If your service uses the UK landbridge to Ireland or involves cabotage on the island of Ireland

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

• uses the UK landbridge to Ireland
• involves cabotage on the island of Ireland

How to send your application form

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

• the application fee of £180 (this is non-refundable if your application is unsuccessful)
• supporting information for your application

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

Or you can send your application by post.

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

• the service timetable
• fare scales
• information about the type and volume of the service that you plan to provide
• a map on an appropriate scale that shows the route and the stopping points where passengers are to be picked up and set down
• a driving schedule so that driving and rest periods can be checked for compliance
• a list of partners or sub-contractors (if there are any), with a copy of their operator licence
• any extra information you think is relevant to support your application

If you’re applying as a consortium

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.

What happens next

1. DVSA will ask each country on the service’s route to approve the application. Each country has 4 months to decide.

2. 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.

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

4. 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.

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

6. DVSA will send your authorisation and certified copies.

Pay the grant charge

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.

Getting your authorisation documents

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

The service authorisation includes:

• the authorisation pages, which give details of the service - it has a unique number on it
• the timetable
• the fare table
• the drivers’ hours schedule
• a map of the route
• a list of subcontractors involved in running the service (if applicable)

Documents your driver needs to carry about the service

Your driver needs to carry copies of:

• the regular service’s authorisation
• the contract (or equivalent document) between you and the company providing any additional vehicles, if applicable

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

What your passengers need

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

• the departure and destination points, and where appropriate, the return journey
• the period of validity of the ticket
• the price of the transport

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

Make changes to your regular service or special regular service

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

Make small changes to departure times

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

It’s free of charge to make these changes.

Add, change or remove a partner from the 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.

Make a complete change to the services

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.

Renew your regular service or special regular service

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.

GetRun documentsan to run occasional servicesservice

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.

Occasional services can be either:

• liberalised
• non-liberalised

Where you can run occasional services

You can run occasional services in:

• 36 countries who are part of an international agreement called the Interbus Agreement - it covers all EU countries and 9 non-EU countries
• 8 other countries the UK has separate agreements with

Interbus countries

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.

Non-Interbus countries the UK has agreements with

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

GetWhat documentsyou need to rundo if your service is liberalised

Your service will be liberalised if it: 

• is a closed-door holiday tour 
• leaves the UK with passengers, drops them off at their location, and returns to the UK without passengers
• leaves the UK without passengers, picks up all passengers at a single location to bring them back to the UK, under certain conditions

You do not need to apply for approval to run anthis occasionaltype of service, but you must buy a documentjourney toform givethat gives the service’s details.

What you need to do if your service is non-liberalised

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.

Your service will usually be a non-liberalised service if:

• you do not have a contract with the passengers you are transporting
• it does not have a fixed passenger list

You need to:

• apply for approval from DVSA
• buy a journey form that gives the service’s details

Buy and fill in a journey form

You need to buy a journey form for all occasional services.

You need to buy either:

• an ‘Interbus Journey Form’ for services in EU and other Interbus countries
• a ‘Transit Journey Form’ for services on the island of Ireland, and services to non-Interbus countries the UK has agreements with

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

You can buy the documents from the Confederation of Passenger Transport. You need a credit or debit card when you call.

It usually takes about one week to get the documents after you’ve ordered them.

How much the documents cost

The price includes postage and VAT.

IfApply to approve your occasionalnon-liberalised service

To picksapply, updownload passengersand fill in Belarusthe orapplication Russiaform.

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

YouOr needyou tocan include:send your application by post.

What happens next

DVSA will ask:

• the namedestination andcountry addressto ofapprove the operator
• yourapplication public- serviceif vehiclethe operatorjourney licenceis number
• between the makeUK ofand busthe EU
• each country on the vehicleservice’s numberroute plateto (registrationapprove number)
• the destination
• theapplication number- ofif passengers
• the departurejourney date
• is between the arrivalUK dateand a non-EU country

The permitscountries arewill freetell DVSA if they have approved your application.

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

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

Get the right vehicle documents

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

• vehicle registration documents
• vehicle and trailer insurance documents
• UK stickers (previously GB stickers)
• vehicle operator licences and permits

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

Make sure your driver is eligible to drive abroad

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

• a valid UK driving licence
• a valid Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) card
• a valid passport
• an international driving permit (IDP) if they need one for the countries they’re travelling in
• healthcare documents

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

Check local road rules

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.

Check travel advice for countries outside Europe.

What to do if your vehicle is involved in a road accident

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.

Get legal advice if you need more information about this.