New winter tyre legislation in Germany.
In Germany, it is mandatory to use winter tyres in wintery conditions. Recently, the definition of suitable tyres has been tightened in German law. Tyres that only have M+S markings are no longer sufficient. The tyre must have the 3PMSF symbol (3 Peak Mountain Snowflake). This is an image of a mountain with a snowflake on it. There is a transitional arrangement for the use of tyres that only have an M+S marking. These may still be used up until 30 September 2024, as long as they were produced before 31 December 2017.
Please note!
There are also summer tyres with M+S markings. These summer tyres have no winter properties, and are therefore not suitable for driving in Germany under wintery conditions – not even during the transition period.
Tread depth
The minimum tread depth for tyres in Germany is 1.6 mm. However, for winter tyres a minimum tread depth of 4 mm is advised, as with a tread depth of less than 4 mm the tyres will not work optimally and will lose their winter performance.
Source: ANWB
