Germany on a UK Licence — The Side Switch & a Tighter Alcohol Limit
United Kingdom
Germany
British visitors switch to right-hand traffic and meet a 0.05 alcohol limit, below England's 0.08. A photocard licence alone covers six months, and some Autobahn stretches have no fixed limit.
Germany is one of the most popular self-drive trips for British travellers, and rightly so — superb roads and easy distances. But two things genuinely differ from home, and one of them isn’t the speed everyone talks about. It’s the drink-drive line.
The side you have to relearn
The UK drives on the left; Germany drives on the right. That swap is the thing most likely to catch you out, and your first hour is the danger window — pulling out of a fuel station, joining a roundabout that now flows clockwise, or glancing the wrong way at a junction. Take that first hour on quiet roads rather than central Berlin, and be deliberate at every turn until right-hand traffic stops feeling alien.
A tighter alcohol limit than home
England, Wales and Northern Ireland allow 0.08 BAC; Germany sets 0.05. That gap is real — the drink you might have judged safe at home can put you over the line in Germany, where police enforce hard and penalties climb fast. The honest advice is to drink nothing before driving. More on how foreign fines and roadside penalties are handled in our guide to driving fines abroad and who pays.
The Autobahn and the small print
A UK photocard licence on its own covers up to six months of driving; stay longer and GOV.UK says you need the 1968 International Driving Permit with it — confirm with the driving permit checker. On the Autobahn, many stretches have only an advisory 130, so cars can legally pass at 200-plus; stay right unless overtaking and check your mirror twice. Signed sections are camera-enforced, with a 10 km/h overspeed around EUR 30 in town. The car needs a warning triangle, vest and first-aid kit, fuel is roughly $1.95 a litre, and 112 is the emergency number. Full rules: our Germany driving guide.
Speed limits, fines, equipment & license requirements
Your home country driving rules for reference
Side-by-side driving rules comparison
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Winter tyres in Germany — 2026–27 season
Winter tyres are required in Germany whenever conditions are wintry — Situational (when conditions require: ice, snow, slush, black ice).
- Tread minimum: 1.6 mm — Germany sets no separate winter figure.
- Accepted marking: 3PMSF only — the M+S transitional rule no longer applies to cars (StVZO §36(4))
- Studded tyres: banned
- Penalty: EUR 60 + 1 point; EUR 80 if you obstruct traffic; EUR 75 for the vehicle owner
In German the rule is Winterreifenpflicht, and snow chains are Schneeketten — that is the wording on signs, in hire-car paperwork and on any penalty notice.
Checked against national legislation, 19 Jun 2026 · Full Germany tyre law · Compare all countries
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. GOV.UK says a UK photocard licence is enough for up to six months in Germany; for longer stays you need the 1968 International Driving Permit with the licence.
Yes. Germany sets 0.05 BAC against 0.08 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland — so the pint you might risk at home can put you over in Germany. The safe approach is none before driving.
Many sections have only an advisory 130 km/h, so faster cars are legal at any speed. Signed stretches at 100 to 130 are camera-enforced, especially near cities and roadworks.