Trailer driver job in Europe: what Indian HMV drivers need

Yes, an Indian heavy vehicle driver can apply for a trailer driver job in Europe, but your Indian licence alone is not enough. To drive a truck for work there, you need an EU CE licence and Code 95, both from the EU country where you work, plus a job offer and a work permit.

This guide explains each step in plain words: which Indian licence counts, what CE and Code 95 mean, the EU rules on hours and tachographs, which countries hire, and how the UAE compares.

Your Indian licence and CE

You need a valid Indian heavy goods licence and real experience driving trucks in India. States print different labels on the licence, so check yours for one of these:

• HMV (heavy motor vehicle)
• HGMV (heavy goods motor vehicle)
• HTV (heavy transport vehicle)
• TRANS, which is common on Sarathi licences and covers heavy goods, heavy passenger and trailer vehicles

An LMV licence is not enough. In November 2024 the Supreme Court held that an LMV licence covers transport vehicles only up to 7,500 kg, not heavy goods vehicles. A bus-only licence (HPMV) also does not cover goods vehicles, so it does not suit a trailer role.

In Europe, licences use letter categories. For a tractor unit pulling a heavy trailer, such as an articulated truck, the category is CE. Older documents sometimes write it as C+E.

Your Indian licence cannot simply be used for work in Europe. Each country decides how a licence from India is treated, and the rules differ:

• Poland can exchange an Indian licence after a theory test.
• Croatia exchanges foreign licences after checks on the documents and categories.
• Germany asks Indian licence holders to pass both the theory and practical tests.

Licences from India stay under each country’s own rules, and these rules change. Always check the official source for the country you are going to.

Code 95 in plain words

Code 95 is the EU’s professional driver qualification. Its official name is the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence, or Driver CPC. When you qualify, the number 95 is printed on your EU licence, or on a driver qualification card. Without it, you cannot drive a truck for work in the EU.

Under the EU Code 95 directive, the main points are:

• The first qualification is a course of 280 hours, or 140 hours on the faster route, followed by a test.
• The minimum age for CE is 18 on the 280 hour route and 21 on the 140 hour route.
• To keep Code 95, you complete 35 hours of periodic Code 95 modules every five years, in blocks of at least seven hours.
• Drivers from outside the EU take Code 95 in the EU country where their employer is based, or in the country that issued their work permit.

So Code 95 cannot be taken in India. In Germany, the exam is in German only.

Drivers’ hours and tachographs

The EU sets strict limits on how long you drive and how long you rest. The European Commission’s driving time rules say:

• Daily driving is up to 9 hours, or 10 hours twice a week.
• A 45 minute break is due after 4.5 hours of driving at the latest. It can be split into 15 minutes, then 30 minutes.
• Daily rest is 11 hours, which can be cut to 9 hours up to three times a week.
• Driving is capped at 56 hours in a week and 90 hours over two weeks.
• Weekly rest is 45 hours, which can be reduced to 24 hours every second week.

The regular 45 hour weekly rest cannot be taken in the cab. Employers must also organise a return home every 3 or 4 weeks.

A tachograph is the device in the cab that records your driving and rest time. Trucks on international EU routes now use the smart tachograph version 2, which also records border crossings and loading and unloading automatically.

Trailer driver job in Europe

The EU’s 2025 labour shortage report lists heavy truck and lorry drivers as a shortage in 19 of 28 countries. For Indian candidates, the main routes today are:

• Germany lets employers hire drivers from outside the EU who then complete the German CE licence, Code 95 and a German language course there within 15 months. Basic German is needed.
• Poland has a large Indian workforce, but new work permits for all foreigners fell by about half in the first half of 2026.
• Croatia gave about 14,500 work and residence permits to Indians from January to November 2025, across all jobs.

Permit numbers and rules change every year. The usual route looks like this:

1. Prepare in India and keep your licence, passport and experience records ready.
2. Attend an employer interview through a recruiting agent registered with India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
3. Receive a job offer, then the work permit and visa, applied for with your employer.
4. Travel to the country where you will work.
5. Get your EU CE licence and Code 95 there before you drive for work.

Check any agent’s registration number in the list of active recruiting agents on emigrate.gov.in. Never hand over your passport or certificates before the job and the employer are verified.

How the UAE fits in

The UAE is another destination for Indian trailer drivers, with different rules. Code 95 is an EU requirement, so it does not apply there. India is not on the UAE licence exchange list, so you need a UAE heavy vehicle licence.

The minimum age is 20. In Dubai, you apply through a driving institute, get a learning permit, take lessons, pass an eye test and then pass the Knowledge, Yard and Road tests. The UAE is also one of the countries where an ECR passport holder needs emigration clearance on eMigrate before going for work. Read more on our Work in the GCC page.

How AnywhereSkills can help

Our Heavy Vehicle Trailer Driver Programme runs for 18 working days, with a classroom block and a practice yard session every day. It is built around what transport companies in Europe and the UAE check before they hire a driver.

• Trailer Theory: trailer types, fifth wheel coupling, air lines and load securing
• English for Interview Preparation: English for the depot, dispatch and the interview
• Code 95 Topics: EU driving and rest time rules, and digital and smart tachographs
• Trailer Practical: coupling and reversing in the yard, every day

You finish with an AnywhereSkills certificate of completion and a scorecard for every module. The Code 95 Topics module helps you start your Code 95 course prepared, but it is not Code 95 and does not replace the course and test in Europe. See our Work in Europe page for other roles.

AnywhereSkills is a skilling company, not a recruiting agent. Selection, visas and deployment are handled only by recruiting agents registered with the MEA. We do not issue any licence, Code 95, visa or work permit. Jobs abroad depend on employer demand and visa approval, and no job or visa is guaranteed.

Common questions

Can I get Code 95 in India?

No. Code 95 is issued only in the EU country where you work, after a course of 140 or 280 hours and a test there.

Is an LMV licence enough for trailer work?

No. An LMV licence covers transport vehicles only up to 7,500 kg. You need a heavy goods licence such as HMV, HGMV, HTV or TRANS.

Do I need to speak the local language?

Many employers ask for basic English with dispatch. Some countries need the local language for tests, such as the German Code 95 exam.