What is a VE103B?

It is a legal requirement that any car or van traveling in mainland Europe must carry the registration document, this is also known as the V5C.

On many lease cars, car subscriptions, and short-term car leases, the legal owner will be the finance company or the supplier and they will be reluctant to send out the original V5C document.

In its place, the lease provider will supply you with a VE103B – Vehicle on Hire Certificate. The details of this state on the vehicle, its legal owner and the drivers who have permission to use the vehicle.

Not all of our vehicles are allowed to go outside of the United Kingdom and our underwriters/suppliers will look at each scenario on a case-by-case basis.

Depending who your leasing provider is, the VE103B can be ordered via the customer service telephone line provided by the leasing company.

If it’s a Cocoon Vehicles supplied vehicle, we have a simple VE103B online form that you can complete and we will arrange for the documentation to be sent across. Please Note. As standard we do not allow your short-term car lease or car subscription vehicle to be taken abroad, please contact our team for more information.

If you get stopped, whilst traveling abroad and you do not hold a VE103B then depending on the country and their law enforcement you may face a fine or even worse, the vehicle could be impounded.

Without the on-hire certificate, the costs could spiral with costs relating to storage fees, recovery fees and personal fines.

Here is a list of countries that currently require you to have a valid VE103B on-hire certificate:

EU Countries/Member States:
– Austria
– Belgium
– Bulgaria
– Croatia
– Republic of Cyprus
– Czech Republic
– Denmark
– Estonia
– Finland
– France
– Germany
– Greece
– Hungary
– Iceland
– Republic of Ireland
– Italy
– Latvia
– Liechtenstein
– Lithuania
– Luxembourg
– Malta
– Netherlands
– Norway
– Poland
– Portugal
– Romania
– Slovakia
– Slovenia
– Spain
– Sweden

Other countries that require a VE103B:
– Albania
– Andorra
– Belarus
– Bosnia and Herzegovina
– Gibraltar
– Guernsey
– Isle of Man
– Jersey
– Macedonia
– Moldova
– Montenegro
– Norway
– Russian Federation
– Serbia
– Switzerland
– Turkey
– Ukraine

No, it’s not acceptable to take a photocopy or a fax version of the VE103B. The original document must be carried with you at all times.

If you don’t carry the original VE103B, then the car may be impounded or you could receive a large fine.

Costs vary depending on your leasing company when it comes to issuing you with a VE103B.

Give your leasing provider a call to find out the costs involved.

Depending on the level of cover, you may be required by your car insurers to request a green card to show that you have insurance covering your destination. Most will require fully comprehensive insurance abroad.

It is also important to adhere to the contract on your short-term car and ensure that your vehicle is covered under a fully comprehensive policy whilst abroad.

This all depends on the provider of your breakdown assistance, but it is always advisable before any trip, to check the terms of the cover. European breakdown can be added easily from one of the main providers at a nominal charge.

Our short-term car leases and flexible car leases will require European Breakdown cover.

Yes, a VE103B is required for taking your vehicle to Jersey and any other of the Channel Islands.