Taking a trailer abroad

Published 10 October 2026. Every figure was checked at its source that day.

The short version

Every trailer over 750kg must be registered to go to or through most countries in Europe.
Ireland, Cyprus, Malta and Spain do not ask for it.
A trailer used only in the UK does not need registering.
Registering for the first time costs £26.

A trailer that stays in the UK needs no registration of its own. One that crosses the Channel usually does. This is what GOV.UK says, on a page last updated on 26 August 2025.

Which trailers have to be registered?

GOV.UK says you must register all trailers over 750kg to drive to or through most countries in Europe.

Where the rule does not apply

Trailers used only in the UK.
Journeys between the UK and Ireland.
Trailers used in Cyprus, Malta or Spain.

There is a catch for Spain, Cyprus and Malta. If you tow through a country where the rule applies to get there, the trailer must be registered. Driving to Spain through France is the usual case.

What a registered trailer carries

Its own registration plate, separate from the plate of the car towing it.
A trailer registration certificate that can be shown to a foreign authority on request.

It still shows the towing car's number plate as well, as every trailer does.

What it costs

Registering a trailer for the first time: £26.
A new certificate for a new registered keeper: £21.
A replacement certificate: £10.

These are the government's fees. Registration is done on GOV.UK.

Abnormal loads

An abnormal load trailer needs a keeper's certificate to go abroad, carried in the vehicle. GOV.UK says some countries measure abnormal loads differently from the UK, so check with each country on the route.

Before you go

The UK rules on weight, width and brakes still apply on the way to the port. The UK towing rules.