Road sign colours
Last updated 31-12-2016
Classification of systems
Summary of colours used
Remarks
Only in Belarus, the Netherlands and Belgium, all roads have the same colour signs, though in Belgium, references to motorways on other roads are in a different colour.
Only in Belgium, a different colour is used for signs on motorways and references to motorways on other roads.
Apart from rectangles, only five different shield shapes are used, of which three (NL-s, I-A and RO-DN) are only used in one country.
The German motorway shape is being used in more and more countries: D, CH, CY, GR, HR, RKS, SLO and TR. It almost seems to be developing into an international standard, though different colours are used in different countries and the class letter is included in most countries.
Explanation of columns
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
Country name
Common abbreviation, as often used on road signs and license plates
How text appears on motorway signs, e.g. Austria: White mixed case roman text on blue signs, Cyprus: Yellow capital greek letters and white mixed case roman letters on green signs.
NB TEKCT = text in Russian.
Example of how road numbers are typically shown on signs, if no shields is shown, a rectangle is used, usually with the same colour border as the text in the number
Which numbers are indicated for motorways with E numbers: either only E numbers, only national numbers, or both
How text appears when referring to other roads on signs along a motorway, this can be on patches or on separate signs
Example of how numbers of other roads are shown on signs along a motorway
How text appears when referring to motorways on signs along other roads
Example of indication of a motorway number on signs along other roads
How text appears on signs along expressways (motorway-like roads, roads with motorway characteristics)
How expressways are numbered on signs
How text appears on signs along other main roads
How main roads are numbered
Which numbers are indicated on E roads which are not motorways
Sign colours along local roads
Lower class road numbers (sometimes several classes or colours)
Indication of local destinations
Special road numbers within a city, only in a few countries
References to roads which are reached via other roads
B
D
S
T
Brackets
Dashed rectangle
Same as direct references
(Plain) text
When several methods are used, they are listed in order of decreasing frequency.
Europe
Country
Motorways
References to motorways on other roads
Expressways
Other main roads
Local roads
Local destinations
Reference to motorway
Reference to other road
Signs
TEXT
Text
TEKCT
Text
Text
TEKCT
Text
GREEK
English
TEXT
Text
Nrs
Signs
TEXT
Text
TEKCT
Text
Text
TEKCT
Text
GREEK
English
TEXT
Text
Nrs
SH1
2
M1
N2
M18
21
23
B6
7
57
Signs
TEXT
Text
TEKCT
Text
Text
TEKCT
Text
GREEK
English
TEXT
Text
Nrs
Signs
TEXT
Text
TEKCT
Text
Text
TEKCT
Text
GREEK
English
TEXT
Text
TEXT
TEXT
TEXT
Text
GREEK
ENGLISH
Text
Text
Nrs
SH1
S16
M1
N2
M5
21
B9
35
41
1
15
45
N2
D2
31
Signs
TEXT
Text
TEKCT
Text
Text
TEKCT
Text
GREEK
English
TEXT
Text
TEXT
TEXT
TEXT
Text
Greek
English
Text
Text
Text
Irish
ENGLISH
TEXT
TeKCT Text
TEXT
TEXT
Text
TeKCT Text
Text
Text
Text
Text
Text
Text
TEKCT
TeKCT Text
TEXT
Text
TEXT
TEXT
Text
Text
TEKCT
Text
Nrs
Signs
TEXT
Text
TEKCT
Text
Text
TEKCT
Text
GREEK
English
TEXT
Text
TEXT
TEXT
TEXT
Text
Greek
English
Text
Text
Text
Irish
ENGLISH
TEXT
TeKCT Text
TEXT
TEXT
Text
TeKCT Text
Text
Text
Text
Text
Text
Text
TEKCT
TeKCT Text
TEXT
Text
TEXT
TEXT
Text
Text
TEKCT
Text
Nrs
2003
P3
R443
R444
198
101
2293
E305
F704
170
260
101
3711
D2
C3
L361
K8
41
41
R116
SP41
R101
P4
142
118
P-101
r101
313
133
M501
Signs
Text
Text
TEKCT
Text
Text
TEKCT
Text
GREEK
English
TEXT
Text
TEXT
TEXT
TEXT
Text
Text
Greek
English
Text
Text
Text
Irish
ENGLISH
Text
TeKCT Text
TEXT
TEXT
Text
TeKCT Text
Text
Text
Text
Text
Text
Text
TEKCT
TeKCT Text
TEXT
Text
TEXT
TEXT
Text
Text
TEKCT
Text
City nrs
R0
O2
national
E
A
both
both
E, both on km posts
both
both
both
n.a.
E, sometimes both
E
national
SH1
2
M1
P28
N2
M5
8
25
B7
7
41
2
39
8
51
N6
D2
1
5a
E85
E
SH
both
both
N
M, sometimes both
both
both
n.a.
both
E
both
both
N, sometimes both
B, sometimes both
both
both
n.a.
N
both
both
both
both
N, sometimes E or both
both
national
both
E
both
both
both
both
M, expways E
both
both
both
E
national
both
both
A
A10
M1
A12
A1
A1
A10
M1
A12
M5
A1
A6
6
21
6
21
There are no motorways in Estonia.
TEXT
TEXT
Text
GREEK
ENGLISH
Text
4
45
A7
both
both
only A, both on dist. signs
both
both
TEXT
TEXT
TEXT
Text
GREEK
ENGLISH
Text
12
N6
31
5a
TEXT
TEXT
Text
GREEK
ENGLISH
Text
4
45
A7
Same/
T="vers N4"
Same/ T="zur B1"/
Same
Same
There are no motorways and no E-roads in Iceland.
In capital area
Outside capital area
41
41
41
N4
SS10
25
A10
A10
N6
M-2
2
N3
23
25
N6
n.a.
Irish
ENGLISH
TEXT
TeKCT Text
M7
M
both
both
Irish
ENGLISH
TEXT
TeKCT Text
N80
SS10
M-2
Irish
ENGLISH
TEXT
TeKCT Text
M7
Irish
ENGLISH
TEXT
TeKCT Text
TEXT
TEXT
Text
TeKCT Text
N4
SS10
E-75
19
A4
A4
B3
M-3
Same
Same
There are no motorways in Latvia.
TEXT
Text
TeKCT Text
A1
A4
M-1
both
both
both
TEXT
Text
TeKCT Text
A6
N6
M-2
TEXT
Text
TeKCT Text
A1
A4
M-1
There are no motorways or expressways in Montenegro.
Same
Same
n.a.
B/T/S/D
Text
Text
Text
Text
Text
TEKCT
TeKCT Text
TEXT
Text
Text
TEXT
Text
Text
TEKCT
Text
A1
4
A4
A5
A1
M2
E-70
1
A, sometimes E
E
both
A
both
both
E
E, sometimes both
both
both
E
both
both
both
M
Text
Text
Text
Text
Text
TEKCT
TeKCT Text
TEXT
Text
Text
TEXT
Text
Text
TEKCT
Text
N2
23
25
N6
Text
Text
Text
Text
Text
TEKCT
TeKCT Text
TEXT
Text
Text
TEXT
Text
Text
TEKCT
Text
A1
4
A2
A2
A1
M2
E-70
1
Text
Text
Text
Text
Text
TEKCT
TeKCT Text
TEXT
Text
Text
TEXT
Text
Text
TEKCT
Text
N2
9
S7
IP4
Same
Same
Same
Same
Same
Same
Same
Same
A101
23
67
9
N-230
25
D.320
M06
A1
M4
E-75
19
2
H2
A-4
C-31
15
A102
25
77
5
N-230
C-711
112
2
D.100
M06
H01
A1
P22
120
234567
C-17
BV-2242
P65
T 10 27
A4020
B401
C3
AP-2
40
AP-2
40
Same/ Text
Same
Same
(B3311)
D.100
M06
A1
M03
M4
M03
M4