Winter · Studded tyres
Studded Tyres in Europe: Where They Are Banned, and the Dates Where They Are Allowed
Verdict
A car on studs from Sweden or Norway can cross Denmark only from 1 November, and should not enter Germany, the Netherlands or Poland on them at all.
Studs are a seasonal choice at home, but each country you drive through sets its own rule, and none of the bans below publishes an exemption for foreign plates. For a trip south in autumn, good non-studded winter tyres are the tyres that work everywhere.
| Country | Studded tyres | When, and how fast | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Not published | – | European Consumer Centre Germany, 2026 |
| France | Allowed on set dates | From the Saturday before 11 November to the last Sunday of March (prefects can vary). Speed: 90 km/h for cars and light vans | French government overview (undated) |
| Germany | Banned | banned on all roads | French government overview (undated) |
| Austria | Allowed on set dates | 1 October to 31 May (banned June-September). Speed: 100 km/h motorways, 80 km/h other roads outside towns. no ban; 100 km/h limit | the country's own government |
| Switzerland | Allowed on set dates | 1 November to 30 April (cantons may extend). Speed: 80 km/h. Banned on motorways and expressways, except A13 Thusis-Mesocco (San Bernardino) and A2 Goeschenen-Airolo (Gotthard) | French government overview (undated) |
| Italy | Allowed on set dates | 15 November to 15 March. Speed: 90 km/h; 120 km/h on motorways. no ban; 120 km/h | French government overview (undated) |
| Spain | Allowed | – | French government overview (undated) |
| Belgium | Not published | – | European Consumer Centre Germany, 2026 |
| Netherlands | Banned | banned on all roads | the country's own government |
| Poland | Banned | banned on all public roads | the country's own government |
| Czechia | Banned | banned on all roads | European Consumer Centre Germany, 2026 |
| Slovakia | Not published | – | European Consumer Centre Germany, 2026 |
| Slovenia | Banned | banned on all roads | European Consumer Centre Germany, 2026 |
| Hungary | Banned | banned on all public roads | European Consumer Centre Germany, 2026 |
| Portugal | Not published | – | European Consumer Centre Germany, 2026 |
| Croatia | Not published | – | European Consumer Centre Germany, 2026 |
| Denmark | Allowed on set dates | 1 November to 15 April (banned 16 April - 31 October) | the country's own government |
| Sweden | Allowed on set dates | 1 October to 15 April; also outside that window when there is or may be winter road conditions. No national motorway ban; local bans on some streets where only friction tyres are allowed | the country's own government |
| Norway | Allowed on set dates | Rest of Norway: 1 November to the first Sunday after Easter (Monday). Nordland, Troms and Finnmark: 16 October to 30 April. Allowed outside the dates when conditions demand. | the country's own government |
| Romania | Allowed | – | European Consumer Centre Germany, 2026 |
| Bulgaria | Banned | banned on all roads | European Consumer Centre Germany, 2026 |
| Greece | Not published | – | European Consumer Centre Germany, 2026 |
| Ireland | Not published | – | European Consumer Centre Germany, 2026 |
Where a row's source is an overview rather than the country's own rule, treat it as a strong hint and check before you go. Winter tyres without studs are a separate rule: winter tyres country by country.