Renting a scooter or moped in Greece: is a car licence enough?
According to the UK government's travel advice for Greece (FCDO), checked on 31 October 2026, if you hire a moped you need a driving licence with at least category A1 (light motorcycle), so a car licence alone is not enough, and the UK moped category P is not valid in Greece; the advice is written for travellers with a UK licence and does not cover other licences.
Official source: GOV.UK: Greece travel advice.
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.
Moped, 125 cc or bigger: what a car licence covers
| Vehicle | With a car licence |
|---|---|
| Moped (up to 50 cc) | No No: you need at least category A1, even for a moped |
| Scooter or light motorcycle up to 125 cc | No No: you need at least category A1 |
| Bigger than 125 cc | No No: choose a vehicle that matches the motorcycle category on your licence |
Moped (up to 50 cc): No
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.
Category P, which is valid in the UK for driving mopeds up to 50cc, is not valid in Greece.
Source: GOV.UK: Greece travel advice (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (GOV.UK), page updated on 11 August 2026), checked on 31 October 2026. Quoted word for word.
Scooter or light motorcycle up to 125 cc: No
Same official text as above.
Bigger than 125 cc: No
Same official text as above.
Does it depend on where your licence is from?
| Your licence | What the official text says |
|---|---|
| UK licence | No Car licence not enough: category A1 needed |
| Licence from another EU country | Not stated The advice is written for UK licences. |
| Licence from outside Europe (US, Canada, Australia...) | Not stated The advice is written for UK licences. |
Also in the official text
Helmets and provisional licences
Drivers and passengers must wear helmets before operating quad bikes and mopeds.
Provisional licenses are not valid in Greece for driving or hiring any type of vehicle.
Source: GOV.UK: Greece travel advice (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (GOV.UK), page updated on 11 August 2026), checked on 31 October 2026. Quoted word for word.
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.
Driving in Greece, do you need an international driving permit? UK licence · Canadian licence · Australian licence
Questions
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.”
Can you rent a scooter in Greece with a US license?
The official advice we read is the UK government's, written for UK licences. It says: “Check that you hold the correct driving license for the vehicle you are hiring.” “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.” It does not say anything about US licences: check with the rental company and the official page before you ride.
Can you rent a moped in Greece with a provisional licence?
No: “Provisional licenses are not valid in Greece for driving or hiring any type of vehicle.”
Do you need a license to drive a scooter in Greece?
Yes, with the right category: “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.” “Category P, which is valid in the UK for driving mopeds up to 50cc, is not valid in Greece.”
Where does this answer come from?
From the UK government's travel advice for Greece (FCDO), read on 31 October 2026 and quoted word for word on this page (with our translation when the text is not in English). Rental companies can ask for more than the law: check with the rental company and the official page before you ride.
Other countries
Spotted a change? Tell us. Scooter rental: every country we checked.