The EU Commission has proposed a comprehensive overhaul of the EU’s road safety and vehicle registration rules as part of its commitment to safe and sustainable mobility.

One measure put forward is to simplify the process of taking your car with you when moving across borders to live in a different country.

At the moment, the paperwork is lengthy and complicated due to the absence of EU-wide laws on vehicle registration.

The proposals are still to be endorsed by the European Parliament and Council.

EU to bring in digital car registration certificates

The Commission wants to digitise key car-ownership documents to facilitate the process of taking vehicles across borders.

At the moment, residents of the EU register their cars in the country where they live. Rules vary between member states as there is no blanket EU law on vehicle registration.

That means if you choose to relocate to another EU country long term – as opposed to travelling there on holiday – you are required to re-register your vehicle.

As most documents are still paper-based, it can be a drawn-out process.

The Commission’s new proposal aims to simplify the procedure by issuing digital registration certificates and roadworthiness certificates, and linking national registers.

Member states will also have access to data like odometer readings, the total distance a vehicle has travelled since manufacture and a key figure to avoid mileage fraud when reselling.

“Today’s initiative marks a major step forward in making our roads safer, our air cleaner and making citizen’s life easier,” Apostolos Tzitzikostas, commissioner for sustainable transport and tourism, said.

“By modernising our roadworthiness rules we are harnessing the latest technology, strengthening enforcement, and ensuring they keep pace with the evolving realities of mobility.”

Car owners can obtain roadworthiness certificates in different EU countries

Car owners living in EU countries are required to maintain their vehicles in ‘roadworthy’ condition and obtain certificates as proof.

These are already recognised throughout the bloc for circulation and re-registration purposes.

The Commission has recently introduced a new policy allowing drivers to undergo roadworthiness testing and receive certificates in EU member states outside their vehicle’s registration country.

These certificates will remain valid for six months, providing greater flexibility for those temporarily staying in another EU country.

This new option comes with the condition that the following roadworthiness test must occur in the vehicle‘s country of registration.

Individual member states can also choose to recognise tests performed in other EU countries for longer periods if they wish.

The Commission decided against implementing full EU-wide recognition of these certificates, citing the need for more standardised regulations and concerns about price differences between EU countries.

Vietnam has announced it will introduce a new 10-year golden visa programme.

The Southeast Asian country is looking to attract long-term residents, investors and professionals from around the world.

It hopes, in turn, that this will bolster Vietnam’s tourism sector and economy.

Here’s everything we know so far about the golden visa.

Vietnam’s new golden visa aims to attract foreign investors

Vietnam is experiencing an economic boom, making it increasingly attractive as a destination for high-net-worth foreigners.

Authorities are looking to capitalise on this with new visas that offer renewable residency to those interested in investing in the country’s tourism sector and economy.

There are three proposed categories, according to news site Financial Express.

The golden visa has a term of 5-10 years, with the possibility of extension. The investor visa has a term of 10 years, with a roadmap to become a permanent resident after 5 years. The ‘Talent Visa’, aimed at highly skilled professionals in rapid growth sectors, has a term of 5 years, with a simple renewal process.

Applications for the visa are expected to be available entirely online, with no requirement for embassy appointments.

Visa procedures for tourists and business travellers on short trips have also been streamlined, simplified and digitised.

Vietnam offers affordability and culture

Beyond investment opportunities, Vietnam is positioning itself as a vibrant and affordable place to live, with quality services.

Major cities such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Da Nang are rich in culture and offer international schools and housing options that are attractive to foreigners seeking residency.

Vietnam’s push for tourism expansion

Vietnam hopes the golden visa will contribute to its aim to expand tourism.

More than 7.67 million foreign visitors arrived in the country during the first quarter of 2025, marking a 23.8 per cent year-on-year increase, according to figures from the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism.

China and South Korea are Vietnam’s biggest tourism markets, followed by Taiwan, the US and Japan.

European markets are growing, thanks partly to Vietnam’s visa exemption policy. The UK recorded a 20.7 per cent increase in visitors, followed by France (24.7 per cent) and Germany (18.8 per cent).

Vietnam’s tourism authority plans to launch numerous promotional campaigns to help reach its aim of welcoming between 22 and 23 million international arrivals this year.

The Canary Islands have been inundated by a ‘record-breaking’ number of visitors so far this year, according to local authority figures.

It’s a blow to the thousands of residents who have come out in force to protest against overtourism and poor working conditions in the hospitality sector.

The archipelago is overwhelmed with holidaymakers in high season, which is putting a strain on local services, bumping up housing costs and threatening the natural environment.

On Tenerife, authorities have announced that a new eco-tax will be introduced next year to protect a popular national park.

Canary Islands see ‘record-breaking’ visitor numbers in March

The Canary Islands received more than 1.55 million foreign visitors in March, up 0.9 per cent on the record set in the same month last year.

The figures were released by the Canary Islands National Statistics Institute (INE) on Monday, which added that the total number of international tourists for the first quarter of 2025 was 4.36 million, an increase of 2.1 per cent year-on-year.

INE also found the first quarter saw ‘the highest spending figures on record’, according to local news site Canarian Weekly.

In March alone, foreign visitors spent €2.43 billion, up 4.5 per cent compared to the same month in 2024. While this may reflect increasing interest in the destination, it is also a result of inflation, industry analysts say.

Canary Islands overtourism protests fail to curb soaring visitor numbers

The tourist influx comes despite dozens of protests staged last year by Canary Island residents against mass tourism.

Similar demonstrations have already taken place this year. Over Easter, around 80,000 hospitality workers in Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro walked out in a dispute with unions over pay.

On 18 May, the group Canarias Tiene Un Límite (the Canaries have a limit) has planned a protest taking aim at governments and institutions for ignoring the calls of residents to clamp down on visitor numbers.

Tenerife introduces new eco-tax for tourists

A small step has been taken by authorities on Tenerife to mitigate the adverse effects of mass tourism.

The island is introducing an eco-tax in 2026 for non-residents visiting the Teide National Park.

The UNESCO world heritage site has seen unsustainable visitor numbers in recent years, leading to environmental damage, including pollution and erosion.

Private car access to the natural landmark will also be restricted next year, with electric shuttle buses provided instead.

The revenue from the visitor tax will be used to fund conservation projects, Rosa Davila, President of the Tenerife Cabildo, said on Monday.