New in EU - category B licence will soon allow you to drive heavier motorhomes of up to 4.5t

Publication date

4 April 2025

Category

Info

Statistics

New rules on driving licences have been in the works for several years within the EU, and at the end of March this year the European Parliament and the Council of the EU agreed on some changes, including a new regulation about driving heavier motorhomes with a category B driving licence.

Last year, there was a lot of talk about changing the regulations about driving licences within the EU. Due to the European elections in June, everything was delayed until March this year, when an agreement was reached between all the stakeholders.

The new rules still need to be formally adopted within the EU Parliament and the EU Council, and after that all the countries will be given four years to implement them in their national legislation.

The new rules include digital driving licences, which could be presented in a mobile phone version, an EU-wide scheme which would allow 17-year-old drivers to drive under adult supervision, lower age limits for driving buses and lorries, and stricter driving rules for novice drivers.

​Changes about driving motorhomes with a maximum permissible weight of up to 4.25t

For several years, there has been a discussion between motorhome manufacturers, automobile clubs and users to allow category B driving licence holders to drive heavier motorhomes with a maximum permissible mass (weight + load capacity) of 4.25t.

The weight of a motorhome can quickly exceed the maximum permissible weight of 3.5t, due to all the necessary equipment as well as new safety and ecological requirements, and it was therefore encouraged to raise this limit to 4.25t.

It seems that the time is now right, as a similar request has been made by drivers of electric and emergency vehicles too, as they face a similar problem, since the vehicles have become heavier in recent years due to batteries and additional equipment.

The new EU Directive about driving licenses mentions these categories of vehicles - ambulances, alternative fuel vehicles and motorhomes with a GVW of up to 4.25 t could now be driven with a category B licence, but at least for motorhomes, some training or tests will have to be passed beforehand. The system for this training or tests for heavier motorhomes will be determined by each country individually, but will not be required for alternative fuel vehicles drivers who have held a licence for at least 2 years.

Many therefore believe that the changes about driving heavier motorhomes could be put into practice sometime before 2028.

In the next few years, we can expect to see increasing sales of motorhomes that are based on stronger chassis, which will also officially allow a maximum weight of up to 4.25t.

However, for existing motorhomes, the GVW limit of up to 3.5 t, which is stated in the type-approval of the motorhome, will still apply. It is possible that, by making certain technical modifications, e.g. new stronger springs or obtaining the relevant document from the motorhome manufacturer, you may subsequently modify the type-approval for your vehicle to increase the GVW limit of the motorhome to 4.25t.

It is also not yet clear whether there will be a change of categories for vignettes and road toll systems within EU countries. Most countries that have toll vignettes require vehicles with a GVW over 3.5 t to use the electronic toll system that otherwise applies to trucks and buses.

Under the current rules, you would need to buy a DarsGO electronic toll card to drive a motorhome with a GVW of up to 4.25t on Slovenian motorways, or a Go-Maut in Austria. The one-way toll on the Ljubljana - Izola route would cost €17.20 for a motorhome with a EURO 6 engine. In Croatia, however, the rules say that only vehicles with two axles and over 1.9m in height, and not exceeding 3.5t GVM, fall in the toll class 2. All heavier vehicles fall into the toll class 3. However, the differences in prices are significant, e.g. the toll for class 2 vehicles from Zagreb to Zadar costs €28.20, and for the class 3 it costs €37.

We will keep an eye on future developments and the way Slovenia will implement this change regarding driving licenses and additional training for driving heavier motorhomes.