International Driver CPC vs National Driver CPC: Which One Do You Actually Need in 2026?

Live online International Driver CPC training for HGV and PCV drivers

Since the Driver CPC reform in December 2024, professional drivers have had two routes to consider: International Driver CPC and National Driver CPC.

The difference matters before you book. Choosing the wrong course type can affect where you are able to drive professionally. National Driver CPC hours do not count towards an International Driver CPC qualification.

This guide explains the difference, how the 35-hour training cycle works and which international driver CPC courses and formats are available from myCPC.online.

The short answer

Choose International Driver CPC if you need to drive professionally in the UK and the EU or EEA.

Choose the National route only if your professional driving will remain within the UK. National Driver CPC is not offered by myCPC.online, so National course information should be checked through the official GOV.UK Driver CPC guidance and approved training providers.

myCPC.online delivers International Driver CPC periodic training only.

Route Where it applies Training needed
International Driver CPC Professional driving in the UK and EU or EEA 35 hours of International Driver CPC training every five years
National Driver CPC Professional driving in the UK only 35 hours of National training, or a permitted mix of National and International training

If you need International Driver CPC, all 35 hours in the relevant cycle must be made up of International courses. If National hours are included in the hours counted for that cycle, the result will be a National Driver CPC qualification. Those National hours cannot be used towards an International Driver CPC requirement.

What is International Driver CPC?

International Driver CPC is the route for professional HGV, bus and coach drivers who need their qualification to cover work in the UK and Europe.

It applies to drivers who:

  • Drive lorries, buses or coaches professionally.
  • Work on international routes.
  • May need to travel into the EU or EEA for work.
  • Want to keep the option of European professional driving during the next five-year period.

All myCPC.online public courses are International Driver CPC courses. They are designed for both HGV and PCV drivers, with additional specialist courses for bus and coach drivers.

Training is:

  • Live online through Zoom.
  • Instructor-led.
  • Delivered in small, interactive classes.
  • Seven hours per course.
  • Suitable for periodic Driver CPC training.

The sessions are not prerecorded e-learning. Drivers join a live class and take part with an instructor and other delegates.

You can read more about International Driver CPC or view the available courses.

What is National Driver CPC?

National Driver CPC is the domestic route for drivers whose professional work is limited to the UK.

A National Driver CPC card is for UK-only professional driving. It cannot be used for professional driving in Europe. The card states “Domestic UK use only”.

National Driver CPC has different course rules and may include shorter training modules. myCPC.online does not provide National Driver CPC courses, National course bookings or National training advice as a substitute for official guidance.

If you are certain that you will only drive professionally in the UK, check the current National Driver CPC requirements on GOV.UK before choosing a provider.

If you may need to drive internationally, check your route carefully before booking. Selecting International Driver CPC from the start avoids using National hours towards a cycle that needs to remain International.

How the 35-hour periodic training cycle works

Professional HGV, bus and coach drivers normally need to complete:

  • 35 hours of periodic training
  • Every five years
  • With the training recorded against the driver’s DVSA record

If you drive both lorries and buses professionally, you normally need one set of 35 hours rather than a separate set for each vehicle type. The training must still be suitable for the route and licence type.

For an International Driver CPC qualification, complete all 35 hours through approved International Driver CPC courses.

A standard myCPC.online course provides seven hours of International Driver CPC training and one DVSA upload. Five completed courses will normally provide the full 35 hours for a five-year cycle.

You do not have to choose the same subject for every course. You can select topics that match your work, responsibilities and previous training.

Check your record before booking

Use the official DVSA service to check your Driver CPC periodic training hours before requesting a course.

Check:

  1. How many hours are already recorded.
  2. The dates of the hours already completed.
  3. Which five-year period the hours relate to.
  4. Whether the recorded training is International or National.
  5. Whether your next course needs to be International Driver CPC.

This check is particularly important if you completed training around or after the 2024 reform. It helps confirm which route you are currently following and prevents you from booking a course that does not match your intended qualification.

If your record is unclear, contact DVSA or ask myCPC.online for help before sending a booking request. We can explain which of our International Driver CPC courses may be suitable, but official DVSA records and guidance determine your qualification status.

What the wrong route can cost you

National and International Driver CPC both involve periodic training. The time commitment is the same.

  • A standard International course is seven hours.
  • A standard National course is also seven hours.
  • A full International cycle is 35 hours over five years.
  • A full National cycle is also 35 hours over five years.

The cost difference can come from two separate points: the route chosen and the way upload fees are charged.

How DVSA upload-fee rounding works

DVSA charges the Driver CPC upload fee in whole-hour blocks. Any part-hour block is rounded up and charged in full.

That means:

  • A 3.5-hour block attracts a fee for 4 hours of upload.
  • Two 3.5-hour blocks still deliver 7 hours of training, but the fee covers 8 hours of upload in total.
  • The training time does not increase, but the upload charge is calculated on the rounded-up blocks.

That rounded-up cost has to be paid for somewhere. In practice, it is the driver or the operator who covers it, even though the training delivered is still only seven hours and takes exactly the same time to complete.

How our International courses are priced

myCPC.online provides seven hours of International Driver CPC training with one DVSA upload.

  • Standard course price: £35 per person, all in
  • Night course price: £49 per person, all in
  • What is included: The relevant course administration and DVSA upload
  • Hidden charges: None

This means a driver completing a full 35-hour International cycle through five standard myCPC.online courses can see the cost clearly from the start. The same applies if an operator is planning training for a team.

Why the wrong route can still cost more

National hours do not count towards an International Driver CPC qualification. If a driver books National training and later needs International for work in the UK and outside the UK, those National hours do not move them towards the International requirement.

The result is practical rather than technical:

  • The driver has already spent seven hours per course on training that does not count towards the needed International total.
  • If those National hours were delivered in part-hour blocks, the upload-fee rounding will also have been absorbed within that earlier booking.
  • The driver then has to complete the same number of hours again as International training.
  • The extra cost comes from paying once for the National training already taken, then paying again for the full International 35 hours needed for the correct route.

Worked example

A driver needs International Driver CPC because they may need international work during the next five-year period.

They book five National courses by mistake.

If those five National courses are delivered as 3.5-hour blocks, each seven-hour course still takes the same total training time to complete. But the upload fee is charged in whole-hour blocks, so each 3.5-hour block is charged as 4 hours. In practice, each seven-hour course attracts upload-fee charging for 8 hours rather than 7.

The driver’s position after those five National courses is:

  • Hours completed: 35 hours
  • Time spent: Five training days, or the equivalent in split sessions
  • Upload-fee effect: The fees for the National uploads have already been absorbed on rounded-up hour blocks where part sessions were used
  • International progress made: 0 hours
  • What happens next: The driver still needs 35 hours of International Driver CPC training

They then book five International courses with myCPC.online.

  • Additional hours completed: 35 hours
  • Additional time spent: Another five training days, or the equivalent in split sessions
  • International course cost with us: Five standard courses at £35 all in each, or the relevant all-in night-course price where chosen
  • What that includes: Seven hours of International Driver CPC training and one DVSA upload per course
  • Total training time across both routes: 70 hours
  • Total position: The driver has paid for one full National cycle and one full International cycle in order to obtain the International outcome they needed from the start

This is why the extra cost matters. The same training time has already been spent once, upload-fee charging has already been absorbed once, and the driver still has to pay again for the full International cycle that actually meets the requirement.

This can also create compliance problems. The licence-side risk sits with the driver, and the record still needs to match the type of work being carried out. If a driver needs International Driver CPC but only has National hours recorded, that can lead to issues at roadside checks or when an operator needs to show a compliant record for international work.

For drivers who need International Driver CPC, the simple route is to complete International courses from the start and keep all 35 hours within the same International cycle.

myCPC.online delivers International Driver CPC periodic training only. We do not provide National courses. If you need National route information, check the official GOV.UK Driver CPC guidance. If you need International Driver CPC, you can view our courses and choose a full-day, split-evening or overnight format.

Which CPC route do you need?

Use this practical decision guide.

Choose International Driver CPC if:

  • You drive professionally in the UK and the EU or EEA.
  • Your employer may allocate European work during the next five years.
  • You want your qualification to cover both UK and international driving.
  • You need all 35 hours to remain International Driver CPC training.

Check National Driver CPC guidance if:

  • You are certain that your professional driving will remain UK-only.
  • You do not need to drive professionally in Europe.
  • You are considering National training options.

myCPC.online does not offer the National route. Our courses are for drivers completing International Driver CPC periodic training.

Choose a course by licence type and subject

Five myCPC.online courses are available to both HGV and PCV drivers.

For HGV and PCV drivers

For bus and coach drivers

The following two courses are for PCV drivers only. They are not general HGV courses.

Each course provides seven hours of International Driver CPC periodic training.

Live online HGV Driver CPC training

Choose a training format

The same seven-hour International Driver CPC course can be arranged in different ways.

Full-day courses

  • Time: 10:00–17:45
  • Includes: Lunch break
  • Price: £35 per person, all in

Full-day courses suit drivers who can set aside one working day for training.

Split-evening courses

  • Format: Two linked sessions
  • Time: Normally 18:00–21:30 on consecutive evenings
  • Price: £35 per person, all in

Both sessions must be attended. The two sessions together make one seven-hour International Driver CPC course and one DVSA upload.

Night courses

  • Time: 22:00–05:45 overnight
  • Price: £49 per person, all in

Night courses are intended for drivers and operators working night shifts. The date shown is the calendar date on which the course starts.

All prices are final and include the relevant course administration. There are no hidden charges.

Next available course dates

The full scheduled programme runs from 5 October 2026 to 1 April 2027. Dates remain subject to availability, operational confirmation and capacity.

Selected upcoming dates include:

  • 14 October 2026: Every Passenger, Every Journey, PCV only, full day, 10:00–17:45, £35 all in.
  • 16 October 2026: Know Your Hours, Know Your Rights, full day, 10:00–17:45, £35 all in.
  • 23 October 2026: When It Goes Wrong, full day, 10:00–17:45, £35 all in.
  • 30 October 2026: Fit to Drive, Secure to Load, full day, 10:00–17:45, £35 all in.
  • 2 November 2026: When It Goes Wrong, night course, 22:00–05:45, £49 all in.
  • 6 November 2026: Know the Code, Know the Risk, full day, 10:00–17:45, £35 all in.
  • 9 and 10 November 2026: When It Goes Wrong, split evenings, 18:00–21:30 on both evenings, £35 all in.
  • 16 and 17 November 2026: Fit to Drive, Secure to Load, split evenings, 18:00–21:30 on both evenings, £35 all in.
  • 23 and 24 November 2026: Know the Code, Know the Risk, split evenings, 18:00–21:30 on both evenings, £35 all in.
  • 25 and 26 November 2026: Ready for the Road, Ready for Every Passenger, PCV only, split evenings, 18:00–21:30 on both evenings, £35 all in.

Check the full course schedule and formats. Send a booking request rather than treating any listed date as a guaranteed place.

What happens after the course?

After successful completion:

  1. The course attendance is recorded.
  2. The relevant Driver CPC administration is completed.
  3. Your seven hours are uploaded to the DVSA record.
  4. The upload is normally completed within one to two working days.

Driver CPC administration and compliance are handled by PSV Compliance & Training Ltd.

Submitting a booking request does not reserve a place. Capacity is checked first. An invoice or confirmation is issued once the request has been reviewed and the place is available.

Options for transport operators

Operators can request:

  • Places on scheduled public courses.
  • Transferable course allocations for eligible employees within the same company.
  • Private training for a transport team.
  • Tailored course planning for HGV, PCV or mixed driver groups.
  • Suitable delivery arrangements for shift-based operations.

Operators can also request a free 30-minute Driver CPC training review. This review can help identify who needs training, which format fits the rota and whether public course seats, allocations or private delivery are most suitable.

Visit the operator training page or contact the team through mycpc.online.

Driver CPC training for transport operators

Book the correct International Driver CPC course

Start by checking your DVSA training record and confirming that you need International Driver CPC.

Then:

  1. Choose a suitable course subject.
  2. Select a full-day, split-evening or night-course format.
  3. Check the date, time, audience and price.
  4. Send a booking request.
  5. Wait for capacity to be checked and confirmation or an invoice to be issued.

myCPC.online provides live, instructor-led International Driver CPC periodic training for HGV, bus and coach drivers across the UK.

Browse International Driver CPC courses or send a booking request. You can also contact the team at info@my-cpc.online or 07359 941879 if you need help choosing a course.