Phones and earphones while driving

Checked against each country's official sources, most recently 15 October 2026

Holding a phone is banned everywhere we cover. Earphones are where visitors get caught: some countries ban them even for a hands-free call.

CountryHolding a phoneHands-freeEarphones
AustraliaBannedAllowed
CanadaBannedAllowed
CroatiaBannedAllowedRestricted
FranceBannedAllowedBanned
GermanyBannedAllowedRestricted
GreeceBannedAllowedRestricted
IcelandBannedAllowed
IrelandBannedAllowedAllowed
ItalyBannedAllowedRestricted
JapanBannedAllowedRestricted
New ZealandBannedAllowed
PortugalBannedAllowedRestricted
SpainBannedAllowedBanned
SwitzerlandBannedAllowedRestricted
United KingdomBannedAllowed
United StatesBannedAllowed