Tachographs in Vans From 1 July 2026: What Applies to Carriers From Serbia

As of 1 July 2026, the European Union requires the installation of a second-generation smart tachograph in light goods vehicles with a maximum permitted mass of 2.5 to 3.5 tonnes that operate in international transport. The news caused considerable confusion among domestic carriers, so the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure published an official notice to resolve the question.

What exactly the EU requires from 1 July 2026

The Mobility Package is gradually introducing the second-generation smart tachograph, also known as G2V2. It is an upgrade to the digital tachograph that uses satellite positioning (Galileo GNSS) and automatically records border crossings, which significantly simplifies the control of cabotage and driving time.

The rollout happened in phases. New vehicles in the EU have been fitted with G2V2 at the factory for a while now, and by 31 December 2024 the obligation was extended to used vehicles in categories N2, N3, M2 and M3 in international transport. The last step, which took effect on 1 July 2026, covers light goods vehicles between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes that carry out international transport of goods for hire or reward, or cabotage.

Until now, vans in that category were completely outside the tachograph system. For carriers in the EU this is a major change and, according to industry reports, a significant number of them were not ready when the deadline arrived.

Why the obligation does not apply to vehicles registered in Serbia

Serbia is not an EU member state, but a signatory to the AETR agreement, which governs the working time of vehicle crews in international road transport. EU regulations and the AETR are not automatically identical: the EU can introduce an obligation that has not yet been carried over into the AETR.

That is exactly the case with light goods vehicles. The obligation to install a smart tachograph in vehicles of 2.5 to 3.5 tonnes has not yet been established through the AETR agreement, so it applies only to vehicles registered in European Union member states.

On 9 July 2026, the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure published a notice stating that there is no obligation to install a second-generation smart tachograph in goods vehicles with a maximum permitted mass of 2.5 to 3.5 tonnes registered in the Republic of Serbia. According to the same notice, the Ministry also confirmed this interpretation with the European Commission.

When a Serbian carrier must have a tachograph anyway

The exemption is tied to the vehicle's mass and country of registration, so there are situations where the obligation still arises:

• The vehicle is registered in an EU member state. If your company has a branch and vehicles with EU plates, EU rules apply to them, regardless of where the parent company is based.
• The combination exceeds 3.5 tonnes. If the van is towing a trailer or semi-trailer and the maximum permitted mass of the combination exceeds 3.5 tonnes, the vehicle no longer counts as a light goods vehicle and the usual tachograph rules apply.
• The vehicle is above 3.5 tonnes. For classic goods vehicles in categories N2 and N3 in international transport, the obligations still stand, including deadlines for replacing older devices. We explained the details on the Tachograph page.

If you install a tachograph voluntarily

This is the part that is most often overlooked. If a tachograph is installed in the vehicle, it must also be used, regardless of the fact that the law did not require its installation. That means a driver card, properly recorded activity and regular data download within the prescribed deadlines.

In other words, voluntary installation brings not just the device but a whole set of obligations along with it, including the possibility of a violation where none could have existed before. If your goal is to control your vehicles and drivers rather than fulfill a legal obligation, telematics is a simpler and more flexible solution for that purpose. We described what that looks like in practice for light goods vehicles on the Commercial vehicle tracking page.

What this does not change

The tachograph exemption does not mean there are no rules at all for van drivers. Some countries, including Austria, Germany and France, have required records of driver activity for this vehicle category since 2017 and 2018, independent of the tachograph. This is not something new introduced in 2026, and these obligations should be checked for every country you pass through.

The general rules on working time, records and documentation in domestic transport also remain in force, as do the obligations that apply to vehicles above 3.5 tonnes.

What to do now

1. Make a list of your vehicles and record the maximum permitted mass and country of registration for each one.
2. Specifically flag combinations with a trailer where the combined mass exceeds 3.5 tonnes.
3. For vehicles above 3.5 tonnes, check whether the tachographs comply with the replacement deadlines.
4. Check the national rules on driver records in the countries you drive through most often.
5. If you already have tachographs, check whether the data is downloaded within the 28- and 90-day deadlines. We explained how to automate that in the article about remote tachograph data download.

Frequently asked questions