National vs International Driver CPC: Which Route Do Your Drivers Actually Need?

If you drive a lorry, bus or coach professionally, you need to keep your Driver CPC valid. It’s important to note that your National Driver CPC qualification requires you to complete 35 hours of periodic training every five years.

Since the Driver CPC rules changed, you also need to choose the correct training route:

1. National Driver CPC for UK-only professional driving.
2. International Driver CPC for professional driving in the UK and Europe or other international operations.

The two routes are related, but they are not interchangeable. Book the wrong type of course and your carefully collected Driver CPC hours may not give you the entitlement you expected. Nobody wants five years of training to end with an administrative banana skin.

This guide explains the difference and what you should check before booking.

1. What is Driver CPC?

1.1 What does the law require?

The official GOV.UK guidance states:

“You must do 35 hours of periodic training every 5 years to keep your Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) to drive a lorry, bus or coach.”

This means you need to complete enough approved Driver CPC training during each five-year period to keep driving professionally.

You can check your current Driver CPC hours through the official GOV.UK Driver CPC periodic training hours service.

You should check your record before booking. It will help you confirm:

• How many hours you have already completed.
• Which courses have been recorded.
• When your next Driver CPC card is due.
• Whether you need to opt out of National courses to protect an International entitlement.

If your training record is not correct, contact the training centre first. GOV.UK advises allowing up to five working days for completed training to appear.

2. What is the difference between National and International Driver CPC?

2.1 National Driver CPC

National Driver CPC is for drivers who work professionally in the UK only.

You can choose this route if your driving work is limited to:

• England.
• Scotland.
• Wales.
• Northern Ireland, subject to the relevant local arrangements.

National Driver CPC training offers more flexibility in how you build your 35 hours. Courses may be delivered in:

• 3.5-hour sessions.
• 7-hour sessions.
• A combination of both.

Up to 12 hours of e-learning may count towards your Driver CPC hours, subject to the current rules and the way the approved course is delivered.

National Driver CPC is often suitable for drivers who make local, regional or nationwide deliveries but do not drive professionally into Europe.

2.2 International Driver CPC

International Driver CPC is for drivers who work professionally in the UK and carry out international operations, including driving into the EU.

You should choose the International route if:

• You already drive professionally between the UK and EU.
• Your employer expects you to take on international work.
• You want to keep the option of EU driving open during your next five-year period.

International Driver CPC courses are delivered in 7-hour blocks.

If a 7-hour session is split into two parts, the sessions must be completed on consecutive days. For example, a course may be delivered as 3.5 hours on Monday and 3.5 hours on Tuesday.

Up to 12 hours of e-learning may count towards the 35 hours, subject to the current rules. The rest of the training must meet the requirements for approved International Driver CPC courses.

The important point is that drivers who want an International Driver CPC entitlement must complete 35 hours of International Driver CPC training only during the relevant five-year period.

3. National vs International Driver CPC: comparison table

The table gives you the short version. The next section covers the rule that causes the most confusion.

4. Can you mix National and International Driver CPC courses?

4.1 What if you only drive in the UK?

If you only drive professionally in the UK, you can complete:

1. 35 hours of National Driver CPC training only, or
2. A mixture of National and International Driver CPC training.

However, your resulting entitlement will be National. You will not automatically gain an International entitlement simply because some of your courses were International.

This can be a sensible option if your work is definitely UK-only and you want the flexibility of shorter 3.5-hour sessions.

4.2 What if you may drive into Europe?

If you need to drive professionally in the UK and Europe, you must complete 35 hours of International Driver CPC training only.

If you include a National Driver CPC course in that five-year training period, you will receive a National Driver CPC entitlement. You will not be able to use that entitlement for professional driving in Europe.

The official GOV.UK Driver CPC training guidance explains that drivers who want to drive in the UK and Europe must complete 35 hours of International Driver CPC training only.

This is why checking your route before booking matters. One National course could affect the entitlement you receive for the whole training period.

4.3 Can International hours be reused later?

If you receive a National Driver CPC card, International hours recorded during that period cannot simply be reused later to obtain an International Driver CPC card.

You may need to complete a fresh set of 35 hours of International-only training in a new qualifying period.

That is a lot of training to repeat. It is much easier to confirm the correct route before you start.

5. Which route should you choose?

5.1 Choose National Driver CPC if:

National Driver CPC is likely to be appropriate if:

• You only drive professionally within the UK.
• Your employer does not operate international routes.
• You do not expect to drive into the EU during the next five-year period.
• You want the flexibility of 3.5-hour and 7-hour sessions.
• You want to use eligible e-learning as part of your training plan.

For example, a driver delivering goods between Motherwell, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Manchester may need National Driver CPC if all work remains within the UK.

5.2 Choose International Driver CPC if:

International Driver CPC is likely to be appropriate if:

• You drive professionally between the UK and EU.
• Your company may send you to Europe during the next five years.
• You want to remain available for international driving jobs.
• Your contract or role includes international transport.
• You are prepared to complete five 7-hour blocks, or the approved equivalent, to reach 35 hours.

For example, a driver travelling from Scotland to France, Belgium, Germany or the Netherlands for work should plan for the International route.

5.3 Still unsure?

Ask yourself one straightforward question:

“Will I need to drive professionally in Europe during this five-year Driver CPC period?”

• If the answer is no, National Driver CPC may be suitable.
• If the answer is yes or possibly, check the International requirements before booking any course.

Your employer should also confirm the route. A driver may be UK-only today but expected to cover international work later. A quick conversation with the transport manager can prevent an expensive change of plan.

6. How should employers manage Driver CPC hours?

Employers should not leave Driver CPC planning until a driver’s card is about to expire.

A simple process works best:

Step 1: Check each driver’s record

Use the GOV.UK Driver CPC hours checker to review each employee’s current position.

Step 2: Confirm the type of work

Ask whether the driver:

• Works in the UK only.
• Drives into the EU.
• May move into international work before the next five-year period ends.

Step 3: Confirm the training route

Make sure the driver is booked onto National or International Driver CPC training as appropriate.

Step 4: Plan the remaining hours

Spread the 35 hours across the five-year period where possible. This is easier for the driver, the operation and the payroll department. It also avoids the traditional last-minute scramble involving calendars, coffee and increasingly desperate phone calls.

Step 5: Keep your records

Drivers and employers should retain booking confirmations and check that completed courses appear on the official record.

If your business needs several drivers trained, group bookings can make scheduling easier. You can arrange training around operational requirements rather than sending people away one at a time.

7. Driver CPC training at Open Road Training

Open Road Training Ltd runs Driver CPC courses every month for LGV and PCV drivers.

We provide flexible options for individual drivers and employers. We also accept group bookings for companies that need to train several employees.

Our training centre is based at:

Open Road Training Ltd
29 Hope Street
Motherwell
ML1 1BS

You can view the latest availability on our Course Dates page.

For advice about the correct route or group training arrangements, contact us:

• Telephone: 01698 598 665
• Email: info@open-road.org

Open Road Training also provides ADR training and Transport Manager CPC training. However, if your immediate requirement is keeping professional driving entitlement valid, Driver CPC should be your starting point.

8. Final Driver CPC checklist

Before booking your next course, check the following:

• Do you need 35 Driver CPC hours every five years?
• Are you driving professionally in the UK only?
• Will you drive professionally into the EU?
• Do you need National Driver CPC or International Driver CPC?
• If you need International entitlement, are all 35 hours International courses?
• Are you booking the correct 3.5-hour or 7-hour session?
• If an International course is split, are the sessions on consecutive days?
• Are you relying on e-learning within the current permitted limits?
• Have you checked your existing Driver CPC hours on GOV.UK?
• Has your employer confirmed the route?
• Have you checked the latest Open Road Training course dates?

The main rule is simple: both routes require 35 hours, but the route you choose must match where you drive.

Check your eligibility first, choose the correct Driver CPC training, and keep your professional driving plans moving in the right direction.