Run international bus or coach services and tours

You can run 3 main types of international bus or coach services:

• a regular service - this follows a timetable and picks up and drops passengers at fixed points on a specified route
• a special regular service - this is a regular service that only carries specified types of passengers (for example, taking workers between home and work)
• an occasional service - this covers all types of journeys not counted as a regular or special regular service (for example, one-off tourist trips)

How you apply and the fees you need to pay depend on:

• which type of service you want to run
• which countries you want to operate in

Apply for an operator licence

To transport passengers internationally by road, you need either a:

• standard international operator licence for Great Britain
• standard international operator licence for Northern Ireland

Register your vehicle trailers

You must register theseall types of trailers beforeover you750kg drive to ordrive through or to most EUcountries countries,in Iceland,Europe apart Liechtensteinfrom andIreland, Norway:

• commercialCyprus, trailersMalta weighingand over 750kg
• non-commercial trailers weighing over 3,500kg

Spain.

Register your trailer to take it abroad.

Get approval to run a regular service or a special regular service

Regular services

A regular service follows a timetable and picks up and drops passengers at fixed points on a specified route.

Special regular services

A special regular service is a regular service which only carries specified types of passengers. For example, it might take workers between home and work. It’s not allowed to transport any other types of passengers.

Where you can run regular services and special regular services

You can only run a regular service or special regular service to EU countries, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, or Moldova (and Ukraine from 1 May 2025). Your service must either start or end in the UK.

Apply to run your regular service or special regular service

To apply, download and fill in an application form.

Apply to run a regular or special regular international bus or coach service

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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

Apply to run a regular or special regular service that uses the UK landbridge to Ireland or involves cabotage on the island of Ireland

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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.

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.

Fee type	Cost
Grant charge per year	£38
Each certified copy of the service authorisation	£13

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.

Run an occasional service

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
• 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, Switzerland, and Tunisia.

What you need to do 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 this type of service, but you must buy a journey form that 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 journey form in the vehicle during the international journey.

It can take up to 5 working days to get the journey forms after you’ve ordered them.

How much the forms cost

Document	Quantity	Cost
Interbus Journey Form	Book of 25 forms	£19.20
Transit Journey Form	Book of 25 forms	£19.20

The price includes postage and VAT.

Apply to approve your non-liberalised service

To apply, download and fill in the application form.

Apply to run a non-liberalised occasional service

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

Or you can send your application by post.

What happens next

DVSA will ask:

• the destination country to approve the application - if the journey is between the UK and the EU
• each country on the service’s route to approve the application - if the journey is between the UK and a non-EU country

The countries will tell DVSA if they have approved your application.

DVSA will make a decision on your application within 30 days of 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 accidentcollision

Your drivers should contact their insurance provider if they’re involved in a road accidentcollision 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 accidentincident happened. You might have to make your claim in the local language.

You may not get compensation in some countries if the accidentcollision is caused by an uninsured driver or if the driver cannot be traced.

Get legal advice if you need more information about this.