Winter Tyre Dates 2026-27: Pick a Country, Get the Rule
Choose a country for its 2026-27 winter tyre period, the legal winter tread depth (4 mm in Austria, 1.6 mm in Germany) and the studded-tyre rules.
Check Tyre Requirements for Your Trip
| Country | Continent | Winter Tyres | Period | Min. Tread | Studded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
Åland Islands | Europe | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Europe | Situational | When conditions require | 1.6mm | Prohibited | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
American Samoa | Oceania | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Europe | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
Anguilla | North America | Unknown | — | — | — |
Antarctica | Antarctica | Unknown | — | — | — |
Antigua and Barbuda | North America | Unknown | — | — | — |
| South America | Situational | June - September (Patagonia, Andean regions) | 1.6mm | Seasonal | |
| Asia | Situational | When conditions require (mountain roads) | 1.6mm | Allowed | |
Aruba | North America | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Oceania | Not Required | — | 1.5mm | Prohibited | |
| Europe | Situational | 1 Nov - 15 Apr | 4mm | — | |
Azerbaijan | Europe | Unknown | — | — | — |
Bahamas | North America | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
Barbados | North America | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Europe | Mandatory | 1 Dec - 1 Mar | 1.6mm | Allowed | |
| Europe | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | Prohibited | |
Belize | North America | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
Bermuda | North America | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| South America | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Europe | Mandatory | 1 Nov - 1 Apr | 1.6mm | Prohibited | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
Bouvet Island | Antarctica | Unknown | — | — | — |
| South America | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
British Indian Ocean Territory | Asia | Unknown | — | — | — |
British Virgin Islands | North America | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Europe | Mandatory | 15 Nov - 1 Mar (or when roads are snowy/icy) | 4mm | Prohibited | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| North America | Situational | Quebec: 1 Dec - 15 Mar (mandatory); BC: Oct - Apr on select highways | 1.6mm | — | |
Cape Verde | Africa | Unknown | — | — | — |
Caribbean Netherlands | North America | Unknown | — | — | — |
Cayman Islands | North America | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| South America | Situational | June - September (southern regions) | 1.6mm | Seasonal | |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
Christmas Island | Asia | Unknown | — | — | — |
Cocos (Keeling) Islands | Asia | Unknown | — | — | — |
| South America | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
Cook Islands | Oceania | Unknown | — | — | — |
| North America | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Europe | Mandatory | 15 November - 15 April | 1.6mm | Prohibited | |
| North America | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
Curaçao | North America | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Europe | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | Prohibited | |
| Europe | Mandatory | 1 Nov - 31 Mar (on designated roads with sign) | 4mm | Prohibited | |
| Europe | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
Dominica | North America | Unknown | — | — | — |
| North America | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| South America | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| North America | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Europe | Mandatory | 1 Dec - 1 Mar (can be extended 15 Oct - 31 Mar) | 3mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
Falkland Islands | South America | Unknown | — | — | — |
Faroe Islands | Europe | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Oceania | Not Required | — | 1.5mm | — | |
| Europe | Situational | 1 Nov - 31 Mar (can be extended by conditions) | 3mm | Allowed | |
| Europe | Situational | 1 Nov - 31 Mar (mountain law, designated departments) | 1.6mm | — | |
French Guiana | South America | Unknown | — | — | — |
French Polynesia | Oceania | Unknown | — | — | — |
French Southern and Antarctic Lands | Antarctica | Unknown | — | — | — |
Gabon | Africa | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Asia | Situational | When conditions require (mountain roads) | 1.6mm | Allowed | |
| Europe | Situational | Situational (when conditions require: ice, snow, slush, black ice) | 1.6mm | Prohibited | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
Gibraltar | Europe | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Europe | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
Greenland | North America | Unknown | — | — | — |
Grenada | North America | Unknown | — | — | — |
Guadeloupe | North America | Unknown | — | — | — |
Guam | Oceania | Unknown | — | — | — |
| North America | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
Guernsey | Europe | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| South America | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| North America | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
Heard Island and McDonald Islands | Antarctica | Unknown | — | — | — |
| North America | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
Hong Kong | Asia | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Europe | Not Required | When conditions require (no fixed dates) | 1.6mm | Prohibited | |
| Europe | Mandatory | 1 Nov - 14 Apr | 3mm | Allowed | |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Asia | Situational | November - March (mountainous regions) | 1.6mm | Seasonal | |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Europe | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | Allowed | |
Isle of Man | Europe | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Europe | Situational | 15 Nov - 15 Apr (varies by region and road) | 1.6mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| North America | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Asia | Situational | Prefectural regulations; Hokkaido, Tohoku require winter tyres in winter | 1.6mm | — | |
Jersey | Europe | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Asia | Mandatory | 1 December - 1 March | 1.6mm | Seasonal | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
Kiribati | Oceania | Unknown | — | — | — |
Kosovo | Europe | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Asia | Mandatory | 1 November - 1 April | 1.6mm | Seasonal | |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Europe | Mandatory | 1 Dec - 1 Mar | 4mm | — | |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
Liechtenstein | Europe | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Europe | Mandatory | 10 Nov - 31 Mar | 3mm | — | |
| Europe | Situational | When conditions require (ice, packed snow) | 1.6mm | — | |
Macau | Asia | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Europe | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | Prohibited | |
Marshall Islands | Oceania | Unknown | — | — | — |
Martinique | North America | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
Mauritius | Africa | Unknown | — | — | — |
Mayotte | Africa | Unknown | — | — | — |
| North America | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
Micronesia | Oceania | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Europe | Mandatory | 1 Dec - 1 Mar | 1.6mm | Prohibited | |
Monaco | Europe | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Asia | Mandatory | October - April | 1.6mm | Allowed | |
| Europe | Mandatory | 15 Nov - 1 Apr | 4mm | Prohibited | |
Montserrat | North America | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
Nauru | Oceania | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Europe | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | Prohibited | |
New Caledonia | Oceania | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Oceania | Not Required | — | 1.5mm | Prohibited | |
| North America | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
Niue | Oceania | Unknown | — | — | — |
Norfolk Island | Oceania | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Europe | Mandatory | 15 Nov - 15 Mar | 4mm | Prohibited | |
Northern Mariana Islands | Oceania | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Europe | Situational | 1 Nov - first Sunday after Easter (Nordland/Troms/Finnmark: 16 Oct - 30 Apr) — tread-depth rule; winter tyres themselves are not compulsory | 3mm | Allowed | |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
Palau | Oceania | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| North America | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Oceania | Not Required | — | 1.5mm | — | |
| South America | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| South America | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
Pitcairn Islands | Oceania | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Europe | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | Prohibited | |
| Europe | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | Prohibited | |
Puerto Rico | North America | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
Réunion | Africa | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Europe | Situational | No fixed dates — required whenever the road is covered in snow, ice or black ice | 1.6mm | Prohibited | |
| Europe | Mandatory | Dec - Feb (varies by region; summer tyres prohibited Dec-Feb) | 1.6mm | Allowed | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
Saint Barthélemy | North America | Unknown | — | — | — |
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha | Africa | Unknown | — | — | — |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | North America | Unknown | — | — | — |
Saint Lucia | North America | Unknown | — | — | — |
Saint Martin | North America | Unknown | — | — | — |
Saint Pierre and Miquelon | North America | Unknown | — | — | — |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | North America | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Oceania | Not Required | — | 1.5mm | — | |
| Europe | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
São Tomé and Príncipe | Africa | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Europe | Situational | 1 Nov - 1 Apr | 4mm | Prohibited | |
Seychelles | Africa | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
Sint Maarten | North America | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Europe | Situational | Cars (M1/N1): no fixed dates — required whenever compacted snow, ice or frost covers the road. Buses/lorries (M2/M3/N2/N3): 15 Nov - 31 Mar | 3mm | Prohibited | |
| Europe | Mandatory | 15 Nov - 15 Mar | 3mm | Prohibited | |
| Oceania | Not Required | — | 1.5mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1mm | — | |
South Georgia | Antarctica | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Europe | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | Prohibited | |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| South America | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
Svalbard and Jan Mayen | Europe | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Europe | Mandatory | 1 Dec - 31 Mar | 3mm | — | |
| Europe | Not Required | No winter tyre obligation; only the general duty to keep the vehicle roadworthy | 1.6mm | — | |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Asia | Situational | — | 1.6mm | Seasonal | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Oceania | Not Required | — | 1.5mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
Tokelau | Oceania | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Oceania | Not Required | — | 1.5mm | — | |
| North America | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Europe | Situational | 15 Nov - 15 Apr (commercial passenger/goods vehicles: mandatory; private cars: not mandatory nationally, subject to provincial order) | 1.6mm | Prohibited | |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
Turks and Caicos Islands | North America | Unknown | — | — | — |
Tuvalu | Oceania | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Europe | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | Prohibited | |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Europe | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | Allowed | |
| North America | Situational | State-dependent (e.g. chain laws in CO, CA mountain passes) | 1.6mm | — | |
United States Minor Outlying Islands | Oceania | Unknown | — | — | — |
United States Virgin Islands | North America | Unknown | — | — | — |
| South America | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | Seasonal | |
| Oceania | Not Required | — | 1.5mm | — | |
Vatican City | Europe | Unknown | — | — | — |
| South America | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
Wallis and Futuna | Oceania | Unknown | — | — | — |
Western Sahara | Africa | Unknown | — | — | — |
| Asia | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — | |
| Africa | Not Required | — | 1.6mm | — |
Data sourced from official regulations and verified databases. Always confirm requirements with local authorities before travelling.
Select a destination and the checker returns the four things that decide whether your tyres are legal there: the 2026-27 period when winter tyres are required, the minimum tread depth, the studded-tyre rule and which markings are accepted. Depth is where assumptions cost money — Austria sets 4 mm for a winter tyre while Germany’s legal floor stays at 1.6 mm with 4 mm only advised, and both have required the 3PMSF symbol on newly produced winter tyres since 2024, so an M+S-only tyre no longer clears them. Studs follow a separate map: seasonal in Norway, Sweden and Finland, prohibited in Germany, Poland and the Netherlands. Being stopped non-compliant starts around EUR 40 and raises insurance questions after any accident.
Tyre Requirement Checker
Check the tyre requirements for any country — winter tyre rules, minimum tread depth, studded tyre regulations, and mandatory markings. Essential for cross-border driving in Europe and beyond.
What This Tool Does
Select a country and instantly see its tyre regulations: whether winter tyres are mandatory, the required period, minimum tread depth, studded tyre policy, accepted markings (M+S vs 3PMSF), and penalties for non-compliance. Compare two countries side by side for cross-border trip planning.
How to Use It
- Select your destination country from the dropdown.
- View the complete tyre regulation summary.
- Optionally select a second country for side-by-side comparison.
- Check the seasonal calendar to see when winter tyre rules apply.
Why This Matters
Tyre regulations vary dramatically across Europe. Germany requires winter tyres situationally, while France mandates them in mountainous areas. Austria requires them in wintry conditions between November and April. Getting caught without compliant tyres can mean fines from EUR 40 upwards depending on the country, plus insurance complications if you have an accident.
Data Sources
Regulations are compiled from official government gazettes, national automobile associations (ADAC, AA, RAC, OAMTC), and the European Commission road safety database. Data is reviewed and updated regularly.
Comparing several countries at once? See the full winter tyre rules table for every country — dates, legal winter tread depths and documented fines side by side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Several European countries mandate winter tyres during certain periods, including Austria, Germany (situational), Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia and others. Requirements vary from fixed calendar dates to situational mandates when conditions demand it.
Mandatory means winter tyres are required by law during a specific period regardless of weather conditions. Situational means you must fit winter tyres when road conditions require them (snow, ice, frost), even if no fixed calendar period applies. Germany is a well-known example of situational requirements.
Most countries require a minimum of 1.6 mm tread depth for summer tyres, but many recommend or require 3-4 mm for winter tyres. Austria requires 4 mm for winter tyres, while Germany mandates 1.6 mm legally but recommends 4 mm.
Rules vary significantly. Studded tyres are allowed seasonally in Scandinavian countries (Norway, Sweden, Finland), prohibited in countries like Germany, Poland and the Netherlands, and restricted in others. Always check country-specific rules before travelling.
The 3PMSF (Three Peak Mountain Snowflake) marking is increasingly required. Since 2024, Germany and Austria require the 3PMSF symbol — M+S alone is no longer sufficient for new tyres. The 3PMSF mark guarantees the tyre has been tested for winter performance.