Exchange Foreign Drivers Licence
If you have come to the UK are a resident, you may want to exchange your foreign driving licence for a UK one. Residents in the UK means that you have a permanent address and have lived here for at least 185 days. The can exchange foreign driving licence for a UK one provided you have passed a driving test either within a member country within the EU or a designated country. Designated countries include Andorra, Australia, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Falklands Islands, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland and Zimbabwe.
Exchange Foreign Drivers Licence – Benefits
1) UK driving licence can be used as proof of identity, signature and/or address. It has similar value to most International ID cards. However, you will not be able to use your driving licence as ID at International ports.
2) Most insurance companies in the UK will offer cheaper car insurance for those that hold a full UK licence. This is compared with any other license type.
3) If you are from the EU, you must exchange your EU driving licence to the UK driving licence after a three-year period.
4) If you are from any other country outside of the EU, you must by law change your driving licence within 12 months of staying in the UK.
Exchange Foreign Drivers Licence – Process
1) You will need to fill in a D1 form which is available from main Post Offices. You can also download the DI.
2) Send a fee of £43
3) Remember to enclose your valid foreign driver’s licence along with your passport.
4) You will normally get your UK driving licence with three weeks.
What if you cannot Exchange your Driving Licence
If you cannot exchange your foreign driving licence, you may continue to drive for up to 12 months. After this time you will need to apply for a provisional driving licence (Learners licence) and then take a theory test and a practical driving test. The average waiting time for a theory test is only a few weeks and for the practical test, the wait time is a few months. However, DTC Driving Test Cancellations can arrange a last minute driving test within a week.
Exchange Foreign Drivers Licence – Staying Legal
You must have valid insurance to drive a car in the UK. Unlike many other countries where if the car is insured, it may be driven by any driver, In the UK, the law is different. Not only must the car be insured but, unless it’s any driver insurance, the driver needs to be named on the policy. The car must be kept taxed and have a valid MOT, if over 3 years old.
