Rules checked on 22 October 2026 against GOV.UK, including the France travel advice updated on 19 October 2026, and France’s Service-Public and Légifrance.
Key takeaways
- No international driving permit for France with a UK photocard licence; carry the V5C and your insurance certificate.
- Helmet with four reflective elements, CE gloves for rider and pillion, a hi-vis vest on the bike.
- Detectors are banned in France even switched off: up to €1,500 and seizure. Danger-zone apps are fine.
- Lane splitting is legal on multi-lane roads since 11 January 2025, at 50 km/h at most.
Documents
Which documents do I need to ride my bike in France?
GOV.UK is clear for France: a UK photocard licence is enough, with no international driving permit. Taking your own bike, carry the V5C log book and your insurance certificate. You no longer need a green card in the EU, but the insurance must be valid.
For a trip of less than 12 months, UK law still applies to the bike: it must be taxed in the UK, have a current MOT and UK insurance, and the V5C must show your most recent UK address.
Sources GOV.UK: France travel advice GOV.UK: driving abroad GOV.UK: taking a vehicle abroad for less than 12 months GOV.UK: UK stickers GOV.UK: EU Entry/Exit System
| Document or rule | What you need to know |
|---|---|
| Photocard driving licence | Valid in France without an IDP; an old paper licence may need one |
| V5C log book | With your current UK address; a VE103 certificate for a hired or leased bike |
| Insurance certificate | UK policies include minimum third-party cover in the EU; no green card needed |
| UK sticker | Not needed if the plate shows the UK identifier with the Union flag; needed with a GB identifier, an EU or national flag, or no identifier |
| Passport | Issued less than 10 years before you arrive, valid at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area |
| Entry/Exit System | Free biometric registration; at Dover and Eurotunnel, checks happen before you leave the UK |
ETIAS, the EU’s travel authorisation, is not required yet. GOV.UK expects it from autumn 2026 at €20, with the date to be announced by the EU: any website selling it now is fraudulent.
Compulsory kit
What kit is compulsory for motorcyclists in France?
This is where visiting riders get caught out: CE-marked gloves and reflective elements on the helmet are French legal requirements. Sort them out before you book the crossing.
Sources Service-Public: compulsory motorcycle kit (in French) Légifrance: Article R416-17 (in French)
| Kit | The rule | Standard fine |
|---|---|---|
| Helmet | Approved to ECE 22.05 or 22.06, fastened, with 4 retro-reflective elements: front, back and each side | €135 |
| Gloves | CE-marked, for the rider and the pillion | €68 |
| Hi-vis vest | Worn or stowed on the bike; put on if you leave the bike after an emergency stop | €11 if missing, €135 if not worn |
| Lights | Dipped beam or daytime running lights on during the day | Second-class fine |
| Phone and earpieces | No hand-held phone and nothing worn at the ear; only helmet-integrated systems are allowed | €135 |
Camera warnings
Are speed camera apps and detectors legal in France?
Detectors are not. Article R413-15 of the French Highway Code bans owning, carrying or using any device that detects speed enforcement or reports where it is. A detector switched off in a pannier is still an offence: a fine of up to €1,500, seizure of the device, and possibly of the bike if the device is fitted to it.
Apps that flag danger zones instead of camera positions are legal, the format French providers adopted in 2012. Our map of speed cameras and enforcement areas in France helps you plan the route.
Explore this topic Motorcycle radar apps: what is legal in France Map of speed cameras and enforcement areas in France Speed camera apps and detectors: UK law for riders
Sources Légifrance: Article R413-15 (in French) French National Assembly: written question no. 124381 (in French)
km/h, not mph
What are the speed and alcohol limits in France?
Limits drop in the rain, and visibility under 50 metres means 50 km/h on every road. The alcohol limit is 0.5 g per litre of blood, which GOV.UK describes as a third lower than in England and Wales, and police can fine you on the spot.
MotoLert, coming soon to iPhone, switches between mph and km/h by country on its own, and keeps your real-time speed and speed camera zones on screen without a route.
Sources Service-Public: speed limits (in French) Service-Public: drink-driving (in French) GOV.UK: France travel advice
| Road | Dry | Rain | Dry limit in mph |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motorway | 130 km/h | 110 km/h | about 81 mph |
| Dual carriageway with central reservation | 110 km/h | 100 km/h | about 68 mph |
| Two-way road without a central divider | 80 km/h, or 90 km/h where signed | 80 km/h | about 50 mph |
| Built-up area | 50 km/h | 50 km/h | about 31 mph |
Lane splitting
Can I filter through traffic in France?
Yes, but on French terms. The Highway Code only asks UK riders to filter with care and at low speed. In France, lane splitting has been legal since 11 January 2025 under conditions that all apply at once; breaking any of them is a fourth-class offence.
Sources Légifrance: Article R412-11-3 (in French) Légifrance: decree of 9 January 2025 (in French) Highway Code, rule 88
- Motorways and dual carriageways with at least two lanes each way and a limit of 70 km/h or more.
- Only when traffic forms unbroken queues in every lane.
- Between the two left-hand lanes only, without overtaking another lane-splitting rider.
- 50 km/h maximum, 30 km/h if one of the lanes is stationary.
- Never with roadworks, snow or ice; bikes no wider than one metre.
- Move back into a lane once traffic in it is faster than you.
City centres
Do I need a Crit’Air sticker on my motorcycle?
If your route enters certain cities, yes. GOV.UK says all vehicles driving in central Paris, Lyon and Grenoble must display a pollution sticker from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday, and other cities may limit access too. Motorcycles have their own classes, based on their Euro standard.
For a foreign-registered vehicle, you apply online only, at certificat-air.gouv.fr, the only official site. Riding in a low-emission zone without one usually costs €68.
Sources Service-Public: Crit’Air certificate (in French) GOV.UK: air pollution sticker
Before the crossing
What should I check before the ferry or the tunnel?
Run through this list the week before, not at the port.
- Licence, passport, V5C and insurance certificate in a waterproof pocket.
- UK sticker on the rear if your plate needs one; any old GB sticker covered or removed.
- Four reflective stickers on each helmet, CE gloves for both of you, hi-vis vest stowed.
- Detector removed from the bike and left at home.
- Speed camera app checked: in France it must show danger zones, not camera positions. Phone in a mount, sound through the helmet.
- Crit’Air sticker ordered in advance if you are going into Paris, Lyon or Grenoble.
- Emergency number in France: 112.
References
The information cited was checked on 22 October 2026. Rules and services may change after this date.
- GOV.UK: France travel advicePhotocard licence, UK sticker, alcohol limit, on-the-spot fines, pollution sticker, 112; updated 19 October 2026.
- GOV.UK: driving abroad and international driving permitsV5C and insurance certificate; no IDP needed in France with a photocard licence.
- GOV.UK: taking a vehicle out of the UK for less than 12 monthsV5C with current address; vehicle tax, MOT and UK insurance still required.
- GOV.UK: vehicle insurance when driving abroadMinimum third-party cover in the EU, no green card required.
- GOV.UK: EU Entry/Exit SystemEES since 12 October 2025, checks before leaving the UK at Dover and Eurotunnel, ETIAS expected from autumn 2026.
- Service-Public: compulsory motorcycle kitHelmet, reflective elements, gloves, hi-vis vest, phones and earpieces; checked by Service-Public on 16 June 2026. In French.
- Légifrance: Articles R413-15, R416-17 and R412-11-3Detector ban, daytime lights and lane splitting; versions in force on 21 October 2026. In French.
- Service-Public: speed limits and drink-drivingLimits by road type and in rain; 0.5 g/l alcohol limit. In French.
- Service-Public: Crit’Air certificateOnly official site, online application for foreign vehicles, €68 fine. In French.