Foreign travel | GB stickers to be replaced with UK identifiers
Those planning a foreign tour in the EU will have to ditch GB stickers and number plates and replace them with new UK ones
DRIVERS and riders looking to take on a European tour will now have to swap out their GB car and bike stickers for new UK ones as of the 28th of September 2021.
Harley-Davidson Sporster S Review 2021
The GB identifier has been the standard on vehicles travelling in Europe, although the new UK sticker is said to be ‘more inclusive of Northern Ireland’. It’s the second time in a year that the system has been fiddled with, as the last change – that featured ‘GB’ under a Union Flag – only came into force on January the 31st, the anniversary of Brexit.
The UK government said in a letter to the UN that the change was only applicable to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and that it “does not extend to any territories for the international relations of which the United Kingdom is responsible”.
Drivers and riders will now either need to replace their GB car stickers with the new UK ones, or alter their number plates to reflect the new country identifier – that’s the small section on the left of the number plate. The penalties for not using the correct sticker will vary based on the country you are travelling through. There is an option to simply buy a new sticker (around £1.50) and overlay that over the country identifier, rather than buying a whole new numberplate.
The new UK stickers will be available online, and in post offices and garages for around £1.50.
Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
