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UK introduces new car sticker requirement for driving in Italy

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UK introduces new car sticker requirement for driving in Italy
A police officer controls cars and scooters during the limited traffic day, in centeral Rome, on December 29, 2015. - A second day with limited traffic of odd and even car plate numbers was enforced in the hope of lowering air pollution. A lack of rainfall has led pollution levels to climb in recent weeks, and has prompted the administration of Rome, to appeal to drivers to respect the rules. (Photo by ANDREAS SOLARO / AFP)

There have been a lot of changes to travel between Italy and the UK since the end of the Brexit transition period, but now the UK has introduced another - a new sticker requirement for British drivers.

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If you intend to drive your British vehicle in Italy - or anywhere else in the EU - you will now need a "UK" sticker on your car.

This replaces the GB sticker or magnet that was previously needed when driving abroad, and the UK government guidance states: "If you have a GB sticker, cover or remove it."

READ ALSO: How to register a foreign car in Italy

The new rule comes into effect on September 28th, 2021 for British registered cars driving in the EU, with the exception of Ireland, which does not require a sticker or magnet.

The UK government specifies: "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 (also known as the Union Jack)
  • a Euro symbol
  • a national flag of England, Scotland or Wales
  • numbers and letters only - no flag or identifier

"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.

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

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A screenshot of the UK government's webpage on number plates.

The British government has also registered UK - rather than GB - as its new international symbol for traffic.

The UN said it had received “a notification stating that the United Kingdom is changing the distinguishing sign that it had previously selected for display in international traffic on vehicles registered in the United Kingdom, from ‘GB’ to ‘UK’”.

A spokesman for the British Department for Transport said: “Changing the national identifier from GB to UK symbolises our unity as a nation and is part of a wider move towards using the UK signifier across government.

Reader question: Will my UK driving licence still be valid in Italy after 2021?

“GB number plates will still be valid within the EU as long as drivers display a UK sticker on the rear of their vehicle.”

The difference between Great Britain and the UK is the inclusion of Northern Ireland - GB refers only to England, Scotland and Wales while UK is England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

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The new UK stickers will be available online, and in post offices and garages for around £1.50 (€1.75).

Clearly displaying the country of origin of your vehicle is an international requirement and if you are stopped by Italy's traffic police without one you can be issued with an on-the-spot fine (although it's unclear how bothered Italian police will be about the intricacies of UK v GB).

Other changes

While most people are unlikely to be losing much sleep over a sticker, there are some other bigger changes that Brexit has ushered in.

Driving to Italy does not require any extra paperwork, motorists who are only visiting can continue to drive on their UK licence and the insurance Green Card is no longer required.

You must, however, make sure that your UK passport has at least six months left to run.

Pets can no longer use the European Pet Passport and instead need an Animal Health Certificate, which must be renewed before each trip.

Meanwhile UK nationals who are resident in Italy need to show their visa or residency card along with their passport every time they enter or leave the country, to avoid having their passport stamped as a visitor.

Drivers with a UK licence who were officially living in Italy before January 2021 can continue to use their permit for until the end of 2021. However it's still not yet known what the rules will be after that date.

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kelly.secureit 2021/09/28 19:11
Ridiculous requirement... :(
rivabella1 2021/09/28 17:15
Sharman , try ebay.
sharmantom.simposon 2021/09/04 12:12
Been searching for a UK car sticker. Tried post offices, garages, Halfords & other car accessory shops. Nobody has even heard of the new rule far less stock the UK sticker. As we are due to leave UK on Wednesday & will be away when the rule comes into force, we are left wondering if we will be fined through no fault of our own. Also tried Amazon who do have two options but too late to get delivered. Another UK government mess!
  • dave.ranson 2021/09/30 17:34
    I didnt have a GB sticker on my car and got stopped in Genoa and issued a €63 fine on the spot.. when I got home the stickers I ordered from the UK 5 weeks earlier !! were waiting for me ... I went to the local paint hardware shop and bought a vynl "G" and a "B" and stuck them on the back and front ... looks like I need to change to a "U" and a "K"...

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