Winter 2026/27
Winter driving rules in Europe
When winter tyres are compulsory, where studded tyres are allowed and when you need snow chains: the rules for cars in 29 European countries, each row with the sources it was read from.
Checked October 24, 2026. Rules change, and regions or road authorities can add their own. Before you travel, check the source linked in the row for your country. A rental car must meet the same rules as any other car in the country.
How to read the table
Each country's winter tyre rule is one of five kinds:
- Fixed period winter equipment (winter tyres, or summer tyres with chains where the law allows it) is required between two dates, whatever the weather.
- Weather conditions required whenever there is snow, ice or slush on the road, with no dates.
- Period + conditions a date window, inside which the rule applies in winter conditions (or, in some countries, on designated roads regardless of weather).
- Regional required only where road signs or local orders say so.
- No requirement no legal winter tyre requirement for cars.
Rules by country
| Country | Winter tyres | Studded tyres | Snow chains | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | Regional Albania has no general winter-tyre requirement. The road authority (national roads), county or municipality may order that vehicles be equipped with anti-skid devices or special tyres for snow and ice on a given road. | No official rule found | Anti-skid devices (chains) or special tyres are required only where the road authority orders them for snow and ice. | |
| Austria | Period + conditionsNovember 1 – April 15 From 1 November to 15 April, cars must have winter tyres on all wheels whenever there is snow, slush or ice on the road; if the road is fully or almost fully covered with snow or ice, snow chains on at least two drive wheels are an accepted alternative. | AllowedOctober 1 – May 31 Studded tyres are allowed from 1 October to 31 May on vehicles up to 3.5 t, on all wheels, with a studded-tyre sticker at the rear; speed limit 80 km/h on open roads and 100 km/h on motorways. | Chains on at least two drive wheels may replace winter tyres only on continuously snow- or ice-covered roads; there is no general duty for cars to carry chains, but chains are mandatory where the 'snow chains required' sign is posted. | |
| Belgium | No requirement Belgium has no winter-tyre requirement for cars. | AllowedNovember 1 – March 31 Studded tyres are banned in principle but permitted by ministerial order from 1 November to 31 March on vehicles up to 3.5 t, on all wheels, with a '60' speed disc on the rear and limits of 90 km/h on motorways and dual carriageways and 60 km/h on other roads. | Snow chains may only be used when there is snow or ice on the road. | |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | Fixed periodNovember 1 – April 1 From 1 November to 1 April, every car must carry winter equipment regardless of weather, and must use it when there is snow or ice on the road; winter equipment means winter tyres on all wheels, or winter tyres on the driven wheels plus snow chains, or summer tyres with at least 4 mm tread on all wheels plus snow chains. | No official rule found | Chains (or other traction devices for at least two driven wheels) must be carried from 1 November to 1 April unless the car has winter tyres on all wheels; outside that period they may be fitted only when winter conditions prevail. | |
| Croatia | Period + conditionsNovember 15 – April 15 On any road covered with snow or ice, cars without winter equipment may not drive; in addition, from 15 November to 15 April winter equipment is mandatory regardless of weather on designated 'winter sections' (including motorways A1-A6 and listed state roads). For cars, winter equipment means winter tyres on all wheels, or summer tyres with at least 4 mm tread on all wheels plus snow chains (or approved traction devices) for the driven wheels. | Banned Studded tyres may not be fitted to motor vehicles. | A car on summer tyres (at least 4 mm tread) counts as winter-equipped only if it carries snow chains or approved traction devices for the driven wheels; chains and devices must be type-approved. | |
| Czechia | Period + conditionsNovember 1 – March 31 From 1 November to 31 March, cars must have winter tyres on all wheels whenever there is a continuous layer of snow, ice or frost on the road, or when such conditions can be expected during the trip; on roads marked with the 'Zimní výbava' (winter equipment) sign C 15a, this applies regardless of date and weather. | Banned Studded tyres are banned for all vehicles except emergency medical services, including vehicles in international traffic. | Chains are mandatory on at least two driven wheels where sign C 5a 'Sněhové řetězy' is posted (not required for vehicles on studded tyres); maximum speed with chains is 50 km/h. Carrying chains is not generally required. | |
| Foreign-registered cars: The studded-tyre ban explicitly also applies to vehicles in international traffic, i.e. foreign-registered cars. | ||||
| Denmark | No requirement Denmark has no legal requirement to use winter tyres on cars. | AllowedNovember 1 – April 15 Studded tyres are allowed only from 1 November to 15 April, and only if all wheels of the car (and any trailer) have them. | No official rule found | |
| Finland | Period + conditionsNovember 1 – March 31 From 1 November to 31 March, cars must have winter tyres with at least 3.0 mm tread whenever weather or road conditions require it; non-studded winter tyres must carry the three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) symbol. | AllowedNovember 1 – March 31 Studded tyres are allowed from 1 November to the end of March, and at other times when weather or road conditions require them; on a car they must be fitted on all wheels. | Snow chains and similar anti-skid devices are permitted if they do not significantly damage the road surface; the law sets no duty for cars to carry them. | |
| Foreign-registered cars: Traficom states that cars registered abroad must also follow the Finnish winter-tyre rules. | ||||
| France | RegionalNovember 1 – March 31 From 1 November to 31 March, in mountain communes listed by prefectoral order in 34 departments (Loi Montagne zones, signposted at entry and exit), cars must either have 4 winter tyres marked 3PMSF or carry snow chains or snow socks for at least two drive wheels; elsewhere in France there is no winter tyre obligation. | Allowed Studded tyres are allowed from the Saturday before 11 November to the last Sunday of March (prefects may change the dates), with a speed limit of 90 km/h for cars and a stud disc on the rear; cars on studded tyres are exempt from the Loi Montagne equipment duty. | In the Loi Montagne zones from 1 November to 31 March, a car without 3PMSF winter tyres must carry chains or snow socks for two drive wheels; chains may also be made mandatory by road signs. | |
| Germany | Weather conditions There is no fixed date: whenever there is black ice, snow, slush, ice or frost on the road, all wheels must have winter or all-season tyres with the Alpine symbol (3PMSF); M+S-only tyres no longer count since 1 October 2024. | Banned Studded tyres are generally banned for cars in Germany (only narrow exceptions near the Austrian border). | Chains are mandatory where sign 268 ('snow chains required') is posted; there is no general duty to carry them. | |
| Greece | RegionalOctober 1 – April 30 Greece has no general winter-tyre requirement. From October to April, when police or civil protection order it for a road or region because of snow or ice, vehicles must carry anti-skid chains (or equivalent, e.g. snow socks) unless fitted with special winter tyres (alpine symbol and M+S). | No official rule found | Chains (or equivalent anti-skid devices) are mandatory only in areas covered by an authority decision, October to April. They must be kept accessible in the vehicle and fitted on both driving wheels. Rental companies must supply them on the renter's request, noted in the rental contract. | |
| Hungary | No requirement Hungary has no general legal winter-tyre requirement for cars; the general minimum tread depth of 1.6 mm applies. | No official rule found | Where the 'Hólánc használata kötelező' sign is posted, tyres on at least one driven axle must be fitted with snow chains; if this sign is placed at a border crossing, a vehicle may enter Hungary only if it carries chains for at least one driven axle. | |
| Foreign-registered cars: If the snow-chain sign is posted at a road border crossing, only vehicles carrying chains for at least one driven axle may enter Hungary. | ||||
| Iceland | Weather conditions Iceland has no fixed winter-tyre date; when there is snow or ice on the road, the car must have snow chains or other grip equipment such as winter-pattern tyres, and from 1 November to 14 April its tyres must have at least 3.0 mm tread. | AllowedNovember 1 – April 14 Studded tyres (and chains) may not be used from 15 April to 31 October unless driving conditions require them. | Chains are one of the accepted options when there is snow or ice on the road, and may not be used from 15 April to 31 October unless conditions require it, nor where they risk damaging the road; there is no duty to carry them. | |
| Ireland | No requirement Ireland has no winter-tyre requirement for cars, and fitting them is also not prohibited. | No official rule found | No official rule found | |
| Italy | RegionalNovember 15 – April 15 There is no nationwide rule: road owners (ANAS, motorway operators, regions, provinces, municipalities) can require, by ordinance and road signs, that vehicles have winter tyres fitted or snow chains on board; the standard window is 15 November to 15 April, but local ordinances may start earlier, end later or not apply at all, and on signed sections the duty applies even without snow. | Allowed Studded tyres are allowed only on vehicles up to 3.5 t gross weight and subject to restrictive conditions. | On roads where an ordinance and signs require winter equipment, a car without winter tyres must carry chains on board; drivers who comply with neither may be stopped from continuing. | |
| Luxembourg | Weather conditions There is no fixed date: whenever there are winter conditions (black ice, packed snow, slush, ice or frost patches), all wheels must have winter or all-weather tyres marked M+S (M.S, M&S) or with the Alpine symbol; this applies to all cars regardless of country of registration. | No official rule found | No official rule found | |
| Foreign-registered cars: The rule applies to all drivers regardless of the vehicle's country of registration. | ||||
| Montenegro | Period + conditionsNovember 15 – April 1 From 15 November to 1 April, cars must have winter tyres on all wheels when there is snowfall or snow, ice or black ice on the road, with at least 4 mm tread. On roads named in a ministry order, winter tyres can be required regardless of conditions. | No official rule found | No official rule found | |
| Netherlands | No requirement The Netherlands has no winter-tyre requirement for cars. | Banned Studded tyres may not be used in the Netherlands. | Snow chains may not be used on Dutch public roads; only exceptional, individual cases are allowed after contacting the road authority. | |
| Norway | Weather conditions Norway has no fixed winter-tyre date for cars; when road conditions require it, the car must have winter tyres (studded or not), chains or similar, and from 1 November to the first Sunday after Easter Monday (16 October to 30 April in Nordland, Troms and Finnmark) all tyres must have at least 3 mm tread. | Allowed Studded tyres are allowed from 1 November to the first Sunday after Easter Monday (4 April in 2027), and from 16 October to 30 April in Nordland, Troms and Finnmark; outside these dates only if road conditions require them, and then on all wheels. | Chains or similar are one of the accepted ways to get enough grip when conditions require it; the official guidance for cars sets no general duty to carry chains (that duty applies to vehicles over 3,500 kg). | |
| Poland | No requirement Poland has no legal winter-tyre requirement for cars; the general minimum tread depth of 1.6 mm applies all year. | Banned Tyres with permanently fitted anti-skid elements (studs) are banned on public roads, except for approved winter rallies. | Snow chains may be used only on snow-covered roads; where sign C-18 is posted, chains are mandatory on at least two driven wheels. Carrying chains is not required. | |
| Portugal | No requirement Portugal has no winter-tyre requirement for cars. | No official rule found | Where sign D9 ('obligation to use snow chains') is posted, vehicles may only proceed with snow chains fitted on two driving wheels; sign H5 only recommends chains. | |
| Romania | Weather conditions There is no fixed date: cars driven on public roads covered with snow, ice or sleet must be fitted with winter tyres. | No official rule found | For cars, chains are not an alternative to winter tyres; only trucks over 3.5 t and buses with more than 9 seats may use certified chains or other anti-skid devices on the driven axle instead of winter tyres. | |
| Serbia | Period + conditionsNovember 1 – April 1 From 1 November to 1 April, cars must have winter equipment when there is snow, ice or black ice on the road: winter tyres on all wheels plus snow chains (or other traction devices) for at least two driven wheels; chains are not required inside built-up areas. | Banned Studded tyres may not be fitted to vehicles. | Chains for at least two driven wheels are part of the mandatory winter equipment (not required inside built-up areas); they may be fitted only on snow-covered roads unless the 'lanci za sneg' sign is posted. | |
| Slovakia | Weather conditions Whenever there is a continuous layer of snow, ice or frost on the road, cars must have winter tyres on all axles, and the driver must fit them in advance if such conditions can be expected on the route for the time of year; there is no fixed date window for cars. | Banned Studded tyres are banned for all vehicles except emergency medical services. | Where the 'Snehové reťaze' sign (No. 251) is posted, chains or an equivalent device are mandatory on the wheels of at least one driven axle. Carrying chains is not generally required. | |
| Slovenia | Fixed periodNovember 15 – March 15 From 15 November to 15 March, and at any other time when there are winter conditions (snow sticking to the road, snow-covered or icy road), cars must have winter tyres on all wheels or summer tyres plus suitable snow chains carried for the drive wheels; in the defined coastal area, summer tyres with at least 3 mm tread count as winter equipment. | Banned Studded tyres are banned. | A car on summer tyres must carry suitably sized snow chains (or equivalent devices) for the drive wheels during the winter period or in winter conditions. | |
| Spain | Regional There is no general winter-tyre requirement in Spain; it applies only where signs or winter restrictions say so: past sign R-412 you may not continue without snow chains (or other authorised anti-skid devices) or winter tyres with the Alpine symbol (3PMSF) on all axles, and past the new sign R-412b (added in 2025) you may not continue without such winter tyres. Since 30 May 2026, tyres marked only M+S no longer count. | No official rule found | Chains are mandatory only where sign R-412 (or a variable message sign saying chains or winter tyres are mandatory) is posted; winter tyres with the Alpine symbol (3PMSF) on all axles are accepted instead of chains under R-412. In the DGT 'red' snow level, cars may only run with chains or special tyres, at 30 km/h maximum. | |
| Sweden | Period + conditionsDecember 1 – March 31 From 1 December to 31 March, cars must have winter tyres or equivalent equipment whenever there are winter road conditions (snow, ice, slush or frost on any part of the road); the police on site decide whether such conditions apply. | AllowedOctober 1 – April 15 Studded tyres are allowed from 1 October to 15 April, and outside that period when winter road conditions exist or are expected; studded and non-studded tyres may not be mixed on a car. | There is no duty to carry chains; under Transportstyrelsen's general advice, suitable anti-skid devices such as snow chains count as equipment equivalent to winter tyres. | |
| Switzerland | No requirement Switzerland has no legal winter tyre requirement, but drivers must keep their vehicle fit for the road conditions; driving on snow with an inadequately equipped car that obstructs traffic can be fined. | Allowed Studded tyres are allowed only in the winter season on light vehicles, with an '80' speed sign at the rear and a top speed of 80 km/h; they are banned on motorways and expressways except the Gotthard (A2) and San Bernardino (A13) tunnel routes. | Where the 'snow chains compulsory' sign (2.48) is posted, chains must be fitted on at least two drive wheels of the same axle; there is no general duty to carry chains. | |
| United Kingdom | No requirement Great Britain has no winter-tyre requirement; tyres must only be suitable for the use and have at least 1.6 mm tread on cars all year round. | No official rule found | Chains are never mandatory. Police advise fitting them only on roads with a covering of compacted snow or ice, because they can damage clear roads. | |
Using this data
Free to use in articles, reports and videos. Please name Roadcut and link to this page: it is re-checked when the rules change, a copy is not.
Source: Roadcut, roadcutco.com
Our compilation is published under CC BY 4.0. The laws and official texts it summarises remain under their sources’ own terms.
Where the rules come from
Every row links the sources it rests on: laws, government agencies and police first, automobile clubs where they confirm a detail. Where no official rule was found, the table says so instead of guessing. The table covers cars; vans, trucks and buses can have different rules.