Posting of drivers is what happens when a driver employed by a company established in one EU country works temporarily in another member state. For that period the driver is entitled to the host country’s pay and working conditions. In road transport the rules are the sector-specific ones in Directive (EU) 2020/1057, part of the EU Mobility Package, which member states have applied since 2 February 2022.
When a driver is posted, and when not
The directive looks at the type of operation, not the distance driven.
- Bilateral transport is not posting: goods leaving the country of establishment for another country, or coming back from one. The exemption still holds with one extra loading or unloading in the countries crossed, or two when both legs are bilateral and the outbound leg had none.
- Transit without loading or unloading is not posting.
- Cabotage is always posting.
- Cross-trade, meaning a haul between two countries other than the country of establishment, is posting.
How the declaration works
Before the posting starts, the operator files a declaration through the Internal Market Information system (IMI), on the Commission’s road transport posting portal. It is one declaration per driver and per host country, covering a period from one day to six months, not one per trip. On board, the driver carries a copy of the declaration, evidence of the transport operation and the tachograph records; the employment contract and payslips are sent afterwards, and only if the host country asks for them.
A missing declaration is penalised under the host country’s rules. For the operational side, including vans, see the guide to driving times, posting and cabotage.
FAQ
Is a trip from Italy to Germany a posting?
Not if it is bilateral: goods loaded in Italy and delivered in Germany, or the other way round. It becomes a posting if the driver then does cabotage in Germany or carries on with a haul between two foreign countries.
Does posting apply to vans too?
From 1 July 2026, yes, for vehicles over 2.5 t in international transport or cabotage for hire and reward. The Commission ties the posting rules to vehicles subject to Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 on driving and rest times, which from that date covers vans in that weight band too.