One £26 Slip-Up Could Stop Your Caravan at the Border and End in a €1,000 Fine

• All trailers over 750kg must be registered to travel in or through most European countries
• Exceptions: Ireland, Cyprus, Malta and Spain, but trailers still need to be registered if travelling through other countries to reach these destinations
• Registered trailers must display their own number plate (separate from the towing vehicle). This will be issued with the registration certificate
• Drivers must carry a trailer registration certificate, ready to show to police or border officials

Cost of Registering Your Trailer

Registering a trailer remains a low-cost, but essential requirement:

• £26 to register a trailer for the first time
• £21 to issue a new registration certificate when the keeper changes
• £10 for a replacement certificate

Where You Must Register Your Trailer

Countries where registration is compulsory include France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Portugal, Norway, Switzerland, Austria, Poland and Greece, alongside most other European nations.

Full list (as of August 2025): Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine.

Abnormal Load Trailers

If towing an abnormal load trailer, owners must also carry a keeper’s certificate when abroad. Caravanners are advised to check with the authorities of each country being visited, as load definitions can vary.

Trailer Registration Numbers

Trailer registration numbers are legally required for certain trailers to identify them when they are driven internationally. This unique number helps ensure smooth international travel by providing a clear identifier for UK-registered trailers.

The registration number consists of a single letter followed by seven numbers, displayed on two lines.

The registration number will be issued with the registration certificate. Trailer registration numbers must be correctly displayed on number plates as set out in the Trailer Registration Regulations 2018. These regulations govern how trailer registration number plates are designed and displayed. It is an offence for the registration number to be obscured in any way that makes it difficult to read. For example, you should not use fixing bolts to change the letter or any of the numbers. Anyone who has a number plate that does not display the registration number correctly could be fined up to £1,000.

How to Get a Trailer Number Plate

To have a number plate made for your trailer, you must go to a registered number plate supplier (RNPS) who supplies trailer number plates. You can find details of your nearest RNPS at www.gov.uk/number-plate-supplier. You will also need to produce your trailer number plate authorisation certificate to the RNPS. We will email this authorisation to you after you have completed your online registration application, and will be valid for 5 days. When you receive your UK trailer registration certificate in the post, you can use this to get your number plates. The supplier will also need to see original documents that prove your name and address.

You can use one of the following identity documents:

• Driving licence
• Utility, Council Tax or rates bill from the last 6 months
• Bank or Building Society statement from the last 6 months
• National identity card

The following will confirm your name only:

• Passport - does not have to be issued in the UK
• Bank or Building Society debit or credit card
• Police warrant card
• Armed Forces identity card

Trailer Plate Design Specification

A trailer registration plate is the same shape as the standard motorcycle plate and must have solid black characters (the letter and numbers) on a white background. The characters and the surface of the plate must not contain any designs, patterns or textures. Also:

• Characters must be 64mm tall
• Characters (except for the number ‘1’ or the letter ‘I’) must be 44mm wide
• The number ‘1’ and the letter ‘I’ must be 10mm wide
• The character stroke (the thickness of the black print) must be 10mm wide
• The space between the characters must be 10mm
• The vertical space between each row of characters must be 5mm
• The width of the margin between the top of the plate and any of the characters must be at least 5mm
• The width of the margin between the bottom of the plate and any of the characters must be at least 13mm.

The characters must be in a standard font (style of lettering), for example: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890. The number plate must only show the registration number and the number plate manufacturer or supplier details (for example, the name, trademark or other way of identifying the plate’s manufacturer or supplier).

Where to Display the Trailer Registration Plates

The trailer registration plate must be displayed on the rear of the trailer in a visible and vertical position. It must be displayed as well as the towing vehicle’s registration plate and must be fixed as far as reasonably possible from this plate. If the plate cannot be displayed at the rear of the trailer, a trailer registration plate must be fixed to both sides of the trailer so that they are both clearly visible.

UK Stickers and Number Plates

You must display the UK identifier when driving a UK-registered vehicle abroad.

If your number plate includes the UK identifier with the Union flag (also known as the Union Jack), you do not need a UK sticker.

However, you will need to display a UK sticker clearly on the rear of your vehicle if your number plate has any of the following:

• a GB identifier with the Union flag
• a Euro symbol
• a national flag of England, Scotland or Wales
• numbers and letters only – no flag or identifier

If you’re in Spain, Cyprus or Malta, you must display a UK sticker no matter what is on your number plate.

Why This Matters for Caravanners

Following the busy August Bank Holiday, the government has issued a timely reminder about new trailer and caravan registration rules for those planning autumn trips to Europe. This is especially important for anyone heading to popular destinations like France, Spain, and Germany, as failing to comply could lead to fines or being turned back at the border.

Register Your Trailer Online

You can register on the gov.uk website:

• the name of the trailer manufacturer
• the trailer type - for example, box trailer, container trailer, horsebox or caravan
• the trailer’s vehicle identification number (VIN) (usually 17 characters) or chassis number - this is usually on a metal plate fitted to the trailer or stamped into the chassis
• the gross and unladen weight of the trailer
• an email address
• a debit or credit card

You also need a Government Gateway user ID and password. If you do not have one, you can create one when you use the service.