GB plates will not be acceptable for driving abroad.

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Nov 11, 2009
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And I bought a GB sticker for the van a couple of months ago!

Happy Brexit to everyone!
I put one on the van for a trip to Germany, France and Luxembourg scheduled in June 2018. But it was cancelled at very short notice, and two weeks ago I removed it when the caravan was sold.
 
Oct 8, 2006
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If you go into Europe with the new UK-Union Jack logos on the plates will you also require a UK sticker of similar size to the old oval GB sticker, with us not being part of the EU? Until very recently the GB-EU Stars on the plates were sufficient.

No you will not, the UK on your plate is enough.

Per the comments about Spain, note that the change from GB to UK is a UN thing, nothing to do with individual countries of the EU. Ergo if you are compliant with the UN requirement you are compliant everywhere.
 
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Nov 6, 2005
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No you will not, the UK on your plate is enough.

Per the comments about Spain, note that the change from GB to UK is a UN thing, nothing to do with individual countries of the EU. Ergo if you are compliant with the UN requirement you are compliant everywhere.
That's incorrect - Spain has never ratified the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic which provides for national identifiers on the number plate -so the earlier 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, which specifies the oval stickers/plates, applies to all non-EU vehicles in Spain.
 
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Jun 16, 2020
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Well so much for unification then!

I thought that re, Zovirax. It’s dear here, dirt cheap in Spain, and prescription only in France. (Although a French pharmacist did sell me an alternative which he said had the same ingredients, but not prescription only).

John
 
Nov 11, 2009
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Well so much for unification then!

I thought that re, Zovirax. It’s dear here, dirt cheap in Spain, and prescription only in France. (Although a French pharmacist did sell me an alternative which he said had the same ingredients, but not prescription only).

John
Within the EU national governments still retained the right to decide policy in a number of defined areas. One that immediately springs to mind is health policy. So the comment on “ unification” isn’t relevant as neither country are doing anything untoward. Diverting from number plates to herpes medication tends to cloud the topic though.
 
Jun 16, 2020
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Within the EU national governments still retained the right to decide policy in a number of defined areas. One that immediately springs to mind is health policy. So the comment on “ unification” isn’t relevant as neither country are doing anything untoward. Diverting from number plates to herpes medication tends to cloud the topic though.

Disagree. Diversification was introduced In 29/30. I was simply trying to lighten the conversation.

Despite the defined areas you mention, Europe is, (was) sold under the unification banner.

To clarify, the medication is designed for oral herpes, (cold sores).

John
 
Nov 11, 2009
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...and Malta and Cyprus, according to that Government web site. Presumably they also didn't ratify the 1968 convention?
There was a similar thread in relation to whether international driving licence would be required if visiting the EU. Again some countries had ratified different international treaties, so would require a IDL. Probably the same as mentioned above. Vive la difference eh? But by 2022 it will all be quite straightforward again, just like it was pre our joining the EEC. Foreign travel wasn’t difficult.
 
May 7, 2012
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Does this mean if you are abroad when the change comes into effect you have to replace the old GB with UK on the relevant day?
Our number plates have no country identification on them so if we do return to the continent we will need the larger stickers.
 
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I am going to Norfolk but not going to Europe until it safe it should be sorted by than
What’s not safe about Europe? Our infection rates are still higher than most European countries that the British visit. But there’s nothing really to sort. Just make sure your car and caravan have UK on the back. It’s not difficult. Before we joined the EEC all you had to do was get a IDP, stick a GB sticker on, get a Green Card, and sort your headlight dip out. It didn’t seem that onerous when I borrowed my dads car to go to Switzerland aged 18.
 
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Mar 17, 2020
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Back from a month in France couple of weeks ago.

Had UK with Union Jack stickers for car number plates and van number plate (I found a seller offering 2 sets for the price of one or second set half price - I forget.) However, the stickers are a fair bit smaller than the number plate area they should cover so do check sizes before ordering.

Had an oval UK sticker for the rear of the van.

Ok, I was premature but in 2500 miles travel I never saw any other vehicle with a UK sticker or UK number plates. All had GB stickers.

Either the French police have better things to do than stop vehicles that are patently obvious as being from the UK or they simply can't be bothered. To be honest in either case I'm with them.
 
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Jul 18, 2017
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Back from a month in France couple of weeks ago.

Had UK with Union Jack stickers for car number plates and van number plate (I found a seller offering 2 sets for the price of one or second set half price - I forget.) However, the stickers are a fair bit smaller than the number plate area they should cover so do check sizes before ordering.

Had an oval UK sticker for the rear of the van.

Ok, I was premature but in 2500 miles travel I never saw any other vehicle with a UK sticker or UK number plates. All had GB stickers.

Either the French police have better things to do than stop vehicles that are patently obvious as being from the UK or they simply can't be bothered. To be honest in either case I'm with them.
After many dry months they need income from all walks of life and I would think that they do not want to jeopardise that. Prior to the pandemic I wonder how much Brits spent in France per annum travelling to France and that would include the cost of the crossing?
 
Mar 14, 2005
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Either the French police have better things to do than stop vehicles that are patently obvious as being from the UK or they simply can't be bothered. To be honest in either case I'm with them.
Quite frankly, I don’t think anyone on the Continent cares too much about whether the car displays a GB or a UK sticker because they never asked for the change. It was purely a British initiative.
 
Nov 11, 2009
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Quite frankly, I don’t think anyone on the Continent cares too much about whether the car displays a GB or a UK sticker because they never asked for the change. It was purely a British initiative.
I’m keeping my GB magnetic one, as in the future I may need it when touring Ireland.
 
Nov 11, 2009
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I read in this mornings paper that the police in Spain are being quite vigorous in chasing up UK registered cars that are not displaying the new UK identifier. Another aspect I hadn’t been aware of is that from the end of 2022 visitors to Schengen countries will need to possess an ETIAS visa waiver valid for three years. But like the scheme for the US and some other countries ETIAS can be applied for online.
 
Mar 14, 2005
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I read in this mornings paper that the police in Spain are being quite vigorous in chasing up UK registered cars that are not displaying the new UK identifier. Another aspect I hadn’t been aware of is that from the end of 2022 visitors to Schengen countries will need to possess an ETIAS visa waiver valid for three years. But like the scheme for the US and some other countries ETIAS can be applied for online.
I suspect that it's the media up to their usual chicanery of scaremongering. I don't doubt that there may have been a few isolated instances of overzealous police officers out to show their dislike of Brits, but I doubt very much that such action is being carried out as a matter of course. Driving from the French border to southern Spain during the last few days I saw quite a number of UK registered vehicles with neither a GB nor a UK identifier and not a sign of any interest being shown by the Spanish police.
 

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