March 28, 2023
Abby Nuttall
Driver Articles
Here at Wessex Fleet, we help businesses with every aspect of fleet management, including answering driver’s questions and providing information on all the different aspects of driving a company car. One area we get a lot of questions on is travelling in your company car, which is why we’ve put together this article to help answer some of the most commonly asked travel questions.
Can I Travel in My Company Car?
The answer to this will vary depending on your individual arrangement with your employer for your company car. However, generally if you are able to use a company provided car for personal journeys then you will be allowed to travel with it.
We recommend before you arrange any trip that you are intending to drive your vehicle for that you speak to your fleet management team to confirm you can travel with your company vehicle outside of your usual driving patterns. If your car is managed by Wessex Fleet then you can reach the team on 01722 322 888 and they will be able to advise you.
Where Can I Take My Company Car?
If you are able to use your company for personal travel then you usually be able to travel in the UK without needing to do anything further.
If you are looking to travel abroad as many people do with mainland Europe being just a short ferry ride away, then this will usually be allowed as well but you or your employer may need to take additional steps to make sure you can do so. For example, you will usually need to get additional insurance to drive in Europe if you want the same level of coverage as you have at home.
Again, this is general advice, and we recommend checking with your fleet manager for your specific company’s policy on travelling in your company car.
What Do I Need to Take My Company Car Abroad?
There are a few things that you’ll need to travel abroad in any car, whether it is a company car or not, and what is needed can vary depending on where you are travelling.
Different countries have different legal requirements for drivers and it’s important before you drive in another country you understand these. If you are driving your own vehicle then you will also need to check the legal requirements for your vehicle as some places require you to travel with specific equipment or adjust your light settings.
To help you we’ve put together the below table which shows what safety equipment you are legally required to carry with you.
The R stands for recommended so while it is not a legal requirement it is advised you carry these with you when travelling in that country.
We’ve focused on Europe with the above information as this is realistically where most people will be looking to travel with their own vehicle. If you are looking to travel further afield then you may need to check whether you are able to have your car abroad for the length of time you will be away as some companies have restrictions on this.
We’ve already mentioned insurance but we just wanted to reiterate that you should check with your fleet manager when travelling as they will be able to advise you of any change to the cover provided whilst abroad or be able to increase this to match the level provided in the UK.
What is a VE103?
A VE103 is a certificate issued to the driver of a lease vehicle which confirms that they are entitled to drive the vehicle and have been authorised to take it abroad. This document will only be needed if your company car is a leased car and you intend to travel abroad.
Something to be aware of is that a VE103 will only be valid for one year from its date of issue, and it will only last this long provided none of the details have changed.
What Do I Need to Get a VE103?
In order to issue a VE103 the lease funder will need some information from you. This can be provided directly or via your fleet manager.
The information they need will include:
- The vehicle registration
- The vehicle mileage
- Your dates of travel
- The countries you’ll be visiting
- The full name of main driver as appears on driving licence
- The full address of main driver as appears on driving licence
- The full name and address of any additional drivers as appears on driving licence (please be aware some funders limit it to a maximum of two drivers per trip)
Something to be aware of is that most funders will advise you need to contact them at least a couple of weeks prior to travelling to ensure the VE103 certificate reaches you in time.
Another thing to take into consideration if your company car is a leased vehicle is that most funders will have an annual limit on how long the vehicle can be out of the country, and some may have a maximum number of consecutive days which is lower than this.
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