You can run 3 main types of international bus or coach services:

To transport passengers internationally by road, you need either a:

You must register these types of trailers before you drive to or through most EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway:

A regular service follows a timetable and picks up and drops passengers at fixed points on a specified route.

other types of passengers.

It can take up to 6 months to get a special regular service authorised.

You can only run a regular service or special regular service to EU countries, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, or Moldova (and Ukraine from 1 May 2025). Your service must either start or

end in the UK.

You cannot run a service that both starts and ends within the EU, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova or Ukraine (this is called cabotage), except for services operating between Ireland

and Northern Ireland.

To apply, download and fill in this application form if your service either:

Send the completed form to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) with:

You can email your application and supporting information to DVSA if you’re paying by credit card.

You need to send the following information with your application form:

If you want to act as a consortium with other operators to provide a pooled service, nominate one to apply on behalf of all the partners. They should be based in the country where the route

begins or ends.

DVSA will ask each country on the service’s route to approve the application.

The countries will tell DVSA if they’ve approved your application. If they do not give DVSA a decision within 4 months, they’re counted as having approved your application.

DVSA will make a final decision on your application within 6 months of the date you sent it.

If your application is approved, DVSA will ask you to pay the ‘grant charge’ - this is a fee for each year you want the service to run.

Pay the grant charge and pay for certified copies of your authorisation for each vehicle.

The grant charge validates your authorisation for each year you want the service to run.

You can choose to validate the service for between 1 and 5 years. After 5 years, you need to renew your service and pay the application fees again.

You get one free copy of your service authorisation. You need to pay for each extra certified copy of your service authorisation you need. These must be carried in your vehicles.

You pay the grant charge for 5 years (£38 multiplied by 5 = £190).

You need 10 copies of the service authorisation for your vehicles (£13 multiplied by 10 = £130).

DVSA will send you the service authorisation and certified copies when you’ve paid the grant charge and for the copies.

For special regular services, the driver also needs to carry copies of the contract between you and the service’s organiser.

Your driver also needs to carry other vehicle documents and driver documents.

Your passengers need to have either an individual or collective valid travel ticket throughout the journey. This needs to show:

The tickets might need to be shown to authorised inspecting officers during the journey.

How you make changes to your service depends on how big the change is.

Email DVSA if you want to change departure times for your service.

Email DVSA if you want to change add, change or remove a partner from the service.

You’ll need to pay for updated copies of the service authorisation. DVSA will tell you how to do this when you request the change.

You need to send a new application if you want to make a complete change to the service, for example, changing the start or end destination. You’ll have to pay all the application fees

again.

You then need to send your old service’s authorisation documents back to DVSA.

You should apply to renew your regular service or special regular service at least 6 months before your current authorisation expires.

To renew your service, follow the same process as you do to apply to start a new service.

An occasional service is a service that is not classed as a regular service or a special regular service. It includes things like one-off tourist trips.

You need to apply for approval from DVSA if your service is non-liberalised.

The Interbus Agreement covers all EU countries, Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Moldova, North Macedonia, Turkey, Ukraine and the UK. Your service must either start or

end in the UK.

You cannot run a service that both starts and ends within the EU or other Interbus countries (this is called cabotage), except for services operating between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

The UK has agreements with Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Morocco, Norway, Russia, Switzerland, and Tunisia.

You cannot currently run bus or coach services in Belarus or Russia because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

You do not need to apply for approval to run this type of service, but you must buy a journey form that gives the service’s details.

If your service does not meet the requirements of a liberalised service or the arrangements in place between the UK and the EU including those on the island of Ireland, it will be a

non-liberalised service.

If you travel through EU countries to reach non-Interbus countries the UK has agreements with, you only need a Transit Journey Form.

You need to carry the journey form in the vehicle during the international journey.

Order the journey form online from the Confederation of Passenger Transport.

It can take up to 5 working days to get the journey forms after you’ve ordered them.

Send the completed form to DVSA with scan or photo of your PSV Certified Copy (previously called a community licence).

The countries will tell DVSA if they have approved your application.

DVSA will make a decision on your application within 30 days of the date you sent it.

If your service is approved, DVSA will send your authorisation in the post.

Your driver will need to carry the right vehicle documents with them during international journeys. These include:

Your drivers do not need an insurance green card to drive in the EU (including Ireland), Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Liechtenstein, Norway, Serbia or Switzerland. You must still have

suitable insurance.

Check what vehicle documents your drivers need to carry during international journeys.

Your driver will need to carry the right documents about themselves with them during international journeys. These include:

Check what documents your driver needs to carry about themselves during international journeys.

Contact the British Embassy in the country for advice on whether restrictions will apply to your route.

Check the road rules for European countries on the AA website.

Your drivers should contact their insurance provider if they’re involved in a road accident in an EU country.

Any legal proceedings against either the responsible driver or the insurance provider of the vehicle need to be brought in the EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway, depending on

where the accident happened. You might have to make your claim in the local language.

You may not get compensation in some countries if the accident is caused by an uninsured driver or if the driver cannot be traced.