Do trucks need winter tyres in Germany?

Only in wintry conditions — black ice, snow, slush, ice or frost; there are no fixed dates. In those conditions an M2, M3, N2 or N3 vehicle needs tyres with the Alpine symbol at least on its permanently driven axles and its front steering axles. M+S alone does not qualify.

When are winter tyres compulsory for trucks in Austria?

From 1 November to 15 April for N2 and N3 trucks and from 1 November to 15 March for M2 and M3 buses, at least on the wheels of one drive axle. From 1 November to 15 April these vehicles must also carry chains for at least two drive wheels, and above 3,500 kg the winter tyres need 5 mm of tread (radial) or 6 mm (bias-ply).

Do trucks need snow chains in France?

In the mountain communes listed by each prefect, from 1 November to 31 March. A truck with a trailer or semi-trailer must carry chains or other removable anti-skid devices for at least two drive wheels. A solo truck or a bus may instead have winter tyres — marked with the Alpine symbol and M+S since 1 November 2024 — on at least two steering wheels and two drive wheels.

What are Sweden's winter tyre rules for heavy trucks?

Since 1 November 2025, heavy trucks, heavy buses and their trailers need winter tyres or equivalent equipment from 10 November to 10 April, whatever the road conditions. The drive and front axles need tyres with the 3PMSF symbol, POR or studs, and the tyres of heavy trucks and buses need at least 5 mm of tread in that period.

Winter tyres and snow chains for trucks and buses in Europe: the rules country by country

Q: When are winter tyres mandatory for trucks in Türkiye?

From 15 November to 15 April on intercity roads. On trucks, tractor units, tankers and buses every tyre on the driven axles must be a winter tyre with at least 4 mm of tread; trailers and semi-trailers are outside the rule, and chains do not replace the tyres.

Winter equipment for heavy vehicles is set country by country, and the rules differ in four ways: whether they follow the calendar or the weather, which axles they cover, which tyre marking counts, and whether chains are carried as well. This page sets out the rules for trucks and buses over 3.5 t in eight countries as their own legal texts state them, without fines (except where noted) or local orders. What the markings M+S and 3PMSF mean is explained in truck tyre markings explained.

Winter rules for heavy trucks and buses, as the texts listed under the sources state them. “Weather” means the rule applies only in wintry conditions or under a winter restriction, not by date.
Country	When	Which axles	Marking	Chains
Austria	trucks 1 Nov–15 Apr, buses 1 Nov–15 Mar	at least one drive axle	“Winterreifen”, no symbol named	carried 1 Nov–15 Apr, for two drive wheels
France	1 Nov–31 Mar, listed mountain communes	two steering and two drive wheels	3PMSF with M+S (from 1 Nov 2024)	with a trailer: compulsory, tyres not enough
Germany	weather	permanently driven and front steering axles	Alpine symbol (3PMSF)	—
Italy	15 Nov–15 Apr where a road owner orders it	not specified for heavy vehicles	approved winter tyres	alternative to winter tyres, on the driven axles
Russia (EAEU)	no rule for heavy vehicles	—	—	left to member states
Spain	weather (winter mobility restrictions)	steering and drive axles	3PMSF or POR	alternative to special tyres
Sweden	10 Nov–10 Apr, any weather	drive and front axles (3PMSF, POR or studs)	3PMSF, POR or studded; M+S on other axles	no requirement
Türkiye	15 Nov–15 Apr, intercity roads	all driven axles	M+S and/or snowflake checked	do not replace winter tyres

Austria

The Kraftfahrgesetz (KFG § 102(8a)) lets drivers use N2 and N3 vehicles from 1 November to 15 April, and M2 and M3 vehicles from 1 November to 15 March, only if winter tyres are fitted at least on the wheels of one drive axle. It defines winter tyres as tyres intended for snow and slush with a corresponding tread depth and names neither M+S nor the Alpine symbol. From 1 November to 15 April the drivers of M2, M3, N2 and N3 vehicles must also carry suitable chains for at least two drive wheels (§ 102(9)); the exemptions include vehicles on which chains cannot be mounted and buses used in scheduled services. The implementing regulation (KDV § 4) sets the minimum tread of winter tyres used under that rule on vehicles and trailers over 3,500 kg at 5 mm for radial and 6 mm for bias-ply tyres; outside winter use the minimum for those vehicles is 2 mm.

France

Decree No 2020-1264 inserted Article D. 314-8 into the Code de la route. It applies in the mountain massifs defined by the 1985 mountain law, in the communes that each prefect lists by order; the decree itself names none. The winter period runs from 1 November to 31 March. Buses (M2, M3) and trucks (N2, N3) without a trailer must either carry removable anti-skid devices for at least two drive wheels or have winter tyres on at least two steering wheels of the main steering system and at least two drive wheels. Trucks with a trailer or semi-trailer must carry the anti-skid devices; winter tyres alone do not meet the rule. From 1 November 2021 the decree accepted M+S as a winter tyre marking; since 1 November 2024 it has required the Alpine symbol together with M+S, M.S or M&S. The current text on Légifrance could not be checked for this page; what is given here is the decree as published in the Journal officiel.

Germany

Germany has no winter period. Under § 2(3a) of the Straßenverkehrs-Ordnung a motor vehicle may be driven in black ice, snow, slush, ice or frost only on tyres that meet § 36(4) of the Straßenverkehrs-Zulassungs-Ordnung; for M2, M3, N2 and N3 vehicles it is enough if at least the wheels of the permanently driven axles and of the front steering axles have them. § 36(4) requires both improved snow properties and the Alpine symbol under UN Regulation No 117, so M+S alone does not qualify.

Italy

There is no national calendar obligation. Road owners may impose one by ordinance, and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport’s directive 1580 of 16 January 2013 asks, for uniformity, that such a period fall between 15 November and 15 April. Where it applies, motor vehicles other than two-wheeled mopeds and motorcycles must have winter tyres or carry anti-skid devices suitable for snow and ice; chains must be fitted at least on the wheels of the driven axles, and devices meeting ÖNORM V5119 are also allowed for the heavier M, N and O categories. The directive does not say which axles of a heavy vehicle need winter tyres and does not mention the Alpine symbol.

Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union

Since 11 November 2018 the winter-tyre item of the Customs Union technical regulation TR CU 018/2011 (Annex 8, item 5.5) prohibits operating M1 and N1 vehicles without winter tyres on all wheels in December, January and February; member states may set a different period. The item does not cover trucks or buses. For M2, M3, N2 and N3 vehicles, chain requirements are left to the member states’ law (item 11.9), and an M3 bus may go without chains if they cannot be fitted or if it has winter tyres.

Spain

The texts read set no calendar. The Reglamento General de Vehículos, Annex VII as amended in May 2026, says that to comply with winter mobility restrictions, vehicles over 3,500 kg must fit tyres certified 3PMSF or POR at least on the steering axle and the drive axles. It defines special tyres as snow tyres marked M+S, M&S or M.S together with the 3PMSF pictogram, or professional off-road tyres marked M+S together with POR; where chains are compulsory or recommended, they may be fitted on at least one drive wheel on each side or replaced by special tyres. The DGT’s instruction 15/TV-87 of 1 December 2015 adds that at the red level a bus may run, by exception, on a full set of special 3PMSF winter tyres with at least 4 mm of tread.

Sweden

Since 1 November 2025 (SFS 2025:881), Chapter 4, § 18 b of the Trafikförordning requires heavy trucks, heavy buses and trailers drawn by them to have winter tyres or equivalent equipment from 10 November to 10 April, whatever the road conditions; the government’s press release adds that no chain requirement is introduced. Transportstyrelsen’s rules (TSFS 2009:19) accept tyres marked 3PMSF or POR, or studded tyres; on axles other than the drive and front axles of vehicles over 3,500 kg, and on trailers over 3,500 kg, M+S is accepted instead. In the same period the tyres of heavy trucks and buses need at least 5 mm of tread in the middle 75 % of the tread width, and a trailer coupled to them at least 1.6 mm. A two-axle truck with one drive axle and a trailer must also, from 10 November to 10 April, put at least 25 % of the train’s gross weight on the drive axle, or keep the trailers to no more than 1.5 times the truck’s gross weight.

Türkiye

The winter tyre communiqué (Kış Lastiği Tebliği) requires winter tyres from 15 November to 15 April on vehicles used for passenger and goods transport on intercity roads, whether registered in Türkiye or not; governors may extend the period by one month before and after. On trucks, tractor units, tankers and buses every tyre on the driven axles must be a winter tyre with at least 4 mm of tread; trailers and semi-trailers are outside the communiqué, and carrying or using chains does not lift the obligation. At checks the sidewall is examined for M+S, M+S with a snowflake, or a snowflake alone. Under Article 65/A of the Highway Traffic Law, as amended in February 2026, the fine for the operator is 6,000 Turkish lira.

Tables in tyre makers’ books can lag behind

Rules change faster than printed summaries. The winter table in Continental’s Technical Data Book of March 2024, headed “Winter 2023/2024”, ties the Swedish rule for heavy vehicles to wintry weather, gives Türkiye a period from 1 December to 1 April and has Russia requiring winter tyres on all axles of trucks and buses. Sweden and Türkiye have changed their rules since, and the Russian item has covered only M1 and N1 vehicles since November 2018. Dates and axles should be read from the country’s own text for the winter in question.