Converting a foreign drivers license to a UK one

[livalicious]

Hi there,

Ive been residing in the UK for the last 8 years and have a South African drivers license for the last 9 years. I havent been driving over here in that time so of course it didnt occur to me to find out about driving license restrictions. Silly me, i know. :rolleyes:

I found out by a fellow South African that you had to convert foreign licenses to UK ones before you have been resident here for 5 years. And this was a few months before i was a resident here for the full 5 years. At the time it wasnt possible for me to convert it as I had lost my license card by then (left in Domino's.. doh!) and it also expired in 2005. So i would have had to go home within that time to renew my license which i wasnt able to do.

So skip a few years later, here I am, wondering if anyone knows if I really have to do the whole driving test again from scratch over here, or if there is anyway around that. Nothing illegal of course, just wondering if anyone knows anything more about it? Could I perhaps convert it to an International Driving Permit?? Ive already done my theory, got a provisional, just started doing lessons, and believe me the second time round is worse, i just dont have the enthusiasm for it. So please if anyone has any advice or anything it would be hugely appreciated!!! :D

[Chippy Minton]

Provisional and pass your test is the only way.

International licences are just a translation of the resident country licence and yours has expired.

[livalicious]

Thanks Chippy!

Forgot to mention, I have since renewed my SA license.

[Millionaire]

You will have to pass the UK test, Theory and Practical by the looks of it.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Diol1/MotoringDecisionTrees/HowToImportorExportaVehicle/exchange_driving_licence.dsb?DPF0=0-0-&DPF1=3&vgsubmit=%C2%A0+Next%C2%A0+

[hartcjhart]

try here may be of help

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/DrivingInGbOnAForeignLicence/DG_4022561

[avantra]

Provisional and pass your test is the only way.

International licences are just a translation of the resident country license and yours has expired.

You will have to pass the UK test, Theory and Practical by the looks of it.


Absolute rubbish, check before you send the OP to trow money on a GB license!! for an SA license you CAN convert it to a GB, the SA authorities will ask you to surrender your GB license if you go back for good to SA and need to use your SA license, however nothing is stopping you from asking the GB authorities to produce you a new one.

GB has reciprocal exchange agreements with Gibraltar and 15 designated countries. (http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/DrivingInGbOnAForeignLicence/DG_4022559)
The designated countries are: (http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/DrivingInGbOnAForeignLicence/DG_4022559)
Australia, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands*, Hong Kong, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Republic of Korea*, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland and Zimbabwe. (http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/DrivingInGbOnAForeignLicence/DG_4022559)
If you are a visitor in GB, and hold full ordinary entitlement, you can drive any category of vehicle, up to 3.5 tonnes and with up to eight passenger seats, shown on your licence for up to 12 months from the date you last entered GB, whether or not you brought the vehicle into GB. If you also hold full entitlement to drive large lorries or buses you are only allowed to drive large vehicles registered outside the GB that you have driven into the country. (http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/DrivingInGbOnAForeignLicence/DG_4022559)
If you are a resident in GB and provided your full licence remains valid, you can drive small vehicles for 12 months from the time you became resident. To ensure continuous driving entitlement, you must exchange your licence for a GB one before the 12 months end. (http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/DrivingInGbOnAForeignLicence/DG_4022559)
If you do not do this you must stop driving although you may apply to exchange your licence at any time within five years of becoming resident. (http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/DrivingInGbOnAForeignLicence/DG_4022559)
*Motorcycle entitlement from the Republic of Korea and Faroe Islands is not exchangeable. (http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/DrivingInGbOnAForeignLicence/DG_4022559)

(http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/DrivingInGbOnAForeignLicence/DG_4022559)

[cajef]

If you do not do this you must stop driving although you may apply to exchange your licence at any time within five years of becoming resident. (http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/DrivingInGbOnAForeignLicence/DG_4022559)

(http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/DrivingInGbOnAForeignLicence/DG_4022559)

The OP states that they have been resident in this country for 8 years, therefore they have passed the five year cut off so presumably they will have to take a UK test.

[KeithP]

Absolute rubbish...
<snip the detail>
avantra, did you notice that the OP said they had been resident in UK for over five years?
I just wondered if this little fact might lead you to change your verdict... since your quote did say "If you do not do this you must stop driving although you may apply to exchange your licence at any time within five years of becoming resident".

[Millionaire]

Absolute rubbish, check before you send the OP to trow money on a GB license!!

(http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/DrivingInGbOnAForeignLicence/DG_4022559)

If you say so:rotfl:. Maybe you want to reread the original post properly:rolleyes:

[avantra]

avantra, did you notice that the OP said they had been resident in UK for over five years?
I just wondered if this little fact might lead you to change your verdict... since your quote did say "If you do not do this you must stop driving although you may apply to exchange your licence at any time within five years of becoming resident".

Apparently it's 5 years from the moment an ILTR was guaranteed (which OP indeed don't mention) .

[socrates]

Incidentally I used to deal with a number of South Africans - this was one of the first things we advised them of when they came here to work.

They should change it within the first year.

After that technically they are driving without a valid licence.

I have never heard of anyone being prosecuted - I wonder if their insurance is valid - as one of the questions is about your driving licence?

[sarahg1969]

The OP states she now has a provisional, so the SA licence is considered cancelled now anyway. She must now only drive accompanied and with L-plates until she's passed her test. She's not allowed to continue driving unaccompanied on the SA licence.

(Is the OP a she? I've just assumed.)

[livalicious]

Thanks for all you replies, looks like im gonna have to go through it all again unfortunately. :o

So... can anyone suggest a nice way of telling my driving instructor that after two lessons of him barking at me and constant grabbing of the steering wheel ive decided to use someone else and would like the money i paid upfront for 5 lessons back? :rolleyes:

ps. avantra could you please explain what ILTR stands for? its probably something obvious but brain is a bit frazzled right now.

[Millionaire]

T
could you please explain what ILTR stands for? its probably something obvious but brain is a bit frazzled right now.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indefinite_leave_to_remain

[livalicious]

Well I was granted ILTR on the 14th June 2004, so if Avantra is right and the 5 year period applies from this date, then I should still be able to convert the license. Even if this is so, sarahg1969 said my SA license is invalid now because I have a provisional. Does anyone know how i can confirm any of this information. I have called the DSA a few times now, and all they have told me is what is stated on their website, someone even suggested i find a lawyer who might know of a loophole?!

[sarahg1969]

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/DrivingInGbOnAForeignLicence/DG_4022561

The important point is:

"...if you do not pass a test within the 12-month concessionary period you will not be allowed to drive as a full licence holder and provisional licence conditions will apply. If you do not apply for a provisional licence within the first 12 months you must stop driving and obtain a British provisional licence with a view to passing a driving test. Provisional licence conditions will then apply."

I'm not sure there's a lot you can do now, other than to drive supervised until you pass your UK test.

[spaniel_]

Avantra, could you confirm where you read that the five years is from the date of ILTR? I've been here as a PhD student (limited leave to remain), intending to return, but have now decided to stay and apply for ILTR. I've just missed the cutoff, but have been told that date of residency is counted from the first entry stamp in your passport.

[Wig]

Even if you have exceeded the 5 years, it may still be possible to exchange your licence. For one thing the wording does mention "from the last time you entered UK" so you could go home for a while and come back - possibly?

Also I know someone who had stayed here longer than 5 years (and had been here working most of that time EEA citizen) When they phoned the DVLA to ask about exchanging the guy at the DVLA said "Yes you can exchange it, just send it in to us using form.... bla bla bla"

They then asked the DVLA guy but what about the 5 year rule? I've been here longer than that.

His reply:
"So if you put a date on the DVLA form within 5 years, who's going to know it isn't true?"
Job done! Licence was exchanged with no problems.

This was 15 years ago, so I'm not sure if they have tightened procedures since then.

[livalicious]

:rotfl:thanks wig, ive actually noticed your post today because I was going to ask another motoring question. I think the procedures today are more stringent than 15 years ago, I think the bit that said persons giving false information would be prosecuted (and possibly in my case deported) it really wasnt worth the risk!

But thanks for the reply, i have since got my UK license and finally bought a car today! Yippee... Quotes for car insurance? Not so good.. boo!

[rev_henry]

I know it may be a bit late for the OP but I've definitely heard that going back to wherever your from for a bit then coming straight back is a tried and tested loophole with motoring things. I think the usual thing is e.g. Polish people (I've heard they do it most often, but it doesn't really matter who) buying and insuring a car in Poland, driving it here, staying here then going back to poland for a day or 2 every 11 months or so, thus evading having to officially import their cars and get a UK licence.
Sorry if that's not actually very helpful to anyone here! :P

[livalicious]

hi rev-henry

The DVLA have actually said that if i went home for a while and came back then my residency would start again from the date I returned. But I think the costs of going home would far outweigh the inconvenience of just getting another license. The cost of flight tickets alone are about £400 minimum to SA. Besides I think its a good idea to have two licenses for each country, i dont know why yet, but i do :p.

[PolishBigSpender]

I know it may be a bit late for the OP but I've definitely heard that going back to wherever your from for a bit then coming straight back is a tried and tested loophole with motoring things. I think the usual thing is e.g. Polish people (I've heard they do it most often, but it doesn't really matter who) buying and insuring a car in Poland, driving it here, staying here then going back to poland for a day or 2 every 11 months or so, thus evading having to officially import their cars and get a UK licence.
Sorry if that's not actually very helpful to anyone here! :P

Within the EU, you don't have to exchange your licence. Indeed, if you're in the UK on a Polish licence, there are definite advantages to not having a UK licence - not being able to pick up penalty points for one!

As for cars - yes, that's quite normal. Many Brits do it here as well - as long as the car has the relevant insurance and car tests, I don't think anyone is particularly bothered within the EU - apart from the Irish, who are notoriously strict.

I must admit, given that Polish insurance allows anyone to drive your car (the car is insured, not the driver) and that the car test is only every 2 years, combined with zero road tax - why wouldn't any Pole keep their car registered here?

[Nilrem]

IIRC the law for cars in the UK requires them to be registered and insured here if they are to be kept/used here for more than 6 months out of any 12 to remain legal, with the amount of time spent in the country being cumulative over the 12 month period (so popping over to France for a couple of days wouldn't reset the counter, it just suspends it).

However it's very hard to keep track of, so unless they admit to the police they've been using it over here for more than 6 in the past 12 months it's not generally something that gets acted on.

Basically it's to allow for people who are visiting the country to bring their cars over, but avoid people shopping around for the best (cheapest) country to register and insure their cars in, when they are living here full time.

I beleive that as soon as the owner becomes a resident here, the car should be registered here...(presumably upon the assumption that a resident in the UK is going to be here with his/her car for more than that 6 months of the year).

But this is all at a tangent to the question about driving licences :)

[Chippy Minton]

Within the EU, you don't have to exchange your licence. Indeed, if you're in the UK on a Polish licence, there are definite advantages to not having a UK licence - not being able to pick up penalty points for one!



Really?:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

You're not very upto date with the Road Traffic Act are you?

[Nilrem]

Aye, iirc if you don't have a UK licence the police can still give you points, it's just that they go on a "notional" licence created by the DVLA* for the driver (the same way people who have never had a licence can get points etc).

I beleive if you get enough on that notional licence or commit any offences that would get you banned from driving on a UK licence, you can get banned from driving here even if they can't touch your polish/french/german or whatever licence.

All that having a non UK licence means if that they can't do automatic enforcement easily (a loophole I beleive is being closed in the next few years), anything that has the police intervening in person to deal with it has ways of being dealt with regardless of where your licence is issued from (those ways nclude I beleive them being able to detain people until they've been in front of a magistrate).



*Basically an entry on the computer with a unique driving licence number for the driver in question.

[Inactive]

Within the EU, you don't have to exchange your licence. Indeed, if you're in the UK on a Polish licence, there are definite advantages to not having a UK licence - not being able to pick up penalty points for one!




" Driving Licences - Persons from E.U. resident in UK
If you have a valid European Community driving licence, this will authorise you to drive in the U.K. for the periods below.
Alternatively, you can exchange your licence for a British one at any time.
Provided your licence remains valid you may drive a car or motorcycle (ordinary licence) in the U.K. until the age of 70, or for three years after becoming resident, whichever is the longer period. "

;)