country table: Maxxis Tires

When to Change Tires ?

Most European countries have strict regulations surrounding tire changes.

Country	Is it mandatory?	Dates / trigger	Notes
Albania	No general national requirement	—	Winter tires are still highly recommended in the mountains.
Andorra	Yes	1 Nov - 15 May	Either have winter tires or carry snow chains
Austria	Conditional mandatory	1 Nov – 15 Apr, but only if weather conditions require it	Winter tires required on all wheels in snow/ice.
Belarus	Yes	1 Dec - 1 Mar	Winter tires with 4mm tread depth on all 4 wheels
Belgium	No general national requirement	—	No national winter-tire mandate.
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Yes	15 Nov - 15 Apr	All-season tires with the 3PMSF marking are acceptable.
Bulgaria	Yes	15 Nov – 1 Mar	Winter/ all-season tires, or even summer tires, may be used if tread depth is at least 4 mm.
Croatia	Yes	15 Nov – 15 Apr	Winter tires and additional winter equipment required.
Cyprus	No general national requirement	—	On days with snow or ice, only 4x4 vehicles or vehicles equipped with snow chains are allowed past specific points.
Czech Republic	Conditional mandatory	1 Nov – 31 Mar, if snow, ice, or likely icy conditions are present	Weather-linked within a fixed season.
Denmark	Conditional mandatory	No fixed nationwide dates stated; suitable tires required in winter conditions	Since July 2025 law, winter or all-season tires with snowflake marking are required in snow, ice, slush, or frost.
Estonia	Yes	1 Dec – 1 Mar	Studded tires allowed 15 Oct – 31 Mar in winter conditions.
Finland	Conditional mandatory	1 Nov – 31 Mar, if weather or road conditions require it	Weather-linked within a fixed season.
France	Conditional mandatory	1 Nov – 31 Mar in designated mountain areas	Applies in specified mountain departments/areas, not nationwide.
Germany	Conditional mandatory	No fixed dates; mandatory in ice, packed snow, slush, glaze ice, or slippery frost	Weather-triggered rule.
Greece	Conditional mandatory	No blanket fixed dates; anti-slip equipment may be required Oct – Apr when ordered	Can include winter tires, all-season tires, chains, or socks depending on the order.
Hungary	No general national requirement	—	Chains may be required in signed areas.
Iceland	Not nation wide, but on many roads	1 Nov - 15 Apr	Winter or all-season tires with 3mm+ tread during winter conditions
Ireland	No general national requirement	—	No national winter-tire mandate.
Italy	Conditional mandatory	Usually 15 Nov – 15 Apr on roads with winter-equipment signs	Sign- and road-based, not a blanket national rule.
Kosovo	Yes	15 Nov - 15 Mar	Winter tires on all wheels or show chains for summer tires
Latvia	Yes	1 Dec – 1 Mar	Tires must have the "three-peak mountain snowflake" (3PMSF/Alpine) symbol and 4mm+ tread depth
Liechtenstein	No general national requirement	—	No general national requirement in the Europe-wide source.
Lithuania	Yes	10 Nov – 1 Apr	Winter or universal tires allowed.
Luxembourg	Conditional mandatory	No fixed dates; mandatory in winter weather	Applies in black ice, snow, slush, ice sheets, or frost.
Malta	No general national requirement	—	No national winter-tire mandate.
Moldova	Conditional mandatory	1 Dec - 1 Mar when there are winter conditions	Mandatory winter tires when there is a consistent layer of snow, ice or frost on the road
Monaco	No general national requirement	—	No national winter-tire mandate.
Montenegro	Yes	1 Nov - 1 Apr	Winter Tires on all wheels are required in winter conditions on all roads or throughout the entire period on specific roads
Netherlands	No general national requirement	—	No national winter-tire mandate.
North Macedonia	Yes	15 Nov - 15 Mar	winter tires on all four wheels with a minimum tread depth of 4 mm, or summer tires with a 4 mm minimum tread depth and snow chains
Norway	Conditional mandatory in practice	No blanket fixed dates for passenger cars; tires must be suitable for conditions	In practice, winter tires are expected in winter driving.
Poland	No general national requirement	—	Winter or all-season tires are recommended, but not nationally mandatory.
Portugal	No general national requirement	—	Chains may be required by sign.
Romania	Conditional mandatory	No fixed dates; mandatory on roads covered by snow, ice, or black ice	Weather-triggered rule.
San Marino	Conditional / road-based	15 Nov - 15 Apr	Similar to Italian regulations
Serbia	Conditional mandatory	1 Nov - 1 Apr if there is snow, ice or forst.	If the roads are dry, summer tires are acceptable.
Slovakia	Conditional mandatory	15 Nov – 31 Mar, if roads are covered with snow, ice, or frost	Weather-linked within a fixed season.
Slovenia	Yes	15 Nov – 15 Mar	Also required outside that period in actual winter weather.
Spain	Conditional mandatory	No blanket national dates; winter tires or chains required where road signs/order say so	Studded tires allowed in a winter period, but the main passenger-car rule is sign-based.
Sweden	Yes	1 Dec – 31 Mar	Passenger cars must use winter tires or equivalent equipment.
Switzerland	No general national requirement	—	No blanket national mandate, though winter tires are strongly advised.
Ukraine	No general national requirement	—	No national winter-tire mandate in the Europe-wide source.
United Kingdom	No general national requirement	—	Winter tires are recommended, not mandatory nationally.