For man & van drivers
List free, own the customer, drive your own EU work
A straight-talking briefing for UK man-and-van operators running UK to EU removals. No commission, no lead fees, no bidding against four other drivers for the same job.
Last reviewed July 2026. Rules change - always confirm on the official pages linked in each section.
TL;DR
- We are a free directory. You list, the customer enquires, you reply direct and keep the relationship. No commission, no per-lead credits, no cut of the job.
- Lead-sellers work the other way: Bark sells the same enquiry to up to 5 operators on paid credits; Shiply and AnyVan take a cut of the job.
- Cross-border removals for hire or reward with a 2.5-3.5t van need a STANDARD INTERNATIONAL operator licence (in force since 21 May 2022). A restricted or national licence will not do.
- A UK Licence for the Community covers ordinary loaded UK-to-EU runs. You do not need an ECMT permit for a basic there-and-back. Watch cabotage: usually 1 job, done within 7 days.
- Household moves need the paperwork: EORI, a CMR note, and Transfer of Residence (ToR) relief approved before the goods arrive. CMR insurance does NOT cover furniture removals - get goods-in-transit cover.
- From 1 July 2026, 2.5-3.5t vans on international hire-or-reward work need a smart (Gen2 V2) tachograph - but that alone does not trigger Driver CPC.
01 Why list here instead of buying leads
We are a free UK-to-EU directory. Drivers list for free. There is no commission, no lead fee, no per-job cut. A customer finds you, enquires, and you respond directly - you own the relationship and any repeat or referral work that follows. Compare that with how the lead platforms actually charge:
- Bark: pay-per-lead credits, not commission. You buy credits (about £1.20+VAT each, cheaper in bulk) and spend them to unlock a customer's contact details. You keep 100% of the job value - but the same enquiry is sold to up to 5 operators at once, so several pay and only one wins. A removal lead runs a variable number of credits (Bark's guidance suggests roughly 5-20, i.e. about £9-£40+VAT).
- Shiply: no sign-up or subscription fee, but a commission when your quote is accepted, added on top of your price. Third-party reviews put the effective rate around 10-15% (the tiered percentages are not published, so treat that as indicative).
- AnyVan: a marketplace cut of each completed job, no monthly membership. It does not publish the driver's share, so any specific percentage is unverified.
- Backloading is the real prize on EU runs: sell the otherwise-empty return leg by carrying a second load back instead of running home empty. A directory that lets customers reach you directly makes that easier to fill without paying to bid.
Check the official guidance
02 The operator licence reality for 2.5-3.5t vans
This is the one that catches new cross-border operators. Since 21 May 2022, a UK business using a van (or car+trailer) with a maximum authorised mass over 2.5t and up to 3.5t to carry goods for hire or reward on international journeys must hold a standard international goods vehicle operator licence. It applies to journeys to, from or through the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, including the Republic of Ireland. A restricted or standard national licence is NOT enough. Confirm your position on the official page before you take EU work.
- You must appoint a professionally competent transport manager holding a Transport Manager CPC valid for INTERNATIONAL operations (national-only will not do).
- Good repute is assessed on convictions and fixed-penalty notices from the previous 5 years.
- Financial standing must be held for the whole life of the licence, not paid once. For a fleet of only light goods vehicles (2.5-3.5t) the reduced amounts are £1,600 for the first vehicle and £800 for each additional vehicle.
- Out of scope: 2.5-3.5t vans used only domestically within the UK, and own-account use where you carry your own goods (e.g. a tradesperson's own tools). The legal test is 'hire or reward'. Vehicles at or below 2.5t MAM are also outside this international regime.
03 Market access, permits and cabotage
For the removals most operators do - take a load from the UK to an EU country and come back - a UK Licence for the Community covers the loaded outbound run and the return. You do NOT need an ECMT permit for that basic bilateral movement. Where operators trip up is the extra jobs they pick up while over there. The limits are strict, so plan the trip and check the official guidance.
- After dropping off goods you brought from the UK, you may do up to 2 more haulage jobs before returning - and at most 1 of those may be cabotage (a domestic job within one EU country).
- That cabotage job must be in the SAME EU country where you dropped off, and completed within 7 days of the drop-off. The other job can be cross-trade.
- An ECMT permit adds one more cross-trade job (3 in total instead of 2). ECMT permits apply to vehicles of 3.5t or more.
- Island of Ireland exception: a Northern Ireland-registered operator travelling from NI may do up to 2 cabotage jobs in the Republic of Ireland (both within 7 days). This is the only enhanced cabotage allowance for UK operators.
- Own-account transport (only your own business's goods) does not need a UK Licence for the Community, but still follows the same cabotage/cross-trade limits and must be declared on the EU (IMI/posting) portal before you move goods between two points in the EU.
04 Customs and documents for household moves
Cross-border removals live or die on paperwork. Get the customer's reliefs approved before the goods move, and carry the right documents in the cab. Everything below should be confirmed on the official GOV.UK pages - the rules and codes change.
- Transfer of Residence (ToR) relief waives customs duty AND the 20% import VAT on genuine household effects when someone moves their normal home to GB or NI. Apply on form ToR1; HMRC must approve it BEFORE the goods arrive and issues a Unique Reference Number (URN) that goes on the customs declaration (with CPC 40 00 C01).
- ToR conditions include: lived outside the UK 12+ consecutive months, owned and used the goods 6+ months, imported within 12 months of arriving, and not sold/lent/transferred within 12 months of import. Alcohol, tobacco, commercial transport and non-portable professional instruments are excluded.
- A GB EORI number (starting 'GB') is needed to move goods commercially between GB and the EU. A private individual moving only their own personal, non-controlled belongings does not need one. If you cannot hold an EORI yourself, appoint a customs agent who does.
- Carry a CMR international consignment note - the standard road-carriage document - in at least 3 signed originals (sender, goods/consignee, carrier), covering the parties, pickup and delivery, and a goods description with packages and gross weight.
- Some items are banned or restricted from personal import regardless of ToR (e.g. certain furs, exotic leather, some wooden musical instruments, some medicines; ivory under the Ivory Act 2018 + CITES). CITES items must move through a designated CITES port. Exclude or specially document them.
05 Vehicle and driver checklist
The good news: driving a UK van in the EU is simpler than the licensing side. But get the insurance right, because a common assumption is wrong for removals. Confirm each item on the official page before you travel.
- Insurance: CMR cover does NOT apply to furniture removals - the CMR Convention excludes them, and CMR policies typically exclude furniture and personal-effects moves. For household loads you need goods-in-transit / removals liability insurance, and you must confirm it extends outside the UK.
- Green card: not required to drive a UK-registered van in the EU/EEA (and several listed countries) since 2 August 2021. Your UK insurance automatically gives minimum third-party cover abroad - confirm your policy extends to foreign use for comprehensive cover.
- UK identifier: you must display it abroad. A UK sticker is needed unless your plate shows the UK identifier with the Union flag. Spain, Cyprus and Malta always require a UK sticker. Ireland needs no sticker.
- Driving licence: a full UK photocard licence is recognised in the EU - no International Driving Permit needed for most drivers. A Category B licence covers vans up to 3.5t.
- Tachograph (new): from 1 July 2026, 2.5-3.5t vans on international hire-or-reward transport or cabotage in the EU must have a smart Gen2 V2 tachograph, and the driver must record driving, breaks and rest. Purely domestic UK journeys are not covered. This does NOT by itself trigger a Driver CPC requirement for a Category B driver.
Check the official guidance
Straight answers
Is it really free to list, and what's the catch?+
Yes. Drivers list for free, with no commission, no lead fees and no cut of the job. The customer enquires and you respond directly, so you own the relationship. It works the opposite way to lead-sellers like Bark (paid credits per lead, same enquiry sold to up to 5 operators), Shiply (a commission on accepted quotes) or AnyVan (a cut of each completed job).
Do I really need an operator licence for a 3.5t van going to the EU?+
If you carry goods for hire or reward on international journeys with a van over 2.5t and up to 3.5t, yes - a standard international goods vehicle operator licence, in force since 21 May 2022. A restricted or national licence is not sufficient. Domestic-only use and own-account use (your own goods) are out of scope. Confirm your exact position on GOV.UK.
Do I need an ECMT permit for a normal UK-to-EU removal and back?+
No. A UK Licence for the Community covers the loaded outbound delivery and the return, so no ECMT permit is needed for that basic bilateral run. You would only look at an ECMT permit to add an extra cross-trade job while abroad.
How many jobs can I pick up in the EU before heading home?+
After dropping off the goods you brought from the UK: up to 2 more haulage jobs, of which at most 1 can be cabotage. That cabotage job must be in the same EU country as the drop-off and done within 7 days. An ECMT permit adds one more cross-trade job (3 total). Northern Ireland operators get 2 cabotage jobs in the Republic of Ireland.
Does my CMR insurance cover furniture removals?+
No. The CMR Convention expressly excludes furniture removals, and CMR insurance policies typically exclude furniture and personal-effects moves. For household loads you need goods-in-transit / removals liability insurance covering the customer's belongings - and you must confirm the policy extends to journeys outside the UK.
What changes on 1 July 2026 for vans?+
From that date, 2.5-3.5t vans used for international transport of goods or cabotage for hire or reward within the EU must be fitted with a smart Gen2 V2 tachograph, and the driver must record driving, breaks and rest. Purely domestic UK journeys are not covered, and this does not by itself require Driver CPC for a Category B driver.
Ready when you are
List your service, keep 100% of every job, and let customers come to you. Free, no commission, no lead fees.
This page is general information for UK operators, not legal or customs advice. Requirements change and depend on your exact operation - always confirm with the official GOV.UK and EU sources linked above.