The latest study prepared by the IRU at the request of the European Commission is one of the most detailed takes on the issue of access for non-EU drivers to the European labour market. The report not only diagnoses legal and administrative barriers, but also points to good practices used in selected member states.
The road transport sector in the EU is struggling with a serious and worsening driver shortage, estimated at around 500,000 unfilled positions. The problem is structural and stems primarily from an ageing workforce and an insufficient inflow of new workers.
The average age of drivers in freight transport is around 47, and the share of young drivers under 25 is just 5%. At the same time, women and young workers together account for less than 10% of the total workforce in the profession.
In this situation – as the IRU emphasises – recruitment from third countries can be part of a broader strategy.
“Solving the driver shortage requires a broad, long-term approach. The IRU is working to attract more women and young people to the profession, while also supporting safe and well-regulated mobility for non-EU drivers,” said Raluca Marian, IRU EU Director.
300,000 non-EU drivers
The report shows that in 2023, around 300,000 professional drivers from third countries were working in the EU, representing 7.5% of the total number of professional drivers in the Union.
In freight transport, this share is around 8%, while in bus and coach transport it is about 5%. The difference results, among other things, from the need for very good knowledge of the local language in passenger transport.
By comparison, across the EU labour market as a whole, around 9.93 million third-country nationals are employed, accounting for 5.1% of the economically active population. In construction, their share reaches 8.5%, and in some countries exceeds 20%. Road transport is therefore not a sector with an above-average share of non-EU workers.
Poland leads, Denmark at the other extreme
The report shows huge variation between member states. As much as 90% of all driver attestations issued in the EU by the end of 2022 came from just five countries, more than half of them issued in Poland.
In Poland, drivers from third countries account for almost 30% of those employed in international transport. At the end of 2023, Polish companies employed 162,489 non-EU drivers, more than 88,000 of whom were Ukrainian citizens.
By comparison, in Denmark, despite a 24% driver shortage in the first half of 2023, the number of driver attestations issued to third-country nationals was symbolic – between January and October 2024, only 15 such documents were issued there.
In Spain, in 2021, 19,787 drivers from third countries were employed, mainly in freight transport. The share of non-EU citizens in the total number of employment contracts for drivers was 6%.
Non-EU drivers in selected countries
| Country | Number of non-EU drivers | Share in truck transport | |
| Poland | 162,489 | almost 30% | |
| Denmark | 15 | symbolic | |
| Spain | 19,787 | around 6% | |
| European Union (overall) | 300,000 | 8% |
Bureaucracy, legal paradoxes and the CPC “vicious circle”
The IRU report describes administrative and legal barriers in detail. Migration procedures and obtaining work permits take from six months up to even a year, i.e. longer than the average in other sectors of the economy.
One of the key problems is the legal paradox related to obtaining the EU certificate of professional competence (CPC). To obtain it, a driver from a third country must legally reside in a given country for more than 185 days. In turn, to obtain the right of residence, an employment contract is needed, which, however, already requires having a CPC.
This is a classic “no-win” situation that blocks access to the profession and generates costs for both employers and candidates.
In addition, systems for recognising and exchanging driving licences from third countries vary significantly between member states. A CPC issued outside the Union is not recognised, and exchanging a driving licence often requires additional theory or practical exams.
Good practices: shortage occupation lists and bilateral agreements
The report points to two main models of facilitation used by member states.
- Including drivers on national shortage occupation lists – in eight member states, truck drivers appear on such lists. This streamlines procedures, shortens waiting times and makes it possible to skip the labour market test.
- Bilateral agreements with selected third countries, as in the case of Spain and Portugal. They facilitate recruitment, although even simplified pathways do not solve the problem of lack of experience or the required EU qualifications.
No “silver bullet”, but a clear direction of travel
“Recruiting drivers from third countries can complement domestic solutions, provided it is based on clear pathways, fair conditions and common EU standards. There is no single universal solution, but with the right set of measures the Union can build a resilient and sustainable driver workforce,” emphasises Raluca Marian.
The report’s conclusions are intended to support further work at EU level on worker mobility, recognition of qualifications and the future of road transport. The IRU announces a continuation of activities under the SDM4EU project, whose second pilot phase is set to start later this year.
One thing is certain: without putting in order and simplifying legal and administrative pathways, recruiting non-EU drivers will not become real support for European supply chains, and demographic and market pressure will only increase.
Germany introduces facilitations
An example of a country introducing concrete facilitations for professional drivers is Germany. The German Ministry of Transport (BMV) is preparing a package of legislative changes intended to speed up entry into the profession and increase the availability of workers on the market. This applies both to third-country nationals and to drivers from the Union, including Poles and Romanians.
The most important solutions include, among others, the possibility of taking qualification exams in eight foreign languages, including Ukrainian, Turkish, Polish and Romanian. Driving time as part of the initial qualification will be reduced by 30 minutes, and the part of the exam dealing with coping in critical situations will be removed entirely. Professional exams will be able to be retaken multiple times, which makes it easier to obtain qualifications and shortens the time needed to enter the profession.
In addition, there are plans to facilitate recognition of driving licences from third countries, including from Ukraine and Montenegro. The number of languages in which a German driving licence can be obtained will be expanded to include Ukrainian and Kurmanji, a language used by Kurds in Turkey, Syria and Iraq.
