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Anyone travelling abroad needs a country license plate. But often the EU license plate is not enough. Without the correct sticker, you risk a fine.
Finally, vacation! For more and more Germans, this means packing up the car and heading off on a well-earned vacation. But anyone who is going abroad should find out as much as possible beforehand. In many European countries, you have to pay a toll. Depending on the country you are traveling to, a Violation of traffic rules ends in prisonAnyone travelling to a country outside the EU should also have a sticker with the country code on their car.
Because of Brexit: Great Britain requires additional country code
In the European Union and in countries such as Switzerland, Norway and Liechtenstein, the EU number plate, which is already integrated into the license plate, is sufficient. This shows the EU ring of stars on a blue background and the country code below it, such as “D” for Germany. Outside of these countries, however, things get more complicated.
Without a country code, drivers abroad can quickly face problems. German drivers need a D. © Steinach/Imago
Countries such as Great Britain, which is no longer part of the EU since Brexit, explicitly require an additional country code. In many other non-EU countries, the attachment of such a sticker is also mandatory. Anyone who Failure to follow the rule risks penalties or lengthy controlsas well as echo24.de reported.
Why international distinguishing marks are so important
The ADAC explains that the international distinguishing mark is used to assign the vehicle to a specific country of registration. This helps the authorities abroad to correctly identify the vehicle and can be crucial in the event of an accident or traffic check.
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There are around 220 different country codes worldwide, from “A” for Austria to “ZW” for Zimbabwe. Each country has its own code, which appears on the country code. This diversity shows how important it is to use the correct code to avoid misunderstandings.
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For Switzerland, for example, the abbreviation “CH” stands for Confoederatio Helvetica, and this must always be visible when Swiss vehicles travel abroad. This is laid down in the regulation on the technical requirements for road vehicles.