th, September 19th (twice) September 21st, September 28th and many more.
I think I get it @Lutz you're amazed and astounded on our behalf that we have such a government but there you go. I'm sure we'll let out feeling known in our next election.
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I'm neither amazed nor astounded. We all make mistakes. Governments are no exception, and certainly the UK government isn't the only one, but there's no denying that someone didn't do their homework. Besides, the mistake was made by a previous government, not the current one.
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Game of rounders then @Lutz ? Thank for correcting my mistake (a habit you seem you have about them for some reason?) but in essence there have been several governments/adminations/leaders in a short span. You've also don't realise that it's the Civil Service (who do not change with governments) who should have picked this up and would draft the legislation for ministers to amend and sign in these matters, try watching Yes minister.
If you not amazed and astounded then, apologies you certainly stated you find it strange? So I'll rephrase:
I think I get it, you find it strange on our behalf that we have had such a government but there you go. I'm sure we'll let out feeling known in our next election.
But I dread to think how many non-reply posts and stand-alone posts making the same point about this 'mistake' and someone 'not doing their homework' you would have made if you weren't amazed or astounded, sorry strange, as you have made over 20 now on the same point.
By the way that's the third time, you've used the Somebody just didn't do their homework line, it's where you started back in September and I haven't even counted all the equally numerous similar posts about the UK government taking so long to catch up and someone didn't notice you have made on Caravan Talk!
I think it has all been talked about enough? Yes it should have been picked up, no it wasn't, now it has. All is well. But no doubt you'll want to carry on laying the blame on someone and somewhere, but I'll leave it there. Merry Christmas
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I don't know what you are trying to get at by concentrating on the semantics of my replies rather than the actual message that I was trying to get across. I think I've made my point more often than enough that the whole issue has absolutely nothing to do with nor was it instigated by the EU, which is something that many posts seem to suggest and which I only wanted to correct. Exactly the same issue would arise for travel to non-EU countries.
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Look, I think we all agree a cock up of near biblical proportion has happened. It's X-mas, why don't we all move on?
Colin
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+1 here. What I was trying for. Merry Christmas once again.
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Merry X-mas everybody, enjoy your travels, and haven't I got a lovely rear end.
Colin
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Just to throw a comment into the mix. I have registered my Bailey caravan - very easy - ordered the plates on line and they arrived in a few days as did the "log book" for the caravan. Simple procedure and I am comfortable all is in order.
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On one of our continental trips in 2025 we encountered the impact of the requirement for trailer registration documentation. On arrival at the Hook of Holland we were last of the boat and approached the custom point to get our passport checked and recorded. Moving to the next checking point the I was asked to provide documentary evidence that the caravan belong to me and he would like to see the bill of sale. This turned into a stand-off as I explained that I was not aware of this new legal requirement. They would not accept insurance documents for the caravan, receipts for annual servicing, travel insurance documents and all other related paperwork.
Eventually they had a discussion with their senior staff and with some reluctance agreed to let us enter the Netherland; but wanted details of where we were going and how long we were staying in mainland Europe.
What was very frustrating about this incident is I always to a check to see what documents are required for each European country we plan to visit; there as no mention of UK Vehicle Registration Certificate.
We have now registered the caravan and have got the paper work, this will now not be needed as we have bought a new 2026 caravan. The good news is that the UK Vehicle Registration Certificate comes automatically with the new caravan.
On a separate issue- I will need a new 100Kph certificate for travelling through Germany; might anybody know if this can be arranged in the UK or do I have to make another separate journey ( from Edinburgh) into northern Germany to get the certificate from a TuV station.
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I believe you can source the 100kph certification in the UK, but you do not need it. Why not stick to 80kph/50mph instead.
Colin
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As far as I know there are no provisions for issuing a German 100km/h concession for a caravan in the UK. For such a concession to apply, the caravan must be submitted to a vehicle testing station where an approval certificate will be issued but not the necessary sticker. That can only be obtained at a German vehicle licensing office upon presentation of the test certificate confirming entitlement. (The sticker must have an official seal that only a vehicle licensing office can issue). At the same time the registration certificate will be amended to document 100km/h approval. I understand that reciprocal agreements are in effect to enable German 100km/h approval in the Netherlands and Denmark, but not in other countries. That makes such an undertaking for a UK registered caravan very difficult, and frankly not worth the effort.
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