UPDATE: 23.04.2020
The services of the European Commission have updated the information on the temporary relaxation of driving and rest periods. Further information can also be found in the relevant section of the EC website here.
Source: European Commission, DG MOVE
UPDATE: 12.04.2020
The services of the European Commission have just disseminated a Communication advising EU Member States on how to deal with driver cards in the current exceptional circumstances of COVID-19, where delays in issuing or replacing driver cards are expected.
The EC recognises that there is no legal basis in EU legislation, as contained in Regulation (EC) No 561/2006, Directive 2002/15/EC and Regulation (EU) No 165/2014 (the Tachograph Regulation), to empower the Commission to grant a derogation from the time limits contained in the legislation to deal with exceptional circumstances. However, in its capacity as guardian of the Treaties, the Commission is entitled to take account of exceptional circumstances to which the Member States are exposed during the current crisis.
The Commission services therefore propose the approach set out below, provided that the measures adopted by the EU Member States are limited both in substance and in time to what is necessary in view of the current crisis.
– The national competent authorities should endeavour to issue a new card as soon as possible after receiving a detailed application to this effect. Under this approach, a period of 45 days after receipt of the application could be considered reasonable in the current circumstances.
– National enforcement authorities should, when monitoring compliance with the tachograph Regulation, take into account the current exceptional circumstances in so far as the driver has fulfilled his obligations.
With regard to expired cards, the EC proposes the following approach:
– The obligations set out in paragraph 1 (obligation to apply for renewal 15 working days before the card expires) and paragraph 2 (provisions for the case of renewals where the Member State of normal residence of the driver is different from the one which issued his current card) of Article 28 of the Tachograph Regulation apply. The submission of an online application is recommended and should always be preferred where available.
– Without prejudice to the need for Member States to ensure that the relevant periods and events are properly recorded, the driver should always be in possession of the expired card and should present it when requested by the control authorities.
– The driver should keep evidence of the application for replacement of the expired card for the competent national authorities and present it to the control authorities on request.
Source: European Commission
UPDATE: 11.04.2020
Following many questions related to customs procedures during the COVID 19 crisis, the European Commission, DG TAXUD, launched a website with guidance for economic operators on various customs issues. This information is regularly updated and should therefore be consulted regularly.
The guide covers aspects related to customs decisions, procedures and formalities. They deal with questions concerning the use of NCTS and TIR, such as
– qualification of customs representatives for electronic commerce
– Priority setting for essential customs decisions
– Flexibility for customs debts and customs guarantees
– Entry, transit and exit of goods
– Customs and special customs procedures.
Source: European Commission, DG TAXUD
UPDATE: 09.04.2020
In view of the various forthcoming public holidays, such as Easter, you will find below the updated decisions taken by the national authorities of the following countries with regard to road transport For details of the regulations normally applicable to each country, please consult the IRU Information Centre.
– Austria – On 6 April 2020 the AISÖ confirmed that the weekend and holiday driving ban for trucks over 7.5 tonnes will be suspended in Austria until 19 April 2020. However, members should be aware that the sectoral driving bans currently in force in the Tyrol region will remain in force.
– Czech Republic – the existing driving bans on Sundays and public holidays will be lifted during the period of national emergency.
– France – the current driving bans on weekends and public holidays will be lifted by 20 April (for more information on normal driving bans, click here).
– Germany – the exemptions of the German federal states for driving bans concern both Sunday and public holiday driving bans. The exemptions granted in the federal states can be found here.
– Greece – The Greek Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport decided on 31 March to suspend the driving bans for heavy goods vehicles from 16 April to 21 April (Orthodox Easter). The suspension also applies from 30 April to 3 May (Labour Day weekend).
– Italy – The Italian Minister for Transport and Infrastructure signed a decree lifting the domestic traffic bans on lorries over 7.5 tonnes from 10th to 14th April. Until further notice, the holiday traffic bans on vehicles carrying out international transport in Italy will also be lifted.
– Portugal – During the Easter period, professional drivers must have a declaration signed by their employer confirming that the driver is carrying out a transport service. The declaration aims to prevent unnecessary movement of people during this Easter period. The form can be downloaded here. The obligation to carry such a document comes into force on 9 April at 00:00 until 13 April at 00:00. During this period, the free movement of persons will only be allowed for professional reasons (including drivers in freight transport) or for special needs (to go to a hospital or pharmacy or to buy food).
– Romania – On 4th April the National Road Infrastructure Management Company (CNAIR) lifted driving restrictions for vehicles over 7.5 tonnes on the Ploiesti-Brasov section of the DN1 (E60) national road. The measure is valid until 16 April. The driving restrictions on the Bucharest-Ploiesti section of the DN1 national road remain in force.
– Spain – The following restrictions are suspended for the entire duration of the state of emergency:
– Weekly driving bans for vehicles over 7.5 tons
– Weekend and holiday driving bans for ADR vehicles
– Weekly, fixed and weekend driving bans for abnormal transport
– All driving bans for transport vehicles in Catalonia and the Basque Country.
– Slovakia – The Slovakian police lifted the driving bans for lorries over 3.5 tonnes on 10, 12 and 13 April (please note that there are no driving bans on Saturday).
Source: IRU members
UPDATE: 07.04.2020
DG MOVE issues guidelines for the renewal of certain licences and certificates for professional drivers in the EU.
Following the letter from the Director General of DG MOVE to the EU Member States asking them to notify the European Commission (EC) services via a single e-mail address, EU-COVID-TRANSPORT@ec.europa.eu, of their national measures relating to the COVID-19 emergency extension of the validity of licences and certificates for individuals and professional drivers and workers (Flash info published on 27 March), the EC has now published a specific annex with a list of these certificates. For road transport the following main control documents are listed:
– Periodic training of drivers to obtain the certificates of professional competence (certificate of professional competence), as provided for in Article 8 of Directive 2003/59/EC
– driving licences with a view to their renewal or, in some cases, exchange, as provided for in Article 7 of Directive 2006/126/EC;
– Dangerous goods covered by Directive 2008/68/EC, including, inter alia, the renewal of certificates of training of drivers for the transport of dangerous goods and the renewal of certificates of safety advisers for dangerous goods;
– inspection of the tachograph, as required by Article 23 of Regulation 165/2014
– periodic roadworthiness tests of motor vehicles and their trailers, as required by Article 5 of Directive 2014/45/EU;
– renewal of Community licences in accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 1072/20097 and Article 4 of Regulation 1073/20098;
– renewal of the authorisation to provide regular services by coach and bus in accordance with Article 9 of Regulation 1073/2009; renewal of the Community licence in accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 1072/20097 and Article 4 of Regulation 1073/20098; renewal of the authorisation to provide regular services by coach and bus in accordance with Article 9 of Regulation 1073/2009
– renewal of the driver attestation issued in accordance with Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 1072/2009; and
– Renewal of the certificate of professional competence for drivers engaged in the transport of live animals as provided for in Article 17 of Regulation (EC) No 1/20059.
In order to ensure that national authorities are informed of the specific measures taken by other Member States and to exercise tolerance, the EC will publish the national information on its coronavirus transport platform at https://ec.europa.eu/transport/coronavirus-response_en.
Source: European Commission
UPDATE: 06.04.2020
shipments of waste related to the coronavirus crisis (COVID-19).
On 30 March 2020, the European Commission issued some specific guidelines to ensure the continuation of national and cross-border shipments of waste in the EU. The guidelines indicate that the Green Lanes apply mutatis mutandis to shipments of waste and call on Member States to implement this principle.
They also call for an end to the treatment of paper documents and a move to digital document exchange, especially in cases of notifications relating to shipments.
Finally, more flexibility is recommended in cases where there are changes in routing that do not affect any Member State that was not included in the original route.
Source: European Commission, DG Environment
UPDATE: 04.04.2020
European Commission publishes guidelines on the exercise of free movement of workers during the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19)
In addition to its communications on border management and green lanes, the European Commission has now issued another communication (see text in all official EU languages) which clarifies the conditions for the free movement of workers (including transport workers) within the European Union during the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19). These specific guidelines, which cover a wider sector of workers, clarify and complement the provisions for workers in international transport as set out in the Communication on Green Roads and are without prejudice to workers in transport. Member States are also invited to treat self-employed workers in the same way in any of the critical occupational areas listed in these guidelines.
The professions listed are as follows:
– health professionals, including paramedical professions;
– personal care workers in the health sector, including care workers for children, people with disabilities and the elderly;
– researchers in health-related sectors;
– employees in the pharmaceutical and medical technology industries;
– workers involved in the supply of goods, in particular for the supply chain of pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, medical devices and personal protective equipment, including their installation and maintenance
– information and communication technology professionals;
– information and communication technicians and other technicians involved in the essential maintenance of equipment;
– engineering professionals such as energy technicians, engineers and electrical engineers;
– persons working on critical or otherwise essential infrastructures;
– members of the scientific and technical community (including water systems technicians);
– employees of protection services;
– firefighters, police officers, prison guards, security guards and civil defence personnel;
– food production and processing and related occupations and maintenance workers;
– food (and related products) machine operators (including food production operators);
– in particular transport workers (as in the Green Lanes Communication and the letter from the Director-General of DG MOVE – IRU note):
(a) drivers of cars, vans and motorcycles, drivers of heavy goods vehicles and buses (including bus and tram drivers) and drivers of ambulances (including drivers transporting assistance offered under the Union Civil Protection Mechanism and drivers taking repatriated EU citizens from another Member State to their place of origin or destination)
(b) pilots of airlines;
(c) train drivers, wagon masters, maintenance workshop staff and staff of infrastructure managers involved in traffic management and capacity allocation
(d) maritime and inland waterway personnel;
– fishermen;
– staff of public bodies, including international organisations in critical positions.
The Commission urges the Member States to introduce specific, light and fast procedures for border crossings with a regular flow of border workers and posted workers in order to guarantee them a smooth crossing. This could be done, for example, and where appropriate, by providing special lanes at the border for such workers or by providing lanes with special stickers recognised by neighbouring Member States.
Health checks for frontier workers and posted workers must be carried out under the same conditions as for nationals of the same professions. Health checks may be carried out before or after the border, depending on the infrastructure available, in order to ensure that traffic flows smoothly. Member States should coordinate among themselves in order to carry out health checks on one side of the border only, in order to avoid overlapping and waiting times. The checks and health examinations should not result in workers having to leave the vehicles and should in principle be based on the electronic measurement of body temperature. Temperature checks on workers should not be carried out more than three times a day.
For transport workers referred to in paragraph 19 of the Communication on Green Lane Systems, the specific preventive health measures set out in these guidelines apply.
The Commission urges the Member States to introduce specific procedures to ensure the smooth passage of these workers and to use the Technical Committee on the Free Movement of Workers to identify best practices that can be extended to all Member States so that these workers can exercise their profession without hindrance.
Source: European Commission
UPDATE: 30.03.2020
The European Commission’s latest key communication on green lanes is now available here in all official EU languages.
Please note that EU leaders also expressed their support for green lanes in their last declaration (26 March) with the following statement: “Where temporary internal border controls have been put in place, we will ensure smooth border management for people and goods and maintain the functioning of the internal market on the basis of the Commission guidelines of 16 March 2020 in accordance with the Schengen Borders Code and the Commission guidelines for the implementation of “green lanes”.
This confirms that the implementation of green lanes is a common commitment of all EU Member States.
Source: IRU
UPDATE: 28.03.2020
According to the information exchanged between IRU members, the vast majority of EU Member States allow double manning, with a crew of two drivers (Article 4, paragraph o)) of Regulation 561/2006.
In France, Italy, Spain and Portugal, special rules apply, whereby a social distance of 1 metre must be respected.
In the case of the United Kingdom, double manning is not prohibited, provided the following conditions are met:
– Minimisation of contact with colleagues and clients. The minimum contact is a combination of time and distance.
– If close contact is not required, a distance of at least two metres should be maintained.
– Regular hand hygiene either by formal hand washing (best) or alcohol gel (good) is important.
– Do not bring your hands to your face / head (e.g. to blow your nose) unless you have just washed / gelled your hands.
– Dispose of the tissue used for blowing your nose and wash/gelatinize your hands before further action.
– When using gloves, change them in case of physical damage or visible contamination or in case of physical injury or when it is necessary for the comfort of the operator.
– If you use PPE, make sure that these (e.g. gloves and/or aprons) are safely removed and disposed of after completion of work – this is the most important step.
The information on the United Kingdom is based on the advice in force at the time of writing this article, but is subject to change.
At this stage, the IRU does not recommend the use of double occupancy in Hungary.
The IRU will continue to monitor the situation and inform Members of any changes.
Source: IRU and exchanges with IRU members
UPDATE: 27.03.2020
On 26 March, the Director-General of DG MOVE, Henrik Hololei, sent a letter to EU Member States inviting them to notify the European Commission (EC) of their national measures concerning COVID-19-related emergency extension of the validity of licences and certificates issued to individuals and professional transport operators and workers (via a single e-mail address EU-COVID-TRANSPORT@ec.europa.eu). It also called on national authorities to take this information into account in the enforcement of relevant legislation, in particular with regard to professional drivers and workers engaged in international activities.
The information provided by EC Member States should include at least the following information:
– the relevant EU (or national) legislation and specific provisions
– A brief description of the measure
– The envisaged duration of the extension (date, from-to)
To ensure that national authorities are informed of exceptional measures taken by other Member States, the EC will publish the national information on its Coronavirus transport platform.
Please note that this is a first general statement, where “specific legal requirements (EC or national) that may be affected by this situation will be identified and communicated as soon as possible”. The services of DG MOVE are currently working on this list, including for road transport, and intend to publish it as soon as possible. A specific IRU Flash Info will follow immediately.
Source: European Commission
UPDATE: 22.03.2020
The International Road Transport Union (IRU) has made some clarifications on exemptions from driving and resting time rules granted by different EU Member States – Regulation (EC) No 561/2006:
A number of EU Member States have granted temporary derogations from the driving and rest period rules in accordance with the provisions of Article 14(2) of Regulation (EC) No 561/2006.
The latest official information from the European Commission can be found on its dedicated website https://ec.europa.eu/transport/modes/road/social_provisions/driving_time_en under “COVID-19 – Temporary relaxation of driving time rules”.
After several discussions among experts and with the services of the European Commission, the following clarifications can be made:
– If these derogations are granted by EU Member States for international transport (in most cases, but not all), they apply to all drivers of EU registered companies on the territory of the EU Member State concerned;
– The enforcement authorities of the different EU Member States have been and will continue to be informed of the various temporary exemptions introduced by the EU Member States so that they can take them into account when checking drivers at the roadside;
– The services of the European Commission have formally sent the list of exemptions to the UNECE Secretariat with the aim of also informing the competent authorities of the non-EU AETR Contracting Parties of these exemptions so that they may be taken into account when EU drivers are subsequently checked in the territories of the non-EU AETR Contracting Parties;
– As a rule, the exemptions of these EU Member States under EU Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 do not apply to drivers of undertakings registered in AETR contracting parties that are not EU members. One EU Member State (Poland) has formally and explicitly stated that the exemptions granted on Polish territory do not apply to drivers from AETR contracting parties that are not EU members. We therefore strongly recommend drivers from AETR contracting parties who are not members of the EU to comply with the rules of the AETR agreement.
– In exceptional cases, such as those currently encountered on the road and at borders, and in accordance with the provisions of Article 9 of the AETR Agreement, drivers from AETR contracting parties who are not EU members may be “… may depart from the provisions of this Agreement to the extent necessary to ensure the safety of persons, the vehicle or its load. Drivers shall indicate the nature of and the reason for their derogation from these provisions on the record sheet of the recording equipment or in their duty roster”.
– The IRU is in almost constant contact with the services of the European Commission and the representative organisations of enforcement authorities in Europe to discuss, debate and advise on these issues.
*** Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) ***
UPDATE: 20.03.2020
The services of the European Commission have made available on its website a special section COVID-19 Temporary relaxation of driving time rules, which provides summary information on the various derogations on driving and rest periods introduced by the EU Member States. It is expected that this section will be regularly updated. The table is available here: “COVID-19 – Temporary relaxation of drivers’ hours rules“.
Source: European Commission
UPDATE: 17.03.2020
Border checks have been installed in the vast majority of the countries, which may from time to time lead to congestions on the border crossing points resulting in delays of transports with also possible impact on the End-to-End performance.
UPDATE: 16.03.2020
Over the past weekend, border checks have been installed in the vast majority of the countries, which may from time to time lead to congestions on the border crossing points resulting in delays of transports with also possible impact on the End-to-End performance.
UPDATE: 07.05.2020
On 6 May the Austrian Government extended until 31 May the checks at border crossings with Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany.
Source: AISÖ
UPDATE: 05.05.2020
Following recent updates on the extension of controls at the Austrian border, AISÖ has provided further details on the current situation in Austria.
At the border with Italy, smaller border crossing points have been closed.
The following border crossings are open: Brenner, Sillian, Reschenpass and Thörl-Maglern. Traffic can be monitored here via webcams.
At the border to Switzerland the following border crossings are open:
Tyrol – Pfunds (goods / passenger traffic)
Vorarlberg – Mäder (Freight/passenger traffic
Vorarlberg – Lustenau (freight/passenger traffic)
Vorarlberg – Hohenems (freight/passenger transport)
Vorarlberg – Wohlfurt (freight traffic)
On the border with Hungary, traffic can be monitored via webcams here and here.
On the border with Slovakia the following border crossings are open for freight traffic.
Kittsee – Bratislava/Jarovce
Hohenau – Moravský Svätý Ján (between 05:00 – 24:00 also trucks up to 7.5t)
At the border to the Czech Republic, Czech commuters must present the following documents when entering Austria
Austrian commuter certificate
Travel documents (best: passport)
Further recommended: Copy of the employment contract
The attention of drivers and undertakings is drawn to the fact that double manning is permitted, provided that appropriate safety distances (1 m), masks and the general rules of behaviour as laid down in COVID-19 are respected. In public places (when entering service stations, toilet facilities, service stations – inside) the wearing of a mask is mandatory.
Source: AISÖ
UPDATE: 22.04.2020
AISÖ has confirmed that the weekend ban on heavy goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes will be suspended until 17 May.
Source: AISÖ
UPDATE: 11.04.2020
On 10 April the Austrian government granted a further relaxation of driving and rest periods. The following relaxations apply to national and international traffic from 14 April to 15 May:
– Art. 6.1: Replacement of the maximum daily driving time of 9 hours by one of 11 hours.
– Art. 6.2: Replacement of the maximum weekly driving time of 56 hours by one of 60 hours.
– Art. 6.3: Replacement of the bi-weekly maximum driving time of 90 hours by one of 100 hours.
The relaxations provided for in the previous regulation are no longer in force.
Source: ITF
UPDATE: 07.04.2020
On 6 April 2020, the AISÖ confirmed that the weekend and holiday driving ban for trucks over 7.5 tonnes will be suspended in Austria until 19 April 2020.
However, members should be aware that the sectoral driving bans currently in force in the Tyrol region will remain in force.
Source: AISÖ
UPDATE: 25.03.2020
The Ministry of Social Affairs has issued a new regulation restricting the entry into Austria from land border crossing points of persons living or in transit in the following neighbouring countries
Italy
Switzerland
Liechtenstein
Germany
Hungary
Slovenia
Anyone wishing to enter Austria must present a medical certificate, which can be filled out in German, English or Italian, proving that the SARS CoV-2 test is negative. The medical certificate must not be older than four days at the time of entry, otherwise the authorities may refuse entry.
This regulation does not apply to freight or commuter traffic . This regulation came into force on 20.3.2020.
Source: AISÖ
UPDATE: 20.03.2020
Throughout Austria, the weekend ban on heavy goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes will be suspended with immediate effect until 3 April 2020. This measure has been discussed and coordinated with Italy and Bavaria in order to avoid waiting times at the borders as far as possible.
The driving bans for trucks over 7.5 tonnes at the Klingenbach and Deutschkreutz (Burgenland) border crossings have also been lifted in order to relieve pressure from the Nickelsdorf border crossing.
At the Austrian-Hungarian border:
– Border crossings to be used for international freight traffic with departure or end in Hungary:
o Hegyeshalom / Nickelsdorf.
o Sopron / Klingenbach (transit vehicles over 7.5 t are permitted until 20 March at 05:00).
o Kópháza / Deutschkreutz (transit vehicles over 7.5 t are permitted until March 20 at 05:00; vehicles over 7.5 t with Austrian or Hungarian registration plates are permitted until March 23 at 00:00).
o Rábafüzes / Heiligenkreuz
– Border crossings to be used by AT-HUN bilateral freight traffic (in addition to the three above):
o Bucsu / Schachendorf.
o Koszeg / Rattersdorf.
o Rábafüzes / Heiligenkreuz.
In addition, the government has announced a temporary relaxation of the enforcement of driving and rest periods for drivers in order to eliminate the bottlenecks caused by the current crisis. The repealed measures comply with Articles 6 to 9 of the EU Regulation No. 561/2006. This exemption is valid from 16 March 2020 until 14 April 2020. The repealed measures are the following:
– Art. 6(1): Replacement of the maximum daily driving time of 9 hours by one of 11 hours;
– Article 6(1) 6(2): replacement of the maximum weekly driving time of 56 hours by one of 60 hours;
– Article 6(2): replacement of the maximum weekly driving time of 56 hours by 60 hours; Article 6(3): replacement of the maximum fortnightly driving time of 90 hours by one of 100 hours; Article 6(3): replacement of the maximum fortnightly driving time of 90 hours by one of 100 hours;
– Art. 6(3): replacement of the maximum weekly driving time limit of 90 hours by one of 100 hours; Art. 7: replacement of the minimum requirements for daily breaks by introducing a break of 45 minutes after 5.5 hours;
– Art. 8(2): reduction of daily rest periods from 11 to 9 hours;
– Article 8(2): reduction of daily rest periods from 11 to 9 hours; Art. 8(6): weekly rest period of at least 24 hours after six 24-hour periods
For further details see the Regulation.
Source: AISÖ
UPDATE: 19.03.2020
Due to coronavirus quarantine restriction measures, no pick-ups and deliveries will be in place for the following postal codes in Austria:
6154
6553
6555
6561
6562
6563
6580
6762
6763
6764
6767
6888
9844.
Until further notice – please do not pick-up/deliver shipments to these postal codes.
UPDATE: 18.03.2020
Due to coronavirus quarantine restriction measures, no pick-ups and deliveries will be in place for the following postal codes in Austria:
6154
6553
6555
6561
6562
6563
6580
6762
6763
6764
6767
6888
9844.
Until further notice – please do not pick-up/deliver shipments to these postal codes.
UPDATE: 09.04.2020
Belgium has agreed to a temporary and limited relaxation of the enforcement of driving times and rest periods for all drivers of vehicles engaged in freight transport. This relaxation is granted in accordance with Article 14(2) of the EU Regulation 561⁄2006. This temporary relaxation will apply from 26.03.2020 and will remain in force until 25.04.2020. It applies to those drivers who are involved in the delivery of goods at home and abroad. The following provisions are temporarily relaxed as follows:
– derogation from Article 8(8) of Regulation 561/2006: suspension of the ban on drivers taking their normal weekly rest period in the vehicle cab.
In addition, general derogations and specific derogations for essential transport have been introduced. Belgium has agreed to a temporary and limited relaxation of the enforcement of driving and rest periods for all drivers of vehicles involved in the transport of essential goods and medicines throughout the supply chain. This relaxation is granted under Article 14(2) of the EU Regulation 561⁄2006. This temporary relaxation will apply from 01.04.2020 and will remain in force until 30.04.2020. It applies to those drivers who are involved in the delivery of goods at home and abroad. The following provisions are temporarily relaxed as follows:
– Derogation from Article 6(2) of Regulation 561/2006: replacement of the maximum weekly driving time of 56 hours by 60 hours;
– Derogation from Article 6(3) of Regulation 561/2006: replacement of the maximum weekly driving time of 90 hours by 96 hours
– Derogation from Article 8(6) of Regulation 561/2006: postponement of a weekly rest period beyond the period of six to 24 hours;
– derogation from Article 8(6): reduction of the regular weekly rest period from 45 hours to 24 hours without any compensation.
Source: FEBETRA
UPDATE: 20.03.2020
For passenger transport, the social distance measure of 1.5 million must be respected for all types of collective passenger transport still in operation and permitted, including public bus transport.
In line with the advice on unnecessary journeys abroad, all bus services are in a closure phase. As schools have been closed, all related transport has been suspended, with the exception of schools that need transport to meet their obligation to provide day care for children from families working in key positions, such as health care workers.
Vocational training for driving licences or further training and even checks by the transport companies have been suspended and appropriate measures are being taken to avoid possible violations of validity.
Source: IRU.org
UPDATE: 18.03.2020
Due to quarantine measures – until further notice – there is a temporary stop of Cash On Delivery (COD) and Delivery Against Documents (DAD) service in Belgium. Please do not send COD and/or DAD shipments to BE.
UPDATE: 25.05.2020
From 22 May onwards, anyone who is allowed to enter Bulgarian territory without quarantine (i.e. lorry drivers entering and transiting Bulgaria) must submit a new declaration to the health control authorities at the border.
In order to minimise waiting times, drivers are advised to complete the declaration before arriving at the border crossing points.
Source: AEBTRI
UPDATE: 15.05.2020
The Bulgarian authorities have lifted the state of emergency and introduced an ‘epidemic emergency situation’ that will last from 14 May to 14 June.
Entry bans for all foreigners continue to apply, while measures for international drivers remain virtually unchanged.
Source: AEBTRI
UPDATE: 08.05.2020
On 7 May, the Bulgarian Government implemented the following asset relief measures:
The following special checkpoints, which had originally been set up at all entrances and exits of the city of Bansko and all regional centres, were abolished: Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Gabrovo, Dobrich, Kardzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofia, Stara Zagora, Targovishte, Haskovo, Shumen, Yambol.
People and drivers can enter and leave these cities freely and without delay.
The use of a face mask is already mandatory in closed public spaces. Nevertheless, people and drivers who are in open public places must respect the principle of social distance and all anti-epidemic measures and wear a protective mask if contact with other people is necessary.
The health authorities at the border have stopped issuing instruction slips to non-Bulgarian drivers entering Bulgaria; this will reduce waiting times at border crossings.
The rules for non-Bulgarian drivers coming from a country with registered COVID-19 cases are currently as follows
– Drivers of lorries carrying goods destined for the Bulgarian market should enter the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria, unload the transported goods (and load them for the return journey if necessary) and leave the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria immediately.
– Transit through the Republic of Bulgaria shall only be allowed on routes defined by the Road Infrastructure Agency.
The time limit for leaving the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria may not exceed 24 hours from the time of entering the country.
The measures shall apply immediately and until further notice.
Source: AEBTRI
UPDATE: 27.04.2020
By 13 May Bulgaria introduced a new obligation making the use of face masks compulsory for all, including drivers, in open or closed public places.
In addition, the measures applicable to drivers were also slightly modified. The following regulation applies to non-Bulgarian drivers coming from a country with registered COVID-19 cases
– Drivers of lorries carrying goods for the Bulgarian market should enter the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria, unload and/or load the goods carried and leave the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria immediately; and
– Drivers of lorries carrying goods destined for other countries may cross the Republic of Bulgaria on a route determined by the Road Infrastructure Agency.
The border health authorities issue drivers crossing the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria with an instruction note in which they indicate this:
– the date and time at which they are to leave the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria; and
– the border crossing point at which they must leave the country
Source: AEBTRI
UPDATE: 14.04.2020
The Bulgarian Road Infrastructure Authority today issued an order temporarily suspending the official holiday driving ban on trucks over 12 tonnes.
In addition, the Bulgarian government has a further temporary tolerance regarding the enforcement of the driving and resting time regulations for drivers according to Reg. (EC) 561/2006 concerning national and international freight transport. This exception is valid from April 17, 2020, 00:00 hours, until May 17, 2020, 24:00 hours. Measures repealed are the following:
– Art. 6(1): Replacement of the maximum daily driving time of 9 hours by one of 11 hours;
– Art. 7: Replacement of the minimum daily break requirements by introducing a break of 45 minutes after 5.5 hours;
– Art. 6(1) 8(6): possibility to take two consecutive reduced weekly rest periods of at least 24 hours, provided that
– drivers should take at least four weekly breaks within those four consecutive weeks and at least two of those breaks should be regular weekly breaks
– the two reduced weekly rest periods should be compensated before the next rest period
– Derogation to Article 8(8) of Regulation 561/2006: possibility for the driver to take the regular weekly rest period in the vehicle as long as there are suitable sleeping facilities for each driver and the vehicle is stationary.
Source: AEBTRI
UPDATE: 14.04.2020
The Bulgarian Road Infrastructure Agency has published an interactive map of green corridors for road freight transport in transit through the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria. The map contains useful information about rest areas and the respective number of parking spaces, sanitary facilities, the possibility to buy food, the availability of Internet connection, lighting, video surveillance, petrol station, the nearest emergency services, the number of places for refuelling refrigerated trucks, etc.: http://www.api.bg/index.php/en/green-corridors or https://www.bgtoll.bg/en
Source: AEBTRI
UPDATE: 08.04.2020
Restrictions
In a new decree of 6th April the Minister of Health confirmed the temporary ban on entry for all third country nationals (non-EU citizens) via all border crossing points by all means of transport. The entry ban applies to all persons coming from the following countries, irrespective of their nationality: Italy, Spain, France, United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg.
The following categories are excluded from the above-mentioned prohibitions:
(a) Bulgarian citizens, members of the family of Bulgarian citizens, persons having permanent and long-term resident status on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria and members of their families
b) members of the medical professions, medical scientists and social workers, if the purpose of the journey is related to their professional activity;
(c) transport personnel engaged in the carriage of goods, flight crews engaged in commercial air transport and other transport personnel, as appropriate;
(d) foreign officials (Heads of State or Government, etc.) and members of their delegations, as well as diplomats, officials of international organisations, military personnel and humanitarian workers carrying out their duties;
(e) persons travelling on humanitarian grounds;
f) nationals of Member States of the European Union and of the Schengen States (including San Marino, Andorra, Monaco and Vatican City) as well as nationals of third countries directly involved in the construction, maintenance, operation and security of strategic and critical infrastructure in the Republic of Bulgaria; and
(g) frontier workers and seasonal agricultural workers.
Transit through the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria is permitted:
(a) nationals of the Member States of the European Union and of the Schengen States (including San Marino, Andorra, Monaco and Vatican) and members of their families to return to their country of residence
(b) third-country nationals who hold a long-term residence permit in another Member State of the European Union or in a Schengen State (including San Marino, Andorra, Monaco and Vatican) and their family members, in order to return to their country of residence
(c) nationals of Serbia, the Republic of Northern Macedonia, Montenegro and Turkey to return to their country of residence;
(d) transport personnel involved in the carriage of goods, flight crews engaged in commercial air transport and, where appropriate, other transport personnel subject to special rules.
Bulgarian truck drivers arriving from a country with registered Covid 19 cases are subject to the 14-day quarantine period. During the quarantine period they may transit Bulgaria to carry out or complete an international transport:
i. for transit through the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria;
ii. stay in the driver’s cab of the truck;
iii. drive the lorry;
iv. to carry out loading and unloading activities; and
v. to leave the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria before the end of the quarantine period
The following regulation has been introduced for non-Bulgarian drivers – citizens of or coming from the above mentioned countries or travelling through the territory of such a country:
i. Drivers of lorries transporting goods destined for the Bulgarian market should enter the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria, unload and/or load the transported goods and leave the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria immediately; and
ii. Drivers of lorries carrying goods destined for other countries may cross the Republic of Bulgaria on a route determined by the Road Infrastructure Agency.
The National Toll Administration shall issue an instruction certificate to drivers passing through the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria, which shall contain the details:
– the date and time at which they are to leave the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria; and
– the border crossing point at which they must leave the country
The fixed time limit for leaving the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria may not exceed 24 hours from the date of issue of the instruction certificate.
In cases when the drivers of lorries which are allowed to pass through Bulgaria but are not allowed to leave Bulgaria due to a ban of a neighbouring state, a place is determined where the lorry and the driver must stay until the ban is lifted, after which the driver must leave the country.
On 30 March 2020 and until further notice, the border crossing between Bulgaria and Greece “Zlatograd-Thermes” has been closed due to the spread of Covid-19 and a quarantine has been announced in the respective Greek border region.
Special checkpoints have been set up at all entrances and exits of the city of Bansko and all regional centres: Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Gabrovo, Dobrich, Kardzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardjik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofia, Stara Zagora, Targovishte, Haskovo, Shumen, Yambol.
People can enter and leave these cities only to work for medical reasons, to take care of their relatives and to buy essential basic products and medicines.
Truck drivers are allowed to pass these checkpoints, but delays are possible.
Relieves
The Bulgarian government has granted a temporary tolerance regarding the enforcement of driving and rest periods for drivers in accordance with the EU regulation 561⁄2006 for the national and international transport of goods. This exemption is valid from 19 March 2020, 00:00 hours, until 16 April 2020, 24:00 hours. The following measures have been repealed:
i. Art. 6(1): Replacement of the maximum daily driving time of 9 hours by one of 11 hours;
ii. Article 7: replacement of the minimum daily break requirement by a break of 45 minutes after 5.5 hours; and
iii. Art. 8(6): reduction of the regular weekly rest period from 45 hours to 24 hours.
On 13 March 2020 the Bulgarian authorities introduced a state of emergency in the country. At present, the state of emergency has been extended until 13 May.
Source: AEBTRI
UPDATE: 31.03.2020
In a new regulation, the Minister of Health has temporarily banned all third country nationals (non-EU citizens) from entering the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria at all border crossing points by all means of transport from 00:00 on 20 March 2020 until 17 April 2020. Transport personnel engaged in the carriage of goods are excluded from the scope of this Regulation.
The already announced entry ban for EU citizens from countries with registered infected persons with COVID-19 and the corresponding regulations for drivers from these countries remain in force (official information can be found here. Bulgarian citizens as well as persons with long or permanent residence in Bulgaria and their families are excluded from this ban. They are subject to a 14-day quarantine either at home or in another accommodation of their choice. A special regulation has been provided for truck drivers (here an official regulation):
– Bulgarian lorry drivers are also subject to the 14-day quarantine, unless they return to one of the countries on the list. In this case they must remain in quarantine until their departure;
– Non-Bulgarian drivers – citizens of or coming from the above-mentioned countries – may load and unload goods, but must then leave the territory of Bulgaria immediately. The duration of their movement through the territory of the country should not exceed 24 hours;
– All trucks crossing the country, regardless of their nationality, are escorted by the police. In addition, all foreign trucks entering Bulgaria are escorted by the police to their unloading point.
Furthermore, according to an additional order issued by the Ministry of Health, the entry and transit of trucks registered in the Islamic Republic of Iran and coming from the Islamic Republic of Iran is temporarily prohibited.
On 30.03.2020 the border crossing between Bulgaria and Greece “Zlatograd-Thermes” was closed until further notice due to the spread of COVID-19 and quarantine measures were announced in the respective Greek border region.
Special checkpoints have been established at all entrances and exits of the city of Bansko and all regional centres: Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Gabrovo, Dobrich, Kardzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofia, Stara Zagora, Targovishte, Haskovo, Shumen and Yambol.
People can enter and leave these cities only for work, for health purposes, for the care of their relatives, for the need to obtain basic products and medicines. Truck drivers are allowed to pass through this checkpoint, but delays may occur.
Source: AEBTRI
UPDATE: 31.03.2020
In a new regulation, the Minister of Health has temporarily banned all third country nationals (non-EU citizens) from entering the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria at all border crossing points by all means of transport from 00:00 on 20 March 2020 until 17 April 2020. Transport personnel engaged in the carriage of goods are excluded from the scope of this Regulation.
The already announced entry ban for EU citizens from countries with registered infected persons with COVID-19 and the corresponding regulations for drivers from these countries remain in force (official information can be found here. Bulgarian citizens as well as persons with long or permanent residence in Bulgaria and their families are excluded from this ban. They are subject to a 14-day quarantine either at home or in another accommodation of their choice. A special regulation has been provided for truck drivers (here an official regulation):
– Bulgarian lorry drivers are also subject to the 14-day quarantine, unless they return to one of the countries on the list. In this case they must remain in quarantine until their departure;
– Non-Bulgarian drivers – citizens of or coming from the above-mentioned countries – may load and unload goods, but must then leave the territory of Bulgaria immediately. The duration of their movement through the territory of the country should not exceed 24 hours;
– All trucks crossing the country, regardless of their nationality, are escorted by the police. In addition, all foreign trucks entering Bulgaria are escorted by the police to their unloading point.
Furthermore, according to an additional order issued by the Ministry of Health, the entry and transit of trucks registered in the Islamic Republic of Iran and coming from the Islamic Republic of Iran is temporarily prohibited.
On 30.03.2020 the border crossing between Bulgaria and Greece “Zlatograd-Thermes” was closed until further notice due to the spread of COVID-19 and quarantine measures were announced in the respective Greek border region.
Special checkpoints have been established at all entrances and exits of the city of Bansko and all regional centres: Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Gabrovo, Dobrich, Kardzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofia, Stara Zagora, Targovishte, Haskovo, Shumen and Yambol.
People can enter and leave these cities only for work, for health purposes, for the care of their relatives, for the need to obtain basic products and medicines. Truck drivers are allowed to pass through this checkpoint, but delays may occur.
Source: AEBTRI
UPDATE: 21.04.2020
The Croatian Government has decided to abolish the convoy method for transit operations in Croatia.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Croatia
UPDATE: 31.03.2020
Commercial road transport
Following the last exchange (25 and 26 March) with the Croatian authorities, the current situation is as follows:
– There are no restrictions on transit at border crossings when using the green lanes as defined in the European Commission Communication (see Annex 1 and the map of green lanes). The green lanes are open both for transit (in convoys of 50 lorries) and for unloading lorries in Croatia;
– As far as paper documents are concerned, Croatia follows the European Commission’s Communication on the introduction of green lanes to demonstrate their flexibility;
– convoys will be formed at Slovenia’s border crossings with Austria and Italy. For goods in transit, they travel in convoy across the Croatian border, but still within the country, to the border of the next country of destination.
– For goods delivered within Croatia, there is no convoy.
The contact point for the competent Croatian authority is uprava.infrastruktura@mmpi.hr.
Temporary and limited relaxation of enforcement of driving and rest periods
Croatia has reported on a temporary and limited relaxation of the enforcement provisions concerning driving and rest periods for drivers of vehicles engaged in freight transport. This relaxation is granted under Article 14(2) of Regulation (EC) No 561/2006. It applies to drivers engaged in national and international freight transport for essential goods, in particular for the distribution of food, feed, fuel, transport of raw materials, medicines and medical equipment, distribution of equipment to hospitals and other public institutions.
Start date: 18.03.2020
End date: 16.04.2020
Source: European Commission website at https://ec.europa.eu/transport/coronavirus-response_en & https://ec.europa.eu/transport/sites/transport/files/temporary-relaxation-drivers-covid.pdf.
General information for travellers
For travellers arriving from certain countries there is a compulsory 14-day quarantine or self-isolation (list available here; Italian citizens included).
The following persons are excluded from the implementation of this measure:
– Health professionals, researchers and health workers, experts in the care of the elderly and persons in urgent need of medical treatment are excluded from this measure;
– cross-border workers;
– carriers and other transport staff, where necessary;
– diplomats, police officers in the course of their duties, civil defence services and teams, staff of international organisations and international military personnel in the course of their duties;
– Passengers in transit.
The exempted persons mentioned above are subject to the instructions and measures of the CIPH.
End date: not available
Further information: http://www.mvep.hr/en/info-servis/press-releases/coronavirus-control-str. See also https://www.koronavirus.hr/.
Source: Croatian Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure
UPDATE: 17.03.2020
Quarantine requirement or ban for entry for drivers coming to Croatia from IT, DE, FR, CH, ES, AT, UK, NL, SE. Clarification: Croatian hauliers with Croatian drivers are allowed to arrange the required quarantine in a way so that the driver still works but does not leave his truck.
Despite the clarification of requirements for the transport of goods, there is serious shortage of drivers accumulated over the recent days.
UPDATE: 16.03.2020
COVID-19 quarantine requirement or ban for entry for drivers coming to Croatia from IT, DE, FR, CH, ES, AT, UK, NL, SE. Clarification: Croatian hauliers with Croatian drivers are allowed to arrange the required quarantine in a way so that the driver still works but does not leave his truck.
UPDATE: 25.05.2020
Following the end of the state of emergency on 17 May, weekend and holiday driving bans were fully reintroduced in the Czech Republic from 18 May – from 18 May onwards – for lorries and road trains with a maximum authorised weight of over 7.5 t and for lorries and special vehicles with trailers if the maximum authorised weight of the motor vehicle exceeds 3.5 t.
Source: CESMAD
UPDATE: 13.05.2020
On 11 May at 00:00 hours new rules came into force at the Czech borders. All foreigners are forbidden to enter the country; foreigners with a permanent residence permit, foreigners with a temporary residence permit of more than 90 days and persons working in international transport are exempt from these rules.
The following categories fall under the definition of “persons working in international transport” and benefit from the exemption
– Lorry drivers (driver’s assistants are not considered to be drivers and are therefore not covered by the exemption)
– Bus drivers (especially drivers of repatriation buses)
– Vehicle crews of road transport managers
– Aircraft crews
– Drivers, train crew and wagon inspectors
– masters and crews of cargo vessels
– Drivers of vehicles with up to 9 passengers carrying one of the above-mentioned groups of persons to and from their place of work, and the unladen journeys associated with such carriage. The driver must be employed by the same undertaking as the persons he/she transports.
– Third-party drivers of vehicles with up to 9 passengers, under certain conditions
– escort of vehicles for the transport of abnormal loads (documents must be presented by the carrier or the organisation responsible for the transport)
Source: CESMAD
UPDATE: 30.04.2020
On 29th April the Czech government extended the state of emergency until 17th May 2020. The exceptions to the driving restrictions were extended accordingly.
Source: CESMAD
UPDATE: 20.04.2020
The Czech government granted relaxations in driving and rest periods.
The relaxations apply from 15 April to 31 May for all drivers engaged in national and international freight transport on Czech territory and are as follows
– Art. 6.1: Increase of the maximum daily driving time from 9 to 11 hours
– Art. 6.2: Increase of the maximum weekly driving time from 56 hours to 60 hours
– Article 6.3: Increase of the fortnightly driving time from 90 hours to 100 hours
– Article 8.1: reduction of the daily rest requirement from 11 hours to 9 hours
– Article 8.6: Postponement of a weekly rest period beyond the period of six to 24 hours
– Article 8.8: possibility for the driver to take the regular weekly rest period in the vehicle, provided that the vehicle is stationary and has suitable sleeping facilities.
Source: CESMAD
UPDATE: 30.03.2020
No overtaking on some sections of the Czech road network
For a period of 60 days from 19 March 2020, the border sections of the D1, D2, D5, D8 and D11 motorways will be affected by the following restriction:
In the direction of the border crossing points, overtaking by lorries over 3.5 tonnes is prohibited.
Vehicles used in the border sections are exempt from this ban:
(a) the carriage of perishable goods, at least half the volume of the load compartment of a vehicle or vehicle combination.
(b) The carriage of live animals.
(c) The carriage of fuel intended for service stations.
(d) The carriage of postal items.
(e) The carriage of medical and biological material, medicines and material for their preparation.
The reason for this restriction is to reduce queues at border crossings and to give priority to essential transport.
The restriction applies to the following road sections:
– Motorway D1 from km 366.300 to the right (direction state border).
– Motorway D2 from km 35,000 to the right (towards the national border).
– Motorway D5 from km 136,300 to the right (direction of parking).
– Motorway D8 from km 86,900 to the right (towards the state border) and from the state border to km 88,200 to the left (towards Prague, because of checks by the Czech Police).
Source: CESMAD-Bohemia
UPDATE: 22.03.2020
The situation is critical on the borders between the Czech Republic and Slovakia, as drivers take the 45-minute rest period in the right-hand lane and block access to the border crossing. Drivers are asked to take the rest elsewhere or move it.
Source: CESMAD Bohemia and Czech Police
UPDATE: 19.03.2020
Due to coronavirus quarantine restriction measures, no pick-ups and deliveries will be in place for the following postal codes in Czechia:
78401 (Cervenka)
78391 (Unicov)
78401
78321
78324 (all three – Litovel).
Until further notice – please do not pick-up/deliver shipments to these postal codes.
UPDATE: 18.03.2020
Due to coronavirus quarantine restriction measures, no pick-ups and deliveries will be in place for the following postal codes in Czechia:
78401 (Cervenka)
78391 (Unicov)
78401
78321
78324 (all three – Litovel).
Until further notice – please do not pick-up/deliver shipments to these postal codes.
UPDATE: 17.03.2020
Due to coronavirus quarantine restriction measures, no pick-ups and deliveries will be in place for the following postal codes in Czechia:
78401 (Cervenka)
78391 (Unicov)
78401
78321
78324 (all three – Litovel).
Until further notice – please do not pick-up/deliver shipments to these postal codes.
UPDATE: 16.03.2020
Due to coronavirus quarantine restriction measures, no pick-ups and deliveries will be in place for the following postal codes in Czechia:
78401 (Cervenka)
78391 (Unicov)
78401
78321
78324 (all three – Litovel).
Until further notice – please do not pick-up/deliver shipments to these postal codes.
UPDATE: 12.03.2020
The Czech government has decided to install border controls between DE-CZ and AT-CZ from tomorrow (13.03.2020). There is a significant risk of road freight delay – especially inbound trucks going to CZ.
UPDATE: 24.04.2020
The restrictions at the Danish border were extended until 11 May. After the Easter weekend, kindergartens and schools began to open, and a limited number of professions also resumed their activities. The current restrictions on group meetings will also be gradually relaxed: from 10 May, the current limit of 10 people will be raised to 500 by 1 September 2020.
As regards ADR certificates for drivers, Denmark has signed the multilateral agreement M324: Driver training certificates expiring between 1 March and 1 November 2020 will remain valid until 30 November 2020.
In addition, despite paragraph 6a (2), 1 of the Law on Forwarding, the exchange of drivers between undertakings with a Danish operating licence for international freight transport in accordance with paragraph 1 (1) 1 of the Law on Freight Transport is permitted. This applies until 28 April 2020.
In the case of STA licences (drivers of control trailers for special transport) that expire between 1 March and 30 April 2020, their validity is extended until 31 August 2020. This only applies to transport within the Danish borders.
Drivers engaged in international road transport who have an expired driver’s certificate are recommended by the Danish Road Administration to bring the certificate for employees engaged in international transport (Annex III to the Green Lane Guidelines). You can find more information on the Danish Road Administration’s website here.
Members should be aware that the driving and rest period facilities have expired.
Source: DI, ITD and DTL
UPDATE: 07.04.2020
On 6th April the Danish Prime Minister announced that the restrictions in force at Danish borders would be extended until 10th May inclusive; the period could be extended further depending on circumstances. The transport of goods and merchandise remains excluded.
The current restrictions on social life (e.g. bans on events with more than 10 people) will also be extended until the same date. Large gatherings are prohibited until the end of August.
Source: ITD
UPDATE: 30.03.2020
Extension of a temporary derogation from the rules on driving time and rest periods with regard to weekly rest
From 13 March 2020 to 11 April 2020, all national freight transport in Denmark is exempted from the rules on weekly rest. From 26 March 2020, the temporary exemption applies to both international and national freight transport.
You can find more information here (in English) or here (in Danish).
Sources: Færdselsstyrelsen and Dansk Industri
UPDATE: 25.03.2020
A Regulation was adopted extending the validity of a number of licences and certificates in the transport sector. The ban on changing drivers between undertakings has also been temporarily lifted. These measures were introduced to prevent a shortage of drivers.
The validity of the following categories of licences and certificates, which expire between 1 March and 30 April 2020, is extended until 31 August 2020
– types of driving licences: C1, C1/E, C, C/E, D1, D1/E, D and D/E
– Certificates for driver training issued in accordance with the Executive Decree on qualification requirements for certain drivers in road transport.
– Certificates of driver training for the carriage of dangerous goods by road issued in accordance with the Regulation on the transport of dangerous goods.
– Safety adviser certificate issued in accordance with the Executive Order on safety advisers for the transport of dangerous goods.
In addition, notwithstanding paragraph 6a (2), 1 of the Forwarding Act, the exchange of drivers between companies with an operating licence for international freight transport in accordance with paragraph 1 (1) is permitted. 1 of the Freight Traffic Act. This applies until 30 March 2020.
Original article in Danish: http://dtl.eu/presserum/nyheder/2020/marts/sundhedsministeren-saetter-lempelser-i-kraft-for-vejtransport/
Source: DTL
UPDATE: 22.03.2020
The Danish Minister of Transport has announced that the temporary derogation for drivers’ weekly rest period has been extended for a further 20 days and will therefore apply until 11 April (inclusive).
The derogation only concerns national transport.
The provisions in Article 8.6 of Reg. (EC) 561/2006 are repealed; all other provisions apply.
Source: DI Transport
UPDATE: 25.05.2020
The temporary relaxation of the driving and rest time regulations based on the EU regulation 561⁄2006, which is valid in Finland until 31 May, will not be extended any further. From 1 June 2020, normal driving and rest times will apply again.
Further information can be found here.
Source: SKAL
UPDATE: 14.05.2020
On 7 May 2020 the Finnish Government decided to continue border controls at internal borders and to restrict cross-border traffic from 14 May to 14 June 2020.
The following is allowed at the internal borders:
Return traffic to Finland
Return travel to or through other EU and Schengen states
Travel for work
Other important traffic
At the external borders, the following is allowed:
Return traffic to Finland
Return travel to or through other EU and Schengen states
Departure of a third-country national from the country
Other important traffic
Details of the new rules can be read here.
Source: SKAL
UPDATE: 11.05.2020
The Finnish Government has decided to extend border controls at internal borders and to restrict cross-border traffic until 14 June 2020.
On 4th May the Finnish government announced the lifting of the current restrictions on cross-border traffic across the Schengen internal borders as from 14th May. o The measure will enable commuting and other essential traffic due to work or commissions. Holiday and recreational travel abroad is still not recommended. The Finnish Border Guard has drafted specific guidelines for the gradual opening of border traffic.
Source: SKAL
UPDATE: 06.05.2020
The Finnish government announced the lifting of the current restrictions on cross-border traffic across the internal Schengen borders as from 14th May. The measure will allow work or commission-based commuting and other essential modes of transport. Holiday and recreational travel abroad is still not recommended.
The Finnish Ministry of the Interior will draw up specific guidelines for the gradual opening of border traffic.
Source: SKAL
UPDATE: 24.04.2020
On 23rd April the Finnish government extended the ban on large gatherings of more than 500 people until at least 31st July 2020.
It also laid down temporary relaxations in the driving and rest time rules that will apply from 26th April to 31st May and are as follows
– Maximum daily driving time of 11 hours
– Maximum weekly driving time of 60 hours
– Maximum fortnightly driving time of 120 hours
– Daily minimum rest period of 9 hours
– Minimum weekly rest period of 24 hours, every second week, without compensation
– 45 minutes rest every 5.5 hours driving time, which may be divided into 30 minutes before and 15 minutes after
– Regular weekly rest periods in the cabin are permitted as long as the vehicle is stationary and has suitable sleeping facilities.
Source: SKAL
UPDATE: 17.04.2020
On 16 April, the Finnish Government adopted new regulations which put into force special agreements on the transport of dangerous goods. The decrees come into force on 17 April.
With the special agreements (M326, M327 and RID 4/2020), the periodic inspections of pressure receptacles, UN tanks and UN MEG containers that would be phased out during the coronavirus situation remain in force, exceptionally with special arrangements in Finland and other States signatory to the agreement.
The special arrangements may be applied to road and rail transport mainly used for the transport of dangerous goods. The agreements will be available on the website of the Transport and Communications Agency – Traficom. The Agency will provide information in Finnish and Swedish.
For additional information, members can consult the following websites: UNECE and OTIF.
Source: SKAL
UPDATE: 16.04.2020
On 15 April the Finnish Government lifted the temporary restrictions on traffic to and from the Uusimaa region which had entered into force on 28 March. This will come into force immediately after the Government’s plenary session, which is scheduled for 13.00 local time.
All other measures, including those at the external borders, social distance, restaurants and schools, etc., will continue to apply.
Source: SKAL
UPDATE: 07.04.2020
On 7 April the Finnish Government decided to extend the validity of the temporary reintroduction of border controls and traffic restrictions, which will be in place until 13 May 2020. The relevant decrees will be submitted to Parliament for approval tomorrow (8 April) and are due to be adopted this week.
The controls aim to further restrict traffic at the main border crossing points for commuters with Sweden, Norway and Estonia; only work journeys that are absolutely necessary will be allowed and workers must carry a certificate from their employer stating that the work is essential.
Maritime passenger transport will be prohibited: Companies operating to Finland from Sweden, Estonia and Germany will be required to suspend the sale of tickets for ships leaving on or after 11 April 2020. The provision does not apply to the transport of goods and cargo.
As regards the Åland Islands, passenger air transport is only allowed on scheduled flights from Stockholm, Helsinki and Turku to Mariehamn. Passengers travelling from the Åland Islands to the Finnish mainland may also travel.
Persons entering Finland are obliged to stay in quarantine-like conditions for 14 days. These requirements do not apply to essential border crossings for emergency medical and rescue services or for the transport of goods.
As regards traffic between Finland and non-Schengen countries (i.e. Russia), Finnish border guards allow the entry/exit of
– Return to Finland: Finnish nationals and their family members; nationals of other EU and Schengen countries and their family members residing in Finland; third-country nationals residing in Finland with a residence permit.
– Return journey in transit to or via other EU or Schengen countries: Nationals of EU and Schengen countries and their family members; third-country nationals residing in another EU or Schengen country with a residence permit.
– Departure of third-country nationals.
– Necessary transport, that is:
(a) health and emergency services/staff, health researchers and professionals in the care of the elderly.
(b) transport staff and other transport personnel, where necessary. Businesses should be aware that, despite additional checks, the borders will remain open and operational; previous restrictions will continue to apply.
(c) Diplomats, staff of international organisations, military personnel and humanitarian workers in the performance of their duties.
(d) Necessary transit and return journeys.
(e) Passengers travelling for compelling family reasons.
(f) Persons in need of international protection or travelling for other humanitarian reasons.
(g) Other necessary and justified travel (e.g. maintenance work requiring a specific maintenance team or a person arriving from another country whose work cannot be postponed).
The restrictions imposed by Russia on the Finnish-Russian border will apply until 1 May 2020.
Source: FinMobility
UPDATE: 03.04.2020
On 2 April the Finnish government issued a decree aimed at ensuring the continuity of the transport of dangerous goods.
The current exceptional circumstances may make it impossible to carry out training courses and examinations relating to professional qualifications in the transport of dangerous goods or scheduled and preliminary inspections of tanks or vehicle inspections for the transport of dangerous goods. Therefore, the validity of licences, authorisations and certificates which expire in the near future may exceptionally be further extended in 2020.
Source: FinMobility
UPDATE: 30.03.2020
From 28 March (00:00) the Finnish Government closed the Uusimaa region (Greater Helsinki-Capital Region). In practice, a temporary internal border was thus established to separate Uusimaa from the rest of the country.
The restrictions apply to movements to and from the Uusimaa region and remain in force until 19 April 2020. The purpose of these new restrictions is to prevent coronavirus (COVID-19) infections and to slow down the spread of the epidemic from Uusimaa to other parts of Finland. In fact, one third of the Finnish population lives in this region and the vast majority of COVID-19 cases in Finland have been recorded there.
– The movement of goods and merchandise should continue as usual, but delays are expected due to movement restrictions. There are about 30 border crossings to and from Uusimaa, but green lanes for lorries have not yet been established.
– Public transport will not be closed. However, the use of services has already decreased and will continue due to traffic restrictions.
– Restrictions on the movement of people do not apply when movement is necessary:
(a) official activities;
(b) journeys for work, whether as an employee or as an entrepreneur or self-employed person, for study or in connection with a position of trust in society
(c) the performance of military service or any other legal obligation;
(d) the need for care, the risk of death or of the death of a family member, the right of access to a child or for any other similar compelling personal reason.
The police will monitor compliance with movement restrictions. At the request of the police, persons must give an account of the reason for their journey.
Further information can be found under the following links:
– Information published by the Finnish Ministry of Internal Affairs.
– Questions and Answers on the restrictions imposed by the Finnish police.
– Information published by the Finnish Ministry of Transport.
Source: FinMobility
UPDATE: 27.03.2020
On 26 March 2020, the Government issued a decree on the extension of driving times and reduction of rest periods for drivers of buses and lorries due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The derogation is to be applied to road transport from 27 March to 25 April 2020 and will allow the daily rest period for drivers to be reduced to 9 hours and the weekly rest period to 24 hours. The government also proposes to distribute the compulsory minimum rest period of 45 minutes more freely between 15 and 30 minutes within a period of four and a half hours.
The full press release can be found here.
Source: Suomen liikenne- ja viestintäministeriö
UPDATE: 25.05.2020
On 18th May the French government lifted the current driving bans to allow certain goods traffic during the Ascension and Whitsun holidays.
From 16:00 on 20 May to 24:00 on 21 May and from 22:00 on 31 May to 24:00 on 1 June, the driving bans will be lifted for the following categories:
– vehicles transporting food (for animal or human consumption), health products (for animal or human health), including all products and materials necessary for their manufacture and supply
– Vehicles transporting materials, products, equipment, appliances, fuels or liquids used for public works (construction or renovation works for the service sector, industrial or commercial buildings and collective housing)
– Vehicles transporting industrial products, including all products and materials necessary for their manufacture and provision
– Vehicles for transporting parcels in connection with postal operations
– Moving vehicles (for removals or relocations)
The empty return of these vehicles is also permitted during the period in which the ban is lifted.
Source: AFTRI
UPDATE: 15.05.2020
On 14th May the French Ministry of the Interior issued an authorisation form allowing transport companies to carry out domestic operations at a distance of more than 100 km from their place of establishment and outside their residence.
Click here to view the form.
Source: IRU
UPDATE: 04.05.2020
The French government has published a document lifting some of the driving bans on lorries over 7.5 tonnes on the following days:
– on 3, 7, 8, 9 and 10 May for vehicles delivering parcels by post;
– from 20 to 21 May (Ascension Day) and from 30 May 22.00 to 1 June at midnight (Whitsun) for vehicles carrying out removals;
– from 7 to 8 May and from 20 to 21 May for vehicles transporting food (human or animal), hygiene or medical products (or any product necessary for their development) and building materials (equipment necessary for general public works or the construction of public buildings).
Source: AFTRI
UPDATE: 27.04.2020
France has decided not to extend the lifting of the current driving bans on weekends and public holidays and the temporary relaxation of driving and rest periods on the basis of the EU regulation 561 ⁄ 2006.
This decision may be further reviewed in the light of current circumstances.
Source: AFTRI
UPDATE: 24.04.2020
On 23 April, the APRR provided updates and details on the activities of some rest areas in France open to truck drivers. Details can be found here and here.
Source: IRU
UPDATE: 16.04.2020
On 15th April the FNTR and other French transport associations published guidelines on best practices to be followed by employees of freight transport and logistics companies to ensure the continuation of activities while preventing the spread of the Covid 19 virus. The guidelines can be downloaded and consulted here.
Source: FNTR
UPDATE: 12.04.2020
On 10 April, the IRU received confirmation from the European Commission that the French authorities are allowing non-French professional drivers to enter France using the form set out in Annex 3 of the EC Communication “Green Lanes – Model Certificate for International Transport Workers“.
Source: European Commission
UPDATE: 09.04.2020
On 7th April the French Ministry of the Interior published an additional certificate with three variants (to be used depending on the type of trip) that people must use to justify their international travel. The three variants of the certificate cover the following cases and can be downloaded here
– Travel from mainland France to the French overseas territories
– Travel from abroad to metropolitan France
– Travel from abroad to French overseas territories
After detailed discussions with national associations and the competent authorities, the IRU recommends that companies issue drivers with one of the above-mentioned certificates, as well as the written document justifying a transport (“attestation de déplacement”) and the certificate for professionals (“justificatif de déplacement professionnel”). The forms can be downloaded in both French and English by clicking on the hyperlink above. Duly completed forms must be handed over to the driver before the start of the assignment; the driver must present them at the border.
Checks on the certificates began at 00.00 on 8 April.
Source: FNTR, AFTRI
UPDATE: 23.03.2020
The French government has issued a map to inform lorry drivers about the service stations that are open and offer essential services (such as sanitary facilities and take-away restaurants). This map also provides information on which vehicle service centres are open.
Source: AFTRI
UPDATE: 21.03.2020
Restrictions
From 17 March, 12:00 and for 15 days, new measures have come into force to limit activities and public gatherings to limit the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. A national ban has been declared. People are only allowed to go outside in emergencies, to buy food or to work (a written document must justify any movement). Freight transport is exempt from the movement restrictions.
Confusion has arisen as to whether a certificate justifying journeys for professional purposes (justificatif de déplacement professionnel) is also required for non-French professional drivers. These certificates are available in French and English and can be downloaded here. Pending official confirmation, the International Road Transport Union (IRU) recommends that all professional drivers carry such a certificate in order to avoid unnecessary penalties.
Only the borders of the Schengen area will be closed for the next 30 days (external borders of the European Union).
On 20 March 2020, the French government published a series of additional requirements for passenger transport by bus, coach and taxi and for road freight transport:
– Buses and coaches
o The vehicles must be disinfected once a day.
o The front door of multi-door vehicles cannot be used by passengers unless the driver is fully protected by a transparent barrier.
o The social distance rules must be displayed on the vehicle.
o Tickets are no longer sold on board.
– Taxi
o Passengers can no longer sit next to the driver.
o The driver can refuse passengers with visible symptoms of the COVID-19 virus.
– Road freight transport (conditions apply to drivers and personnel at loading and unloading points)
o The rules of social distancing must be observed.
o Where there is no access to water, disinfection gel must be provided.
o No personal contact is allowed when signing contracts.
o The goods can only be delivered to the place indicated on the transport document.
o Home delivery is only possible if the goods are delivered at the door. No physical contact with the customer is allowed.
o Time limits have been set for complaints about the delivery.
Relieves
Following serious disruption to road traffic experienced by road haulage and logistics companies following the announcement of the closure, the French Government has adopted new measures to facilitate freight transport. These include guarantees for access by freight transport and logistics workers to their place of work and to loading and unloading points, additional protection for freight transport and logistics workers and an exemption for keeping shops, restaurants and sanitary facilities open at service stations. The text of the announcement can be found here. A map with the open restaurants is available online.
In addition, an ordinance was published on 20 March 2020 that lifts the weekend traffic bans on heavy goods vehicles until 20 April 2020. Further details can be found here.
Sources: French government, FNTR and AFTRI
UPDATE: 20.03.2020
Due to coronavirus quarantine restriction measures, no pick-ups and deliveries will be in place for the following postal codes in LYS Locality Register Area:
01xxx
04140
04340
04400
04530
04850
05xxx
07xxx
26xxx
38xxx
42xxx
69xxx
71000-71049
71118
71260
7157
71680
71850-71870
71960
73xxx
74xxx.
Until further notice – please do not pick-up/deliver shipments to these postal codes.
UPDATE: 14.05.2020
On 13th May the German Interior Minister announced the following measures that will come into effect from 16th May:
– All border crossings on the borders with Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg and Denmark will be operational again.
– The controls at the borders to Austria, Switzerland, France and Denmark will be reduced to spot checks.
– The controls at the border with Luxembourg will be completely abandoned.
Businesses should be aware that controls at the border with Denmark will be abandoned as soon as possible, although the date for this has yet to be agreed. Controls at the borders with Austria, Switzerland and France are to be discontinued on 16 June, subject to the further development of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Source: BGL
UPDATE: 06.05.2020
The German Interior Ministry extended controls on the borders with Denmark, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland and Austria until 15th May.
Following requests for clarification regarding the suspension of weekend and holiday driving bans in Germany, the BGL confirmed that the expiry dates should be read as “up to and including”, so the date mentioned on the document is the last day on which operators can use the suspension.
Source: BGL
UPDATE: 27.04.2020
The following federal states have announced the extension of exemptions from the ban on driving on Sundays and public holidays for vehicles with a gross vehicle weight over 7.5 t
– Schleswig-Holstein: extended until 30.06.2020
– Brandenburg: extended until 30.09.2020.
The overview of the situation in the different regions is maintained by the German control authority BAG and can be viewed here.
Source: BGL
UPDATE: 27.04.2020
All German federal states have introduced laws that make the use of face masks mandatory to prevent further spread of the COVID 19 virus.
However, due to the federal structure of Germany, there is no uniform nationwide regulation that defines the exact circumstances under which a mask must be worn.
To ensure that the legal requirements are definitely met, the BGL therefore recommends that a face mask be worn when leaving the vehicle cabin.
Source: BGL
UPDATE: 25.04.2020
The German Land of Bavaria extended the general exception to the ban on driving on Sundays and public holidays until 1st June 2020.
The Federal Control Office BAG gave an overview of the situation in the different regions. Please see here.
Source: BGL
UPDATE: 23.04.2020
With its decree of 21 April 2020, the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate extended the general exemption from the Sunday and holiday driving ban for trucks until 10.00 a.m. on 30 August 2020.
The federal state of Baden-Württemberg has also extended the exceptions to the Sunday and public holiday driving ban until 30 June 2020. The State of Bremen did so until 1 June 2020.
The overview of the country-specific regulations was updated accordingly on the BAG’s homepage.
Source: DSLV
UPDATE: 17.04.2020
The German federal administration has temporarily relaxed driving and rest times (EU regulation 561⁄2006) and extended them until 17 May. The measure applies to the road transport of goods for daily use, including food, medical equipment and fuel. The measures were repealed as follows:
– The possibility of extending driving time to 10 hours five times a week;
– The possibility of taking two consecutive reduced weekly rest periods within a period of four weeks.
These measures apply to professional and private transport companies. For further information, please click here.
Source: BGL
UPDATE: 16.04.2020
On 16 April the German region of Hamburg decided to extend the application of the exemptions from the ban on Sunday and public holiday traffic for heavy goods vehicles. The derogations apply until 24 June.
The most up-to-date list of the derogations currently in force in Germany can be found here.
Source: BGL
The Interior Minister decided on 15th April to extend border controls on internal borders with Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Denmark, Italy and Spain by a further 20 days until 4th May.
Further details can be found here.
Source: DSLV
UPDATE: 09.04.2020
On 8 April the German Federal Ministry of Health issued a decree prohibiting travellers from entering Germany without good reason. The following content replaces the regulations issued by the same ministry on 2 April.
Persons entering Germany must go directly to their flat or suitable accommodation and isolate themselves for a period of 14 days after entry. They are also obliged to contact their competent health authority immediately and inform it of their entry. They must provide the local health authority with the following information: identity and date of birth, itinerary, contact details, address of residence.
Exceptions to this rule can be applied by state regulations and only apply to persons who do not show symptoms of COVID-19 infection.
Bus companies and tour operators providing international transport to Germany must comply with the following regulations within the framework of their operational and technical possibilities:
– Provide travellers with an accessible version of information on the risks of COVID-19 infection and the possibilities for prevention and control.
– keep the data available for up to 30 days after arrival in Germany This applies in particular to electronically stored data that enables passengers to be identified and located, as well as to passenger lists and seating plans.
There are no restrictions on the cross-border movement of goods, regardless of the nationality of the drivers.
Source: DSLV
UPDATE: 31.03.2020
The Free State of Bavaria has extended the facilitation of the driving ban on Sundays and public holidays for all trucks until 19 April 2020.
The State of Hesse has extended the facilitation of the driving ban on Sundays and public holidays to all trucks. The relief applies in Hesse until 30 June 2020.
A constantly updated overview of the state regulations can be found here.
Source: BAG, DSLV
UPDATE: 24.03.2020
Exemptions from Sunday / holiday driving bans have been updated. The most up to date list can be found here (changes highlighted in italics and in colour).
Source: IRU
UPDATE: 23.03.2020
Due to coronavirus quarantine restriction measures, no pick-ups and deliveries will be in place for the following postal codes in Germany:
Neustadt am Rennsteig (98701)
06928 (Schweinitz)
06917 (Schweinitz)
06917 (Jessen).
Until further notice – please do not pick-up/deliver shipments to these postal codes.
UPDATE: 20.03.2020
Restrictions
Since 16 March, 08:00, Germany has reintroduced temporary border controls at the borders with Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg and Denmark.
The following groups of persons may continue to enter German territory via the borders with Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg and Denmark:
– persons with German citizenship.
– Persons with a German residence permit.
– Persons with residence in Germany.
– Commuters, regardless of their nationality – proof of commuter status should be carried along (presentation of a commuter certificate here). Seasonal workers, EU parliamentarians and accredited diplomats may also enter.
– Persons who have urgent reasons for entry – a proof of urgent reasons should be carried along. The Federal Police make individual decisions at their own discretion.
In addition to those mentioned above and most important for our profession:
The cross-border movement of goods remains guaranteed. The BGL is not aware of any cases in which cross-border transports of goods have been refused entry into Germany via the above-mentioned borders.
The following groups of persons are denied entry into German territory via the borders to Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg and Denmark
– Persons who do not belong to any of the above-mentioned groups will be refused entry to Germany.
– Persons showing symptoms of illness – in these cases the competent health authority will be consulted immediately.
Further information can be found here and here.
Situation in service areas and rest stops on German motorways:
– Since 17.03.2020, the use of SANIFAIR sanitary facilities has been free of charge in service areas belonging to the TANK & RAST Group, with the aim of ensuring that motorists have access to the important hand hygiene. Free access to the SANIFAIR sanitary facilities is granted via the “Children’s Entrance” and is expressly signposted. The TANK & RAST Group operates 330 of the rest areas on German motorways and drivers should look out for the TANK & RAST symbol.
– TANK & RAST has also announced that they will not only open the petrol stations but also the associated shops (bakery products, snacks, retail) at all the rest stops they operate.
– The BGL is in contact with all other providers of motorway service stations to ensure the ongoing supply of and access to sanitary facilities with appropriate opening hours for all German motorway service stations. This issue is also being discussed at the highest political level with the Ministry of Transport.
Relieves
The German government has called on the federal states to suspend weekend bans on truck traffic in order to defuse the situation during the crisis. The BGL has provided an overview of the situation in the various regions here.
In addition, a temporary relaxation of driving and rest times was decided at federal level on the basis of Article 14.2 of the EU Regulation 561 ⁄ 2006. The measure applies to road haulage of goods for daily use, including food, medical equipment and fuel, and is valid up to and including 17 April. The following measures have been repealed:
– Possibility of extending driving time to 10 hours five times a week.
– the possibility of taking two consecutive reduced weekly rest periods within four weeks
The measure applies to professional and private transport. Further information can be found here.
Source: IRU.org
UPDATE: 27.04.2020
Foreign truck drivers transporting cargo on the territory of Georgia are subject to the following conditions:
o Upon completion of the procedures at the customs control, the driver must immediately (non-stop) proceed to the place of destination. Stopovers are allowed only at specially designated areas, the so-called STOP POINTS. At certain STOP POINTS, drivers can take out the mandatory liability insurance (https://www.tpl.ge/en/salespoints). Other STOP POINTS are located in the car parks near the customs controls (see below for details);
o At a STOP POINT the driver has the right to park his vehicle, refuel, purchase a road user card, use the sanitary facilities and buy articles/food for personal use;
o In case of problems (vehicle malfunction, illness, etc.) the driver should contact the relevant services and stay in the truck cab until help arrives. In such situations, drivers should call 112 – the Emergency and Operations Center of the Ministry of Interior of Georgia;
o The truck must leave the Georgian territory:
– In case of transit (except for the trip from or to the Kazbegi customs checkpoint and exit by ferry) – within 24 hours after entering the country;
– In case of driving (except for exit by ferry) from or to Kazbegi customs checkpoint – within 48 hours after entering the country.
– In case of exit by ferry during transit through the country – within 7 (seven) calendar days after entering the country;
– In other cases – within 48 hours of entering the country. However, in cases when a truck is loaded with goods destined for export from Georgia after import and unloading of goods in Georgia, or in case of entry and/or exit of trucks from Georgia by ferry – within 7 (seven) calendar days after entering the country.
o It is strongly recommended to make only cashless payments (online payments, credit/debit cards, etc.) and to use personal protective equipment (medical masks, gloves, etc.).
o The following locations are designated as STOP POINTS for certain areas:
– Urbnisi – Karelian Region, Urbnisi village, cadastral code: 68.16.45.054;
– Terjola – Terjola region, village of Siktarva, cadastral code: 33.08.38.224;
– Gori – Gori region, village of Tiniskhidi, cadastral code: 66.44.02.033;
– Zestaponi – Zestaponi Regiona, village Argveta, cadastral code: 32.03.34.211.
Note:
o Periods necessary for customs formalities and stay in parking lots (separate, semitrailers or trailers) located near the Georgian state customs border, customs office are not counted.
o For violation of the above rules (except for non-compliance with the recommendations or if weather conditions or other external factors make it difficult and/or impossible to fulfill the established conditions), the driver of the vehicle is fined 3,000 GEL. However, if the infringement concerns the time limit of the transport operation, the vehicle must leave the territory of Georgia immediately, otherwise the driver will be placed under a 14-day quarantine and the vehicle will be confiscated.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia
UPDATE: 06.04.2020
Cargo vehicles registered in a foreign country shall move through the territory of Georgia under the following conditions:
– Upon completion of the procedures at the customs control, the means of transport will travel without interruption to a final destination. Stopping is allowed only in specially designated areas – STOP POINTs, at the places for taking out the obligatory liability insurance (https://www.tpl.ge/en/salespoints) and in the parking lots near the customs control;
– Specially designated STOP POINT areas are used for trucks for refuelling, payment of road tax, compulsory third party insurance for the owner of a vehicle registered abroad. Availability to purchase personal needs, food, WC, etc.
– In case of emergency or special needs (car accident, health problems, etc.) the driver should contact the relevant services and stay in the cabin before the representatives of these services reach the driver. To do this, the driver must call the emergency and operations centre on 112;
– The truck should leave the territory of Georgia:
a) In case of transit movement (except for the movement from/to the customs checkpoint “Kasbegi” ) the means of transport should leave the territory of Georgia within 24 hours after entering the country;
(b) in the other case (including import movement and transit case of entry and exit via the customs checkpoint “Kasbegi” within 48 hours. Periods necessary for completion of customs formalities and stopping at parking places near the Georgian state customs border crossing shall not be counted.
– It is strongly recommended to make only cashless payment (online purchase, plastic card, etc.) and to use personal protective equipment (medical mask, gloves, etc.).
Note:
Violation of the rules (vehicle without exit permit, stopping in prohibited areas, violation of the conditions of movement, etc.), except when weather conditions or other external factors make it difficult and/or impossible to comply with the rules, the driver will be penalized with 3000 GEL for violation of the state emergency regime in accordance with the Presidential Decree №1 21 March 2020, article 8, and placed in a 14-day quarantine, the means of transport will be brought to the confiscated lot.
The STOP POINT areas are located at:
– Urbnis- Kareli districts, cadastral code: 68.16.45.054;
– Terjola-Trejola district, Siktarva village, cadastral number: 33.08.38.224;
– Gori – Gori district, Tiniskhidi village, cadastral number: 66.44.02.033;
– Zestaponi district – Zestapoini, Argveta village, cadastral number: 32.03.34.211.
Source: GIRCA and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia
UPDATE: 21.04.2020
The validity of the self-isolation measure in Greece, as described below, has been extended until 15 May 2020
On 2 April, the Greek government published a new ministerial decree on the quarantine routine that persons entering Greece from abroad must follow. Art. 2 of the Decree contains the following specific provisions for truck drivers:
Workers of all nationalities engaged in international transport (land, air or sea) must, on entering Greece, either cross the country without delay or reach their final destination within the country. After reaching their final destination in Greece, drivers must undergo a temporary isolation period of 14 days.
Exceptions to this rule apply in the following cases:
– When there is a need to start a new international transport (e.g. bilateral transport). In this case, the compulsory quarantine can be lifted at any time, even on the day following its start;
– if there is a need to carry out a national transport (within Greek territory). In this case, the driver must spend at least 7 days in isolation, starting from the day of his entry into the country. Cabotage is not possible because of the obligatory week he has to spend in isolation.
The measure now applies from 2 April to 15 May, with a fine of EUR 5 000 for infringements.
Source: OFAE
UPDATE: 17.04.2020
The rules on driving and rest periods have been temporarily relaxed in Greece. This relaxation is granted under Article 14(1) of Regulation (EC) No 561/2006.
This temporary relaxation will apply from 18 April and will remain in force until 31 May. It shall apply to all drivers, irrespective of their nationality, when they operate on the territory of Greece.
– Derogation to Article 6(1) of Regulation (EC) No 561/2006: replacement of the maximum daily driving time of 9 hours by 11 hours;
– Derogation from Article 6(2) of Regulation 561/2006: replacement of the maximum weekly driving time of 56 hours by 58 hours;
– Derogation to Article 6(3) of Regulation 561/2006: replacement of the maximum driving time of two weeks of 90 hours by 96 hours;
– Derogation to Article 7 of Regulation 561/2006: replacement of the minimum requirements for daily breaks by a break of 45 minutes after 5.5 hours;
– Derogation to Article 8(1) of Regulation 561/2006: reduction of the daily rest period from 11 to 9 hours;
– Derogation to Article 8(6) of Regulation 561/2006: postponement of a weekly rest period from six to seven 24-hour periods or reduction of the regular weekly rest period from 45 hours to 24 hours;
– Derogation from Article 8(8) of Regulation 561/2006: possibility for the driver to take the regular weekly rest period in the vehicle as long as there are suitable sleeping facilities for each driver and the vehicle is stationary.
The same derogations apply to international transport operations in Greece carried out in accordance with the provisions of the AETR (1970)
Source: OFAE
UPDATE: 05.04.2020
On 2nd April the Greek government published a new ministerial decree on the quarantine routine to be followed by people entering Greece from abroad. Art. 2 of the decree contains special provisions for truck drivers, which reads as follows
Workers of all nationalities engaged in international transport (land, air, sea) must, on entering Greece, either cross the country immediately or reach their final destination within the country. After reaching their final destination in Greece, drivers must begin a temporary isolation period of 14 days.
Exceptions to this rule apply in the following cases:
– When there is a need to start a new international transport (e.g. bilateral transport). In this case, the compulsory quarantine can be lifted at any time, even on the day after its start.
– When a national transport (within the Greek territory) is necessary. In this case, the driver must spend at least 7 days in isolation, starting from the day he enters the country. Cabotage is not possible because of the compulsory week he has to spend in isolation.
The measure applies from 2 April to 20 April.
A fine of EUR 5 000 is imposed for infringement.
Source: OFAE
UPDATE: 01.04.2020
On 31 March the Greek Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport decided to suspend the traffic bans on heavy goods vehicles from 16 April to 21 April and from 30 April to 3 May.
Source: OFAE
UPDATE: 25.03.2020
Drivers must present a certificate form issued by their employer as well as a passport/ID card and the CMR to prove the transport activity during the stay on Greek territory.
At the Evzoni customs office (BCP Greece-North Macedonia) the driving restrictions for trucks are enforced daily from 22.00 to 06.00 hours. Trucks carrying ethyl alcohol, perishable goods and medical goods are exempted from this provision.
Source: OFAE
UPDATE: 23.03.2020
Restrictions
On 22nd March 2020 the Greek Prime Minister announced that Greece would impose a national ban from 23rd March 2020, 06:00 am.
movement of persons:
– The freedom of movement of Greek citizens is severely restricted on Greek territory. Special written authorisation is required under certain circumstances. For persons travelling to/from their place of work, an attestation form from their employer is required (attached in Greek only).
– Foreign citizens are not allowed to enter Greece.
– Greek citizens returning to Greece from abroad must be self-employed for 14 days in the country.
– Most international flights from/to Greek airports have been temporarily cancelled.
Freight transport:
– Freight transport is exempt from all restrictive measures.
– All borders are open for international transport.
– Truck drivers are exempt from self-isolation.
– In some cases, port authorities may require a locating form when entering Greece. Truck drivers receive the form and are asked to complete and sign it. The form requires personal and family contact details (attached in English).
– It is currently unclear whether foreign hauliers/drivers require a certificate form from their employer (as in point 1 of the Passenger Transportation above). The OFAE has asked the Greek authorities for further clarification on this point.
Relieves
Temporary relaxation of EU Regulation No. 561/2006 or AETR
Valid from 19.03.2020 to 18.04.20 (inclusive):
– Art. 6(1): replacement of the maximum daily driving time of 9 hours by one of 11 hours.
– Article 6(1): Replacement of the maximum daily driving time of 9 hours by one of 11 hours. 6(2): Replacement of the maximum weekly driving time of 56 hours by one of 60 hours.
– Article 6(2): replacement of the maximum weekly driving time of 56 hours by 60 hours. 7: Replacement of the minimum daily break requirement by the introduction of a break of 45 minutes after 5.5 hours.
– Article 6(2): replacement of the maximum weekly driving time limit of 56 hours by one of 60 hours. 8(1): Reduction of the daily rest period from 11 to 9 hours.
– Article 8(1) 8(6): postponement of a weekly rest period beyond six 24-hour periods.
Source: OFAE
UPDATE: 23.04.2020
According to the European Commission, Hungary granted relaxations in driving and rest periods. The relaxations will apply until 31 May to all drivers engaged in national and international freight transport within Hungary. There was a deviation from the provisions of EU Regulation 561/2006:
– Art. 6(1): Replacement of the maximum daily driving time of 9 hours by one of 11 hours;
– Art. 6(2): Replacement of the maximum weekly driving time of 56 hours by one of 60 hours; Art. 6(2): Replacement of the maximum weekly driving time of 56 hours by one of 60 hours
– Art. 6(2) 6(3): replacement of the maximum driving time of 90 hours per week by 105 hours; Art. 6(3): replacement of the maximum driving time of 90 hours per week by 105 hours;
– Art. 7: replacement of the minimum daily break requirement by introducing a break of 45 minutes after 5.5 hours; Art. 7: replacement of the minimum daily break requirement by a break of 45 minutes after 5.5 hours;
– Art. 6(3) 8(2): reduction of the daily rest period from 11 to 9 hours; Art. 8(2): reduction of the daily rest period from 11 to 9 hours;
– Art. 8(2) 8(6): reduction of the regular weekly rest period from 45 hours to 24 hours, the reduction to be compensated by an equivalent rest period en bloc before the end of the third week following the week in question OR
– Art. 8(6): postponement of a weekly rest period from six to seven 24-hour periods.
Source: MKFE
UPDATE: 04.04.2020
With effect from midnight on 17th March Hungary closed its internal and external borders. Hungarian citizens and close relatives travelling with them (including those not resident in Hungary) will continue to be allowed to enter the country.
In accordance with Government Decree No. 81/2020, Article 3 (7), provisions of Articles 2 and 3 of this Government Decree, these restrictions do not apply to the transport of goods.
Goods transport with Hungarian destinations, as well as those in transit, may cross the state border and continue the journey without restrictions, but only via the designated border points (transit routes are marked in blue): here.
– Stops are only permitted at designated rest areas and petrol stations;
– Transport companies must be provided with police stamps;
– Only the driver is allowed in the cabin; no passengers (no double occupancy);
– Drivers should cross the area as quickly and efficiently as possible without violating traffic rules – there are police procedures at the exit points.
Official government website here.
Source: MKFE
UPDATE: 30.03.2020
MKFE provides all information on the coronavirus (COVID-19) relevant for foreign shippers on an up-to-date website in English. The following information was added to this website:
As of 28 March 2020, the official quarantine (for a period of fourteen days after crossing the border) for Hungarian truck drivers who do not show symptoms of COVID-19 is no longer applicable if the destination is Hungary. The other provisions of the Chief Medical Officer’s decision adopted on 27 March remain unchanged.
This provision should help to reduce the bottlenecks observed on Friday at border crossing points.
Source: MKFE
UPDATE: 28.03.2020
The National Chief Physician has issued a new resolution (already in force) and the following rules will come into force:
Article 6: Road haulage drivers must undergo a medical examination; and
(a) Those who do not show symptoms of COVID-19
(aa) As a Hungarian citizen, if the destination is Hungary, the person must undergo official quarantine for a fortnight after crossing the border
(ab) As a foreigner, if the destination is Hungary, the person must leave the country within 24 hours of unloading the consignment.
(ac) In the case of transit traffic, the person must leave Hungarian territory in the shortest possible time and on the intended transit route.
(ad) Must wear a face mask and rubber gloves when travelling in Hungary.
(b) Persons showing symptoms of COVID-19:
(ba) Hungarian citizens will be placed in a designated quarantine facility.
(bb) Non-Hungarian citizens shall not be allowed to enter Hungarian territory.
Only Article 6.a) (ab), (ac), (ad) and Article 6.b) (bb) apply to drivers engaged in international road transport who are not Hungarian nationals.
Source: MKFE
UPDATE: 25.05.202
Until 2 June, foreign drivers working in Italy must still certify that they are employed and currently working as drivers. The Ministry of Transport stated that foreign drivers working in Italy must carry a self-declaration (in Italian) confirming that they have understood the provisions of the emergency situation, know their full name and the reason for their stay in the country.
Source: Confetra
UPDATE: 08.05.2020
Domestic Sunday driving bans for lorries over 7.5 tonnes will be lifted on the following days: 10 May and 17 May.
The Sunday and holiday driving bans for vehicles carrying out international transport in Italy will also be lifted until further notice.
Source: CONFETRA
UPDATE: 06.05.2020
On 5 May the Italian Ministry of Transport updated the self-certification form required for the entry and activity of workers in international road transport. The form can be downloaded here.
Source: CONFETRA
UPDATE: 04.05.2020
On 26th April the Italian Prime Minister announced the implementation of phase 2 which will start on 4th May. The rules were set out in the DPCM of 26 April 2020, whereupon the general self-declaration currently required for travel was updated accordingly and can be downloaded here; the same conditions apply. The self-declaration for road transport workers remains unchanged.
Source: Italian government
UPDATE: 01.05.2020
On 29th April the Italian Ministry of Health updated the list of contact points for foreign drivers entering Italy. The most recent list can be consulted here.
Source: IRU
UPDATE: 22.04.2020
On 26 April, the Italian Prime Minister announced, by DPCM of 26 April 2020, the “Phase 2” rules which will apply from 4 to 17 May. Many of the current rules will be maintained.
With regard to road transport and logistics, the following information is relevant:
– Art. 2.7: Companies whose activities have to be suspended due to changes in the ATECO codes listed in Appendix 3 must have completed delivery of the goods in stock by 30 April.
– Art. 2.9: Companies whose activities may be resumed following changes to the ATECO codes listed in Appendix 3 may make preparations to resume operations from 27 April onwards.
– Article 2.9 3.2: The obligation for passengers to wear a mouthguard in indoor public places and on public transport does not apply to children under 6 years of age or to people with disabilities who are incompatible with the wearing of a mouthguard.
– Art. 4.2: Before boarding, Carriers must check the body temperature and the transport documents of passengers. In case of fever or incomplete documents, boarding will be refused. The transport companies must guarantee a minimum distance of 1 m between passengers. Carriers must provide passengers with appropriate personal protective equipment (masks, gloves) if they do not have them.
– Art. 5: Rules and procedures for persons entering or travelling through Italy for the purpose of work – the rules in force continue to apply.
– Annex 6, point 3 of the Protocol on Covid-19 containment: Guidelines for access of third party suppliers to the premises of companies:
– Companies must establish entry, transit and exit procedures for their suppliers. These procedures must take into account travel routes and schedules, with the aim of reducing contact between suppliers and company personnel.
– Where possible, drivers must remain on board the vehicle. The drivers do not have access to the company offices. The minimum distance of 1 m must be maintained during loading and unloading activities.
– The company must designate or install toilet facilities for third party drivers/suppliers that are separate from the toilet facilities of its employees. Daily cleaning must be guaranteed.
– In cases where the company carries out transport on its own account, the safety of the workers must be guaranteed at all times.
– Annex 8: Protocol on road transport and logistics (adopted on 20 March).
– Annex 9: Protocol on public transport (adopted on 14 March).
Source: Italian Government
UPDATE: 22.04.2020
On 21 April, ANAS and ASPI have confirmed that prorogations mentioned in Art. 130 c.2 of Decree 18/2020 are applicable to certification for exceptional load transport operations. Therefore, authorisations which expire between 31 January and 15 April can be extended up to 15 June.
Source: CONFETRA
UPDATE: 16.04.2020
On 15 April, the Italian Minister for Transport and Infrastructure signed a decree lifting the domestic traffic bans on lorries weighing more than 7.5 tonnes on the following days: 19 April, 25 April, 26 April, 1 May and 3 May.
MEPs are reminded that the holiday traffic bans on vehicles carrying out international transport in Italy have been lifted until further notice.
Source: CONFETRA
UPDATE: 12.04.2020
On 11 April, the decree extending the restrictions until 3 May was published in the Official Journal. The text can be consulted here.
The Italian authorities have also updated the list of contact points for drivers entering Italy.
Source: FIAP
UPDATE: 10.04.2020
On 7 April, the Ministry of the Interior issued further instructions to the staff of non-Italian companies carrying out international freight transport to or through Italy. The instructions concern the application of Decree 145/2020.
Persons (including the travelling staff of foreign companies) who enter Italy in their own vehicle or in a private transport vehicle in order to work there must comply with the following provisions:
– Transit on Italian territory may not exceed 72 hours. This period may be extended by a further 48 hours in case of specific and justified needs.
– When entering Italy, drivers must register their entry with the Prevention Department (“Dipartimento di Prenvenzione”) of the local Health Authority (ASL) and submit the duly completed self-declaration, which can be downloaded here.
– Drivers passing through Italy must also meet the declaration requirements. The authorised stay in the country may not exceed 24 hours, which may be extended by a further 12 hours in case of specific and justified needs.
A department of the Ministry is currently identifying the contact points for each border crossing point. The list will be updated as changes become available and can be consulted here.
The IRU and local member associations advise drivers to inform local health authorities as soon as possible and to carry the original self-declaration on board.
Source: FIAP
UPDATE: 07.04.2020
On 7th April the Italian Minister for Transport and Infrastructure signed a decree that lifted the domestic traffic bans on lorries weighing more than 7.5 tonnes from 10th to 14th April. The holiday traffic bans on vehicles carrying out international transport in Italy have been lifted until further notice.
Source: Italian Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure
UPDATE: 02.04.2020
On 1st April the Prime Minister announced a new decree extending the period of the measures currently in force. These measures remain applicable until 13th April 2020.
Source: Italian Government
UPDATE: 01.04.2020
On 31st March the Italian Ministry of Transport extended the temporary authorisation to use authorisations for the use of rolling road, normally used by non-EU companies to enter Italy by rail; these authorisations are temporarily valid for entry into Italy by road. The extension is valid until further notice.
Source: CONFETRA
UPDATE: 30.03.2020
The Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has signed a decree extending the suspension of the current ban on the movement of lorries with a total mass of more than 7.5 tonnes on extra-urban roads for the next two Sundays, 29 March and 5 April 2020. Note that for vehicles used in international traffic, the suspension of the traffic restrictions will be maintained until further notice. The text of the decree is available here.
Source: Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport
UPDATE: 23.03.2020
Yesterday evening the Prime Minister’s Decree of 22 March 2020 on “further implementing provisions of the Decree – 23 February 2020, No. 6, containing urgent measures to contain and manage the epidemiological emergency of COVID-19” was published. This decree is valid for the entire national territory, but also for regions with special status and for the autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano.
Special attention is drawn to the following points:
– Art. 1.1b: Persons cannot reach by public or private transport a municipality other than the one in which they are located, except for reasons of work or health or in cases of extreme urgency.
– Art. 1.4: Non-significant enterprises have until 25 March to prepare for the suspension; this includes the dispatch of goods in stock.
This decree comes into force on 23 March 2020 and is valid until 3 April 2020. In addition, the Prime Minister’s decree of 11 March 2020 and the decree of the Minister of Health of 20 March 2020, both of which come into force on 25 March 2020, are extended until 3 April 2020.
All non-essential industrial and commercial production activities will be suspended, with the exception of those listed in Annex 1 of the text. The general rules of the decree (pdf file here – IT – official translation not available) in Annex 1 specify the production activities and services that can continue with their activity (ATECO codes – https://www.istat.it/it/archivio/17888).
It is recommended that road haulage and logistics companies check with their clients/clients established in Italy whether their activity is one of those listed in Appendix 1 and whether they can therefore continue their activity.
Some of the activities listed in Annex 1:
– Production of wood packaging material
– Waste collection, treatment and disposal; recovery of materials
– Maintenance and repair of vehicles
– Trade with vehicle parts and accessories
– Wholesale of transport equipment
– Wholesale of petroleum products, lubricants and heating oil
– Land transport and pipeline transport
– Sea and waterway transport
– Air traffic
– Support activities for storage and transport
– Postal and courier services
– Packaging (for own account and for third parties)
Source: FIAP
UPDATE: 20.03.2020
The Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has signed a decree suspending the current ban on the use of lorries with a total mass of more than 7.5 tonnes on extra-urban roads on the two days of 15 and 22 March 2020. Note that for vehicles carrying out international transport, the suspension of traffic restrictions will be maintained until further notice.
The Italian government has also published Decree 18 of 17.3.2020 (the so-called “Cura Italia”) to address this crisis. It allows the extension of the validity of a series of permits and certificates for road transport and the extension of the payment of customs duties.
Some of the elements mentioned are:
– Art. 92.3: The deadline for the payment of customs duties due between 17.3. and 30.4. can be extended until 30.5. without additional interest costs.
– Art. 92.4: Vehicles to be checked before 31/7/2020 can now remain in circulation until 31/10/2020.
– Art. 103.1: Certificates, attestations and permits which expire between 31/1/2020 and 15/4/2020 are now valid until 15/6/2020.
– Art. 104.1: Certificates, certificates and permits expiring after 17/3/2020 are now valid until 31/8/2020.
Source: Italian government
UPDATE: 19.03.2020
Due to coronavirus quarantine restriction measures, no pick-ups and deliveries will be in place for the following postal codes in Italy:
64030 Montefino
64031 Arsita
64033 Bisenti
64034 Castiglione Messer Raimondo
64035 Castilenti
65010 Elice
part of the area of postal code 40059 – namely, localities Medicina and Ganzanigo.
Until further notice – please do not pick-up/deliver shipments to these postal codes.
UPDATE: 16.03.2020
Re-routing of VRN-IST via ferry is considered: delays are expected.
UPDATE: 20.04.2020
On 27 March, the Latvian Government notified a series of relaxations of driving times and rest periods, which will apply until 25 April and are as follows
– Art. 6.1: Increase of the maximum daily driving time from 9 to 11 hours
– Art. 6.2: Increase of the maximum weekly driving time from 56 hours to 60 hours
– Article 6.3: Increase of the maximum fortnightly driving time from 90 hours to 96 hours
– Art. 7: A driver shall take an uninterrupted break of at least forty-five minutes if he does not take a break after five and a half hours of driving.
– Art. 8: A regular weekly rest period of 45 hours may be reduced to 24 hours without compensation being required.
Source: ITF
UPDATE: 22.03.2020
From 18 March 2020, persons entering Latvia must fill in the following application forms and submit them to the State Border Service
Form for Latvian citizens and persons with permanent residence in Latvia (holders of a permanent/permanent residence permit and a long-term D visa, if issued in the Republic of Latvia)
The form is available in Latvian, Russian and English.
Form for Lithuanian and Estonian citizens and residents (holders of a permanent/permanent residence permit and a long-stay D visa, if issued in Lithuania or Estonia) returning to Lithuania or Estonia
By signing the form “the person undertakes not to visit any premises open to the public”. Parking lots and petrol stations are not affected by these measures.
The form is available in Russian and English.
Form for all carriers (including foreigners in transit through Latvia), by which the person “undertakes not to visit places open to the public”. Parking lots and petrol stations are not affected by these measures.
The form is available in Latvian, Russian and English.
Source: Latvian Ministry of Transport
UPDATE: 12.05.2020
In order to contain the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), the Government decided to impose quarantine on the entire territory of the Republic of Lithuania. This quarantine has now been extended to 24:00 hours on 31 May. However, some additional adjustments will come into force in the coming days:
– Citizens of Estonia and Latvia will be allowed to enter Lithuania without restrictions from 15 May onwards. The requirement to comply with the 14-day compulsory self-isolation when entering from these countries will be abolished.
– From 11 May, citizens of all other European Union (EU) countries may enter Lithuania for business or study purposes, but they are subject to 14-day self-isolation, except for those coming from Poland (the 14-day self-isolation measure does not apply).
– As of 11 May, ferry traffic is allowed on the routes between Kiel / Rostock / Travemünde and Klaipėda, if passengers are not picked up at intermediate ports and minimal contact with bystanders is ensured when changing to another ferry at the intermediate port.
– In addition, from 15 May, Lithuanian citizens may return from abroad or foreigners may enter Lithuania via two other points on the border with Latvia, including Būtingė-Rucava and Smėlynė-Medumi. At present, it is possible to leave Latvia via these borders, but return is only possible via Saločiai-Grenctalė.
Source: LINAVA
UPDATE: 23.04.2020
On 22 April the Lithuanian authorities extended the national quarantine until 24.00 on 11 May.
From now on, drivers travelling to or through Lithuania must record all stops made on their international route, together with the reason for the stop and the duration, in a free-form document. This applies to both Lithuanian and foreign drivers.
Source: LINAVA
UPDATE: 09.04.2020
On 16 March the Lithuanian Government announced a nationwide quarantine (level 3 of the national plan). This quarantine has now been extended until 27 April.
The restrictions on the borders of Poland and Latvia have been reintroduced. With effect from 14 March, foreigners are prohibited from entering the country by all means of transport. Exceptions apply to persons residing in the Republic of Lithuania and persons employed by Lithuanian companies who are either engaged in international commercial transport of goods or carry out international commercial transport of goods by any means of transport.
Persons returning or arriving from abroad are obliged to isolate themselves for 14 days. Please note that this does not apply to crews or crew members working for Lithuanian companies engaged in international commercial transport or performing international commercial transport by any type of vehicle, or to foreign citizens in transit through the Republic of Lithuania with a mandatory escort (convoy) to the state of their residence, who do not show symptoms of COVID-19.
For crews or crew members who either work for Lithuanian companies engaged in international commercial transport or perform international commercial transport in any type of vehicles, isolation is obligatory from the day of arrival in the Republic of Lithuania to the day of departure from its territory, but not for more than 14 days. The National Public Health Centre under the Ministry of Health organises screening for symptoms of COVID-19 at border crossing points upon return or arrival from abroad.
Foreign transport companies with cargo vehicles passing through Lithuania are allowed. However, the crew or crew members performing international commercial transportation in vehicles of any type must pass through the territory of the Republic of Lithuania without stopping unnecessarily.
If symptoms of COVID-19 (coronavirus infection) are detected at the border of Lithuania, crew members engaged in international commercial transport in vehicles of all types transiting through the territory of Lithuania may not enter the country, unless they are citizens or legal residents of Lithuania.
The number of border crossing points accessible for entry into Lithuania has been reduced to the following
Kalvarijos-Budzisko, Kybartų-5-Grenstalės, Būtingės-Rucavos, Smėlynės-Saločių, Medininkų-Kamenyj Logo, Raigardo-Privalkos, Benekainių-Černyševskojės, Panemunės-Sovetsko, Kenos-Gudagojo, Šalčininkų-Benekainių, Mockavos-Trakiškių, Lavoriškės-Ogrodnikų, Lavoriškės-Kotlovka, Vilnius, Kaunas, Palanga, Šiauliai international airports, Vilnius railway station and Stasylai railway border crossing points, and Klaipeda seaport.
Entry of persons and/or their passenger cars into the territory of the Republic of Lithuania is permitted only through the following international border crossing points: Kalvarija-Budziskas and Saločiai-_Grenstalė. In exceptional cases, persons and/or their passenger cars may enter the Republic of Lithuania through other international border crossing points after obtaining the permission of the Head of the State Border Guard Service at the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Lithuania or a person authorised by him.
Border crossing for commercial and/or international cargo transportation is carried out additionally at the Stasylai-Benekainiai railway border crossing and Pagėgiai-Sovetsk railway border crossing, and facilitated transit of persons from the territory of the Russian Federation to Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation and back to the territory of the Russian Federation is carried out additionally at the Kena railway border crossing and Kybartai railway border crossing.
It is prohibited to transport passengers and/or their passenger cars to the Republic of Lithuania by passenger vessels (ferries), except for the ferry on the route Kiel-Klaipėda-Kiel. In exceptional cases, the decision on permission is taken by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania on the proposal of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Passenger flights to and from Lithuanian airports are also prohibited, unless permission is granted by the Lithuanian Traffic Safety Authority, subject to the approval of the Ministries of Transport and Foreign Affairs.
Source: LINAVA
UPDATE: 04.04.2020
The Lithuanian Government has announced a two-week nationwide quarantine (third level of the national plan) for 16 March at 00.00 hours. The current quarantine has been extended until 13 April.
Lithuania has reintroduced restrictions at the borders with Poland and Latvia. Since 14 March, foreigners have not been allowed to enter the country by any means of transport. Exceptions apply to persons residing in the Republic of Lithuania and to persons employed in Lithuanian companies who are either engaged in international commercial transport of goods or carry out international commercial transport of goods by any means of transport.
Persons returning or arriving from abroad must be isolated for 14 days, except for crew members of Lithuanian enterprises engaged in international commercial transport or performing international commercial transport by any means of transport, foreign citizens in transit through the Republic of Lithuania with a mandatory escort (convoy) to the state of their residence and persons who do not show symptoms of COVID-19.
For crew and crew members engaged in international commercial transport in Lithuanian enterprises or performing international commercial transport in all types of vehicles, isolation is obligatory from the day of arrival in the Republic of Lithuania until the day of departure from its territory, but not longer than 14 days. The National Health Centre under the Ministry of Health has organised screening for symptoms of COVID-19 at border crossing points upon return or arrival from abroad.
Drivers of international means of transport must mark the stops made during the journey on a freely designed document, indicating their purpose and duration.
Foreign transport companies with freight vehicles crossing Lithuania are allowed to use the service.
The number of border crossing points for entering Lithuania has been reduced to the following:
Kalvarijos-Budzisko, Smėlynės-Grenstalės, Būtingės-Rucavos, Smėlynės-Saločių, Medininkų- Kamenyj Logo, Raigardo-Privalkos, Medininkų-Černyševskojės, Panemunės-Sovetsko, Kenos- Gudagojo, Šalčininkų-Benekainių, Mockavos-Trakiškių, Benekainių-Ogrodnikų, international airports of Vilnius, Kaunas, Palanga, Šiauliai, Vilnius railway station and railway border crossings at Stasylai and Klaipeda seaport.
Entry of persons and/or their passenger cars into the territory of the Republic of Lithuania is permitted only via the following international state border crossing points: Kalvarija – Budziskas, Saločiai – Grenstalė.
Border crossing for commercial and/or international cargo transportation is additionally carried out via the railway border crossing Stasylai-Benekainiai and the railway border crossing Pagėgiai-Sovetsk. Facilitated transit of persons from the territory of the Russian Federation to Kaliningrad Oblast of the Russian Federation and back to the territory of the Russian Federation must be additionally carried out via the Kena railway border crossing and the Kybartai railway border crossing.
Starting from April 4 at 00.00 a.m. it is forbidden to transport passengers and their cars to the Republic of Lithuania by passenger ships and ferries, with the exception of the Kiel-Klaipeda-Kiel ferry line or with the permission of the Minister of Interior or his authorised representative.
From April 4 at 00.00 a.m. passenger flights to and from Lithuanian airports are also prohibited, unless approved by the Lithuanian Traffic Safety Authority, subject to the permission of the Ministries of Transport and Foreign Affairs.
Source: LINAVA
UPDATE: 20.04.2020
Restrictions on movements
The following measures apply until further notice:
– Reduction in the frequency of national regular bus services
– Suspension of international bus services, with the exception of repatriation transport
Public transport is suspended on Sundays until 4 May.
Facilitating measures
On 8 April, the government extended the validity of professional qualifications, which expired during the crisis, for another six months.
The validity of a number of ADR certificates is being extended over various periods. The complete list can be viewed here.
Source: ITF
UPDATE: 17.04.2020
On 16th April the Luxembourg mobility minister signed a new relaxation of the rules on driving times and rest periods.
The new rules apply from 18th April to 31st May inclusive and are as follows
– Art. 6.1: increase of the maximum daily driving time from 9 hours to 11 hours, at most three times a week
– Article 6.3: Increase of the fortnightly driving time from 90 hours to 96 hours
– Article 8.6: postponement of a weekly rest period from six to seven 24-hour periods with the obligation to compensate the following week
– Article 8.8: possibility for the driver to take the regular weekly rest period in the vehicle, provided that the vehicle has suitable sleeping facilities, for each driver and with the vehicle stationary.
Source: CLC
UPDATE: 22.03.2020
The Ministry of Mobility has defined new measures for bus transport in Luxembourg. The measures apply immediately and until further notice and provide for the following
The front door of multi-door vehicles can no longer be used by passengers.
The first row of passenger seats should remain unoccupied. The driver is requested to fit barrier tape or similar.
The driver no longer sells tickets (RegioZone)
The rules of social distance must be displayed on the vehicle
Source: CLC
UPDATE: 20.03.2020
Restrictions
The state of emergency was declared for 3 months, but can be lifted earlier. There are no restrictions on the transport of goods in Luxembourg, but there may be short waiting times at the borders.
Relieves
Luxembourg has agreed on a temporary and limited relaxation of the enforcement of driving and rest periods for drivers involved in the national and international delivery of goods. This relaxation is granted in accordance with Article 14(2) of Regulation (EC) No 561/2006. This temporary relaxation shall apply from 19 March 2020 until 17 April 2020.
Luxembourg has clarified that driver safety and road safety must not be compromised. Drivers should not be expected to drive tired – employers remain responsible for the health and safety of their employees and other road users.
For the above category of drivers, the following provisions are temporarily relaxed as follows
– Derogation from Article 6(2): replacement of the maximum weekly driving time of 56 hours by one of 60 hours.
– Derogation from Article 6(3): replacement of the maximum fortnightly driving time of 90 hours by one of 96 hours
– Derogation to Article 8(6): postponement of a weekly rest period beyond the period of six to 24 hours.
Source: IRU.org
UPDATE: 08.04.2020
As from 7 April 2020, the Criva-Mamaliga and Mirnoe-Tabaki border crossing points will be closed to passenger and goods traffic.
Consequently, the border crossing points will be open from 7 April:
Moldova-Romania border
Leușeni (MD) – Albița (RO)
Sculeni (MD) – Sculeni (RO)
Giurgiulești (MD) – Galați (RO)
Moldova-Ukraine border
Otaci (MD) – Moghilev-Podolsk (UA)
Giurgiuleşti (MD) – Reni (UA)
Palanca(MD) – Maiaki-Udobnoe (UA)
Tudora (MD) – Starokazacie (UA)
Companies should be aware that until 10 April the traffic of vehicles with trailers or semi-trailers entering Moldova in Otaci – Moghilev-Podolsk is restricted due to road works.
Source: Moghilev-Podolsk: AITA, Customs Service of Moldova
UPDATE: 03.04.2020
In order to ensure the flow of supplies, especially for supermarkets and pharmacies, the Dutch Minister for Infrastructure and Water Management has extended the relaxation of driving and rest periods until 1 June 2020.
The same conditions continue to apply to
– Maximum daily driving time of 11 hours
– Maximum weekly driving time of 60 hours
– Maximum fortnightly driving time of 96 hours
– Postponement of a weekly rest period from six to seven 24-hour periods
Source: EVOFENEDEX
UPDATE: 18.03.2020
Due to quarantine measures – until further notice – there is a temporary stop of Cash On Delivery (COD) and Delivery Against Documents (DAD) service in the Netherlands. Please do not send COD and/or DAD shipments to NL.
UPDATE: 04.05.2020
In an effort to contain the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19), the Norwegian border control measures shall be extended for 90 days after 15 May.
The measures currently in force include the posting of police and military personnel at border stations to control persons crossing the border.
It is important that truck drivers have their passports and driving licences handy when crossing the border.
Source: NLF
UPDATE: 16.04.2020
On 15 April Norway relaxed the rules on driving times and rest periods. The relaxations apply only to freight transport until 13 May, 24:00 hours, and are as follows
– The daily driving time is extended from 9 hours to 11 hours.
– The maximum weekly driving time is increased from 56 hours to 58 hours.
– The maximum fortnightly driving time is increased from 90 hours to 96 hours.
– The daily rest period is reduced from 11 hours to 9 hours.
– A weekly rest period of at least 24 hours must be followed by a weekly rest period of 45 hours, which means that a reduced weekly rest period is allowed every two weeks. The reduced weekly rest period does not need to be compensated.
Source: NLF
UPDATE: 26.03.2020
The following controls and prioritisation of goods will be carried out at border crossings between Norway and neighbouring countries:
The transport of goods to and from Norway is in no way restricted.
There are no additional queues at Norwegian border crossings.
In addition to the usual customs procedures, border controls have been reinforced by representatives of the police and the army. Their main task is to check the identity of drivers (passport, driving licence etc.).
Prioritisation of goods: Companies that used to have agreements with the Customs Directorate had some advantages in relation to customs procedures, but these do not currently apply. There is an express customs procedure, but only at a border station. In general, there have been no new changes in priorities at border crossing points.
Normally, border crossings for lorries at the Norwegian-Swedish and Norwegian-Finnish borders are fast and efficient compared to most other countries. This pattern has not changed significantly since the outbreak of the Covid 19 virus.
The exception is the Norwegian-Russian border, which is currently closed.
Norwegian quarantine regulations: These have not changed – everyone entering the country must be quarantined for two weeks, except truck drivers coming by car and truck drivers coming to work. Truck drivers can work but must follow the quarantine rules when not working (in addition to all other measures to prevent infection).
Source: NLA
UPDATE: 13.05.2020
On 12th May the Polish government extended border controls until 12th June 2020, the full text of which can be read here.
Source: ZMPD
UPDATE: 06.05.2020
The Polish Prime Minister has announced a relaxation of conditions for commuters at border crossings. Since 4th May Polish citizens who work or study in Germany are no longer obliged to spend 14 days in quarantine on their return to Poland; appropriate regulations have been agreed with neighbouring countries.
The Polish borders are still closed to foreigners, this applies until 13th May. Excluded from the regulation are persons with permanent residence permits, truck drivers and diplomats.
Source: DSLV
UPDATE: 23.04.2020
Since 23 April, drivers travelling in Poland have been required to wear a face mask outside their cabs. If there are two people in the cabin, both must wear a face mask while driving.
Source: ZMPD
UPDATE: 17.04.2020
The Polish Ministry of Infrastructure relaxed the rules on driving times and rest periods from 17th April to 31st May. The relaxations apply to drivers in national and international road freight and passenger transport and are as follows
– the daily driving time may not exceed 11 hours (derogation from Article 6 (1)),
– the weekly driving time may not exceed 60 hours (derogation from Article 6(2)),
– the total driving time over the next two weeks may not exceed 96 hours (derogation from Article 6(3)),
– after a driving period of five and a half hours, the driver is entitled to an uninterrupted break of at least forty-five minutes (derogation from Article 7)
– If a driver makes this choice, he may also take the regular weekly rest period in the vehicle, provided he has sufficient sleeping facilities for each driver and the vehicle is stationary (derogation from Article 8 (8)).
Temporary derogations from the application of the provisions apply to drivers engaged in the carriage of goods by road. For drivers engaged in the carriage of passengers by road, the abovementioned derogations apply only to carriage undertaken in connection with the return of citizens to their country of residence.
According to the text of the notification agreed with the European Commission:
– the above-mentioned drivers must indicate the exceptions on the back of the record sheet of the analogue tachograph or the printout of the digital tachograph
– the use of temporary derogations must not lead to a deterioration in the working conditions of drivers and the level of road safety.
Source: ZMPD
UPDATE: 26.03.2020
In an order of 24th March 2020 the Minister of the Interior and Administration extended the duration of border controls on the internal border with Germany, Lithuania, the Czech Republic and Slovakia by a further 20 days, i.e. until 13th April. The current restrictions on the entry of foreigners into Poland will also be maintained.
The full text of the regulation can be found here.
Source: ZMPD
UPDATE: 26.03.2020
On 24 March the Polish authorities amended the rules on compulsory quarantine: Drivers engaged in international road transport with vehicles under 3.5 tons are no longer subject to quarantine.
The provision came into force immediately.
Source: ZMPD
UPDATE: 20.03.2020
Restrictions
On 13th March the Polish Prime Minister declared a “state of emergency”. In addition to measures to limit public gatherings, the government announced that border controls would be temporarily reintroduced for 10 days (renewable) from 15 March(00:00). During this period:
– Foreigners will not be permitted to enter Polish territory. All air and rail traffic from abroad will be temporarily suspended.
– Polish citizens and foreigners working in Poland who return from abroad must undergo a two-week quarantine period.
– National bus, air and rail transport will operate normally.
– International road transport is not affected by these restrictions. The borders will remain open to the flow of goods and truck drivers engaged in international road transport will not have to comply with the two-week quarantine period. The list of border crossing points open during this period is available here.
On 19 March the Polish Minister of Health abolished the previous obligation to comply with the driver location forms. Furthermore, according to information on the website of the Border Guard, no quarantine will be imposed on:
– persons living in Poland who work in a neighbouring country and regularly cross the border (border crossers).
– Foreigners living in a neighbouring country, working in Poland and regularly crossing the border (cross-border commuters).
– Drivers engaged in the commercial transport of goods and passengers.
Health checks are still carried out at border crossing points. Drivers with a temperature of more than 38 degrees are automatically subject to a medical examination and cannot continue their journey.
The updated waiting times at the border can be found here: www.granica.gov.pl.
Relieves
The Polish Minister of Transport has introduced a temporary relaxation of the enforcement of driving and rest periods for drivers engaged in international road transport of passengers and goods. This exemption applies from 18⁄03⁄2020 up to and including 16⁄04⁄2020. The relaxation concerns only international transport and applies only to transport companies registered in the EU (does not apply to contracting parties to the AETR agreement). The following measures are repealed:
– The daily transport time of vehicles must not exceed 11 hours.
– The weekly transport time of the vehicles may not exceed 60 hours.
– The total transport time of the vehicle in a consecutive period of two weeks may not exceed 96 hours.
– After a driving period of five and a half hours, the driver shall be entitled to an uninterrupted break of at least forty-five minutes.
Due to the extension of the transport time of the vehicle from 9 to 11 hours, no exceptions are granted for daily and weekly rest periods.
Source: ZMPD
UPDATE: 15.05.2020
On 3 May Portugal entered the first phase of its plan to ease the closure, which will last until 17 May and may be extended every 15 days if necessary. Social distancing measures will remain compulsory and face masks should be worn when social distancing is not possible. Both measures must be applied in public areas.
The borders will remain closed to passenger traffic until 15 June. International freight traffic, frontier workers and emergency vehicles are excluded from this measure, but must pass through one of the following border crossing points Quintanilha, Tui, Vilar Formoso, Elvas, Castro Marim, Vila Verde de Raia (Chaves), Monfortinho (Castelo Branco), Marvão (Portalegre) and Vila Verde de Ficalho (Beja)
People using the motorways can check the status and activity of the petrol stations and rest areas here.
Relieving measures
On 22 April, the Portuguese Government provided information on a temporary relaxation of the rules on driving times and rest periods, applicable from 22 April to 31 May, as follows
– Article 6.1: extension of the maximum daily driving time from 9 hours to 11 hours;
– Art. 8.6: in two consecutive weeks a driver shall take at least one regular weekly rest period and one reduced weekly rest period of at least 24 hours. This reduction need not be compensated;
– Art. 8.8: possibility for the driver to take the regular weekly rest period in the vehicle as long as the vehicle is stationary and has suitable sleeping facilities for each driver;
– The maximum driving times of 56 hours (Art. 6.2) and 90 hours (Art. 6.3) are maintained.
Portugal has also recommended extending the period of validity of driving licences and certificates for other professions whose validity expires after 24 February 2020. Their validity is extended until 30 June 2020.
Source : ANTRAM
UPDATE: 10.04.2020
On 9 April the Council of Ministers approved the extension of the state of emergency until 14 May at 00.00.
The borders will remain closed for passenger traffic. International freight traffic, border commuters and emergency vehicles are exempt from restrictions. However, only the main border crossings with Spain remain open: Quintanilha, Tui, Vilar Formoso, Elvas, Castro Marim, Vila Verde de Raia (Chaves), Monfortinho (Castelo Branco), Marvão (Portalegre) and Vila Verde de Ficalho (Beja).
The municipality of Ovar remains in quarantine (state of calamity). Goods transport to the municipality is only allowed for the supply of approved industries (the list of approved industries can be found here), supermarkets, pharmacies and petrol stations.
International freight transport is excluded, regardless of the vehicle used or the goods transported.
Source: APPLICATION
UPDATE: 07.04.2020
On 3 April the President of the Portuguese Republic announced a new decree extending the period of the measures currently in force, which will remain in force until 17 April 2020.
In order to prevent the spread of Covid-19, companies should, whenever possible, telework and close unnecessary shops.
The internal borders will remain closed to road transport. International freight traffic, border commuters and emergency vehicles are excluded from this restriction. However, only important border crossings with Spain will remain open: Quintanilha, Tui, Vilar Formoso, Elvas, Castro Marim, Vila Verde de Raia (Chaves), Monfortinho (Castelo Branco), Marvão (Portalegre) and Vila Verde de Ficalho (Beja).
The international transport of goods and merchandise is permitted, regardless of the type of services provided and the type of goods transported. However, drivers should comply with the hygiene and health rules established to prevent the spread of the virus.
During the Easter period, professional drivers must have a declaration signed by their employer confirming that the driver is carrying out a transport operation. The declaration aims to prevent unnecessary movement of persons during this Easter period. The form can be downloaded here. The obligation to carry such a document comes into force on 9 April at 00:00 until 13 April at 24:00. During this period, the free movement of persons will only be allowed for professional reasons (including drivers in freight transport) or for special needs (hospitalisation, pharmacy visits or food shopping).
Source: APPLICATION
UPDATE: 19.03.2020
Due to coronavirus quarantine restriction measures, from 18 March till 04 April no pick-ups and deliveries will be in place for the following postal codes in Portugal:
3880 (Ovar).
Until further notice – please do not pick-up/deliver shipments to these postal codes.
UPDATE: 18.03.2020
Due to coronavirus quarantine restriction measures, from 18 March till 04 April no pick-ups and deliveries will be in place for the following postal codes in Portugal:
3880 (Ovar).
Until further notice – please do not pick-up/deliver shipments to these postal codes.
UPDATE: 23.04.2020
On 22nd April UNTRR confirmed that although the Romanian authorities have not sent the European Commission the updated information on the extension of the state of emergency until 15th May 2020, it is assumed that documents such as licences, transport certificates, permits etc. will remain valid during the period of the state of emergency.
Therefore, documents issued by the Romanian Road Administration which expire during the state of emergency will remain valid until 15 May and may be extended within 90 days from that date. The documents can be sent by mail.
The validity of Romanian driving licences that expire during the state of emergency has also been extended until 15 May.
Source: UNTRR
UPDATE: 16.04.2020
On 14th April the Romanian President extended the state of emergency on Romanian territory for a further 30 days starting on 15th April. The same conditions apply.
Source: UNTRR
UPDATE: 07.04.2020
On 4 April, the Romanian Ministry of the Interior issued Military Order No 7, which details the following new measures for the road transport of persons and goods:
– Article 11 – The international road transport of persons by regular, special regular and occasional international road transport services was suspended until the end of the state of emergency. The provision applies to routes between Romania and Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, the Swiss Confederation, the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, the Netherlands and Turkey.
– Article 12 – On entering Romania, drivers of lorries weighing more than 2.4 tonnes who do not show any symptoms related to coronavirus (COVID-19) must fill in a declaration using the template provided by the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure and Communications, indicating the place where the drivers can be contacted in the period between the two transports. Drivers are not obliged to undergo self-isolation or quarantine at home, provided that the employer ensures that they use protective material against corona viruses (COVID-19).
Note: Foreign drivers of lorries over 2.4 tons in transit through Romanian territory are not obliged to fill in the medical certificate according to art. 14 (see below).
– Article 13 – The provision of Article 12 applies mutatis mutandis to drivers of lorries weighing more than 2.4 tonnes who, for professional reasons, travel either from Romania to another Member State of the European Union or from another Member State of the EU to Romania, to the driver’s country of residence, whether the journey is made in his lorry, by an individual means of transport or alone. When entering Romania, they must present a certificate of employment signed by the employer.
– Article 14.1 – Drivers of lorries weighing more than 2.4 tonnes in transit through Romanian territory are not required to fill in a medical certificate on entry into Romania, provided that they meet the following minimum conditions:
(a) they shall use only transit corridors and border crossing points at the end of such corridors authorised by the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure and Communications and the Ministry of the Interior No derogation from these is permitted.
b) Transit through Romanian territory must take place within the minimum time frame and must not exceed 48 hours after entry into Romania, including stationary periods for their daily rest.
c) The vehicle shall be parked only in assigned parking places located along the designated transit corridors.
Drivers crossing Romania must fill in this form when entering the country. The form must be handed over at the border on exit.
Note: In this case, the Romanian Road Traffic Inspection Authority confirmed that professional drivers must also fill in the form contained in ANNEX 3, model certificate for international transport workers (EC Communication on green lanes).
– Article 14.2 – In case of non-compliance with the conditions provided for in paragraph 1 (14.1), the driver of the vehicle shall be obliged to undergo a 14-day quarantine, bearing all the costs incurred for this quarantine.
– Article 14.3 – Upon entry into Romania, the driver is obliged to affix to the windscreen of the vehicle a special sticker of the State Traffic Control Inspectorate indicating the transit corridors (the model of which has been established by the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communications).
The Romanian authorities have also published an interactive map showing the transit corridors, petrol stations and rest areas.
Source: UNTRR
UPDATE: 06.04.2020
The Romanian Ministry of the Interior has also announced new measures that will enter into force on 31 March 2020.
1. on entry and for protection against the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), drivers of cargo vehicles (with a maximum authorised weight of more than 2.4 tonnes), pilots of aircraft and ship crews may choose one of the following options for their quarantine/isolation for 14 days between trips
(a) quarantine in premises provided by the employer;
b) isolation at home, either together with all the persons with whom they live, or alone in another room;
c) quarantine on request in rooms provided by the public administration authorities; assistance with the costs of quarantine is also available.
2. the drivers of these lorries (with a maximum authorised weight of more than 2,4 tonnes) must fill in a “Declaration of their own responsibility” informing them of the option they have chosen for the duration of their quarantine/isolation.
Source: UNTRR
UPDATE: 05.04.2020
On 4th April the National Road Infrastructure Management Company (CNAIR) lifted driving restrictions for vehicles over 7.5 tonnes on the Ploiesti-Brasov section of the DN1 (E60) national road. The measure is valid until 16 April.
The driving restrictions on the Bucharest – Ploiesti section of the DN1 national road remain in force.
Source: UNTRR
UPDATE: 30.03.2020
The Romanian Ministry of the Interior has issued Military Decree No. 7, which introduces new measures for the road transport of persons and goods, as follows
Article 11 – The international carriage of passengers by road on regular services, special regular services and occasional services in international traffic shall be suspended until the end of the state of emergency. This provision shall apply to routes between Romania and Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, the Swiss Confederation, the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, the Netherlands and Turkey.
Article. 12 – When entering Romania, drivers of lorries weighing more than 2.4 tonnes who do not show any symptoms related to COVID-19 must, under their own responsibility, fill in a declaration, the model of which is determined by the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure and Communications, where they will take over the place where they can be reached during the period between two transports. They do not undergo isolation during a measure/quarantine at home, provided that the employer ensures the protective materials against COVID-19.
Articles. 13 – The provision of Article 12 applies mutatis mutandis to drivers of lorries weighing more than 2.4 tonnes who, for professional reasons, travel from Romania to another Member State of the European Union or from another Member State of the EU to Romania to the driver’s country of residence, whether the journey is made on board the lorry or by a single means of transport or alone. When entering Romania, they must present a certificate of employment signed by the employer.
Article. 14.1 – Drivers of heavy goods vehicles weighing more than 2.4 tonnes crossing Romanian territory are not required to complete the epidemiological declaration on entry into Romania if they meet the following minimum conditions:
(a) they use only transit corridors and border crossing points at the ends of these corridors authorised by the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure and Communications and the Ministry of the Interior, with no derogation from them
b) Transit through Romanian territory must take place within a minimum time frame not exceeding 48 hours from entry into Romania, including daily rest periods.
c) The vehicle shall be parked only in parking areas located on the designated transit corridors.
Drivers crossing Romania must fill in this form upon entry. The form must be handed over at the exit border.
Article 14.2 – In case of non-compliance with the conditions provided for in paragraph 1, the driver of the vehicle is obliged to be put in quarantine for 14 days, bearing the costs related to his quarantine.
Article 14.3 – On entering Romania, the driver is obliged to affix a special sticker on the glazed parts of the vehicle (windscreen), provided by the State Inspectorate for Road Traffic Control, or to keep the transit form, the model of which is determined by the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communications.
The Romanian authorities have also published an interactive map with corridors, petrol stations and rest areas.
Source: UNTRR & IRU
UPDATE: 28.03.2020
The Romanian Ministry of Transport publishes daily information on its website on the situation at border crossing points. The updated waiting times at the borders can also be found here. At present, the following bottlenecks are reported in particular (at 16:00):
KALAFAT DEPARTURE FROM THE COUNTRY
More than 125 vehicles are waiting, and the queue extends over 2.7 km with a waiting time of more than 3 hours.
KALAFAT ENTRY INTO THE COUNTRY
51 vehicles are waiting and the queue extends over 1.2 km with a waiting time of 50 minutes.
GIURGIU ENTRY INTO THE COUNTRY
Queue of 500 meters, waiting time 60 minutes,
GIURGIU LEAVING THE COUNTRY
5 trucks are currently waiting
Between 14:00 and 15:00, 44 vehicles passed through Giurgu customs and 32 vehicles left the town.
NADLAC II ENTRY INTO THE COUNTRY
Queue of about 2.5 km with a waiting time of about 2 hours.
NADLAC II EXIT FROM THE COUNTRY
Queue of about 3 km, waiting time about 2 hours.
Source: UNTRR
UPDATE: 26.03.2020
On 24 March 2020, the Romanian Ministry of Interior announced the following new measures:
– Isolation at home or, if necessary, quarantine for all persons entering Romania (it is not clear whether this measure also applies to truck drivers). This measure entered into force on 25 March 2020 at 12:00 (Romanian time).
– All flights to France and Germany and from France and Germany to Romania will be suspended for a period of 14 days. This measure does not apply to flights by State aircraft, cargo and mail, humanitarian or medical emergency services and authorised non-commercial technical flights. This measure entered into force on 25 March 2020 at 23:00 (Romanian time).
– Documents issued by the state authorities that expire during the state of emergency may be exchanged within 90 days of the end of the state of emergency.
Transit corridors in Romania
Following the EC request, Romania has established the following transit corridors (map here):
corridor 1
– Alternative 1: Nădlac (border crossing point) – Arad – Timișoara – Lugoj – Ilia – Deva – Simeria – Sebeș – Sibiu – Râmnicu Vâlcea – Pitești – Bucharest – Giurgiu (border crossing point).
– Alternative 2: Borș (border crossing point) – Oradea – Cluj Napoca – Alba Iulia – Sebeș – Sibiu – Râmnicu Vâlcea – Pitești – Bucharest – Giurgiu (border crossing point).
– Additional corridor from Bucharest to Constanța A2.
Corridor 2
– Giurgiu (border crossing point) – București – Urziceni – Buzãu – Focșani – Bacãu – Suceava – Siret (border crossing point).
Corridor 3
– Nădlac (border crossing point) – Arad – Timișoara – Lugoj – Caransebeș – Orșova – Drobeta Turnu Severin – Șimian – Maglavit – Calafat (border crossing point).
Corridor 4
– Moravița (border crossing point) – Timișoara – Arad – Oradea – Satu Mare – Halmeu (border crossing point).
Corridor 5
– Nãdlac (border crossing point) – Arad – Timișoara – Lugoj – Ilia – Deva – Simeria – Sebeș – Sibiu – Brașov – Târgu Secuiesc – Lepșa – Focșani – Tesila – Tecuci – Bârlad – Huși – Albița (border crossing point).
The Romanian Ministry of Transport publishes daily information on the situation at the border crossing points on its website here. The information is updated every evening at 20:00.
According to this information (updated on 25.03.2020) there are long queues of trucks and long waiting times at the border crossing points with Hungary and Bulgaria.
Source: UNTRR
UPDATE: 22.03.2020
The Romanian Ministry of Interior announced the following new measures:
1) Retail activities, products and services will be temporarily suspended in shopping centres where several economic operators are active, with the exception of the sale of food, veterinary or pharmaceutical products and cleaning services.
2) Recommendations which will enter into force on 22 March 2020 at 22.00 (local time) for passenger transport between 06.00 – 22.00:
– passenger transport outside the house/household should only be carried out for the following reasons
(a) travel in the professional interest, including moving between the place of residence/household and the place of work, where the professional activity is essential and cannot be postponed or carried out at a distance
(b) journeys for the provision of goods to meet the basic needs of persons and their pets and of goods necessary for the professional activity;
(c) journeys for health care that cannot be postponed or carried out at a distance;
d) expulsion for justified reasons, such as care/accompaniment of the child, assistance to elderly, sick or disabled persons or death of a family member;
(e) short trips near the house/domestic environment related to the individual physical activity of the persons and the needs of their pets.
3) Between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., the movement of persons outside the house/household is permitted only on presentation of a certificate issued by the employer or a declaration made on his own responsibility at the request of the competent authorities. The declaration of personal responsibility must include first and last name, date of birth, address of the place of residence/household/work and the reason for the journey. The measure is to be applied from 23 March 2020 at 22:00 (local time).
4) Foreign citizens may not enter the territory of Romania, unless they cross Romania through designated corridors, the list of which will be shared as soon as it becomes available. The following categories are excluded from this provision:
a) Family members of Romanian citizens;
b) family members of citizens of other EU Member States, the European Economic Area or the Swiss Confederation residing in Romania;
c) citizens who hold a long-stay visa, residence permit or a document equivalent to a residence permit issued by the Romanian authorities, or a document equivalent to a residence permit issued by the authorities of other countries in accordance with the law of the European Union
d) persons travelling for professional reasons, proven by a visa, residence permit or equivalent document issued by the authorities of other countries;
(e) diplomatic or consular staff, staff of international organisations, military personnel or personnel able to provide humanitarian assistance;
(f) passengers in transit, including those repatriated on the basis of the granting of consular protection;
(g) passengers travelling for compelling reasons (medical or family reasons)
(h) persons in need of international protection or other humanitarian reasons.
Exceptions:
– National transport of goods and persons
– International road freight transport
– Drivers of lorries over 2.4 t coming from or having passed through “red areas” or “yellow areas” are not subject to quarantine or isolation measures if they do not show any symptoms associated with corona virus infection SARS-CoV-2 at the border crossing point. All persons entering Romania must fill in a form. Templates of these forms are available here in Romanian and English.
– Drivers of lorries over 2.4 t are obliged to carry and wear individual protective equipment such as disinfectants, gloves, face mask at the border crossing point and to present documents certifying the route to the destination.
Source: UNTRR
UPDATE: 13.03.2020
Romanian government has decided to apply additional controls on every truck at the main borders. Also, the plan is to close the secondary orders. Delays on border crossing with RO are expected.
UPDATE: 25.05.2020
On 20th May the Russian Ministry of Transport announced that a new land border crossing would be opened on 25th May at Kani-Kurgan, in the Amur region on the border with China. The border crossing will be temporarily in operation and will initially only allow the cross-border movement of goods. The planned capacity is 190 vehicles per day, and the opening will reduce the workload at other border crossing points with China. Controls will start as soon as the bridge connecting Blagoveshchensk (RUS) and Heihe (CHN) is opened to traffic.
Source: Russian Ministry of Transport
UPDATE: 06.05.2020
The Russian Government amended Government Decree No. 635 of 16 March 2020, which was presented in Government Decree No. 1170 of 29 April 2020, extending the closure of the Russian borders indefinitely, including the border with Belarus. Therefore, the borders will remain closed until the epidemiological situation returns to normal.
Lorry drivers remain exempt from this provision.
Source: IRU
UPDATE: 01.05.2020
On 28 April 2020, the Russian President announced the extension of measures to ensure the sanitary and epidemiological safety of the population in connection with the spread of coronavirus infection and extended the “work-free” period until 11 May.
A special digital permit must be obtained for the movement of any person or means of transport in the city of Moscow or the surrounding region. An exception is granted for international cargo transportation in the Moscow region at any time of day and in the city of Moscow at night (22.00-06.00). Entry into the city of Moscow during daytime (06:00-22:00) is permitted only to persons holding a special truck permit (regulated by the Decree of the Moscow Government of August 22, 2011 No. 379-ПП).
Source: ASMAP
UPDATE: 30.03.2020
In its continuing efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on the territory of the Russian Federation, the Russian Government issued Decree No 763 of 27 March 2020, which temporarily restricts all movements through roads, railways, pedestrians, rivers and combined border crossings, including the land section on the Russian-Belarusian border. This Decision shall take effect from 30 March 2020.
The above restrictions will not apply to truck drivers engaged in international road transport (paragraph 2). This provision applies to citizens of the Russian Federation and foreign truck drivers (paragraph 2, sentence 2 of Government Resolution No. 635 dated March 16, 2020, followed by amendments by Government Resolution No. 730 dated March 25, 2020).
Source: ASMAP
UPDATE: 25.03.2020
At a meeting of the State Commission for the Sustainability and Development of the Russian Economy it was decided to temporarily allow the use of on-board units that pay to the Platon Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) for the payment of tolls during the next 90 calendar days from the date of expiry of their service (verification), with the possibility of extending this period.
On March 25, the Russian President addressed the nation and officially declared the next week (March 28 – April 5) a non-business week for all of Russia. Passenger traffic and international road traffic are excluded from this provision.
Source of information: ASMAP and the Russian government
UPDATE: 04.04.2020
In order to limit the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on the territory of the Republic of Serbia, the government has taken measures by various decrees (unofficial translation from IRU here).
Among the various measures, it is stipulated that foreigners are temporarily banned from entering the Republic of Serbia. These measures do not apply to the following categories, among others:
– the crew of goods road transport vehicles when performing international road transport. In the case of international transit of goods by road, this is limited to a period not exceeding 12 hours from the time of entry into the territory of the Republic of Serbia.
Police escort for trucks in transit through Serbia has been abolished as of April 2, 2020, which allows for faster transport of goods to final customers. Trucks in transit can stop only at designated rest areas and gas stations marked with a TRANSIT sign. Drivers will receive a card with the designated rest areas at border crossings. Stopping or parking outside these special points is strictly prohibited and will be subject to sanctions. Drivers must wear protective masks and gloves.
Please note that 45 borders are now temporarily closed (list here) and that international road freight traffic should be diverted to the open borders.
Source: IRU
UPDATE: 17.03.2020
Serbian drivers transporting goods are relieved from self-quarantine measures, therefore current transports driven by Serbian hauliers & drivers can run as normal. Ban from entry/quarantine measures for foreign drivers coming from IT, CH, RO, ES, DE, FR, AT, SI, GR are still in force: please consider re-routing trips to avoid transit via RS in case non-Serbian drivers are used.
UPDATE: 16.03.2020
Border checks; ban for entry/quarantine for drivers coming from Italy and Ticino (CH).
Please consider re-routing trips to avoid transit via RS.
UPDATE: 25.05.2020
On 21 May the Slovak Government extended border controls until 26 June. Entry and exit will now only be possible via the following border crossings:
At the border with Austria
Bratislava – Jarovce – Kittsee (motorway)
Bratislava – Jarovce – Kittsee (old road)
Bratislava – Petržalka – Mountain
Moravský Svätý Ján – Hohenau
Záhorská Ves – Angering on the Morava
On the border with Hungary
Bratislava Čunovo – Rajka (motorway)
Medveďov – Vámosszabadi
Komárno – Komárom
Štúrovo – Esztergom
Šahy – Parassapuszta
Slovenské Ďarmoty – Balassagyarmat
Šiatorská Bukovinka – Salgótarján
Kráľ – Bánréve
Milhosť – Tornyosnémeti (road No I/17)
Milhosť – Tornyosnémeti cesta (road No R4)
Slovenské Nové Mesto – Sátoraljaújhely
Hosťovce -Tornanádaska
On the border with the Czech Republic
Svrčinovec – Mosty u Jablunkova
Makov – Bílá-Bumbálka
Horné Srnie – Brumov-Bylnice
Drietoma – Starý Hrozenkov
Moravské Lieskové – Strání
Lysá pod Makytou – Střelná
Vrbovce – Velká nad Veličkou
Brodské – Břeclav (motorway)
Holíč – Hodonín
Skalica – Sudoměřice (new street)
At the border with Poland
Trstená – Chyžné
Vyšný Komárnik – Barwinek
Source: CESMAD
UPDATE: 08.05.2020
On 7 May the Slovakian government extended its border control measures until 27 May 2020 during which time it will only be possible to enter and leave Slovakia via designated land border crossing points (the list remains the same as in the original decision):
Slovakia – Austria
– Bratislava – Jarovce – Kittsee (motorway)
– Bratislava – Jarovce – Kittsee (old road)
– Bratislava – Petržalka – Mountain
– Moravský Svätý Ján – Hohenau
Slovakia – Hungary
– Bratislava Čunovo – Rajka (motorway)
– Medveďov – Vámosszabadi
– Komárno – Komárom
– Štúrovo – Esztergom
– Šahy – Parassapuszta
– Slovenské Ďarmoty – Balassagyarmat
– Šiatorská Bukovinka – Salgótarján
– Kráľ – Bánréve
– Milhosť – Tornyosnémeti (road No I/17)
– Milhosť – Tornyosnémeti cesta (road No R4)
– Slovenské Nové Mesto – Sátoraljaújhely
Slovakia – Czech Republic
– Svrčinovec – Mosty u Jablunkova
– Makov – Bílá-Bumbálka
– Horné Srnie – Brumov-Bylnice
– Drietoma – Starý Hrozenkov
– Moravské Lieskové – Strání
– Lysá pod Makytou – Střelná
– Vrbovce – Velká nad Veličkou
– Brodské – Břeclav (motorway)
– Holíč – Hodonín
– Skalica – Sudoměřice (new street)
Slovakia – Poland
– Trstená – Chyžné
– Vyšný Komárnik – Barwinek
Source: CESMAD
UPDATE: 29.04.2020
On 28 April, the Slovak authorities decided to lift the driving bans originally planned for 1, 3, 8 and 10 May.
Source: CESMAD
UPDATE: 20.04.2020
Restrictions at the borders
On 17th April the Slovakian government decided to extend border controls until 7th May.
The list of open border crossing points remains unchanged.
– Facilitating measures
On 17th April the Slovakian government notified the extension of the relaxation of driving times and rest periods. The relaxations will apply from 18 April, 00:00, until 31 May, 24:00, and are as follows
– Art. 6.1: Increase of the maximum daily driving time from 9 hours to 11 hours
– Art. 6.2: Increase of the maximum weekly driving time from 56 hours to 60 hours
– Article 6.3: Increase of the fortnightly driving time from 90 hours to 96 hours
– Art. 7: A driver shall take an uninterrupted break of at least 45 minutes if he does not take a break after five and a half hours of driving.
– Art. 8.1: Reduction of the minimum daily rest period from 11 hours to 9 hours
Source: CESMAD
UPDATE: 07.04.2020
On 7th April the Slovakian government decided to temporarily reintroduce border controls from 8th April to 17th April 2020, during which time entry and exit to and from Slovakia will only be possible via the following border crossings:
Slovakia – Austria
Bratislava – Jarovce – Kittsee (motorway)
Bratislava – Jarovce – Kittsee (old road)
Bratislava – Petržalka – Mountain
Moravský Svätý Ján – Hohenau
Slovakia – Hungary
Bratislava Čunovo – Rajka (motorway)
Medveďov – Vámosszabadi
Komárno – Komárom
Štúrovo – Esztergom
Šahy – Parassapuszta
Slovenské Ďarmoty – Balassagyarmat
Šiatorská Bukovinka – Salgótarján
Kráľ – Bánréve
Milhosť – Tornyosnémeti (road No I/17)
Milhosť – Tornyosnémeti cesta (road No R4)
Slovenské Nové Mesto – Sátoraljaújhely
Slovakia – Czech Republic
Svrčinovec – Mosty u Jablunkova
Makov – Bílá-Bumbálka
Horné Srnie – Brumov-Bylnice
Drietoma – Starý Hrozenkov
Moravské Lieskové – Strání
Lysá pod Makytou – Střelná
Vrbovce – Velká nad Veličkou
Brodské – Břeclav (motorway)
Holíč – Hodonín
Skalica – Sudoměřice (new street)
Slovakia – Poland
Trstená – Chyžné
Vyšný Komárnik – Barwinek
Procedures at border crossing points with green lanes remain unchanged.
In addition, on 10th, 12th and 13th April the Slovakian police lifted driving restrictions for lorries over 3.5 tonnes.
Source: CESMAD Slovakia
UPDATE: 28.03.2020
After yesterday (27 March) the closure of the border crossing points with the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Austria for trucks over 7.5 tonnes due to bottlenecks and resulting traffic jams at the Hungarian border, the situation is now slowly returning to normal.
All border crossings are now open, including the Brodske – Breclav border crossing between Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
Source: CESMAD Slovakia and CESMAD Bohemia
UPDATE: 27.03.2020
According to the Slovakian government authorities, Slovakia is currently closing its borders with the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Austria for lorries over 7.5 tonnes as bottlenecks and congestion have formed at the Hungarian borders since this morning.
The only exceptions to this are the transports that are unloaded in Slovakia and those on the designated green lanes https://ec.europa.eu/transport/sites/transport/files/green-lanes.pdf. The list of goods that may be transported in the green lanes includes mail, perishable goods, fuel for petrol stations, foodstuffs, the transport of live animals and medical and biological products.
Exit from Slovakia is possible.
The duration is not fixed.
The sources: CESMAD Slovakia and CESMAD Bohemia
UPDATE: 26.03.2020
On 25 March 2020, CESMAD Slovakia provided further clarification of the rules applicable to truck drivers:
– Slovakian truck drivers returning to Slovakia will only be exempted from the quarantine rules if they are performing an international transport and stay at home during the time they are in Slovakia. Slovak drivers returning to Slovakia by car must be quarantined for 14 days in accordance with the regulations in force;
– Foreign drivers performing international freight transport to and from Slovakia are also exempt from the quarantine regulations.
Source: CESMAD Slovakia
UPDATE: 20.03.2020
Slovakia has agreed on a temporary and limited relaxation of enforcement of driving and rest periods for drivers involved in national and international deliveries of goods. This relaxation is granted in accordance with Article 14(2) of Regulation (EC) No 561/2006. This temporary relaxation shall apply from 19 March 2020 and shall remain in force until 17 April 2020 inclusive.
Slovakia has made it clear that driver safety and road traffic must not be compromised. Drivers should not be expected to drive tired – employers remain responsible for the health and safety of their employees and other road users.
For the above-mentioned category of drivers, the following provisions are temporarily relaxed as follows:
– Derogation from Article 6(1): replacement of the maximum daily driving time of 9 hours by one of 11 hours.
– Derogation from Article 6(2): replacement of the maximum weekly driving time of 56 hours by one of 60 hours.
– Derogation from Article 6(3): replacement of the maximum fortnightly driving time of 90 hours by one of 96 hours
– Derogation from Article 7: replacement of the minimum daily break requirement by a break of 45 minutes after 5.5 hours.
– Derogation from Article 8(1): reduction of daily rest periods from 11 to 9 hours.
Source: CESMAD Slovakia
UPDATE: 10.04.2020
The Swedish Transport Administration states that Sweden is planning a temporary and limited relaxation in the enforcement of driving and rest periods for drivers of vehicles carrying all kinds of goods and passengers.
This temporary relaxation will apply from 15 April 2020 and will remain in force until 31 May 2020. This relaxation is granted in accordance with Article 14(2) of the EU Regulation 561 ⁄ 2006. It applies to all drivers, regardless of their nationality, when they are operating on Swedish territory.
For the above category of drivers, the following provisions are temporarily relaxed as follows:
– Derogation to Article 6(1) of Regulation 561/2006: replacement of the maximum daily driving time of 9 hours by one of 11 hours.
– Derogation to Article 6(2) of Regulation 561/2006: replacement of the maximum weekly driving time of 56 hours by one of 60 hours.
– Derogation from Article 6(3) of Regulation 561/2006: replacement of the maximum weekly driving time of 90 hours by 120 hours.
– No derogation from Article 7 of Regulation 561/2006.
– Derogation from Article 8(1) of Regulation 561/2006: reduction of the regular daily rest period from 11 to 9 hours.
– Derogation to Article 8(6) of Regulation 561/2006: reduction of the regular weekly rest period from 45 hours to 24 hours.
– Derogation to Article 8(8) of Regulation 561/2006: possibility for the driver to take the regular weekly rest period shorter than 45 hours in the vehicle, as long as there are suitable sleeping facilities for each driver and the vehicle is stationary.
Source: Transportföretagen
UPDATE: 21.04.2020
Following Croatia’s decision of 18 April, the convoy method has now also been abolished in Slovenia.
Source: Government of Slovenia
UPDATE: 31.03.2020
Restrictions
General restrictions
The Slovenian-Italian borders are closed for passenger transport by train and international occasional and regular bus services.
Lorries whose final destination is Slovenia and lorries carrying postal items, medical equipment, pharmaceutical products or humanitarian aid may enter the country. At national level, the transport of goods for postal consignments, medical equipment and humanitarian aid is permitted.
Convoys
On 14th March the authorities of Slovenia and neighbouring countries agreed to form convoys of cars and lorries to resolve the problem of long queues of vehicles blocked at the borders. Agreements have been reached with the authorities of Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey and Ukraine. Since 14 March, 71 freight convoys (Italy-Croatia and Italy-Hungary) have been organised. Each convoy must obtain permission before starting its journey.
Border with Italy
At the SLO-IT border, only the following four border crossing points are open to traffic Vrtojba, Fernetiči, Škofije and Krvavi Potok. These border crossing points are open 24 hours a day, except for Krvavi Potok, which is open from 05:00 to 23:00. All other border crossing points are closed.
Entry into the Republic of Slovenia from the Italian Republic is permitted for citizens of the Republic of Slovenia, persons who are not Slovenian citizens or who do not have a registered permanent or temporary residence in the Republic of Slovenia, if they present a proof in Slovenian, English or Italian language, which is not older than three days and which contains a negative test for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). If a person does not have such a certificate, he/she may enter the Republic of Slovenia only if his/her body temperature is below 37.5°C and if he/she does not show clear signs of upper respiratory tract infection (coughing, sneezing, shortness of breath).
Border with Austria
At the SLO-AUT border, only the following points of entry are open Gornja Radgona (always open), Kuzma (always open), Holmec (from 05:00 to 21:00), Karavanke (always open), Jurij (from 06:00 to 21:00), Vič (from 05:00 to 23:00): 00), Ljubelj (always open), Trate (always open), Radlje (always open), Gederovci (always open), Šentilj (motorway, always open), Šentilj (motorway, from 06:00 to 21:00) and Korensko (from 05:00 to 23:00). No passenger train service is allowed.
Entry from Austria is permitted to Slovenian citizens, persons with temporary or permanent residence in Slovenia and foreigners if they can prove a negative test for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) not more than three days ago or foreigners with a body temperature below 37.5°C without clear signs of upper respiratory tract infection.
The Regulation does not apply to landowners on either side of the national border carrying out agricultural work, cross-border migrant workers, freight transport, passengers in emergency/ambulance vehicles and transit in organised humanitarian convoys. Transit of persons who are assumed not to be able to leave the territory of the Republic of Slovenia due to actions of neighbouring countries is not permitted. The regulation entered into force at 00:00 on 25 March.
Border with Croatia
At the SLO-HR border, the following border crossing points are open for the transit of vehicles from Italy Gruškovje, Obrezje and Starod. Drivers must bear in mind that so far only Obrezje has been used by convoys coming from Italy.
Border with Hungary
At the SLO-HUN border, entry into Hungary is possible at three border crossing points: Dolga vas, Pince and Pince R1/232, the latter being open only to Slovenian and Hungarian citizens. All vehicles entering Hungary are subject to controls and although there are no special restrictions or control procedures for vehicles entering Slovenia, drivers should avoid contact with others and carry protective equipment.
Relieves
Since 27 March, road freight transport has been permitted on weekends.
Extension of the validity of control documents
The Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted an Ordinance on the temporary prohibition of the performance of periodic technical inspections and other procedures related to the registration of motor vehicles and work in tachograph workshops in the Republic of Slovenia, temporarily prohibiting the performance of technical inspections and other procedures until 16 April 2020. Therefore, the validity of driving licences, including motor insurance and ADR certificates for the transport of dangerous goods, has been extended until 16 May 2020.
The Regulation on the temporary ban on offering and selling goods and services directly to consumers in driving schools and authorised driver training centres in the Republic of Slovenia prohibits the training of learner drivers, additional training for learner drivers, training for safe driving, and training for providers of learner drivers and training for safe driving. The validity of driving licences has therefore been extended until 16 May 2020.
The Regulation amending the Regulation temporarily prohibiting the offer and sale of goods and services directly to consumers in driving schools and authorised driving school centres in the Republic of Slovenia prohibits the training for initial qualification, theoretical and practical examinations for obtaining certificates of competence and also regular training for the renewal of the Union Code “95”. In addition, it is prohibited to carry out any activities related to the acquisition and renewal of driving licences.
It is also prohibited to organise initial and refresher courses for drivers engaged in the transport of dangerous goods, basic and refresher vocational courses and examinations for exceptional transport attendants, medical examinations for candidates, for drivers and for the renewal of driving licences, medical examinations for drivers of motor vehicles and training and examinations for the safe handling of tractors and tractor attachments. Therefore, the validity of driving licences, certificates of professional competence and the ADR driver qualification certificate, which expire on 16 April 2020, has been further extended until 16 July 2020. Instructions were sent to the Slovenian Police and the Inspectorate for Infrastructure and Financial Administration to take into account the exceptional circumstances related to the validity of various documents in the transport sector and also for foreign users.
Slovenia has signed multilateral ADR agreements:
– M324 concerning certificates of training for drivers and safety advisers; and
– M325 concerning the periodic or intermediate tests on tanks and the certificate of approval of vehicles (for further details click here)
Derogations from the driving and rest period requirements
Slovenia has informed the European Commission that it will apply a temporary and limited relaxation of the enforcement of driving times and rest periods for drivers of vehicles transporting vital goods (from 16th March to 16th April 2020). It will apply to drivers involved in the delivery of goods in national and international transport. This relaxation will be granted in accordance with Article 14(2) of Regulation (EC) No 561/2006.
A comprehensive overview of the measures taken by the Slovenian government can be downloaded here.
Source: GIZ Intertransport and Government of Slovenia
UPDATE: 28.03.2020
Extension of the validity of documents
The Government of the Republic of Slovenia has adopted an Ordinance on the temporary prohibition of the performance of periodic technical inspections and other procedures related to the registration of motor vehicles and work in tachograph workshops in the Republic of Slovenia, which temporarily prohibits the performance of technical inspections and other procedures until 16 April 2020.
Therefore, the validity of these certificates, including motor vehicle insurance and ADR certificates for the transport of dangerous goods, shall be extended until 16 May 2020.
The Regulation on the temporary ban on the offer and sale of goods and services directly to consumers in driving schools and authorised driver/vehicle training centres in the Republic of Slovenia prohibits the training of learner drivers, additional training for learner drivers, training for safe driving and training for providers of learner drivers and training for safe driving.
Therefore the validity of driving licences is extended until 16 May 2020.
Special conditions for entry from Italy
General conditions and border crossings from Italy
Under a Government Decree laying down the conditions for entry into the Republic of Slovenia from the Italian Republic to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and the Decree laying down the conditions for entry into the Republic of Slovenia from the Italian Republic to combat infectious diseases, only the following four border crossing points are open Vrtojba, Fernetiči, Škofije and Krvavi Potok These border crossing points are open 24 hours a day, except for Krvavi Potok, which is open from 05:00 to 23:00. All other border crossing points are closed.
Entry from Italy
Entry into the territory of the Republic of Slovenia from the Italian Republic is permitted for citizens of the Republic of Slovenia, for persons who are not Slovenian citizens or who do not have a registered permanent or temporary residence in the Republic of Slovenia, if they present a proof in Slovenian, English or Italian language, which is not older than three days and which confirms the completion of a medical test confirming the absence of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).
If a person does not have such proof, he/she may enter the Republic of Slovenia only if
– their body temperature is below 37.5°C and
– he/she does not show clear signs of upper respiratory tract infection (coughing, sneezing, shortness of breath)
Road freight transport from Italy
The transport of goods by road from the Italian Republic to the Republic of Slovenia is also suspended, with the exception of the transport of postal items, medicines, protective equipment and medical devices and humanitarian aid.
Excluded are goods vehicles (freight transport) whose final destination is the Republic of Slovenia.
On the basis of agreements with various neighbouring countries, road transit traffic is currently carried out in organised convoys, in cooperation with the police and with the help of the DARS toll control service.
Conditions for entering Slovenia from Austria
– 13 entry points: Gornja Radgona, Kuzma, Holmec, Karavanke, Jurij, Vič, Ljubelj, Trate, Radlje, Gederovci, Šentilj (motorway), Šentilj (main road) and Korensko
– Passenger train traffic is not allowed.
– Entry from Austria is permitted: Slovenian citizens who are temporarily or permanently resident in Slovenia, foreigners – if they provide proof of a negative test for SARS-CoV-2 not older than three days, or foreigners with a body temperature below 37.5°C without clear signs of upper respiratory tract infection.
– The Regulation does not apply to landowners on either side of the national border carrying out agricultural work, cross-border migrant workers, goods transport, passengers in emergency/ambulance vehicles and transit in organised humanitarian convoys.
– Transit of persons who are assumed not to be able to leave the territory of the Republic of Slovenia due to actions of neighbouring countries is not permitted.
– The regulation entered into force at 00:00 on 25 March.
Source: IRU
Temporary and limited relaxation of enforcement of driving and rest time rules for drivers
Slovenia has informed about a temporary and limited relaxation of enforcement of driving and rest time rules for drivers of vehicles transporting vital goods. It applies to drivers involved in the delivery of goods in national and international transport. This relaxation is granted under Article 14(2) of Regulation (EC) No 561/2006.
Start: 16.03.2020
End date: 16.04.2020
You can find further information here.
Source: European Commission COVID-10 website
UPDATE: 17.03.2020
Ban for entry of trucks transiting via SI from IT. From time to time the road police organize convoys for groups of trucks to transit via SI without stops – however there is no schedule/guarantee to have this service available. Therefore, please still consider re-routing via alternative transit countries.
UPDATE: 16.03.2020
Ban for entry of trucks transiting via SI from IT: please consider re-routing via alternative transit countries.
UPDATE: 05.04.2020
On 1 April, the Federal Department of Justice announced the extension of border controls until 24 April. The extension concerns the borders with all Schengen states with the exception of the land and air borders with France, Italy, Spain, Austria and Germany, which were extended separately. The borders with the Principality of Liechtenstein are also excluded from the regulation.
The current duration of border controls is therefore as follows:
All air borders except the air borders with Liechtenstein:
25 March 2020 – 24 April 2020
Air borders with Spain, Italy, France, Germany and Austria
18 March 2020 – 17 April 2020
Land borders with France, Germany and Austria:
16 March – 15 April 2020
Land border with Italy:
13 March – 12 April 2020
Source: Federal Ministry of Justice and European Commission
UPDATE: 30.03.2020
Entry by road into Swiss territory from Italy, France, Germany and Austria is restricted to Swiss citizens, persons resident in Switzerland and persons entering for professional reasons. Only the major border crossings are open for the movement of persons.
International freight traffic is not affected by these measures and all border crossings are open for freight traffic. At some border crossings there are also green lanes for the import, export and transit of medical products, food, fuel deliveries and mail. A list of border crossings equipped with green lanes for freight traffic can be found here.
Sources: ASTAG and Federal Customs Administration
UPDATE: 13.05.2020
With effect from 12 May, a Spanish government decree announced a 14-day compulsory quarantine measure for people returning from abroad. These people must isolate themselves at home and may only leave their homes for limited and justified reasons.
The following categories are excluded from this measure:
– Cross-border workers
– Transport companies and crews
– health professionals who go to work, provided they have not had contact with people who have tested positive for Covid-19
The decree is valid from 15 May at 00.00 hours and for the entire duration of the state of emergency and its further extensions.
Source: CETM
UPDATE: 11.05.2020
The Spanish government has extended border control measures until 24 May (official decree here). The measures are as follows:
Third-country nationals are not allowed to enter Spain, except in the following cases:
– Residents of the European Union (EU), as well as the spouse or partner of the EU citizen and the relatives living under their care, as well as residents of a Schengen country or Andorra travelling directly to their place of residence.
– holders of a long-term visa issued by a Member State or a Schengen country who are travelling to that country.
– Cross-border workers.
– Healthcare or elderly care professionals travelling to or from their place of work.
– Personnel engaged in the transport of goods, including the crew of vessels to ensure the provision of maritime transport services and fishing activities, and flight crew required to carry out important commercial air transport activities.
– Diplomatic, consular and international organisations, military personnel and members of humanitarian organisations in the exercise of their professional duties.
– persons travelling for compelling family reasons, duly justified.
– Persons travelling for reasons of force majeure or distress or whose entry is authorised on humanitarian grounds.
– Citizens of other EU Member States or other countries that are members of the European Economic Area (EU + Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) are also refused entry, except in the cases mentioned above (except for the first two points that do not apply to them) and as long as they are not resident in Spain or travelling directly to their place of residence in another Member State, a Schengen country or Andorra.
The land borders with Ceuta and Melilla remain closed. The land borders with Gibraltar and Andorra are open.
Source: CETM
UPDATE: 07.05.2020
On 6 May, the Spanish Government extended the state of alert until 24 May; the same conditions apply.
Source: ASTIC
UPDATE: 04.05.2020
The Spanish Ministry of Transport has provided instructions for the use of masks for different modes of transport in a new regulation TMA/384/2020. The instructions include the following:
– Wearing a mask is mandatory for the transport of passengers by road (both for drivers and passengers);
– for the transport of goods by road, the wearing of a mask is compulsory when the cabin is double manned.
This new regulation comes into force on 4 May (00.00 hours).
Source: ASTIC
UPDATE: 22.04.2020
On 20 April the Spanish Government extended border control measures until 15 May. The measures are as follows:
Third-country nationals shall not be allowed to enter Spain, except in the following cases:
– Residents of the European Union (EU) and the spouse or partner of the EU citizen and their relatives living under their care, as well as residents of a Schengen country or Andorra travelling directly to their place of residence.
– holders of a long-term visa issued by a Member State or a Schengen country who are travelling to that country.
– Cross-border workers.
– Healthcare or elderly care professionals travelling to or from their place of work.
– Personnel engaged in the transport of goods, including the crews of vessels to ensure the provision of maritime transport services and fishing activities; and flight crew required to carry out important commercial air transport activities.
– Diplomatic, consular and international organisations, military personnel and members of humanitarian organisations in the exercise of their professional duties.
– Persons travelling for compelling family reasons, duly justified.
– Persons travelling for reasons of force majeure or distress or whose entry is authorised on humanitarian grounds.
– Citizens of other EU Member States or other countries that are members of the European Economic Area (EU + Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) are also refused entry, except in the cases mentioned above (except for the first two points that do not apply to them) and as long as they are not resident in Spain or travelling directly to their place of residence in another Member State, a Schengen country or Andorra.
The land borders with Ceuta and Melilla remain closed. The land borders with Gibraltar and Andorra are open.
Source: ASTIC
UPDATE: 16.04.2020
Update for DHL customers:
The governmental decree dated 29 March 2020 ruling closure of non-essential businesses ended on 12 April 2020.
Upon a status-check action, DHL ES confirmed that all the regular Spanish consignors/consignees are open again.
For the current week, before sending shipments to ES, it is still recommended for the customer-owning terminals to check with customers/consignees if they are open and able to receive goods.
Please remain aware that lead time delays may still occur due to low volumes impacting operational set-ups.
UPDATE: 15.04.2020
On 14 April, the Spanish government provided information on the relaxation of the rules on driving times and rest periods. These relaxations apply from 14 April to 31 May and are as follows
– Art. 6.1: Increase of the maximum daily driving time from 9 hours to 11 hours
– Article 8.2: reduction of the daily rest requirement from 11 to 9 hours
– Art. 8.6: Possibility of taking two consecutive reduced weekly rest periods of at least 24 hours, provided that
(a) during those four consecutive weeks the driver takes at least four weekly rest periods, at least two of which must be the normal weekly rest period of at least 45 hours
(b) no compensation is required for reduced weekly rest periods
– Article 8.8: possibility for the driver to take the regular weekly rest period in the vehicle, provided that the vehicle has suitable sleeping facilities for each driver and that the vehicle is stationary.
Members should bear in mind that the maximum driving times of 56 hours (Art. 6.2) and 90 hours (Art. 6.3) are respected.
Source: CETM
UPDATE: 11.04.2020
On 9th April the Spanish Parliament supported the government’s proposal to extend the state of emergency until 26th April. With regard to road transport in particular, MEPs are reminded that the traffic bans will be lifted for the entire duration of the state of emergency and its possible extensions.
Source: ASTIC
UPDATE: 01.04.2020
On 30th March the Spanish Ministry of Transport published a list of tourist accommodation that will remain open to receive drivers working in passenger and freight transport amongst others. An interactive map can be found here.
On 31st March the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism published an explanatory note on the application of Royal Decree 10/2020, which regulates paid holidays for people working in non-essential sectors. The Ministry clarifies that the status “essential” applies to types of workers and not to types of goods, so there is no list of “essential goods”. The last paragraph of the explanatory note clarifies that persons engaged in import or export activities of any kind of goods or materials are excluded from the application of the Decree.
Therefore, the transport sector is considered essential, regardless of the type of goods transported.
Sources: ASTIC and CETM
UPDATE: 31.03.2020
In view of the uncertainty surrounding the procedures and checks carried out during road transport and pending further clarification, ASTIC encourages drivers to have on board a certificate signed by the consignor or consignee stating that the goods transported are essential, in accordance with the Annex to Royal Decree 10/2020. Drivers are also encouraged to have on board the declaration of liability signed by the company, annexed to Royal Decree 307/2020.
Source: ASTIC
UPDATE: 30.03.2020
At midnight on 29 March, a new Royal Decree – Law 10/2020 – was issued, which contains new measures to increase prison conditions by introducing compulsory paid leave from 30 March to 9 April for those working in sectors considered to be non-essential.
Those who are forced to take leave will only be able to continue their work after 30 March if essential tasks that were already in progress before the law was published still need to be completed.
This compulsory leave does not apply, inter alia, to the following employees:
– Persons working in both the market supply chain and in the operational area related to the production of basic goods and services, including food, beverages, animal feed, hygiene products, medicines and sanitary products;
– those considered essential for the maintenance of productive activities in the manufacturing industry, i.e. supplies, equipment and materials necessary for the maintenance of the development of essential activities
– those which, since the declaration of the state of emergency, provide transport services for both people and goods.
It is recommended that road haulage and logistics companies check with their clients/clients established in Spain whether their activity is one of the activities carried out during these days.
Source: ASTIC
UPDATE: 28.03.2020
From 29 March to 12 April, Spain introduced the following flexibility with regard to compliance with EU Regulation 561/2006:
– Extension of the daily driving time of 9-10 hours twice a week as long as the daily and weekly breaks are respected.
– A regular weekly rest period of 45 hours and a reduced weekly rest period of 24 hours can be taken within two weeks without having to compensate for the latter.
– The regular weekly rest period may be taken in the cabin, provided the cabin is equipped accordingly.
Source: CETM
UPDATE: 23.03.2020
The President of the Spanish government announced on 22nd March that he would ask Parliament to extend the state of emergency for a further 15 days until 11th April. The state of emergency means that all people will stay in their homes and limit themselves to the bare essentials.
The transport of goods continues to be exempt from these restrictions, as it is currently authorised to transport any kind of goods, both national and international.
In his recent public appearance, the President acknowledged in particular the essential and valuable work of medical staff, transport companies and the police.
Source: ASTIC
UPDATE: 19.03.2020
Due to quarantine restrictions measures, no pick-ups and deliveries will be in place for the following 4 localities in Spain:
Igualada (08700)
Odena (08711)
Santa Margarida de Montbul (08710)
Villanova del Cami (08788).
Until further notice – please do not pick-up/deliver shipments to these postal codes.
UPDATE: 18.03.2020
Due to quarantine restrictions measures, no pick-ups and deliveries will be in place for the following 4 localities in Spain:
Igualada (08700)
Odena (08711)
Santa Margarida de Montbul (08710)
Villanova del Cami (08788).
Until further notice – please do not pick-up/deliver shipments to these postal codes.
UPDATE: 17.03.2020
Due to quarantine restrictions measures, no pick-ups and deliveries will be in place for the following 4 localities in Spain:
Igualada (08700)
Odena (08711)
Santa Margarida de Montbul (08710)
Villanova del Cami (08788).
Until further notice – please do not pick-up/deliver shipments to these postal codes.
UPDATE: 16.03.2020
Due to quarantine restrictions measures, no pick-ups and deliveries will be in place for the following 4 localities in Spain:
Igualada (08700)
Odena (08711)
Santa Margarida de Montbul (08710)
Villanova del Cami (08788).
Until further notice – please do not pick-up/deliver shipments to these postal codes.
UPDATE: 11.05.2020
The Turkish Ministry of the Interior updated the measures concerning drivers entering Turkey (unofficial translation here). All measures mentioned below do not apply to entry and exit to and from Iran and Iraq.
According to the updated measures:
1. the previous obligation for foreign drivers who do not show symptoms of COVID-19 to leave Turkey within 72 hours of entry has been lifted. However, foreign drivers will be obliged to agree to a letter of commitment that they will leave Turkey as soon as possible. In this case only they are not subject to a 14-day quarantine period.
2. drivers will be allowed to board ro-ro vessels when they operate between the following ports
Turkey-Ukraine:
Zonguldak – Chornomorsk (Ilyıchevsky)
Istanbul (Haydarpaşa) – Chornomorsk (Ilyıchevsky)
Karasu – Chernomorsk (Ilyıchevsky)
Turkey-Romania:
Constanta – Karasu
Turkey-Lebanon:
Taşucu – Tripoli
Turkey-Israel:
Mersin – Haifa
All other measures remain in force.
Sources: AND and TOBB
UPDATE: 25.03.2020
Turkey has introduced restrictions on road freight transport.
Turkish drivers returning to their country must undergo a fortnightly quarantine. Drivers from one of the countries listed below are no longer allowed to enter Turkey. Drivers from a country not on the list may enter Turkey after having undergone a fortnightly quarantine outside Turkey (at the border). The list of countries is updated regularly. It should be noted that only for Turkish vehicles at the border are procedures in place to transfer goods to vehicles within Turkey or to exchange drivers.
List of countries (updated on 23.03. afternoon):
Angola / Algeria / Austria / Belgium / Bangladesh / China / Canada / Czech Republic / Chad / Cameroon / Colombia / Denmark / Djibouti / Dominican Republic / Egypt / Ecuador / Equatorial Guinea / France / Finland / Germany / Guatemala / Hungary / Iran / Italy / Iraq / Ireland / India / Côte d’Ivoire / Jordan / Kuwait / Kenya / Kosovo / Kazakhstan / Lebanon / Latvia / Montenegro / Morocco / Mongolia / Moldova / Mauritania / NCTR / Norway / Netherlands / Niger / North Korea / South Korea / South Korea / South Korea / South Korea / North Korea / South Korea / South Korea / North Korea / South Korea / South Korea / South Korea Macedonia / Nepal / Oman / Poland / Philippines / Portugal / Panama / Peru / South Korea / Spain / Sweden / Switzerland / Saudi Arabia / Slovenia / Sudan / Sri Lanka / United Kingdom / United Arab Emirates / Ukraine / Uzbekistan / Taiwan / Tunisia.
Source: AND
UPDATE: 23.03.2020
The Turkish authorities have taken additional measures to contain the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19). Please note the following changes:
– As of March 21, all flights to/from the listed countries have been banned. The entry of passengers from any of the listed countries was stopped at all Turkish border gates (land, rail, air and sea);
– With effect from 19 March, the following borders were closed to passengers both on entry and exit:
Border gates between Turkey and Greece:
– Ipsala;
– Pazarkule;
– Uzunköprü (railway)
Border gates between Turkey and Bulgaria:
– Kapıkule (country);
– Kapıkule (railway);
– Hamzabeyli;
– Dereköy.
Please note that there will be no restrictions for the transport of goods.
Citizens of the listed countries and third country nationals who have visited these countries within the last 14 days are not allowed to enter Turkey (with an exception for truck drivers who are not citizens of the listed countries; these drivers will be quarantined at the border gate for 14 days before entering Turkey);
There is no restriction for citizens of the listed countries leaving Turkey.
List of countries (updated on 23.03. afternoon):
Angola / Algeria / Austria / Belgium / Bangladesh / China / Canada / Czech Republic / Chad / Cameroon / Colombia / Denmark / Djibouti / Dominican Republic / Egypt / Ecuador / Equatorial Guinea / France / Finland / Germany / Guatemala / Hungary / Iran / Italy / Iraq / Ireland / India / Côte d’Ivoire / Jordan / Kuwait / Kenya / Kosovo / Kazakhstan / Lebanon / Latvia / Montenegro / Morocco / Mongolia / Moldova / Mauritania / NCTR / Norway / Netherlands / Niger / North Korea / South Korea / South Korea / South Korea / South Korea / North Korea / South Korea / South Korea / North Korea / South Korea / South Korea / South Korea Macedonia / Nepal / Oman / Poland / Philippines / Portugal / Panama / Peru / South Korea / Spain / Sweden / Switzerland / Saudi Arabia / Slovenia / Sudan / Sri Lanka / United Kingdom / United Arab Emirates / Ukraine / Uzbekistan / Taiwan / Tunisia.
Source: AND
UPDATE: 22.03.2020
In the context of the current measures taken by the Turkish authorities in response to the corona virus epidemic, the following applies:
– Since 21 March, all flights with the countries listed below have been suspended. The entry of passengers from the countries listed has been stopped at all Turkish border points (land, rail, air, sea).
– Nationals of the countries listed below and third country nationals who have stayed in these countries within the last 14 days are not allowed to enter Turkey. (All truck drivers who have visited the listed countries within the last 14 days are quarantined at the border gate for 14 days before entering Turkey)
– There are no restrictions for citizens of the countries listed below who are willing to leave Turkey.
LIST OF COUNTRIES:
China / Iran / Italy / Iraq / South Korea / Germany / France / Spain / Norway / Denmark / Belgium / Sweden / Netherlands / Austria / Egypt / United Kingdom / Switzerland / Saudi Arabia / Turkey / Turkey Arabia / Ireland / United Arab Emirates / Kuwait / Bangladesh / Mongolia / NCTR / Ukraine / Kosovo / Morocco / Lebanon / Jordan / Kazakhstan / Uzbekistan / Oman / Slovenia / Moldova / Djibouti / Equatorial Guinea / Canada / India / Hungary / Guatemala / Poland / Kenya / Sudan / Chad / Philippines / Latvia / Taiwan / Peru / Sri Lanka / Ecuador / Niger / Tunisia / Algeria / Ivory Coast / Finland / Angola / Pull / Dominican Republic / Cameroon / Montenegro / Colombia / Northern Macedonia / Mauritania / Nepal / Portugal / Panama
Source: AND
UPDATE: 23.04.2020
In response to unprecedented pressure on local and national supply chains, the Department of Infrastructure has introduced a temporary and limited urgent relaxation of enforcement of EU driving time rules in Northern Ireland. It has also introduced a temporary and limited urgent relaxation of enforcement of the NI driving time rules in Northern Ireland.
This relaxation started on 23 March 2020 and was to end on 21 April 2020.
A specific review of the continuation of the relaxation beyond 21 April 2020 has been carried out and, on the basis of current knowledge, it has been decided to continue the relaxation (apart from the relaxation of the break provisions) until Sunday 31 May 2020 at 23:59.
The Ministry will keep an eye on these temporary arrangements and the relaxation may be modified or terminated earlier if circumstances change.
The Department would like to remind all transport companies and customers who influence their practices:
The Standard Driver Hours Rules are important safety regulations. They serve to improve road safety and drivers’ working conditions and reduce the risk of drivers being involved in accidents caused by fatigue.
Therefore, these temporary loosening rules should only be used where absolutely necessary. Transport undertakings should, wherever possible, try to recruit additional drivers from other sectors who are unemployed or on leave.
Temporary relaxation should support the transport of essential goods, including supply chains related to medicines, health, fuel, food and other necessities.
The current situation will be kept under review and the relaxations may be modified or withdrawn before 31 May 2020 if circumstances change. Operators should use this period to increase resilience.
If drivers or operators consider that they are being asked to use the relaxation without proper justification, they can express their concerns by e-mail to drivershours@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk.
A retrospective review of the use of these relaxations will take place as necessary, including by the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA).
Please note that the previous relaxation of the EU driver’s hours rule for breaks (i.e. the requirements for daily breaks of 45 minutes after 4.5 hours of driving were replaced by a break of 45 minutes after 5.5 hours of driving) only applied from 23 March 2020 to 21 April 2020.
Those who wish to take advantage of this relaxation should read the full notice here and must comply with the requirements.
Source: FTA
UPDATE: 20.04.2020
Following a recent review of the current relaxation of the enforcement of the rules on driving times, which expires on 21 April, it was decided, on the basis of the latest findings, to continue the relaxation (apart from the relaxation of the EU break rules) until Sunday 31 May at 23:59.
Detailed information was provided by UK DFT and is available here.
Source: RHA
UPDATE: 09.04.2020
In cases where non-resident drivers develop symptoms of coronavirus (Covid-19) during their stay in the United Kingdom, the national authorities recommend the following
1. if emergency/clinical care is required, an ambulance should be called
2. the official guidelines must be followed, i.e. immediate self-isolation; it is the responsibility of the transport company to ensure the welfare of staff and therefore to provide suitable individual accommodation for them
3. foreign nationals may also contact their embassy for assistance;
4. in exceptional cases, depending on capacity, it may be possible to arrange accommodation in the London Isolation Centre.
Source: FTA
UPDATE: 22.03.2020
The Department of Transport (DfT) has introduced a temporary and limited urgent relaxation of the enforcement of EU driving time rules in England, Scotland and Wales. It has also introduced a temporary and limited urgent relaxation of enforcement of UK driving time rules in England, Scotland and Wales.
This applies to those who work in all areas of road transport between 00.01 on Monday 23 March and 23.59 on Tuesday 21 April (the continuation of the relaxation after 5 April will be reviewed).
The EU driving time rules can be temporarily relaxed as follows
a) Replacement of the EU daily driving time limit of 9 hours by one of 11 hours.
b) Reduction of the daily rest period from 11 to 9 hours.
c) Increase the weekly (56 hours) and fortnightly (90 hours) driving time limits to 60 and 96 hours respectively.
(d) Postponement of the requirement for the commencement of a weekly rest period after six to 24 hours for a period of seven 24 hours; however, within two weeks, two regular weekly rest periods or one regular and one reduced weekly rest period are still required.
(e) the requirement for daily breaks of 45 minutes after 4,5 hours driving time shall be replaced by a break of 45 minutes after 5,5 hours driving time
Drivers shall not use relaxation “a” and “d” at the same time. This is to ensure that drivers can take sufficient breaks. You can find instructions from the DfT here.
From Monday, 23 March, all road toll regulations in the capital will be temporarily suspended until further notice. This includes the congestion charge, the central London ULEZ and the London-wide LEZ.
Source: FTA
UPDATE: 20.03.2020
The Department of Infrastructure (DfI) has issued a notice on a relaxation of the driving time regulations for Northern Ireland. This temporary relaxation will apply from Wednesday 18 March 2020, 00:01 and will remain in force until Thursday 16 April 2020, 23:59. Initially it will apply to drivers of vehicles involved in the supply of food, non-food (personal and household hygiene and cleaning) and over-the-counter medicines for subsequent journeys:
– Distribution centre to shops (or fulfilment centre).
– From the manufacturer or supplier to the distribution center (including returns).
– From the manufacturer or vendor to the warehouse (or fulfillment center).
– Between distribution centers and the transportation channel of the transportation hub.
– Deliveries from transport centers to stores.
This exception does not apply to drivers making deliveries directly to consumers.
Operators are reminded that this relaxation does not relieve them of their duty of care towards drivers and that drivers should not be allowed or required to drive tired. Operators wishing to make use of the derogation should read the DfI notice in detail, which can be found here.
Source: FTA
UPDATE: 06.05.2020
KSA reduces Transit Visa issuance except for trucks carrying food, Medicine and Relief Material
Source: Council of Saudi Chamber- KSA
UPDATE: 05.05.2020
KSA Transit visa restrictions limits cross border movements by road. Shipments from UAE to KW, BH , Jordan, EG impacted and Vice versa.
Source: Council of Saudi Chamber- KSA
UPDATE: 04.05.2020
Huge delays for Ferry use at EG-KSA border due to ongoing health inspections.
Source: Clearing agents at border
UPDATE: 21.05.2020
Cross border trucking – Export from BAHRAIN is possible by KSA registered trucks. Bahrain registered trucks can carry shipments till KSA custom and cross loading has to be done thereafter for further carriage into KSA.
UPDATE: 23.03.2020
All imports and Exports to and from KSA working normally. All other countries export and import is banned except for Food, medicine and relief cargo.
Source: Council of Saudi Chamber- KSA
UPDATE: 21.05.2020
Drivers have difficulties at Garoua Boulai border with CAR, they do a COVID19 test there and wait for the results before continuing transport. The waiting time is at least 01 week, the impact is the immobilisation of the trucks and lengthening of transit time.
UPDATE: 25.03.2020
All borders are closed now against the Egyptian drivers except Jordan as they are passing the food and medical staff through Nuibaa in addition to that expected delays will happen according to curfew timing.
Source: Official decree
UPDATE: 18.05.2020
Kenya – Tanzania & Kenya-Somalia borders closed following rising cases of Covid-19 in TZ & SO. Trucks exempted but all drivers must undergo & pass Covid-19 test.
Source: Border Agent
UPDATE: 11.05.2020
Source: GOK, Ministry of Health, Transporters Association, Kenya Ports Authority
UPDATE: 05.05.2020
Source: Border Agent
UPDATE: 28.04.2020
Queues extending over 35 Kilometer witnessed at KE-UG borders after decision by UG government to test all drivers for Covid-19. Trucks drivers have to wait for test results for up to 24hours impacting cargo movement timelines. Border crossing delays extend to beyond 48hrs.
Source: Freight Forwarders Association Kenya Transporters Association
UPDATE: 09.04.2020
Customs Clearance goes fully online and physical documents will be required for shipments for inspection only.
Source: Kenya Revenue Authority
UPDATE: 08.04.2020
Likoni Ferry movement in Mombasa will be suspended from Thursday (09-April-2020). This will affect logistics services to Tanzania via Lunga Lunga border.
Source: Kenya Gov’t (Freight Forwarders Association)
UPDATE: 30.03.2020
All entry and exit transit points on the borders working with limited movements. Rwanda borders are closed for all movements.
Source: Government Notification
UPDATE: 10.05.2020
Kuwait enters complete lockdown impacting all imports and exports.
Source: KW Government
UPDATE: 23.03.2020
All imports and Exports to and from KSA working normally. All other countries export and import is banned except for Food, medicine and relief cargo.
Source: Council of Saudi Chamber- KSA
UPDATE: 25.03.2020
24/7 Curfew decree has been modified with curfew from 3 PM until 7 AM as per media interview by Libyain Army Minister.
Source: Libya- Media Report
UPDATE: 23.03.2020
24/7 Curfew decree has been issued today from Benghazi Authority which will be effective from 23rd of March till 3rd of April.
Source: Ministry of Interior, Libya
UPDATE: 05.05.2020
All the clearing agent’s offices are closing from 6th may 2020 at Oman Wajajah border, as Customs has ordered for Online Customs clearance and drivers need to report to customs teams directly with the online cleared bayan number.
Source: Oman Customs
UPDATE: 25.03.2020
Oman Government restricts movements of Oman registered trucks and personal to go in or out of the country.
Source: Oman Media
UPDATE: 23.03.2020
All Borders working seamlessly for Import and export from UAE
Source: Clearing agents at border
UPDATE: 23.03.2020
OM government requests residents to follow self Quarantine and work from home for safety and limiting social gathering
Source: DHL Staff in OM
UPDATE: 26.08.2020
KSA opens border for Transit movements. This will allow truck movements within GCC which have KSA as transit country.
Source: KSA Customs Authority
UPDATE: 12.08.2020
KSA opens border for movements of trucks from other countries for inbound or outbound shipments.
Source: KSA Customs Authority
UPDATE: 16.04.2020
KSA-UAE border opened briefly for 5 days including today allowing all vehicles access to enter KSA.
Source: Batha Clearing agents
UPDATE: 08.04.2020
Precautions taken regarding the movement of shipment in the land customs outlets:
a) The mechanism for controlling commercial traffic and the entry of the drivers of cargo trucks to the Kingdom and those who pass through them to other countries (INTRASIT), obligates the importers and transport companies to prepare and equip when transporting their goods at land ports by replacing the drivers or changing truck heads when transporting goods at land ports within a week from its date. The excluded items from this are the basic commodities, which include (food, medicine, and medical and relief supplies).
b) Saudi chamber requests all merchants, exporters, and carriers, the importance of relying on maritime and air transport, and that road transport be within the limits of extreme necessity.
Following process to be undertaken:-
a) The truck and its consignments are allowed to enter the Kingdom in which the importer or carrier insures another driver (employee or resident in the Kingdom) and the procedures for entering the truck and consignment are completed with the alternative driver. The procedures for returning the main truck driver to the country from which he came from are completed, and the driver’s exit movement is automatically recorded on foot in the NEBRAS system.
b) To enter the trailer that carries the consignment in which the importer or the carrier secures another truck head from inside the Kingdom to transport the consignment from the customs yard with its trailer and ends its customs procedures with the information of the truck head and the replacement driver and the main truck head and driver is returned to the country from which it was submitted with its departure from the Customs Security Department and returning the vehicle, along with the registration number and specifications of the replacement truck in the registration notes.
Below is mandatory to be followed:-
1) Trucks and consignments are waiting in the external yard of the customs order section, and the procedures for entering them are not completed until after the importer or the carrier has submitted a letter to the customs to ensure that he is ready and ready to replace the driver with another driver or replace the truck head.
2) Granting a specific deadline for waiting trucks and consignments in the external arena in the Customs Security Department, provided that the period does not exceed twenty-four hours from the date of the customs declaration in the country of destination. In the event that the deadline expires without the importer or carrier submitting the required letter, the truck and the consignment are returned to their source.
Source: Saudi Customs
UPDATE: 07.04.2020
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia imposed a 24 hour curfew in the capital city Riyadh and a number of cities effective immediately and until further notice. The cities under lockdown are Tabuk, Dammam, Dhahran, Al-Hofuf, Jeddah , Taif, Al-Qatif and Al-Khobar. Exit and Entry between cities is still under ban.
Source: Ministry of Interior, Saudi Arabia
UPDATE: 05.04.2020
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia changes curfew timings to start from 3Pm to 6am.
Source: Ministry of Interior, Saudi Arabia
UPDATE: 26.03.2020
KSA and UAE authorities have stopped issuing visa to drivers traveling from UAE to KSA or vice versa at border. Drivers needs to have valid visa on their passport and in case they do not have valid visa then drivers need to get their visa from the consulate of the origin country before dispatching.
Source: Council of Saudi Chamber- KSA
UPDATE: 23.03.2020
Regarding the entrance of trucks from Jordan to KSA, It will be limited to Saudi , Jordanian drivers and Drivers who have valid residence Visa and license valid in KSA.
Source: Council of Saudi Chamber- KSA
UPDATE: 23.03.2020
Truck drivers with cargo delivery to KSA should obtain Visas through KSA embassies or consulates in the countries they are coming from and same will not be issued at point of KSA access. Drivers will be given only 96 hours to transit KSA for final destination.
Source: Council of Saudi Chamber- KSA
UPDATE: 23.03.2020
Transit Truck drivers should obtain Visas through KSA embassies or consulates in the countries they are coming from and same will not be issued at point of KSA access. Drivers will be given only 96 hours to transit KSA for final destination.
Source: Council of Saudi Chamber- KSA
UPDATE: 23.03.2020
Truck drivers will be subject to inspection before passing the access and who are infected with Covid-19 shall be returned back and same will be done once exiting from the access.
Source: Council of Saudi Chamber- KSA
UPDATE: 23.03.2020
KSA announces necessary precautions for containment and prevention of Covid-19 from spreading by reducing the passing of transit trucks through the territorial access of KSA. KSA will only allow trucks holding basic goods such as food , Medicine and relief shipments to pass through.
Source: Council of Saudi Chamber- KSA
UPDATE: 28.05.2020
Source: Border Agent
UPDATE: 20.05.2020
Source: Border Agent
UPDATE: 14.05.2020
1. Beit Bridge Border (ZA-ZW): No significant delays at the border. Where supervision is to take place a slight delay may be encountered as trucks wait their turn. SARS BBR want to minimize physical contact therefore will only perform supervisions on rebated consignments. Drivers will be released on RCG manifest and CN2 only. It is very important that you ensure drivers and transporters keep the CN2 safe and return a copy of the acquittal (CN2) to our office.
2. Skilpadshnek & Groblersburg Border (ZA-BW): All trucks/drivers entering BW territory would need to comply with the below:
3. Kazangula & Livingstone Border (BW-ZM): Drivers are being escorted/convoyed to Lusaka after entering quarantine facility at the border. After getting tested, if found to be COVID-19 free, he/she are allowed to proceed. If they are positive the truck needs to be collected by another driver and the positive-tested driver goes into quarantine
4. Kasumbalesa Border (ZM-DRC): Queues are still present, due to delays in processing of clearances at the border. Clearing delays range between 3-5 days
5. Komatipoort Border (ZA-MZ): Queues extending several kilometers due to heavy police presence & roadblocks in response to reports of smuggling of cargo and people over the ZA-MZ border. Delays in the space of an estimated 15 hours
6. Chirundu Border (ZW-ZM): 10km queue now formed at the border as ZM Ministry of Health is enforcing proper health checks on all drivers/trucks crossing into ZM. Similar to the restrictions faced at Kazangula border.
Source: Border Agent
UPDATE: 05.05.2020
• Beit Bridge Border (ZA-ZW): No significant delays at the border. Where supervision is to take place a slight delay may be encountered as trucks wait their turn. SARS BBR want to minimize physical contact therefore will only perform supervisions on rebated consignments. Drivers will be released on RCG manifest and CN2 only. It is very important that you ensure drivers and transporters keep the CN2 safe and return a copy of the acquittal (CN2) to our office.
• Skilpadshnek & Groblersburg Border (ZA-BW): No significant delays at the Borders. Botswana will come out of a Hard Lockdown on 8th May, 2020
• Kazangula & Livingstone Border (BW-ZM): Drivers are being escorted/convoyed to Lusaka after entering quarantine facility at the border. After getting tested, if found to be COVID-19 free, he/she are allowed to proceed. If they are positive the truck needs to be collected by another driver and the positive-tested driver goes into quarantine
• Kasumbalesa Border (ZM-DRC): 19km queue from Chililabombwe (ZM) till Kasumbulesa. Current Transit time for this stretch is now 5 days
• Komatipoort Border (ZA-MZ): Operations continue to run smoothly with no significant delays
• Chirundu Border (ZW-ZM): Drivers are screened and allowed to transit with no unnecessary stops along the way.
Source: Border Agent
UPDATE: 28.04.2020
Groblersburg & Skilpadshnek Borders (ZA-BW): No significant delays at both borders as only essential cargo is being transported. All Sanitizers & other Medicaments require import Permits & ITAC permits to be allowed into Botswana
Chirundu Border (ZW-ZM): Drivers are being allowed to travel with no stops that are unnecessary. Please note that Kafue was declared a recent Hotspot for Covid19 and as such a localized ‘lockdown’ was put into effect. Trucks however are be able to transit through the town during this time. All drivers to ensure that they dont stop for anything in Kafue to avoid the risk of contact.
Source: Border Agent
UPDATE: 22.04.2020
Beit Bridge Border (ZA-ZW): All cargo is moving SA and ZW side with no delays Groblersburg
Border (ZA-BW): Shipments are moving smoothly. Screening of drivers ongoing, causing 6-7 hour delays at this point in time.
Skilpadshnek Border (ZA-BW): Shipments are moving smoothly. Screening of drivers ongoing, causing 6-7 hour delays at this point in time.
Kasumbalesa Border (ZM-DRC): Screening of all vehicles entering the border post, for delivery or transit into/through DRC. Immediate quarantine for all drivers suspected to be infected. Transit at the border averaging 4-6 days
Chirundu Border (ZW-ZM): Drivers are being allowed to travel with no stops that are unnecessary. Please note that Kafue was declared a recent Hotspot for Covid19 and as such a localized ‘lockdown’ was put into effect. Trucks however are be able to transit through the town during this time. ALL drivers to ensure that THEY DO NOT STOP for anything in Kafue to avoid the risk of contact.
Kazangula Border (BW-ZM):
Source: Government Sources
UPDATE: 29.03.2020
Zimbabwe Border: Our borders will remain open for commercial business. There is a border closer for human traffic except for returning residents who will be quarantined for fourteen days.
Source: Communication with Border Agents
UPDATE: 29.03.2020
Namibia Border: South African Borders, including Air Travel to remain open to serve as points of entry for Namibians returning home and exit point for visitors from Namibia, and to facilitate trade between the two countries.
A temporary travel suspension for 30 days for Namibians or Permanent Residents functionaries except for special cases with prior authorization with Ministry of Health and Social Services and Home Affairs and Immigration. Exceptional cases will include, persons seeking medical treatment, essential services like humanitarian assistance, truck drivers bringing food and other essential commodities, Namibians returning among others.
Source: Government Notification-South Africa & Namibia
UPDATE: 29.03.2020
Eswatini Border: Following the announcement by the South African Government of a lockdown, Government (Eswatini) advises that only goods and cargo as well as returning citizens and legal residents will be allowed through our borders. Non-essential travel between towns, cities and regions of the country is not permissible, except for medical reasons or to provide or acquire essential services. Transport of food and goods will be allowed.
Source: Government Notification-South Africa & Eswatini
UPDATE: 29.03.2020
Botswana Border: Border with Bostwana only open for essential commodities such as food,medical supplies, fuel and Agricultural supplies. Truck drivers in transit to other countries must be allowed in the country, however they will be subjected to specific quarantine protocols that would not hamper their transit.
Source: Government Notification-South Africa & Botswana
UPDATE: 25.03.2020
At 23:59 on Thursday 26 March 2020, South Africa will go on a nationwide lock-down with the exception of essential services. This is envisaged to last until 23:59 on Thursday 16 April 2020.
Source: Media Address by Honourable President Cyril Ramaphosa
UPDATE: 01.04.2020
Habur Border only allowing trailers to pass to IQ. Vehicles unloading by Iraqi drivers only allowed.
Source: Border Agent
UPDATE: 04.06.2020
Source: Uganda Forwarders Association, Presidential address on 1st June 2020
UPDATE: 21.05.2020
Mandatory testing of drivers entering Uganda – impacts transit time and supplier turnaround hence also reduced allocation of trucks from suppliers.
UPDATE: 05.04.2020
Dubai government announces 24 hour sterilisation drive in the Dubai from 04-April-2020 8:00 PM for 2 weeks with restricted cargo movements for only essential segments.
Source: Government of Dubai
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