Are winter tyres compulsory in the Netherlands? Rules at home and abroad

No. In the Netherlands you are not required to use winter tyres (in Dutch: winterbanden). This is stated on the website of the Dutch government (page in Dutch). The government does say that winter tyres are sensible in wintry conditions. Studded tyres (spijkerbanden) are not allowed in the Netherlands, because they cause too much damage to the road surface.

Every tyre in the Netherlands must have a legal minimum tread depth of 1.6 mm. This applies to summer tyres, winter tyres and all-season tyres. The inspector also checks this at the APK (MOT), the compulsory Dutch vehicle inspection. You can read more in our article on tyre tread depth and the APK.

In several countries that people from the Netherlands drive to in winter, winter tyres are compulsory under certain conditions. Usually the rule depends on wintry conditions or on a period of the year. The table gives an overview based on the ANWB (page in Dutch), checked on 5 November 2026.

Source: ANWB, Hier zijn winterbanden en sneeuwkettingen verplicht (in Dutch), checked on 5 November 2026. Rules can change from season to season. Check them before you leave.

If you drive without winter tyres or snow chains where they are compulsory, the ANWB says this can lead to a fine and can affect liability in an accident. If you drive through several countries, check the rules for each country.

Germany. Germany has a situational winter tyre rule (situative Winterreifenpflicht). Under section 2 of the German road traffic regulations (StVO) (page in German), you may only drive in black ice, packed snow, slush, icy or frosty conditions if all wheels have tyres that meet the German requirements for winter tyres. So there is no fixed date. The weather decides whether the rule applies. According to the ANWB, the rule also applies to Dutch-registered cars, and only a tyre with the snowflake symbol (3PMSF) counts as a winter tyre. Tyres made before 1 January 2018 that only have M+S no longer count as winter tyres since 1 October 2024. If you have an accident on summer tyres in wintry conditions, the ANWB says this can be seen as gross negligence.

Austria. In Austria winter tyres are compulsory from 1 November to 15 April in wintry conditions. According to the Austrian federal ministry responsible for transport (BMIMI), a radial tyre must then have at least 4 mm of tread. Tyres marked M+S, M.S. or M&S count as winter tyres, and according to the ANWB so do tyres with the snowflake symbol. If the road is completely or almost completely covered with snow or ice, you may also fit snow chains on at least two drive wheels instead.

France. In many mountain areas in France you must have winter tyres on all four wheels from 1 November to 31 March, or carry snow chains in the car. This covers the Alps, the Massif Central, the Jura, the Pyrenees, the Vosges and Corsica. According to the ANWB, tyres with the snowflake symbol (3PMSF) plus M+S count as winter tyres. On enforcement, the ANWB wrote (checked on 5 November 2026) that the rules on fines have been delayed and that you will probably not get a fine yet, but that fines later in the season are not ruled out. The police can turn back cars without winter tyres or snow chains. This can change quickly. Check the current rules before you leave.

You recognise a winter tyre by the snowflake symbol on the sidewall: a mountain with three peaks and a snowflake, also called 3PMSF (Three Peak Mountain Snow Flake). According to the ANWB, this symbol shows that the tyre is suitable for driving in wintry conditions. The older marking M+S (Mud and Snow) is no longer enough in Germany.

Source: ANWB, Winterbanden in Duitsland (in Dutch), checked on 5 November 2026. In Austria, M+S does count as a winter tyre, provided the tyre has at least 4 mm of tread.

According to the ANWB, a winter tyre with M+S may have a lower speed rating than the one in your car’s service book. The ANWB still recommends speed rating T (up to 190 km/h) or H (up to 210 km/h) for winter tyres.

In the Netherlands the legal minimum is 1.6 mm, also for winter tyres. The ANWB recommends a minimum tread of 4 mm for winter tyres. In Austria, 4 mm for a radial tyre is a legal requirement when the winter tyre rule applies.

You can measure the tread yourself with a coin. According to the ANWB, use a 2 euro coin for a winter tyre. Put the coin in a groove of the tread. If part of the outer rim of the coin sticks out above the groove, the tyre needs replacing. The wear indicators also help: small blocks of rubber in the grooves. Once the tread is level with those blocks, the tyre must be replaced.

All-season tyres are a compromise between winter tyres and summer tyres, the ANWB writes. According to the ANWB, they work best on smaller cars and smaller tyre sizes. For larger and sporty cars, the ANWB recommends winter tyres. For the French mountains, the ANWB says a well-tested all-season tyre with the snowflake symbol is often enough as well. For harsher winter conditions, the ANWB recommends a real winter tyre.

Change to winter tyres before it gets really cold. The ANWB gives an easy reminder: change your tyres when the clocks go back to winter time, and change back when summer time starts. According to the ANWB, from around 7 °C you notice that summer tyres give less grip and that the braking distance gets longer. The rubber of a summer tyre gets harder in the cold. A winter tyre stays flexible.

According to the ANWB, a set of winter tyres costs between € 300 and € 1,000, depending on brand, size and quality (checked on 5 November 2026). The ANWB recommends buying winter tyres with their own set of four wheels (rims). Changing them is then quicker. At our garage you hear the price of changing them in advance, based on your registration number. Call us or drop by.

We change winter tyres from Monday to Saturday. On Saturday we are open from 9.00 to 15.00. Read more about winter tyre changes in Rotterdam or about tyre replacement at our garage. If you are preparing the whole car for the cold, use our winter car checklist and read how to tell when your car battery needs replacing. If your car is also due for maintenance, you can combine the tyre change with a car service.

No. There is no winter tyre rule in the Netherlands, so you do not get a fine for summer tyres. Your tyres must still have at least 1.6 mm of tread. Adjust your speed and distance on slippery roads.

That depends on your policy. According to the ANWB, driving without winter tyres where they are compulsory can affect liability in an accident. In Germany the ANWB says it can be seen as gross negligence. Read the terms of your insurance before you leave.

No. According to the Dutch government, studded tyres are not allowed in the Netherlands, because they damage the road surface too much.

Yes. That applies if they have the snowflake symbol (3PMSF), because according to the ANWB only that symbol counts in Germany. An all-season tyre with only M+S does not count as a winter tyre there.

According to the ANWB, new winter tyres last about 35,000 km on average. A used winter tyre with 6 mm of tread lasts about another 20,000 km. Driving style, the car and tyre pressure make a big difference. The ANWB also advises not to use tyres that are more than 6 years old.

Yes. In Germany, the German road traffic regulations require all wheels of a car to have tyres that meet the winter tyre requirements. In the mountain areas of France you must have winter tyres on all four wheels or carry snow chains in the car.

Yes. We also change winter tyres on Saturday, between 9.00 and 15.00. Call +31 10 479 00 00 for an appointment and the price in advance, based on your registration number.

• Rijksoverheid (Dutch government): Moet ik in Nederland winterbanden gebruiken? (in Dutch)
• ANWB: Hier zijn winterbanden en sneeuwkettingen verplicht (in Dutch)
• ANWB: Winterbanden in Duitsland (in Dutch)
• Austrian federal ministry for transport (BMIMI): Winter tyres and snow chains
• ANWB: Veelgestelde vragen over winterbanden (in Dutch)
• ANWB: Winterbanden in de zomer, kan dat? (in Dutch)