Driving to Italy from the UK means Italian rules on arrival and other countries' rules on the way. Italy asks for the vehicle papers and your licence, a warning triangle, high-visibility vests kept inside the car, dipped headlights outside built-up areas, and it sets 130 km/h on motorways, 110 on main roads, 90 on others and 50 in towns. You may also meet a ZTL camera, a Tutor average speed check and a toll plaza. The Italian automobile club ACI, the Polizia di Stato and the UK government set most of it out, and this guide uses them as read on 17 October 2026. It is a summary, not legal advice.
Papers for driving to Italy: licence, sticker and insurance
The ACI's guide for foreign tourists, dated June 2026, lists what a driver from outside the EU keeps in the car: the vehicle registration certificate, the national driving licence, an international driving permit or a certified Italian translation of the licence, third-party insurance issued in an EU country, and a sticker with the country's international distinguishing sign. A driver from outside the EU should ask the insurer before leaving whether a green card or a temporary border policy is needed. A foreign-registered vehicle may be driven in Italy for a maximum of one year.
On the permit, the sources differ. The UK government's Italy travel advice (FCDO, modified 2 October 2026) says a UK photocard licence can be used and a paper licence may need updating or the correct IDP, and the GOV.UK permit table (updated 29 January 2025) says no IDP is needed with a UK photocard licence. The ACI guide (June 2026) lists an IDP or a certified Italian translation for every licence from outside the EU, with no separate line for the UK, and names two IDP types: 1949, valid for 1 year, and 1968, valid for 3 years. This guide does not settle the difference. GOV.UK adds that hire companies often ask for more, including an IDP, so check with your hire firm and insurer.
Equipment and lights
The ACI guide gives these points:
- Warning triangle. Compulsory, placed at least 50 metres behind a stopped vehicle where the road allows it.
- High-visibility vest. Worn when you step out outside built-up areas at night, and in daytime in poor visibility, including in lay-bys. The vests must stay in the passenger compartment, not the boot, and carry the CE mark.
- Seat belts and children. Belts for everyone. Children under 1.50 m need a suitable restraint.
- Lights. Parking lights and dipped headlights outside built-up areas and in tunnels. In towns they are required from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise and in poor visibility. Daytime running lights can replace dipped headlights in good visibility, but not in tunnels.
Speed limits and the Tutor
| Road | Limit | In bad weather |
|---|---|---|
| Motorway | 130 km/h | 110 km/h |
| Main road outside built-up areas | 110 km/h | 90 km/h |
| Secondary and local roads outside built-up areas | 90 km/h | not stated |
| Built-up areas | 50 km/h | not stated |
Signs override the table. The ACI adds that operators may sign up to 150 km/h on some three-lane motorway sections, and some urban roads up to 70 km/h. Motorhomes, vehicles with trailers and novice drivers have other limits: novice drivers may not exceed 100 km/h on motorways. Speed is monitored by cameras and by the Tutor, which compares your average speed between two points with the limit for that stretch.
Fines for foreign drivers
A foreign driver faces the same penalties as an Italian, the ACI says. If an officer stops you for an offence you may pay a fine reduced by 30 percent and receive a receipt. If you do not pay in full on the spot, the officer may ask for a deposit: half of the maximum fine, or the minimum fine for a vehicle registered in an EU or EEA country. Without it the vehicle cannot continue and can be seized for up to 60 days. Italy also records infringements by foreign drivers and applies the penalty points system: 20 penalty points built up within one year bring a two-year ban from driving in Italy.
Restricted traffic zones
GOV.UK says you need a pass to drive into the historic centre of many Italian cities, and that the edge is usually marked ZTL in black on a yellow background; hire companies can usually sell a pass. The ACI describes the signs as a white circle with a red border showing the hours of the ban, and says a camera photographs the plate on each entry and exit, with a fine sent to the owner of an unauthorised vehicle. GOV.UK also mentions a congestion charge in Milan city centre and traffic limits in Rome's green band.
Winter equipment
The Polizia di Stato says that from 15 November to 15 April, where the road owner orders it and signs show the stretches, vehicles must carry snow chains or have winter tyres fitted. The duty holds even without snow, local dates differ, and in parts of the south it is not applied. A car without them can be told not to continue.
Tolls
Italian motorways generally charge, by vehicle type and distance, paid at the booth in cash or by card, according to the ACI. Foreigners can ask for Telepass with a SEPA bank account, or with a credit or debit card through the Telepass Pay app. If you lose the ticket, the toll is worked out from the farthest entry point. How the toll is worked out, the classes and an unpaid toll have their own guide.
Three ways in from the north
| Route | What it adds before you reach Italy |
|---|---|
| Through France | French tolls, covered in French tolls and how to pay |
| Through Switzerland | A vignette on motorways: GOV.UK says you must buy and display it (Switzerland vignette); the Swiss rules are in driving in Switzerland |
| Through Austria | ASFINAG says the vignette is compulsory on motorways and expressways for cars up to 3.5 tonnes, the A12 Inntal motorway included; the A13 Brenner motorway has its own toll instead, a single route ticket of 12.50 euros including VAT in 2026 (Austria vignette) |
What BlitzBuddy does
In Italy BlitzBuddy gives no speed camera warnings. BlitzBuddy is free, with no ads and no subscription. It is available for iPhone; the Android version is coming soon. Other guides on tolls and rules abroad are under driving abroad.
Sources
- Driving safely for foreign tourists in Italy, Automobile Club d'Italia (pdf, June 2026)
- Italy travel advice: Safety and security, GOV.UK
- Driving abroad: Check if you need an international driving permit (IDP), GOV.UK
- Dal 15 novembre scatta l'obbligo degli pneumatici invernali, Polizia di Stato (6 November 2023, in Italian)
- Vignette, ASFINAG
- Section toll, ASFINAG
- Switzerland travel advice: Safety and security, GOV.UK
Sources read on 17 October 2026 and checked again the same day.
Frequently asked questions
Do UK drivers need an international driving permit in Italy?
The sources differ. The UK government (GOV.UK, advice of 2 October 2026) says a UK photocard licence is enough and a paper licence may need an IDP. The Automobile Club d'Italia guide of June 2026 lists, for non-EU licences, an IDP or a certified Italian translation. Ask your hire company or insurer before you go.
What are the speed limits in Italy?
Unless signs say otherwise: 130 km/h on motorways (110 in bad weather), 110 km/h on main roads outside built-up areas, 90 km/h on secondary roads and 50 km/h in built-up areas, according to the Italian automobile club.
What is a ZTL in Italy?
A restricted traffic zone, mostly in historic centres. Cameras photograph the plate on entry and exit, and a fine goes to the owner of an unauthorised vehicle. GOV.UK says hire firms can sell a pass for many cities.
Can a foreign driver pay a speeding fine on the spot in Italy?
Yes. According to the Italian automobile club, a foreign driver stopped by an officer may pay a fine reduced by 30 percent and gets a receipt. If it is not paid in full, a deposit can be required, and the vehicle can be blocked until the fine is paid.
Do I need winter tyres or chains in Italy?
Where road owners order it, and signs show the stretches, from 15 November to 15 April as a general rule. The Polizia di Stato says the duty applies even without snow, and chains in the boot are an alternative to winter tyres.
