Travelling abroad requires a lot of planning and if you're renting a car or taking taxi's, you will need to know when and where requires a car seat. 

We have done some extension research for you and covering the basics, however it is best that you do detailed research before travelling. We will update this blog regularly if we can, otherwise bi-yearly. If you have noticed anything different then what we had found, please do share so we can be sure everyone gets the right information!

Thanks for keeping this a helpful blog to all travelling parents!

Above photo is the Doona Car Seat Stroller, learn more here

Australia

• Children under six months must use a rear-facing child restraint with an inbuilt harness. They must not sit in the front row if the vehicle has two or more rows of seats.
• Children aged six months to under four years must use a rear-facing or forward-facing child restraint with an inbuilt harness. They must not sit in the front row if the vehicle has two or more rows of seats.
• Children aged four years up to seven years must use a forward-facing approved child restraint with an inbuilt harness, or an approved booster seat with a properly fastened and adjusted seatbelt or child safety harness. They can sit in the front row only if all other rear seats are occupied by children under seven years, in vehicles with two or more rows of seats.
• Children aged seven years and older must use a properly adjusted and fastened child restraint or adult seatbelt, depending on their size.
• These are the minimum legal requirements in Australia. It’s always safest to keep your child in a child restraint or booster seat for as long as possible, depending on his size.

Reference: https://raisingchildren.net.au/preschoolers/safety/car-pedestrian-safety/child-restraints

New Zealand

Age of child	The law says you must:
Until their 7th birthday	Correctly secure your child in an approved child restraint
From their 7th to their 8th birthday	Correctly secure your child in an approved child restraint if one is available in the vehicle (and if not, in any child restraint or safety belt that is available)
From 8th birthday to 14 years old	Must use safety belts if available. If not available, they must travel in the back seat.
Over 14 years old	Must use safety belts where they are available.

Reference: https://www.nzta.govt.nz/safety/vehicle-safety/safety-belts-and-restraints/child-restraints/using-child-restraints-in-new-zealand/

Europe 

Ireland

Babies and children under 3 may not travel in a car or goods vehicle (other than a taxi) unless restrained in an appropriate child restraint.

Children over 3 years of age may occupy a forward facing front seat of a vehicle only if they are using a safety belt or an appropriate child restraint. Otherwise, they must travel in a rear seat. Children under 150 centimetres in height and weighing less than 36 kilograms (generally children up to 11/12 years old) must use the correct child seat or booster cushion.

Reference: https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel_and_recreation/roads_and_safety/seatbelts_when_motoring_in_ireland.html

Germany

German law requires children up to 12 years of age who are less than 1.5 metres (59 inches) to ride in an approved car seat or booster. If all other restraints are being used by other children, the child may ride in the back seat with a seat belt. Children under three years of age may not be in a moving vehicle without a suitable car seat, and no rearward facing infant seats are allowed in the front of a vehicle which has an airbag.

These laws also apply when riding in a taxi.

Reference: https://www.howtogermany.com/faq/faq-car-seats.php

Italy

 

France

 

Greece

United Kingdom

 

Austria

Drivers are responsible for securing children under the age of 14 who are shorter than 150 cm in suitable child restraint systems (e.g. baby seats, child seats, booster seats). If a passenger is under the age of 14 and 150 cm or taller, the driver must make sure that he/she wears a seat belt.

Reference: https://www.help.gv.at/Portal.Node/hlpd/public/content/6/Seite.0638001.html

Asia

Thailand

All passengers must wear a seatbelt but there are currently no car seat laws for children in Thailand

Korea

Taiwan

Japan

A rear-facing car seat until the child is 2 years old or 9kg (20lbs), a forward facing car seat for children under the age of 4 and 18kg (40lbs), and a booster seat for children under the age of 8 and 36kg (80lbs.)

Reference: https://www.realestate-tokyo.com/living-in-tokyo/driving/child-seat-safety/

 

Vietnam

 

Since quite a few countries in Asia do not have car seat laws, we highly recommend using the Ridesafer Travel Vest. Its ABS padding keeps your little ones protected around their body and the design is to keep the function of the seatbelt work for their smaller bodies. Find out more here: https://www.wandercubs.com/collections/ridesafer 

USA

In the U.S., the federal government has allowed each state to craft its own laws regarding child car seats. The result is varying regulations, which puts the onus on anyone driving with a child as a passenger to know the car seat laws in the states in which they reside or will be traveling in.

Click here for the list by state: https://bestcarseathub.com/blog/usa-car-seat-laws-2019/

Canada 

In Canada, all provinces and territories require that infants and toddlers be buckled up in the appropriate child car seat. Several provinces also require booster seats for children who have outgrown a child car seat but are too small for a regular seat belt. 

All child car seats and booster seats sold in Canada have an expiry date on them.

Reference: http://www.tc.gc.ca/en/services/road/defects-recalls-vehicles-tires-child-car-seats/alerts-notices/child-car-seats-booster-seats-safe.html