Heading abroad for a family holiday, but unsure about the local rules on child car seats? Find out all you need to know before you set off.
UK law states that children must use a child car seat until they're 12 years old or 135cm/4ft 5in tall, whichever happens first. But the rules and regulations for other countries can be different.
To save you time and hassle, we've compiled the child car seat rules and regulations for some of the most popular holiday destinations, with the help of international car seat experts from other consumer organisations.
Make sure you also check our Don't Buy child car seats before hiring a seat abroad, so you don't get stuck with one we don't recommend.
Rules: Car seats and booster seats used in Australia need to comply with the Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 1754 with children aged under seven years being secured using an approved child restraint.
Children up to the age of six months must use a rear-facing car seat.
Children aged between six months and four years must use either a rear or forward-facing car seat with an inbuilt harness.
Children aged between four and seven years must use a forward-facing car seat with an inbuilt harness or an approved booster seat. Those aged seven years and over who are too small to use a seatbelt must use an approved booster seat or an anchored safety harness.
The suggested minimum height for using a seatbelt is 145cm.
Exceptions: Children between the ages of four and seven can't travel in the front seat of a vehicle with two or more rows, unless all other back seats are taken up by children younger than seven years (in an approved child restraint or booster seat).
Can I use a UK car seat? No – child car seats bought overseas do not comply with Australian Standards, and they're not compatible with Australian vehicles.
Is a car seat required in a taxi? The specifics vary depending on the state. Usually, if a suitable restraint is not available, the child can travel without one. It's recommended that parents provide their own child car seat when travelling in a taxi.
Rules: If you're heading to Canada, it's illegal to use a child car seat that does not have a National Safety Mark. It will look like a maple leaf in a circle with writing around the edge and proves that the seat meets Canadian safety standards.
Generally, car seat rules follow those of many other countries – infants and children should ride in a rear-facing car seat. Once they weigh at least 10kg, they can ride in a forward-facing car seat. Booster seats can be used when your child has outgrown their forward-facing seat and weighs at least 18kg.
When transitioning to using just the vehicle seatbelt, rules may vary between provinces, so it's worth checking the regulations required for each province. Typically, the child has to meet one of the following criteria:
be aged nine years or older
weigh 36kg
be 145cm tall.
However, we recommend you also Google 'child safety guidelines' and the name of the province for confirmation on the exact rules.
Can I use a UK car seat? No. A child car seat must have the National Safety Mark.
Rules: Children should use a child restraint seat suitable for their height and weight until they are 135cm. The seat has to be approved to UN R44 or R129.
Exceptions: You are not allowed to have a rear-facing seat in the front seat unless the airbag is deactivated. It is the responsibility of the driver that every child below the age of 15 is using the right safety equipment (car seat or seatbelt depending on height), and the driver will be penalised if not.
Can I use a UK car seat? Yes, as long as it's approved to R44 or R129.
Is a car seat required in a taxi? A child can travel in a taxi without a child car seat if there isn't one available. The child has to sit in the back seat, and if he or she is three years or older the car's seatbelt has to be used.
Rules: All children under 10 years and less than 135cm tall must use an UN R44/R129-approved child car seat. A child between 135cm and 150cm can use a booster seat if needed. You can transport children in the front seat in a child car seat if:
there's no back seat or no seatbelts on the back seats
all the back seats are taken up with car seats already
the back seats are temporarily unusable.
A baby can travel on the front seat in a rearward-facing car seat, but only if the airbag is deactivated.
Can I use a UK car seat? Yes, as long as it's approved to R44 or R129.
Is a car seat required in a taxi? No, there is no requirement to use a car seat in a taxi.
Rules: Regulations require child restraints approved to UN R44/R129 for children less than 150cm tall or younger than 12 years old, whichever comes first.
Can I use a UK car seat? Yes, as long as it's approved to R44 or R129.
Is a car seat required in a taxi? Yes, children are required to use car seats in taxis.
Rules: In Greece, child car seat laws are governed by the Greek Traffic Code (KOK) and the European Regulation ECE R44/04. Children under three must be placed in a suitable child restraint, while children between three and 11 (measuring less than 135cm) must be in an appropriate child restraint for their size. From the age of 12, children over 135cm tall can wear an adult seatbelt.
Can I use a UK car seat? Seats approved under UK regulations (compliant with ECE R44/04) should be suitable for use in Greece.
Is a car seat required in a taxi? Taxis are not required by law to provide a baby seat.
Rules: The foundation of Italy’s child seat rules lies in Article 172 of the Codice della Strada, which mandates the use of appropriate restraint systems for children in vehicles equipped with seat belts.
All children who are under 150cm in height or 36kg in weight, regardless of age, must use a UN R44/R129-approved child car seat. A baby can travel on the front seat in a rearward-facing car seat, but only if the airbag is deactivated.
Since November 2019, Italy has enforced a law requiring the use of 'anti-abandonment' devices for children under four years old. This regulation states that car seats must be equipped with an alarm that will alert you if you exit the car without removing your baby. This followed a spate of tragic heatstroke deaths caused by babies being left in hot cars.
Can I use a UK car seat? Yes, as long as it's approved to R44 or R129.
Is a car seat required in a taxi? There is no requirement to use a car seat in a taxi.
Rules: All children up to 135cm must use an UN R44 / R129-approved child car seat.
Exceptions: If a car does not have seatbelts in the back seat, children three years or older can sit in the back seat. If you want to transport three children on the back seat, but there's only room for two car seats, a child of three years or older can use the car's adult seatbelt
Can I use a UK car seat? Yes, as long as it's approved to R44 or R129.
Is a car seat required in a taxi? If there's no car seat present in a licensed taxi (identified by the blue licence plates), children older than three years may sit in the back seat using the adult seatbelt, and children under three years can sit in the back seat without a seatbelt. The front passenger seat can only be used by children who are more than 1.35m tall, secured with the adult seatbelt.
Rules: Car seats and booster seat rules are set out in the Transport Act 1998 and the Land Transport (Road User) Rule 2004.
Children aged under seven years should be secured using an approved child restraint.
Children aged between seven and eight years old must be in an appropriate child restraint if one is available in the vehicle.
Children from the ages of eight to 14 can wear a seatbelt. However, just because something is a law, doesn't mean it's the safest option. We strongly recommend continuing to use a booster seat (preferably a high back booster) until they are at least 148cm tall.
Exceptions: There are very few exceptions to the law, except if they're travelling in a vintage vehicle (registered before 1955) that has no safety belts, or a passenger service vehicle (tax, bus, etc) where it has no appropriate restraints.
Can I use a UK car seat? Yes. Car seats approved to the following regulations or safety standards can be used in the country:
the Australian standard (AS/NZS 1754)
the European standard (ECE R44 & R129)
the US standard (FMVSS 213) – it's important to be aware that only some restraints manufactured to the US standard are compliant for use here.
the Japanese standard – this standard is only approved for use in New Zealand with in-built child restraints in vehicles.
Is a car seat required in a taxi? The specifics vary depending on the state. Usually, if a suitable restraint is not available, the child can travel without one. It is recommended that parents provide their own child car seat when travelling in a taxi.
Rules: All children under 12 years old and less than 135cm tall must use a UN R44/R129-approved child car seat. You can transport children under three years old in the front seat in a child car seat as long as the airbag is deactivated.
Exceptions: If a car does not have seatbelts in the back seat, a child can go in the front seat with the correct car seat and the airbag deactivated. If you want to transport three children in the back seat, but you only have room for two car seats, the oldest child may use the car's seatbelt – we'd suggest the middle seat.
Can I use a UK car seat? Yes, as long as it's approved to R44 or R129.
Is a car seat required in a taxi? No, there is no requirement to use a car seat in a taxi.
Rules: All children under 150cm in height or 36kgs (79lbs) in weight must use a child-restraint system suitable for their height and weight approved to UN R44 or R129. Children can sit in the front seat as long as they are using the correct child restraint for their height and weight, but it's illegal to use a rearward-facing child car seat in a passenger seat with an active airbag.
There is now a penalty for drivers who place a rearward-facing child car seat in the front where there is an active airbag. You may receive at least three penalty points on your driving licence.
Drivers have a legal responsibility to ensure that all passengers under 17 are appropriately restrained in the vehicle. Children should always travel in the back of the car, away from active airbags and the dashboard.
Can I use a UK car seat? Yes, as long as it's approved to R44 or R129.
Is a car seat required in a taxi? Taxi drivers are exempt from supplying child car seats, so you don't need to use one.
Rules: It’s compulsory to transport children under 12 years old and less than 135cm tall in a UN R44/R129-approved car seat in the back seat of the car.
Exceptions: When a car only has two seats, or when it’s not possible to fit more car seats in the back seats, then one car seat can be installed on the front seat, as long as the air bag is deactivated. If you're caught without a car seat, the police may ask you to wait until somebody brings a car seat, or the children are transported in another car with a car seat, or a taxi. The fine is around 300 euros.
Can I use a UK car seat? Yes, as long as it's approved to R44 or R129.
Is a car seat required in a taxi? Children are not required to use car seats in city areas, but if you land at an airport and your journey is out of the city centre, you'll need a car seat.
Rules: Regulations require child restraints approved to UN R44/R129 for children less than 135cm tall. Children who are between 135cm and 150cm must also use approved child safety equipment if it is available in the car.
Children under three are not allowed to travel in a vehicle where there is no means of using a special protective device for children.
Can I use a UK car seat? Yes, as long as it's approved to R44 or R129.
Is a car seat required in a taxi? It's not a legal requirement, but the child must not travel in the front seat. Parents are advised to request a child car seat when ordering a taxi.
Rules: Each state has its own child seat laws and travellers must comply with the laws in each state that they are travelling through. The legal restrictions vary a lot between states.
For example, South Dakota requires child seats for children four and younger and less than 40lbs. Above that, they can switch to the vehicle seat belt if they wish. We don't recommend this and would suggest using a booster seat between the ages of eight and 12 (or when they measure 4ft 9 inches).
In Tennessee, the law requires child seats for those aged eight and younger and includes specifications for rear-facing, forward-facing and booster seats.
All child seats on the market must pass the requirements (including crash tests) of FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard) 213.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety keeps an up-to-date infographic and a useful table of all the state laws, so check there before you travel.
Can I use a UK car seat? No, it must meet FMVSS 213 requirements.
Is a car seat required in a taxi? In most states, taxis are exempt from car seat laws, with the exception of California.
Can I use a UK child car seat while driving in the EU?
While the UK is no longer a member of the European Union, so long as your car seat is approved to either R44 or R129 regulations, you should be able to use it in most EU countries.
How to find the UN approval label
You'll usually find the car seat approval label on the back or the bottom of a child car seat. Take a look at the picture above to see what it looks like. It will either say UN R129 or ECE R44.04.
If you're hiring a car abroad for your family, you'll need to decide whether to travel with your own child car seat or pay for one from the car-hire company.
We've heard some horror stories from parents about the travel car seat car-hire companies have offered them on arrival. These range from turning up to travel and finding no baby car seat available, to having to travel with a toddler car seat that’s the wrong size for a child.
If you can manage with the extra baggage, and are travelling within Europe, we recommend taking your own child car seat if possible rather than hiring one. But here’s what you need to consider to help you make your decision.
Hiring a child car seat
Check the cost of hiring a child car seat in advance, as it could be cheaper to take your own. Bear in mind that car-hire companies normally say the provision of car seats is subject to availability.
This means the only choice of travel car seat could be one that’s the wrong size for your child. Make sure the seat is suitable for the age and weight of your child by checking the label. And make sure the harness isn't damaged or worn, and that the buckle works properly.
You could also end up with an older model that doesn’t have the same safety innovations as newer models, or a Don't Buy car seat. If you are going to hire a travel car seat, phone or email ahead to see what models of car seat are available.
Use our guide to fitting a car seat to make sure the seat has been installed properly.
Should I buy a travel booster seat or bring my full-sized car seat?
When you’re looking for a portable car seat for travel, it can be tempting to go for a booster seat for an older child. They're smaller and lighter to pack than a full-sized car seat.
But our car seat experts and many others warn that these backless cushions are not the best way to transport children.
If you’re looking for a travel car seat for a toddler, we’d recommend using a high-backed booster seat for older children instead, whenever possible. The booster seats we've tested have not proven as safe in our crash tests as high-backed booster seats with a full-length back and 'wings', as these provide extra protection for the head and chest in a side-impact crash.
Any child car seat is better than no car seat at all
Whatever you choose to do following our advice, remember that any child car seat is better than no car seat at all, both for safety and to prevent you breaking the car seat laws of the country you’re travelling in.
Don’t forget the UK car seat law for taxis and Ubers to the airport
If you're taking a taxi or an Uber to the airport in the UK, the current law states that in a licensed taxi or minicab (private hire vehicles):
Children under three years can travel without a child car seat or seatbelt, but only on the back seat.
Children aged three or older can travel on a rear seat without a child car seat if they wear the adult seatbelt.
If you have a child under three years old, some experts feel the best option is to sit the child next to you on their own seat (if they are able to sit) rather than holding them on your lap, which isn't safe. In a serious crash, an adult's arms would not be able to hold onto a child, and your body weight could crush them.
Our advice is to call the taxi company in advance or check before you book an Uber. See whether it has an appropriate car seat available, or check to see if you can use your own (if you're taking it with you on holiday).
For young babies, where it's not possible to sit them on the seat and a car seat isn't an option, it may be possible to keep them in their pushchair in the back of a black London taxi (Hackney carriage).
