Scooter and moped rental abroad: can you ride a 125 cc on a car licence? (2026)
Of the 4 countries whose official rule we could read (last checked on 31 October 2026), a car licence covers a 125 cc scooter only under conditions in France, Spain and Germany and not at all in Greece (UK government advice for UK licences); a moped is covered by a car licence in France, Spain and Germany but not in Greece (UK government advice for UK licences); for 13 more countries we could not read an official rule yet.
Licence rules for scooters differ from country to country and can change, and rental companies may ask for more than the law. We quote the official texts word for word, with the date we read them; this is information, not legal advice. Check with the rental company and the official page before you ride.
Every country we could read
“Yes”, “No” and “Only with conditions” are our short summary of the official text; each country page quotes it word for word, with our translation, the link and the date. “Not stated” means the official text we read says nothing about that case.
| Country | Moped (up to 50 cc) | Scooter or light motorcycle up to 125 cc | Bigger than 125 cc | Official source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | Yes | Only with conditions | No | Service-Public.fr | 31 October 2026 |
| Spain | Yes | Only with conditions | No | BOE · GOV.UK | 31 October 2026 |
| Germany | Yes | Only with conditions | No | Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung (FeV), § 6 · Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung (FeV), § 6b | 31 October 2026 |
| Greece UK government advice for UK licences | No | No | No | GOV.UK | 31 October 2026 |
Travel insurance and scooters
Riding without the licence category the law asks for can also leave you without insurance cover. The UK government puts it this way in its travel advice for Thailand:
Many travel insurance policies expect you to hold the correct UK licence for the type of car, motorbike or scooter you intend to drive abroad. This means that if you wouldn’t be legally permitted to drive it in the UK, your insurer may not cover you for driving it in Thailand.
Source: GOV.UK: Thailand travel advice (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (GOV.UK), page updated on 12 October 2026), checked on 31 October 2026. Quoted word for word.
Read your policy before you ride.
Questions
Can I ride a 125cc in France with a car licence?
Only under two conditions. The official page says: “You can ride a light motorcycle with a B licence if you meet the following 2 conditions: you have held the B licence for at least 2 years; you have taken a 7-hour practical training course.” (our translation) The course is taken at a driving school in France. The page does not say anything about licences from outside the EU, so check with the rental company and the official page.
Can you drive a 125cc with a car licence in Spain?
Only if you have held your car licence for more than three years, and only in Spain. The regulation says: “Within Spain, with a class B licence held for more than three years, you may ride the motorcycles that the class A1 licence covers.” (our translation) It does not say whether a licence issued in another country counts: check with the rental company and the official text before you ride.
Can you drive a 125cc with a car licence in Germany?
Only with the code 196 on your licence. The regulation says: “(1) The class B licence can be issued with the code 196 for motorcycles (also with sidecar) with an engine of up to 125 cm3, a power of no more than 11 kW and a power-to-weight ratio of no more than 0.1 kW/kg. The code 196 may only be given if the person has held the class B licence for at least five years.” (our translation) “The entitlement under sentence 1 is valid only in Germany.” (our translation) The code is entered in a class B licence after a training course, so check with the rental company and the official text before you rent.
Can you drive a 125cc with a car licence in Greece?
Not according to the UK government's travel advice, which says even a moped needs at least category A1: “If you hire a moped, you need a valid driving licence with at least category A1 – ‘light motorcycle’. Choose a category in accordance with your driving licence and age.”
Countries we could not read yet
We publish a country only when an official text (the highway code, the licence rules, the government's own information site, or the UK government's travel advice for UK licences) says which licence you need. For these countries we tried and could not read the rule:
- Italy: Article 116 of the Italian Highway Code (Normattiva), read on 31 October 2026, lists the licence categories but its text does not say whether a car licence covers 125 cc motorcycles, so we do not answer for Italy yet.
- Austria: The official legal database (RIS) did not answer our server normally on 31 October 2026.
- United States (Hawaii): The Hawaii Department of Transportation page we tried did not answer normally on 31 October 2026.
- Portugal: The UK government's travel advice for Portugal, read on 31 October 2026, does not say which licence you need for a moped or a scooter, and we have not yet read a rule from the country's own authorities.
- Malta: The UK government's travel advice for Malta, read on 31 October 2026, does not say which licence you need for a moped or a scooter, and we have not yet read a rule from the country's own authorities.
- Croatia: The UK government's travel advice for Croatia, read on 31 October 2026, does not say which licence you need for a moped or a scooter, and we have not yet read a rule from the country's own authorities.
- Cyprus: The UK government's travel advice for Cyprus, read on 31 October 2026, does not say which licence you need for a moped or a scooter, and we have not yet read a rule from the country's own authorities.
- Thailand: The UK government's travel advice for Thailand, read on 31 October 2026, does not say which licence you need for a moped or a scooter, and we have not yet read a rule from the country's own authorities.
- Indonesia (Bali): The UK government's travel advice for Indonesia (Bali), read on 31 October 2026, does not say which licence you need for a moped or a scooter, and we have not yet read a rule from the country's own authorities.
- Vietnam: The UK government's travel advice for Vietnam, read on 31 October 2026, does not say which licence you need for a moped or a scooter, and we have not yet read a rule from the country's own authorities.
- Japan: The UK government's travel advice for Japan, read on 31 October 2026, does not say which licence you need for a moped or a scooter, and we have not yet read a rule from the country's own authorities.
- Taiwan: The UK government's travel advice for Taiwan, read on 31 October 2026, does not say which licence you need for a moped or a scooter, and we have not yet read a rule from the country's own authorities.
- Bermuda: The UK government's travel advice for Bermuda, read on 31 October 2026, does not say which licence you need for a moped or a scooter, and we have not yet read a rule from the country's own authorities.
How we check
We read the official texts (and nothing else: no rental companies, forums or blogs), quote the rule word for word in its own language with our English translation, and give the date we read it. Each page links the official text. Driving a car instead? Driving abroad: do you need an international driving permit? More on the About page. Spotted a change? Tell us.