Electric Scooter Laws Europe 2026/2027 — 10 EU Countries Compared

What is legal?

A compliant Irish public-road e-scooter must have a maximum design speed of 20 km/h, maximum continuous rated output of 400W and maximum weight of 25 kg including battery.

Riders must be at least 18 from 2 October 2026 and must wear both a securely fastened helmet and qualifying high-visibility clothing.

Administration + routes

A compliant low-power e-scooter currently requires no driving licence, registration, motor tax or insurance. Cycle lanes, bus lanes and appropriate roads may be used. Footpaths, pedestrianised areas and motorways are prohibited.

What changed on 1 October 2026?

Spain introduced a national minimum age of 15 for VMP riders and made protective helmets mandatory. Reflective clothing is required at night or in poor visibility.

Professional riders using VMPs face additional visibility requirements.

Registration + 2027 deadline

Spain now operates a national VMP registration system. A vehicle must be registered and carry the required identifier, supporting the compulsory insurance regime.

From 22 January 2027, the transitional permission for older non-certified VMPs ends.

Core riding rules

Ordinary electric scooters are limited to 20 km/h, with the lower pedestrian-area setting applying where such use is permitted.

Riders must be at least 14, and the helmet requirement now applies to adult riders as well as minors. High-visibility equipment applies during night-time use.

The big 2026 change

Italy's scooter identification-label system became operational in May 2026. From 16 July 2026, third-party liability insurance became compulsory for electric scooters covered by the regime.

Approval before specification

Germany does not treat a generic 20 km/h scooter as road legal merely because its speed looks compliant.

Public-road use requires the relevant Allgemeine Betriebserlaubnis or individual approval, together with compulsory insurance identification.

What happens in 2027?

From 1 March 2027, several riding rules move closer to German cycling rules. New-production 2027 scooters also face updated safety requirements including indicators, battery standards and independent front/rear braking.

Existing lawfully approved scooters do not need to be retrofitted solely because of the new-production rules.

National EDPM rules

Electric scooters are classified as engins de déplacement personnel motorisés — EDPM. Riders must be at least 14 and the vehicle is limited to 25 km/h.

Third-party civil-liability insurance is compulsory. Carrying a passenger and using a handheld phone or headphones while riding are prohibited.

Helmet + route nuance

France does not operate one simple nationwide “helmet always / helmet never” answer for every route. Helmet requirements apply in certain authorised higher-speed-road circumstances, and current official guidance also identifies stricter local requirements in selected areas.

Cycle infrastructure should normally be used where available, with rules differing inside and outside built-up areas.

Most generic e-scooters are not road approved

The Netherlands is very different from markets where any scooter under a headline speed limit can enter public-road use.

A self-propelled e-step must be an officially approved model. The Dutch Government warns that most ordinary self-propelled e-scooters offered for sale are not approved for the public road.

For an approved model

Riders must be at least 16. Approved vehicles require WA liability insurance and a registration plate. No helmet is generally required for an approved e-step in this special-moped category.

Use the cycle/moped path where required and do not ride on the pavement.

The September 2026 helmet change

Since 1 September 2026, riders of motorised personal-mobility devices whose maximum construction speed exceeds 20 km/h must wear an approved helmet.

The crucial point is the scooter's design capability. Riding a 25 km/h scooter at only 18 km/h does not remove the helmet obligation.

General riding rules

The ordinary motorised personal-mobility category is capped at 25 km/h. The general minimum age is 16, subject to defined exceptions.

E-scooter riders follow cycling rules, may not carry a second person and generally may not ride on the pavement.

Austrian e-scooter category

Austria defines the ordinary stand-up e-scooter category around a maximum 600W output and maximum design speed of 25 km/h.

Where cycling infrastructure exists it generally must be used. Riding longitudinally on pavements and footpaths is prohibited.

Age + 2026 changes

Children below the solo-riding threshold operate under supervision / cycling-pass rules. Since 2026, riders under 16 must wear a helmet.

Separately, certain seated electric “e-mopeds” moved into motor-vehicle classification from 1 October 2026. Do not confuse those vehicles with an ordinary stand-up e-scooter.

What changed in 2026?

From 3 March 2026, the minimum age for independent public-road e-scooter use increased to 13.

From 3 June 2026, riders below 16 must wear a protective helmet.

Route + licence framework

The speed limit for electric scooters is 20 km/h. Riders aged 13–17 require the appropriate bicycle card or specified driving-licence category.

Cycle infrastructure should be used where present. Pavement use is only permitted under defined exceptional conditions and at pedestrian-like speed.

Technical definition

Portugal's Road Code equates qualifying motorised scooters with bicycles where the scooter has a maximum continuous motor output of 0.25 kW and maximum speed of 25 km/h.

Devices exceeding the relevant technical limits can fall outside this simplified category and face penalties and seizure if used contrary to the applicable rules.

Helmet + insurance nuance

The Portuguese Road Code requires riders of motorised scooters covered by the relevant provision to wear a properly fitted and fastened helmet.

Portugal's current motor-insurance framework can capture mechanically propelled vehicles above defined weight/speed thresholds. Typical lightweight compliant scooters generally sit outside that motor-insurance definition, but heavier or faster machines require special care.