EU Van Rules for UK Removals Firms: What Changed on 1 July 2026

What changed

Before 1 July 2026, a UK removals firm could take a 3.5 tonne van to France, Spain or Germany without tachograph obligations, without observing lorry drivers' hours, and without posted worker paperwork. Those rules applied to heavier vehicles.

That threshold has moved. Vehicles above 2.5 tonnes used for the international carriage of goods for hire or reward within the EU are now inside the regime.

The standard Luton box van used across the UK removals trade sits at 3.5 tonnes. It is now caught.

The three obligations

Smart tachographs

Vehicles in scope must be fitted with a compliant smart tachograph, and drivers must hold a valid driver card.

This is not a device you install the week before a job. Fitting requires an approved workshop and calibration, and driver cards take time to obtain.

Drivers' hours

Drivers must observe EU drivers' hours rules: daily and weekly driving limits, mandatory breaks, and daily and weekly rest requirements.

For a removals crew accustomed to driving to a European destination in one push, this is a material operational change. The job now has to be planned around the rest requirements rather than the delivery date alone.

Posted worker declarations

Where crew are working in another member state, a posted worker declaration is required through the relevant national system before the work begins.

Requirements vary by country and are enforced by national labour inspectorates. This is administrative rather than technical, but it has to be done in advance and it has to be done per country.

Who this catches

Caught: any UK removals or storage firm doing international work into the EU using vehicles over 2.5 tonnes. That includes most firms doing European removals, because almost nobody does them in a vehicle under 2.5 tonnes.

Not caught: purely domestic UK work, regardless of vehicle weight, and any international work in vehicles at or below 2.5 tonnes, which in practice means very little removals work.

Already compliant: firms running vehicles above 3.5 tonnes on international work, who were already inside the regime and already have tachographs, driver cards and the associated processes.

The firms most exposed are those that do occasional European work in 3.5 tonne vans and have never had to think about any of this.

What the penalties look like

Enforcement is at roadside stops by national enforcement authorities. Fines run into four figures per offence, and vary by member state.

A vehicle found without a required tachograph is not simply fined. It can be prohibited from continuing, which for a removals job in progress means a load stranded in another country.

The commercial exposure is larger than the fine.

What to do about it

Check your van weights. Gross plate weight, not payload. Anything above 2.5 tonnes doing EU work is in scope.

If you are in scope and not equipped: book tachograph fitting and calibration, and obtain driver cards, before your next European job rather than after.

Build drivers' hours into the plan. European jobs now need to be scheduled around rest requirements. A job that used to be one long drive may now be two days.

Establish the posted worker process for the countries you work in most, before you need it.

Check what your customers are being told. If your quoted timescales for European moves assumed the old driving pattern, they need revisiting.

Why this was missed

Two reasons. The change is an extension of an existing regime rather than a new one, so it was reported as a technical amendment rather than a new obligation. And it affects a threshold, so firms that read "Mobility Package" and thought "that is for lorries" were correct until 1 July and are now not.

The trade press covering this in detail is haulage trade press. Removals operators do not generally read it.

This is one of a number of 2026 changes set out in our removals compliance calendar, and it sits alongside the operator licensing position covered in our guide to whether you need a Transport Manager.

Frequently asked questions

Do 3.5 tonne vans need a tachograph in the EU?

Yes, since 1 July 2026, if the vehicle is used for international carriage of goods for hire or reward within the EU. The threshold is 2.5 tonnes gross plate weight, so a standard 3.5 tonne Luton is in scope.

Does this apply to UK removals firms doing European moves?

Yes. The rules apply to the operation, not the nationality of the operator. A UK firm taking a 3.5 tonne van into the EU on a customer's move is carrying goods for hire or reward internationally and is in scope.

What is a posted worker declaration?

A notification made to the authorities of the member state where the work is being carried out, submitted before the work begins. Requirements and systems vary by country and are enforced by national labour inspectorates.

Do these rules apply to domestic UK removals work?

No. Domestic work in Great Britain is governed by the operator licensing regime, where the threshold remains 3.5 tonnes. The EU Mobility Package rules apply to international carriage within the EU.

What are the penalties for non-compliance?

Fines are applied at roadside stops by national enforcement authorities and run into four figures per offence, varying by member state. A vehicle can also be prohibited from continuing its journey, which for a job in progress is a considerably larger commercial problem than the fine.

Sources and further reading

• Moovi Regulatory Review, July 2026 edition
• EU Mobility Package. The tachograph and drivers' hours requirements flow from Regulation (EU) 2020/1054, amending Regulation (EC) 561/2006 and Regulation (EU) 165/2014. Operator access and establishment requirements sit in Regulation (EU) 2020/1055
• GOV.UK guidance on driving in the EU for commercial operators

Position current as at July 2026. Enforcement practice varies by member state and should be checked for the countries you operate in.