This obligation to introduce country symbol when crossing the border comes into force on February 2, 2022 and belongs to the mobility package. This obligation of the driver to enter the data referred to the border crossing we will deal with in this article.

Border crossing between states of the European Union since February 2022

On August 20, 2020, the  so-called mobility package came into force, with the aim of improving road transport conditions in Europe.

The entry into force entailed the modification of some aspects in the regulations on driving and rest times, among others: those relating to maximum daily and weekly driving times, minimum breaks and daily and weekly rest periods and positioning by means of tachographs.

Other points of the mobility package are incorporated progressively, being mandatory compliance from certain dates.

One of them consists of recording through the tachograph device, the border crossing between member states of the European Union, an obligation that corresponds to the driver.

Purpose of entering the border crossing data

All this in relation to international transport:

  • Control of cabotage operations.
  • Control of reduced weekly breaks.
  • Control of the return of drivers, to the company's operations center or to their home.

How to enter the symbol of the country when crossing the border?

Depending on the type, model and versionof tachograph that the vehicle has installed, let's see the casuistry:

Border crossing with analogue tachograph

The driver shall enter the symbol of the country he enters after crossing a border of a Member State at the beginning of the driver's first stop  in that Member State.

This stop shall be made at the stopping place as close as possible to the border  or once the border has been crossed.

When crossing the border of a Member State by ferry or train, the driver shall enter the country symbol at the port or station of arrival.

To do this, remove the diagram disc from the tachograph and make  the manual annotation on the poster partof the  tachograph.

Obligation in force since August 2020.

Here you can see an example

Border crossing with Digital tachograph

Obligation in force, for all cases described, since February 2022.

A.- Digital tachographs up to version 3.0 and smart digital, second generation, version 1, DTCO 4.0

It is a Manual Registration:

The driver shall enter the symbol of the country  he enters after crossing a border of a  Member State at the beginning of the driver's first stop in that Member State.

This stop shall be made at the stopping place as close as possible to the border or once the border has been crossed.

When crossing the border of a Member State by ferry or train, the driver shall enter the country symbol at the port or station of arrival.

B.- Smart Digital Tachograph, Second Generation, Version 1, DTCO 4.0.e

This is a semi-automatic registry:

The driver shall enter the symbol of the country into which he enters, after crossing a border of a Member State, at the beginning of the driver's first stop in that Member State.

This stop shall be made at the stopping place as close as possible to the border  or once the border has been crossed.

When crossing the border of a Member State by ferry or train, the driver shall enter the country symbol at the port or station of arrival.

The driver will receive an alert in the DTCO when crossing a border, proposing the current country obtained from the GNSS.

The driver must confirm the entry. This entry will contain the vehicle's position data.

In the image above, you can see a representation of the introduction of starting places, the end of the daily work period and border crossing places with a second generation digital tachograph, first version. In the case of a first generation tachograph, the representation would lack the positioning data. 

C.- Smart digital tachographs, second generation – version 2

This is an automatic registration; applicable from August 21, 2023

Non-compliance with the obligation to introduce a country symbol at border crossings

Not entering on the tachograph the symbol of the country in which the driver enters after crossing a border of a Member State, is considered a minor infraction by the Spanish road transport regulations, with  a fine of € 301.

Then I leave you a simple video that we have prepared with all the information where we also explain how to make the manual entry at the border crossing

In the following image I leave you how to register the country symbol using the VDO tachograph menu without removing the driver's card: