Driving rules · Drink-drive limits

Drink-Drive Limits in Europe: 23 Countries Side by Side

Checked 12 October 2026 against each country's law or the EU's Your Europe pages · skynomad

Verdict

Most of Europe stops at 0.5 g/l. Czechia, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia allow nothing at all.

Norway, Poland and Sweden stop at 0.2. England, Wales and Northern Ireland are the most lenient at 0.8, while Scotland is 0.5. New drivers face a lower limit in most countries, and zero in Germany, Italy, Croatia and Slovenia. I'd simply not drink at all on a driving day.

Limits are in grams of alcohol per litre of blood (g/l), the same figure as mg/ml or ‰ (per mille). A value appears here only as the official page states it, and the source is under each country. In the zero countries, any alcohol in your blood is an offence.

Drink-drive limits by country, lowest first
Country	Ordinary drivers	New drivers	Professional drivers
Czechia	Zero	Zero	Zero
Hungary	Zero	Zero	Zero
Romania	Zero	Zero	Zero
Slovakia	Zero	Zero	Zero
Norway	0.2 g/l	0.2 g/l	0.2 g/l, and no alcohol at work or in the 8 hours before
Poland	Under 0.2 g/l	Under 0.2 g/l	Under 0.2 g/l
Sweden	0.2 g/l	0.2 g/l	0.2 g/l
Austria	Under 0.5 g/l	0.1 g/l with less than 3 years' experience	0.1 g/l
Belgium	0.5 g/l	0.5 g/l	0.2 g/l
Bulgaria	0.5 g/l	0.5 g/l	0.5 g/l
Croatia	0.5 g/l	Zero	Zero
Denmark	0.5 g/l	0.2 g/l in the first 3 years after a first car licence, since 1 July 2025	0.5 g/l
France	0.5 g/l	0.2 g/l in the first 3 years (2 years after accompanied driving)	0.5 g/l; 0.2 g/l for bus and coach drivers
Germany	0.5 g/l (0.25 mg/l of breath); from 0.3 g/l if your driving is impaired	Zero during the probation period and under 21	Zero for professional and dangerous-goods drivers
Greece	0.5 g/l	0.2 g/l	0.2 g/l (also motorcycle and moped riders)
Ireland	0.5 g/l (50 mg per 100 ml of blood, 22 µg per 100 ml of breath)	0.2 g/l for learner permit holders and in the first 2 years of a first licence	0.2 g/l for lorry and bus licence holders driving those vehicles, and taxi drivers at work
Italy	0.5 g/l	Zero	Zero
Netherlands	0.5 g/l	0.2 g/l with less than 5 years' driving experience	0.5 g/l
Portugal	0.5 g/l	0.2 g/l	0.2 g/l
Slovenia	0.5 g/kg of blood (0.24 mg/l of breath)	Zero	Zero
Spain	0.5 g/l	0.3 g/l for 2 years after the licence	0.3 g/l
Switzerland	0.5 g/l	0.1 g/l on a probationary licence	0.1 g/l (lorries, buses, dangerous goods)
United Kingdom	0.8 g/l (80 mg per 100 ml of blood, 35 µg per 100 ml of breath); Scotland 0.5 g/l (50 mg, 22 µg)	Not listed separately on GOV.UK	Not listed separately on GOV.UK

Country by country

Drink-drive limit in Czechia

Ordinary drivers: Zero
New drivers: Zero
Professional drivers: Zero

Driving in Czechia: everything else →

Source: Your Europe: Road rules and safety, Czechia (last checked 18/09/2024)

Drink-drive limit in Hungary

Ordinary drivers: Zero
New drivers: Zero
Professional drivers: Zero

Driving in Hungary: everything else →

Source: Your Europe: Road rules and safety, Hungary (last checked 18/09/2024)

Drink-drive limit in Romania

Ordinary drivers: Zero
New drivers: Zero
Professional drivers: Zero

Driving in Romania: everything else →

Source: Your Europe: Road rules and safety, Romania (last checked 18/09/2024)

Drink-drive limit in Slovakia

Ordinary drivers: Zero
New drivers: Zero
Professional drivers: Zero

Driving in Slovakia: everything else →

Source: Your Europe: Road rules and safety, Slovakia (last checked 18/09/2024)

Drink-drive limit in Norway

Ordinary drivers: 0.2 g/l
New drivers: 0.2 g/l
Professional drivers: 0.2 g/l, and no alcohol at work or in the 8 hours before

Driving in Norway: everything else →

Source: Your Europe: Road rules and safety, Norway (last checked 18/09/2024)

Drink-drive limit in Poland

Ordinary drivers: Under 0.2 g/l
New drivers: Under 0.2 g/l
Professional drivers: Under 0.2 g/l

Driving in Poland: everything else →

Source: Your Europe: Road rules and safety, Poland (last checked 18/09/2024)

Drink-drive limit in Sweden

Ordinary drivers: 0.2 g/l
New drivers: 0.2 g/l
Professional drivers: 0.2 g/l

Driving in Sweden: everything else →

Source: Your Europe: Road rules and safety, Sweden (last checked 18/09/2024)

Drink-drive limit in Austria

Ordinary drivers: Under 0.5 g/l
New drivers: 0.1 g/l with less than 3 years' experience
Professional drivers: 0.1 g/l

Watch out: From 0.8 g/l the licence is withdrawn.

Driving in Austria: everything else →

Source: Your Europe: Road rules and safety, Austria (last checked 29/10/2024)

Drink-drive limit in Belgium

Ordinary drivers: 0.5 g/l
New drivers: 0.5 g/l
Professional drivers: 0.2 g/l

Driving in Belgium: everything else →

Source: Your Europe: Road rules and safety, Belgium (last checked 18/09/2024)

Drink-drive limit in Bulgaria

Ordinary drivers: 0.5 g/l
New drivers: 0.5 g/l
Professional drivers: 0.5 g/l

Driving in Bulgaria: everything else →

Source: Your Europe: Road rules and safety, Bulgaria (last checked 18/09/2024)

Drink-drive limit in Croatia

Ordinary drivers: 0.5 g/l
New drivers: Zero
Professional drivers: Zero

Driving in Croatia: everything else →

Source: Your Europe: Road rules and safety, Croatia (last checked 18/09/2024)

Drink-drive limit in Denmark

Ordinary drivers: 0.5 g/l
New drivers: 0.2 g/l in the first 3 years after a first car licence, since 1 July 2025
Professional drivers: 0.5 g/l

Watch out: The new-driver limit is from the 2025 act; the Your Europe page (last checked 24/04/2025) has not caught up and still shows 0.5.

Driving in Denmark: everything else →

Source: Retsinformation: Act no. 567 of 27 May 2025 amending the Road Traffic Act · Your Europe: Road rules and safety, Denmark (last checked 24/04/2025)

Drink-drive limit in France

Ordinary drivers: 0.5 g/l
New drivers: 0.2 g/l in the first 3 years (2 years after accompanied driving)
Professional drivers: 0.5 g/l; 0.2 g/l for bus and coach drivers

Driving in France: everything else →

Source: Your Europe: Road rules and safety, France (last checked 18/09/2024)

Drink-drive limit in Germany

Ordinary drivers: 0.5 g/l (0.25 mg/l of breath); from 0.3 g/l if your driving is impaired
New drivers: Zero during the probation period and under 21
Professional drivers: Zero for professional and dangerous-goods drivers

Watch out: From 1.1 g/l it is a crime even without impaired driving.

Driving in Germany: everything else →

Source: Your Europe: Road rules and safety, Germany (last checked 01/07/2025)

Drink-drive limit in Greece

Ordinary drivers: 0.5 g/l
New drivers: 0.2 g/l
Professional drivers: 0.2 g/l (also motorcycle and moped riders)

Driving in Greece: everything else →

Source: Your Europe: Road rules and safety, Greece (last checked 01/10/2026)

Drink-drive limit in Ireland

Ordinary drivers: 0.5 g/l (50 mg per 100 ml of blood, 22 µg per 100 ml of breath)
New drivers: 0.2 g/l for learner permit holders and in the first 2 years of a first licence
Professional drivers: 0.2 g/l for lorry and bus licence holders driving those vehicles, and taxi drivers at work

Driving in Britain and Ireland: everything else →

Source: Irish Statute Book: Road Traffic Act 2010, section 4 · Irish Statute Book: Road Traffic Act 2010, section 3 (who is a 'specified person')

Drink-drive limit in Italy

Ordinary drivers: 0.5 g/l
New drivers: Zero
Professional drivers: Zero

Driving in Italy: everything else →

Source: Your Europe: Road rules and safety, Italy (last checked 18/09/2024)

Drink-drive limit in the Netherlands

Ordinary drivers: 0.5 g/l
New drivers: 0.2 g/l with less than 5 years' driving experience
Professional drivers: 0.5 g/l

Driving in the Netherlands: everything else →

Source: Your Europe: Road rules and safety, Netherlands (last checked 18/09/2024)

Drink-drive limit in Portugal

Ordinary drivers: 0.5 g/l
New drivers: 0.2 g/l
Professional drivers: 0.2 g/l

Driving in Portugal: everything else →

Source: Your Europe: Road rules and safety, Portugal (last checked 18/09/2024)

Drink-drive limit in Slovenia

Ordinary drivers: 0.5 g/kg of blood (0.24 mg/l of breath)
New drivers: Zero
Professional drivers: Zero

Driving in Slovenia: everything else →

Source: Your Europe: Road rules and safety, Slovenia (last checked 18/09/2024)

Drink-drive limit in Spain

Ordinary drivers: 0.5 g/l
New drivers: 0.3 g/l for 2 years after the licence
Professional drivers: 0.3 g/l

Watch out: Drivers under 18: zero.

Driving in Spain: everything else →

Source: Your Europe: Road rules and safety, Spain (last checked 01/10/2026)

Drink-drive limit in Switzerland

Ordinary drivers: 0.5 g/l
New drivers: 0.1 g/l on a probationary licence
Professional drivers: 0.1 g/l (lorries, buses, dangerous goods)

Driving in Switzerland: everything else →

Source: Your Europe: Road rules and safety, Switzerland (last checked 18/09/2024)

Drink-drive limit in the United Kingdom

Ordinary drivers: 0.8 g/l (80 mg per 100 ml of blood, 35 µg per 100 ml of breath); Scotland 0.5 g/l (50 mg, 22 µg)
New drivers: Not listed separately on GOV.UK
Professional drivers: Not listed separately on GOV.UK

Watch out: Scotland is stricter than England, Wales and Northern Ireland.