Diplomatic Number Plates used within the UK
Have you ever wondered what a diplomatic number plate is?
We have brought together all the information into one easy place, explaining how diplomatic number plates are formatted. We also show you which countries are associated with diplomatic plates used with the UK.
Since 1979, motor vehicles operated by foreign embassies, high commissions, consulates and international organisations have been issued unique vehicle registration marks.
To obtain permission to use a diplomatic number plate eligible officials are required to be accredited by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) who liaise with Specialist Registrations at the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) for issuance. Click this link to INF267 which explains the process.
There are a number of key factors with diplomatic number plates:
Format of diplomatic number plates
The format of all diplomatic number plates in the UK is identical in that you have three numbers then a space, then either a D or X ad then three more numbers.
Where you see a D in a diplomatic number plate this is used by vehicles used by actual diplomats, whereas the letter C signifies that the vehicle is used for non-diplomatic accredited personnel.
The first group of three numbers is used to identify the country or international organisation.
The second group of three numbers signifies to the type of user e.g. starting at 101 for diplomats, 400 for non-diplomatic staff of international organisations, and 700 upwards for consular or other non-diplomatic staff.
Country related to diplomatic number plates
| Country Code | Country |
| 101 | Afghanistan(Islamic Republic) |
| 102 | Algeria |
| 103 | Argentina |
| 104 – 108 | Australia |
| 109 | Austria |
| 110 | Bahamas |
| 111 | Bahrain |
| 112 | Bangladesh |
| 113 | Barbados |
| 114 | Belgium |
| 115 | Benin |
| 116 | Bolivia |
| 117 | Botswana |
| 118 – 122 | Brazil |
| 123 | Bulgaria |
| 124 | Myanmar(formerlyBurma) |
| 125 | Burundi |
| 126 | Cameroon |
| 127 – 131 | Canada |
| 132 | Central African Republic |
| 133 | Chad |
| 134 | Chile |
| 135 | China |
| 136 | Colombia |
| 137 | Republic of the Congo |
| 138 | CostaRica |
| 139 | Cuba |
| 140 | Cyprus |
| 141 | Czech Republic |
| 142 | Denmark |
| 143 | Dominican Republic |
| 144 | Ecuador |
| 145 – 147 | Egypt |
| 148 | El Salvador |
| 149 | Ethiopia |
| 150 | Fiji |
| 151 | Finland |
| 152 – 156 | France |
| 157 | Gabon |
| 158 | Gambia |
| 159 – 163 | Germany |
| 164 | East Germany |
| 165 | Ghana |
| 166 – 167 | Greece |
| 168 | Grenada |
| 169 | Guinea |
| 170 | Guyana |
| 171 | Haiti |
| 172 | Honduras |
| 173 | Hungary |
| 174 | Iceland |
| 175 – 179 | India |
| 180 | Indonesia |
| 181 – 182 | Iran |
| 183 – 184 | Iraq |
| 185 | Ireland |
| 186 – 187 | Israel |
| 188 – 190 | Italy |
| 191 | Ivory Coast |
| 192 | Jamaica |
| 193 | Japan |
| 194 – 195 | Jordan |
| 196 | Kenya |
| 197 | South Korea |
| 198 | Kuwait |
| 199 | Laos |
| 200 | Lebanon |
| 201 | Lesotho |
| 202 | Liberia |
| 203 | Libya |
| 204 | Luxembourg |
| 205 | Malawi |
| 206 | Malaysia |
| 207 | Mali |
| 208 | Malta |
| 209 | Mauritania |
| 210 | Mauritius |
| 211 | Mexico |
| 212 | Mongolia |
| 213 | Morocco |
| 214 | Nepal |
| 215 – 217 | Netherlands |
| 218 – 219 | New Zealand |
| 220 | Nicaragua |
| 221 | Niger |
| 222 – 224 | Nigeria |
| 225 | Norway |
| 226 | Oman |
| 227 – 228 | Pakistan |
| 229 | Panama |
| 230 | Papua New Guinea |
| 231 | Paraguay |
| 232 | Peru |
| 233 | Philippines |
| 234 | Poland |
| 235 | Portugal |
| 236 | Qatar |
| 237 | Romania |
| 238 | Rwanda |
| 239 – 240 | SaudiArabia |
| 241 | Senegal |
| 242 | Seychelles |
| 243 | SierraLeone |
| 244 | Singapore |
| 245 | Somalia |
| 246 – 247 | South Africa |
| 248 – 252 | Russia (originally Soviet Union) |
| 253 – 255 | Spain |
| 256 | Sri Lanka |
| 257 | Sudan |
| 258 | Eswatini |
| 259 | Sweden |
| 260 | Switzerland |
| 261 | Syria |
| 262 | Tanzania |
| 263 | Thailand |
| 264 | Togo |
| 265 | Tonga |
| 266 | Trinidad and Tobago |
| 267 | Tunisia |
| 268 | Turkey |
| 269 | United Arab Emirates |
| 270 – 274 | United States |
| 275 | Uruguay |
| 276 | Venezuela |
| 277 | Vietnam |
| 278 – 279 | Yemen |
| 280 | Serbia (originally Yugoslavia) |
| 281 | Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) |
| 282 | Zambia |
| 283 | Dominica |
| 284 | Monaco |
| 285 | Nauru |
| 286 | Saint Lucia |
| 287 | Uganda |
| 288 | Burkina Faso |
| 289 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
| 290 | Zimbabwe |
| 291 | VaticanCity |
| 292 | East Caribbean |
| 293 | Belize |
| 294 | Brunei |
| 295 | Antigua and Barbuda |
| 296 | Angola |
| 297 | Guatemala |
| 298 | Mozambique |
| 299 | Namibia |
| 300 | Lithuania |
| 301 | Armenia |
| 302 | Slovenia |
| 303 | Latvia |
| 304 | Estonia |
| 305 | Croatia |
| 306 | Ukraine |
| 307 | Slovakia |
| 308 | Belarus |
| 309 | Albania |
| 310 | Azerbaijan |
| 311 | North Macedonia |
| 312 | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| 313 | Uzbekistan |
| 314 | Eritrea |
| 315 | Kazakhstan |
| 316 | Georgia |
| 317 | Maldives |
| 318 | Turkmenistan |
| 319 | Kyrgyzstan |
| 320 | Saint Kitts and Nevis |
| 321 | Montenegro |
| 324 | San Marino |
| 328 | South Sudan |
| 330 | Kosovo |
| 350 – 399 | Maybe used by any embassy for security reasons |
| 600 – 649 | Maybe used by visiting royalty on official vehicles |
| 900 | Commonwealth Secretariat |
| 901 | European Commission |
| 902 | Council of Europe |
| 903 | European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts |
| 904 | North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission |
| 905 | European Parliament |
| 906 | Inter-American Development Bank |
| 907 | International Maritime Organization |
| 908 | International Cocoa Organization |
| 909 | International Coffee Organization |
| 910 | International Finance Corporation |
| 911 | International Labour Organization |
| 912 | International Sugar Organization |
| 913 | European Police College |
| 914 | International Whaling Commission |
| 915 | International Wheat Council |
| 916 | North Atlantic Treaty Organization |
| 917 | United Nations |
| 918 | Western European Union |
| 919 | World Health Organization |
| 920 | Eastern Caribbean Commission |
| 921 | Joint European Torus |
| 922 | International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund |
| 923 | International Maritime Satellite Organisation |
| 924 | Commonwealth Foundation |
| 925 | International Maritime Organization(Permanent Representative) |
| 926 | Commonwealth Telecommunications Bureau |
| 927 | United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees |
| 928 | Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux |
| 929 | International Lead and Zinc Corporation |
| 931 | Joint European Torus |
| 932 | North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization |
| 933 | European Investment Bank |
| 934 | European Telecommunications Satellite Organisation |
| 935 | European School (Oxford) |
| 936 | African Development Bank |
| 937 | European Bank for ReconstructionandDevelopment |
| 938 | European Bank for Reconstructionand Development |
| 940 | European Bio informatics Institute |
| 941 | European Medicines Agency |
| 943 | Oslo and Paris Commissions |
| 944 | European Banking Authority |
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