Vans abroad after 1 July 2026, with every document in place
Since 1 July 2026, vans over 2.5 t carrying goods internationally or in cabotage fall under the EU driving and rest time rules, and so need tachographs. Bus Gotowy checks what applies to your firm and sorts the licence, tachograph, driver cards, driver returns and IMI declarations. It is done once, with a written plan.
Updated
- A clear answer for each van: whether the rules apply, what you have, what is missing and in which order to fix it.
- Licence, tachograph and cards: the documents for each application, what to agree with the workshop, and how to download tachograph and card data.
- A record of driver returns every 4 weeks, your IMI portal account and first declarations, and carrier statements for forwarders.
Tachographs must be installed and used in vehicles registered in a Member State that carry passengers or goods and to which Regulation 561/2006 applies (Regulation 165/2014, Article 3(1)).
Source: eur-lex.europa.euSince 21 May 2022, operators running 2.5–3.5 t vehicles internationally must meet the requirements for access to the occupation. Financial standing is EUR 1,800 for the first vehicle and EUR 900 for each additional one (Regulation 2020/1055).
Source: eur-lex.europa.euThe van is no longer tachograph-free, and firms find out at a roadside check
For years a van up to 3.5 t was the simplest way into international transport: no licence, no tachograph, no driving-time records like a truck. The Mobility Package changed that step by step: IMI posting declarations in February 2022, the licence in May 2022, and driving and rest time rules with tachographs from 1 July 2026.
For a small firm with one or a few vans, that is several authorities, portals and deadlines at once. You need a licence with financial standing, a tachograph in the van, driver and company cards, regular data downloads and planned driver returns, plus an IMI declaration for every cabotage and cross-trade job. A forwarder may ask for proof before booking you, because a principal who knew or should have known about a missing IMI declaration can be fined too.
Most carriers do not need a permanent adviser for this. They need one proper clean-up: what applies to my firm, what I have, what is missing, and how to run it myself afterwards.
Without it
- Doing it yourself: The regulations, the IMI portal and the forms are free. That works if you have time to read the regulations and handle…
- IMI declaration services and law firms: They handle ongoing posting declarations, usually on a subscription priced case by case. Good for frequent cabotage.…
- Tachograph analysis software: For example Tachogram, whose business plan is EUR 3.99 per active driver per month, less if paid in advance (checked 7…
With Bus Gotowy
- A clear answer for each van: whether the rules apply, what you have, what is missing and in which order to fix it.
- Licence, tachograph and cards: the documents for each application, what to agree with the workshop, and how to download tachograph and card data.
- A record of driver returns every 4 weeks, your IMI portal account and first declarations, and carrier statements for forwarders.
- Does it apply to you
- Licence and financial standing
How it works
- 1
Check for 49 zł
Fill in a 5-minute form: vans, weights, routes, licence, drivers. Within one business day we tell you whether the rules apply and which plan makes sense.
- 2
List of gaps
After you order, you get a list of what you have, what is missing and the order to fix it in, with the documents for each application and the deadlines.
- 3
Video call and set-up
On a one-hour video call we set up your IMI portal account together, file the first declaration and agree how you download tachograph and card data. You stay logged in yourself.
- 4
Everything in writing
Within 3 business days of the call you get the plan, a driver-return record template, a driving-rules sheet for drivers and statements for forwarders.
Features
Does it apply to you
We check each van: maximum mass with trailer, type of work (domestic, bilateral, cabotage, cross-trade) and whether it is carriage for hire or reward.
Licence and financial standing
The documents for a new or extended licence, your financial standing (EUR 1,800 for the first vehicle, EUR 900 for each additional one) and the transport manager rules.
Tachograph and cards
What to agree with an authorised workshop before fitting, applications for driver and company cards, and a download schedule. We do not fit tachographs ourselves.
Driving rules for drivers
One page in Polish for each driver: driving limits, breaks, rest periods, no regular weekly rest in the vehicle, and entries when crossing a border.
Driver return every 4 weeks
A template for the driver-return record that the rules require you to keep and show at a check, with a worked example for your routes.
IMI declarations
Your company account on postingdeclaration.eu, driver details and the first declaration on the video call, plus how to renew before the 6-month limit.
Forwarder pack
Ready carrier statements and the document list forwarders ask for before booking: licence, IMI declarations, tachograph confirmation.
A look inside
What you get: the working view and the delivery report.
Illustration of the layout, built from this page's own feature list. It shows no real results.
Who it's for
One-person firms with one van
You drive to Germany, the Netherlands or France yourself. You get one list of things to sort and templates you run yourself afterwards.
Small van fleets
Several vans and drivers. You get a plan for the whole fleet, a driver-return record and one download routine for everyone.
Firms starting international work
Until now you only drove in Poland. We check what you need before your first job abroad, before you sign the order.
Works with
- Posting declaration portal (postingdeclaration.eu, IMI system)
- EU Login
- Licence and tachograph card applications
- DDD files from tachographs and driver cards
- Card readers and tachograph analysis software
- Excel and Google Sheets
- PDF for printing and sending to forwarders
Pricing
One-time net prices, paid once. The check costs 49 zł net and is credited in full against a plan ordered within 30 days. No subscription. Official fees, tachograph fitting at the workshop and cards are paid directly where you arrange them. We found no firm publishing a price for a one-time Mobility Package set-up for vans when we checked on 7 November 2026. Founding customer pricing applies to early-access orders.
Orders are subject to the Bus Gotowy terms.
Check
49 zł one-time
Whether the rules cover your vans and where to start
- 5-minute online form
- Answer within 1 business day
- List of topics: licence, tachograph, IMI
- Recommended plan, or confirmation you need none
- The 49 zł is credited in full against Van or Fleet if you order within 30 days
Van
249 zł one-time
1–2 vans and up to 3 drivers
- List of gaps with application documents
- One-hour video call: IMI and data downloads
- Driving-rules sheet for drivers
- 4-week driver-return record template
- Statements for forwarders
- Email questions for 30 days
Fleet
690 zł one-time
Up to 10 vans and 15 drivers
- Everything in Van
- A plan for each van and driver
- Fleet data-download schedule
- Online training for drivers (1 hour)
- Email questions for 60 days
Compared with the alternatives
- Doing it yourself
- The regulations, the IMI portal and the forms are free. That works if you have time to read the regulations and handle each topic separately.
- IMI declaration services and law firms
- They handle ongoing posting declarations, usually on a subscription priced case by case. Good for frequent cabotage. They usually do not cover the licence, tachograph or driver returns.
- Tachograph analysis software
- For example Tachogram, whose business plan is EUR 3.99 per active driver per month, less if paid in advance (checked 7 November 2026). Useful day to day once the tachograph is running. Bus Gotowy prepares the start.
- Transport advisers and law firms
- Best for roadside checks, fines and disputes. For sorting the documents of one or a few vans, they usually cost more than a fixed price.
What changed
- From 1 July 2026, Regulation 561/2006 on driving and rest times covers goods carried in international or cabotage operations by vehicles over 2.5 t maximum permissible mass, including with a trailer (Regulation 2020/1054, Article 1(1); checked 7 November 2026). Source: eur-lex.europa.eu
- Tachographs must be installed and used in vehicles registered in a Member State that carry passengers or goods and to which Regulation 561/2006 applies (Regulation 165/2014, Article 3(1)). Source: eur-lex.europa.eu
- Since 21 May 2022, operators running 2.5–3.5 t vehicles internationally must meet the requirements for access to the occupation. Financial standing is EUR 1,800 for the first vehicle and EUR 900 for each additional one (Regulation 2020/1055). Source: eur-lex.europa.eu
- Operators must organise work so drivers can return to the operational centre or their home within each period of four consecutive weeks. They must also document how they meet this and show it at a check (Regulation 2020/1054, Article 8(8a) of Regulation 561/2006). Source: eur-lex.europa.eu
From order to complete pack
Work starts within 2 business days of your confirmation, and you get the full pack within 7 business days.
- Day 1: form and check.
- Day 2: list of gaps and video call booked.
- Day 3–4: video call: IMI, data downloads, questions.
- Day 5–7: the full pack in writing.
Security and data
- We never store EU Login or portal passwords. You always log in yourself, including on the video call.
- Form data and documents are stored encrypted on EU servers and deleted 90 days after delivery, or sooner on request.
- Driver data is used only to prepare your documents and is never passed to anyone else.
Questions
Does a van used only in Poland need a tachograph?
The change of 1 July 2026 covers international and cabotage work by vehicles over 2.5 t. Non-commercial own-account carriage in a 2.5–3.5 t vehicle is exempt where driving is not the driver's main activity. If your vans only drive domestically, the 49 zł check tells you whether anything still applies.
What about returning the van to base every 8 weeks?
The EU Court of Justice annulled that obligation in October 2024. It upheld the driver's return every 4 weeks and the ban on regular weekly rest in the vehicle, and those two are built into the plan.
When do I need an IMI declaration?
For cabotage and cross-trade, not for bilateral or transit journeys. Each declaration covers one driver and one country and lasts up to 6 months.
Do you fit the tachograph or file applications for me?
No. An authorised workshop fits the tachograph and you file the applications. We prepare the documents and the list, and go through the IMI portal with you on the video call.
How long does it take?
The list of gaps is ready within 2 business days of ordering, and the full pack within 3 business days of the video call. Licence, card and workshop times depend on the authority and the workshop.
Is this legal advice?
No. Bus Gotowy is a document and procedure set-up service, not legal advice. For roadside checks, fines or disputes, contact a lawyer or the Road Transport Inspectorate (ITD).
Sort the van once, before a roadside check does it for you
A 49 zł check, then licence, tachograph, driver returns and IMI set up with a written plan. From 249 zł net, once.
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