Method
Aggregate, not mirror
official source per row
Coverage
14 of 14
all tracked markets sourced
Checked
Jul 2026
confirm before travel
Range
3.5 t – 6,000 kg
car-licence ceiling, EU/UK → NZ
What licence a camper van needs, worldwide
Every market in this table draws its own line between 'ordinary car licence' and 'you need something extra' — and the line moves by a factor of nearly 2, from 3.5 t (most of Europe, UK) to 6,000 kg (New Zealand). The US figure most often quoted (26,000 lb) is real but is a commercial-driving threshold, not a private-motorhome one. The nine more European markets this Beacon tracks (France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland, Austria) all run the same harmonised 3.5 t / 7.5 t EU split in outline — but the exemptions that let a driver skip the C1 licence do NOT harmonise: France and Germany grandfather older licences (by two very different cut-off dates), the Netherlands and Portugal instead exempt by vehicle fuel type or by driver age/experience, and for Spain, Italy and Belgium this research found no such exemption at all. Switzerland's and Austria's rules on this specific point could not be confirmed and are flagged rather than guessed.
How this is compiled
Aggregate, never mirror. Every threshold is quoted from the licensing authority itself, with the qualifier that actually governs it (private use vs. commercial use, GVWR vs. GVM vs. GLW vs. MAM).
Official licensing-authority source per rowPrivate-use vs. commercial-use distinction kept explicitChecked Jul 202614 of 14 tracked markets sourced — national exemption/grandfather rules never assumed to be EU-wide
Explore Europe by country
Tap a country for its van rules at a glance — then drill into the full guide. Coloured by how restrictive its low-emission zones are for a diesel van.
Lax / no LEZ Sticker · Euro 4–5 Strict · Euro 6
Car licence onlyExtra licence neededCommercial threshold
| Country | On a car licence | Next tier up | Key threshold | Catch | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US United States | Any privately used motorhome, regardless of weight, under federal rules | State non-commercial Class A/B licences exist in some states for heavy RVs — verify per state | 26,001 lb (11,794 kg) GVWR/GCWR triggers a CDL, but only for vehicles used IN COMMERCE. Combination rule also needs a towed unit over 10,000 lb | FMCSA: drivers of vehicles used strictly for non-business purposes do not need a CDL unless the state of licensure requires it. The 26,000 lb figure is real but almost always quoted without the commerce limiter | ecfr.gov ↗ |
| CA Canada | Ontario: RV up to 11,000 kg on a full Class G (or E/F) | Ontario: RV endorsement ('T') to 14,000 kg; Class D with RV restriction ('Q') for any weight above that | 11,000 kg gross or registered gross weight (O. Reg. 340/94); towed vehicles not over 4,600 kg | Rules changed 1 July 2025. The Class D RV road test must be taken in an RV over 14,000 kg, after the online RV Learning Module. Licensing is provincial — do not apply Ontario's numbers elsewhere | ontario.ca ↗ |
| AU Australia | Class C covers a vehicle up to 4.5 tonnes GVM carrying no more than 12 adults including the driver | LR (light rigid) for over 4.5 t up to 8 t GVM; MR (medium rigid) for over 8 t on 2 axles | 4.5 t GVM — the lowest car-licence ceiling of the four non-EU markets. Towed trailer max 9 t GVM | Licence classes are identical in every state and territory, but they are issued by each state. LR eligibility normally requires 12 months on a car licence | qld.gov.au ↗ |
| NZ New Zealand | Full Class 1: motorhome up to 6,000 kg GLW. Learner/restricted (1L/1R): up to 6,000 kg GLW but on-road weight 4,500 kg or less | Class 2 for rigid vehicles 6,001–18,000 kg GLW; Class 4 above 18,000 kg | 6,000 kg GLW — the most generous car-licence ceiling of the four non-EU markets | A full overseas car licence is treated as a full Class 1 (up to 6,000 kg). From 1 November 2026 the overseas-licence window drops from 18 months to 12 months from last arrival. RUC applies over 3,500 kg | nzta.govt.nz ↗ |
| UK United Kingdom | Category B: motorhome/van up to 3,500 kg (3.5 t) MAM | Category C1: up to 7,500 kg (7.5 t) MAM; Category C: any weight | 3,500 kg (3.5 t) MAM — the lowest car-licence ceiling of the five markets profiled here | MAM (Maximum Authorised Mass) is the UK term for GVW/GVWR used elsewhere in this table | gov.uk / DVLA ↗ |
| FR France | Permis B : camping-car jusqu'à 3 500 kg de PTAC (9 places maximum, conducteur compris) | Permis C1 : de 3 500 à 7 500 kg de PTAC | 3 500 kg de Poids Total Autorisé en Charge (PTAC) — au-delà, le C1 est obligatoire sauf mention 79 | Exception d'ancienneté : la mention 79 (arrêté du 15 juillet 2009) autorise les titulaires d'un permis B obtenu avant le 20 janvier 1975 — et non 1997 — à conduire un camping-car dont le PTAC dépasse 3,5 t, sans C1. Non extensible aux permis plus récents (confirmé par réponse ministérielle à l'Assemblée nationale). Le permis B96 (formation de 7h) porte à 4 250 kg le PTAC de l'ensemble tracteur + remorque, pas le PTAC solo du camping-car. | service-public.gouv.fr ↗ |
| DE Germany | Klasse B: Wohnmobil bis 3.500 kg zulässiges Gesamtgewicht (zGG) | Klasse C1: über 3.500 kg bis 7.500 kg zGG | 3.500 kg zulässiges Gesamtgewicht (zGG) — Grenze zwischen B und C1 | Bestandsschutz: die alte Führerscheinklasse 3 (erteilt vor dem 1. Januar 1999, dem Stichtag der EU-Buchstabenreform) berechtigt weiterhin zum Führen von Wohnmobilen bis 7,5 t sowie von Gespannen bis 18,7 t — nach dem 50. Geburtstag sinkt das zulässige Gespanngewicht ohne separate CE79-Erweiterung auf 12 t. | kba.de (Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt) ↗ |
| ES Spain | Permiso B: autocaravana hasta 3.500 kg de Masa Máxima Autorizada (MMA), máximo 9 plazas | Permiso C1 (o C1-97 no profesional): de 3.500 a 7.500 kg de MMA | 3.500 kg de Masa Máxima Autorizada (MMA) | No se ha localizado ninguna excepción por antigüedad del permiso B (a diferencia de Francia o Alemania): el límite de 3.500 kg aplica con independencia de la fecha de obtención del carnet. Desde 2014 existe el permiso C1-97, versión simplificada del C1 pensada específicamente para autocaravanas de uso no profesional (examen teórico reducido a 10 preguntas, sin materia de tacógrafo). | dgt.es ↗ |
| IT Italy | Patente B: camper fino a 3.500 kg di massa complessiva a pieno carico (9 posti massimo) | Patente C1 (o C1-97 non professionale): da 3.500 a 7.500 kg | 3.500 kg di massa massima autorizzata | Nessuna deroga per anzianità di patente risulta dalla ricerca effettuata (a differenza di Germania o Francia): il limite di 3.500 kg vale indipendentemente dalla data della patente B. Dal 2013/2014 esiste la patente C1-97, versione semplificata pensata per i camper a uso non professionale (esame teorico ridotto, senza materie sul cronotachigrafo). | mit.gov.it (Ministero delle Infrastrutture e dei Trasporti) ↗ |
| NL Netherlands | Rijbewijs B: camper tot 3.500 kg toegestane maximum massa (TMM) | Rijbewijs C1: 3.500–7.500 kg TMM | 3.500 kg toegestane maximum massa (TMM) | Geen historische vrijstelling voor een ouder rijbewijs gevonden. Wel een nieuwe (sinds 1 juli 2025) vrijstelling: rijbewijs B geeft recht tot 4.250 kg als het voertuig alternatief is aangedreven (elektrisch, LPG, waterstof, CNG/LNG — dus niet puur benzine/diesel), de houder minimaal 2 jaar rijbewijs B heeft, zonder aanhanger, en alleen binnen Nederland. | rdw.nl ↗ |
| BE Belgium | Categorie B: camper tot 3.500 kg maximaal toegelaten massa (MTM), maximaal 8 passagiers | Categorie C1: 3.500–7.500 kg MTM | 3.500 kg maximaal toegelaten massa (MTM) | Geen vrijstelling gevonden voor de 3.500 kg-drempel van het voertuig zelf op basis van rijbewijsleeftijd. De enige gedocumenteerde 'oud rijbewijs'-uitzondering betreft aanhangwagens: categorie B behaald vóór 1 januari 1989 is automatisch geldig voor categorie BE, niet voor een zwaarder solovoertuig. | mobilit.belgium.be ↗ |
| CH Switzerland | Kategorie B: Wohnmobil bis 3.500 kg Gesamtgewicht (höchstens 8 Sitzplätze ausser Führersitz) | Kategorie C1: über 3.500 kg bis 7.500 kg Gesamtgewicht | 3.500 kg zulässiges Gesamtgewicht | Not established — check official source | fedlex.admin.ch (VZV, SR 741.51) ↗ |
| AT Austria | Klasse B: Kraftwagen bis 3.500 kg höchstzulässiger Gesamtmasse (max. 8 Sitzplätze ausser Lenkerplatz) | Klasse C1: mehr als 3.500 kg bis 7.500 kg höchstzulässiger Gesamtmasse | 3.500 kg höchstzulässige Gesamtmasse | Not established — check official source | oesterreich.gv.at ↗ |
| PT Portugal | Categoria B: autocaravana até 3.500 kg de massa máxima autorizada (até 9 lugares, incluindo o condutor) | Categoria C1: superior a 3.500 kg e até 7.500 kg | 3.500 kg de massa máxima autorizada — acima disso, e até 4.250 kg, aplica-se a exceção recreativa (ver nota) | Portugal não usa um corte por data de emissão da carta, mas uma exceção por idade/experiência: o Decreto-Lei n.º 40/2016 permite a condutores da categoria B com mais de 21 anos e pelo menos 3 anos de habilitação conduzir veículos até 4.250 kg destinados exclusivamente a fins de recreio ou sociais (não comerciais, até 9 passageiros), sem necessidade da categoria C1. | diariodarepublica.pt (Decreto-Lei n.º 40/2016) ↗ |
showing 14 / 14
Sources
What this page is based on — every source is verified and links out so you can check it yourself.
- Verified / official
- Provisional
- Out of date
- eCFR — 49 CFR §383.5, CDL definitions (US)
- Ontario.ca — Driving a recreational vehicle (Canada)
- Queensland Government — Driver licensing types (Australia)
- NZTA Waka Kotahi — Licences by vehicle type (New Zealand)
- gov.uk — Convert your vehicle into a motorhome (DVLA, UK)
- Service-public.fr — Quels permis de conduire selon la catégorie du véhicule (France)
- Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt — Fahrerlaubnisklassen vor dem 1.1.1999 (Germany)
- DGT — Clases de permisos de conducir (Spain)
- Ministero delle Infrastrutture e dei Trasporti — Conseguimento patente C1-C (Italy)
- RDW — Voertuigen t/m 4.250 kg met rijbewijs B besturen (Netherlands)
- SPF Mobilité et Transports — Camions (catégorie C, C1, CE, C1E) (Belgium)
- Fedlex — Verordnung über die Zulassung von Personen und Fahrzeugen (VZV, SR 741.51) (Switzerland)
- oesterreich.gv.at — Führerscheinklassen (Austria)
- Diário da República — Decreto-Lei n.º 40/2016 (Portugal)