New rules for truck drivers in 2027: what changes in Europe, country by country

The new rules for truck drivers in Europe in 2027 include higher minimum wages in Germany, Poland, Czechia and Lithuania, truck tolls announced for Lithuania, Slovakia, the Netherlands (rates provisional) and Alsace (legal challenge pending), a wider Swedish road charge and the ADR 2027 edition for dangerous goods. Germany's statutory minimum wage rises from 13.90 EUR to 14.60 EUR gross per hour on 2027-01-01, according to the Fifth Minimum Wage Adjustment Ordinance (MiLoV5), issued 2025-11-05 . Each change below carries its date and legal status, as checked on 2026-11-06, so you can see what is already law and what is only announced. It also covers what does not change in 2027 and which items are still open.

What are the new rules for truck drivers on 2027-01-01?

Most changes start on 2027-01-01, but a few start later, and several are not yet law. The table below shows each item with the status wording used in its source. All sources were re-checked on 2026-11-06, except the R-Pass page, last accessed 2026-10-23.

The sources for each row are these. The German wage is in MiLoV5 , and the Polish figures are in Dziennik Ustaw 2026 poz. 1213 , published 2026-09-15. The Czech and Lithuanian wage acts are sourced in the wage guide linked below. Lithuania's toll is described on the Via Lietuva operator page , Slovakia's switch on the NDS new toll system page , and the Dutch rates are in the RDW news item of 2026-08-20 . The Alsace charge is on the R-Pass tariff page , Sweden's rule is in the Riksdag legal text of Lag 1997:1137 , and the German CO2 bill is on the Bundestag page for the third BEHG amendment . The ADR dates come from the Commission proposal summary of 2026-09-07 , and the eFTI date from the European Commission eFTI page , accessed 2026-11-06. eFTI is mostly a matter for carriers and platform operators, so it gets no section of its own here.

Which new minimum wage rules apply to truck drivers in 2027?

Germany and Poland have set higher minimum wages in law, and the Lithuanian and Czech governments have also set increases. Czechia moves to 24,900 CZK per month by government decision of 2026-09-07, and Lithuania to 1,245 EUR per month and 7.61 EUR per hour under Government Resolution No. 509 of 2026-07-01. Both are covered in the compare 2027 driver minimum wages by country in the guide, which also explains why the amounts differ so much between countries.

Germany is the clearest case. At 40 hours per week, 14.60 EUR per hour is about 2,531 EUR gross per month (own arithmetic, not a figure from the ordinance). Poland sets 4,950 PLN per month, and 32.30 PLN per hour is the floor for civil-law contracts only, so it does not apply to a standard employment contract.

For international work, the wage floor that applies depends on the posting rules under Directive (EU) 2020/1057. That matters most for cabotage, which means a foreign carrier running a domestic job inside another country, and for cross-trade runs between two countries other than your own. Route-specific cases need confirmation from the German customs authority (Zoll) before you rely on a number.

Which truck tolls change in 2027?

Lithuania, Slovakia, the Netherlands, Alsace and Sweden change their truck charges in 2027, but only Sweden is already law. The other four depend on operator announcements, so check the operator page for your route before the first trip of the year. To see the wider picture, including countries not listed here, check the EU truck toll changes for 2027 .

Lithuania, Slovakia, the Netherlands and Alsace

Lithuania starts a distance-based Via Toll on 2027-01-01 for goods trucks and other vehicle classes. The operator states that rates were approved and published on 2026-06-30, that the fine is 700 to 1,000 EUR, and that all 2026 vignettes expire on 2026-12-31.

Slovakia moves to a new state-run electronic toll system on 2027-01-01, and the current system ends on 2026-12-31. According to the motorway company NDS, registration for the prepaid mode opens on 2026-12-01, and customers who already pay through an EETS provider need no new registration.

The Netherlands has announced a 2.6 percent rise in truck toll rates. For a Euro 6 diesel truck over 32,000 kg the rate is 20.6 eurocent per km, and 4.0 eurocent per km for an electric truck in the same class. RDW itself says the amounts are not yet officially established, so treat them as provisional.

Alsace is the least certain. The operator plans to start the R-Pass on 2027-01-01 for vehicles over 3.5 t, and the regional transport union (FNTR) has challenged it before the Strasbourg administrative court, as reported by Le Journal des entreprises on 2025-12-22 . That challenge is suspensive, and no ruling had been found as of 2026-11-06. A start date is therefore not guaranteed.

Sweden

Sweden extends its road charge from vehicles over 12,000 kg to all goods vehicles over 3,500 kg on 2027-03-26, not on 2027-01-01. Vehicles under 12,000 kg get their own lower fee tables, and zero-emission vehicles up to 4,250 kg are exempt. Rigid trucks between 3.5 t and 12 t were outside the charge until now, so their drivers and operators have the most to check.

What does ADR 2027 change for drivers who carry dangerous goods?

According to the Commission proposal summary and German industry guidance, the ADR 2027 edition enters into force on 2027-01-01, and the 2025 edition can still be applied until 2027-06-30. German practitioners treat 2027-07-01 as the general mandatory date. One caution applies to everything in this section: the UNECE text itself could not be read, so the dates rest on the Commission proposal summary and German industry guidance from DSLV, relayed by industrie-fachwissen.de .

Per the DSLV summary, Chapter 8.2 defines remote training (live, through ICT) and e-learning. Initial training may be classroom, remote or both. Refresher training may include e-learning, but the theory part cannot be entirely e-learning, and practical exercises stay in the classroom. Self-employed drivers are explicitly covered by the training duties.

So remote training is allowed for initial training, but refresher theory cannot be done entirely online, and competent authorities may add their own rules. German national implementation is expected around year end, and it was not published when this list was checked.

Will diesel cost more because of CO2 pricing in 2027?

Not through ETS2 in 2027, and Germany's national CO2 price for 2027 is not yet law. The Bundestag passed the third amendment of the national emissions trading act (BEHG) on 2026-10-15, the Bundesrat has until 2026-11-20 to act, and the text is not yet in the Bundesgesetzblatt. The bill provides for a corridor of 55 EUR minimum and 65 EUR maximum per certificate, where one certificate equals one tonne of CO2.

That is the whole confirmed picture. The corridor is a bill the Bundestag has adopted, but the Bundesrat stage and publication are still to come, so do not budget as if the price is settled. The Bundestag page shows the current status.

What does not change in 2027, and what is still open?

Several widely discussed rules do not start in 2027, and planning around them wastes effort. Here is each one with its real date.

• ETS2: the EU emissions trading system for road fuels is fully operational in 2028, not 2027, according to the European Commission ETS2 page , updated 2026-09-02. You can read why ETS2 starts in 2028 in a separate guide.
• Euro 7 for heavy-duty vehicles: Regulation (EU) 2024/1257 applies to new vehicle types from 2028-05-29 and to all new vehicles from 2029-05-29, and only to new trucks. An industry request of 2026-10-20 for a two-year delay is a request, not law. See the Euro 7 truck dates for the detail.
• EU driving licence directive: Directive (EU) 2025/2205 has been in force since 2025-11-25, but the transposition deadline is 2028-11-26. See what the EU licence directive changes and what is old law.
• Swiss LSVA: no rise on 2027-01-01. The Council of States treated the motion as rejected without a vote in June 2026, according to a Swiss Parliament news release of 2026-06-03.
• EES: the EU Entry/Exit System has been fully operational since 2026-04-10, per the European Commission smart borders page , so it is not a 2027 change.
• ETIAS: no start date has been announced. The Commission says it will announce the date several months before launch.

Which items are still open, and when should you check again?

These items had no confirmed source on 2026-11-06, and they should be read as open questions, not as facts. Check them again in January 2027.

• Minimum wages in Portugal, Romania and Spain: no new act appeared for any of the three. Portugal has a scheduled figure that is not yet law, Romania has only a ministerial statement, and Spain has no figure.
• Denmark: the operator says trucks over 3.5 t are expected to pay the km toll from 2027-01-05 only if the Danish Parliament passes the legislative proposal. A bill is not a change.
• Hungary: no official source for 2027 toll rates was found.
• Croatia: free-flow tolling from 2027-03-01 appears only in secondary reports, and the law itself was not read.
• Netherlands: the final truck toll rates were due in the Staatscourant, and the publication was not found.
• Alsace: the court case described above, with no ruling found.

What should a driver check before leaving on 2027-01-01?

Work through your own routes, not the whole table. List the countries you cross, find each one in this post, and note whether the change is law or only announced. For tolls, open the operator page and confirm that your vehicle class, vignette or on-board unit is ready, because Lithuanian vignettes end on 2026-12-31. For pay, ask your employer which country's floor applies to your route.

Frequently asked questions

Do new rules for truck drivers apply across all of Europe on 2027-01-01?

No. Most changes are national, such as the German and Polish minimum wages or the Lithuanian toll. The ADR 2027 edition is international, and the Swedish road charge starts later, on 2027-03-26.

Is the German CO2 price for 2027 already law?

No. The Bundestag passed the amendment on 2026-10-15, and the Bundesrat has until 2026-11-20. It is not yet in the Bundesgesetzblatt, so it is not yet law.

Does ADR 2027 mean I must complete online training?

No. According to German industry guidance (the UNECE text was not read for this list), remote training and e-learning are defined, but the theory part of refresher training cannot be entirely e-learning, and practical exercises stay in the classroom. Competent authorities may add rules, so ask your training provider.

When does the Swedish road charge reach vehicles over 3,500 kg?

On 2027-03-26, according to the Riksdag legal text. Vehicles under 12,000 kg pay lower tables, and zero-emission vehicles up to 4,250 kg are exempt.

Will ETS2 raise my diesel price in 2027?

No, because ETS2 becomes fully operational in 2028. Germany's national CO2 price is a separate scheme, and its 2027 corridor is not yet law.

Is the Alsace R-Pass certain to start on 2027-01-01?

No. The operator plans that date, but a suspensive legal challenge is pending and no ruling had been found on 2026-11-06. Check the R-Pass page before you plan a route through Alsace.

This list was checked on 2026-11-06 and will be refreshed in January 2027. To estimate what a trip costs once tolls change, use the free trip cost calculator , which includes per-country tolls.