Since December 2024, Driver CPC has been split into two qualifications: National Driver CPC for UK-only work, and International Driver CPC for drivers operating in the UK and EU. Both still require 35 hours of periodic training every five years, and the cost per module is broadly the same. But the cards aren’t equivalent- and for almost every driver, International is the better deal.
Here’s the simple version, then the detail.
The short answer
For the same 35 hours and the same price per module, International CPC gives you a card that works in the UK and across the EU. National CPC works in the UK only and can’t be upgraded. Unless you’re absolutely certain about UK-only work for the next five years, International is the right call — you’re paying the same and getting more.
What is National Driver CPC?
National Driver CPC was introduced in December 2024 as a UK-only qualification. It still requires 35 hours of periodic training every five years, but the rules are looser:
- Courses can be 3.5 hours instead of 7
- Split courses don’t need to be on consecutive days
- Up to 12 hours of e-learning is allowed
On paper, that flexibility sounds appealing. In practice, it’s a one-way street. Your Driver Qualification Card is marked “DOMESTIC UK USE ONLY” and you can’t legally drive professionally into the EU on it. There’s no upgrade path — if your work later involves European trips, you’d need a fresh 35 hours of International training.
What is International Driver CPC?
International Driver CPC is the qualification as it existed before the 2024 split. It’s valid for professional driving across the UK and EU:
- Courses must be at least 7 hours long
- If split, the two halves must be on consecutive days
- Up to 12 hours of e-learning is allowed
The same 35 hours, the same module pricing as National — but a card that works everywhere. If your job ever takes you into France, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands or anywhere else in the EU, this is what you need. And if your job stays UK-only? You can still drive on an International card. It’s the more flexible card, not the more limited one.
Which one should you choose?
Choose International if:
- You currently drive into the EU — or might during the next five years
- You drive between Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland
- You’re not 100% sure where your career will take you and want to keep options open
- You want flexibility without giving up the right to work in Europe
Choose National only if:
- You’re certain your work will stay UK-only for the entire 5-year cycle
- Your employer has confirmed in writing that domestic-only is fine
- You’re willing to redo 35 hours from scratch if your circumstances change
What about mixing the two?
You can mix National and International courses across your 35 hours, but if you do, your card defaults to National. Even one National-only module is enough to lock you into a UK-only card — and the International hours you’ve already done can’t be transferred later. We’ve covered the mixing rules in detail in a separate post on what counts towards what, and answered the direct “can I mix” question in another.
Same hours, same price, more options
A lot of drivers assume International CPC is the “premium” option — longer days, higher prices, more hassle. None of that is true. The 35-hour requirement is identical. Our International modules are £29.75 per 7-hour course (DVSA upload fee included), The only practical difference is what your card lets you do at the end.
And our format actively makes International easier than a typical National training day. Every 7-hour module on hgvcpc.co.uk is split into:
- 2 hours of e-learning, completed the day before at your own pace
- Then only 5 hours of live Zoom with an instructor the next day
Across your full 35 hours that’s 10 hours of e-learning and 25 hours of live Zoom — well within DVSA’s 12-hour e-learning cap, and a much more digestible week than the usual 7-hour all-day Zoom sessions some providers run. You can save your e-learning progress after each section and pick it up in 20-minute chunks if that suits you.
Our recommendation
Book International. Same 35 hours, same price, much more flexibility. With our 2-hours-pre-course e-learning format, the live training days are 5 hours instead of 7, which makes the whole thing fit around real working life much more easily.
Browse our International Driver CPC dates: hgvcpc.co.uk/periodic-cpc-courses