From today, UK drivers will have to pay 1. 1.50 for a new ‘UK’ sticker and abandon the old UK sticker when traveling in the European Union – or be fined.
The change is that those with older GB number plates will have to order newer versions with the UK logo on the left.
Another option is to buy a new UK sticker, which can cost from 1. 1.50 to 4 at Halfords, Post Office, online or garages.
Under the old rules, if the British did not have a license plate with these initials under the Union Jack, they would have to affix a GB sticker to their car before moving to another country.
Drivers believe the new shake-up is part of a series of post-Brexit laws designed to make Northern Ireland more inclusive.
Halfords had previously warned that if you did not display the correct license plate or UK sticker, you would be denied access to the destination of your choice.
However, any penalties for failing to comply with the new rules will depend on the specific country, meaning that the consequences for drivers will vary across Europe.
If the UK identifier with Union Jack is included on your license plate, you do not need to display a UK sticker.
Drivers who need to affix the UK sticker to their vehicle must clearly display it on the back of the car.
This applies if you have one of the following on your license plate: 1 GB identifier with Union flag; Euro symbol; National flag of England, Scotland or Wales; Numbers and letters only – No flag or identifier.
If you have a GB sticker, the guidelines state that you must cover or remove it before driving outside the UK.
The guidelines on the Gov.uk website say: “If you are in Spain, Cyprus or Malta, you must display the UK sticker on whatever is on your license plate.
“You do not need a sticker or a UK license plate to drive in Ireland,” the website says.
The rule comes months after the government announced it would have a new UK license plate.
On January 31, the first anniversary of Brexit, Transport Secretary Grant Shops introduced the new design.
The Union Jack flag had the letters “GB” on it.
Shops tweeted: ‘Thanks to the new license plate with the Union flag and GB, the British can drive across the continent without GB stickers. “
The UK license plates previously had a GB symbol under the European Star Cluster.
Welsh and Scottish drivers can still go abroad with license plates bearing the Welsh or Scottish flag, but only if they have a GB sticker on them.
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