getting a polish license to avoid speeding points

JonBoy_SCFC

is it true that you can avoid getting points on your license by going to poland, doing the test there, and then driving around in the uk with a polish license?

mate of mine down the pub reckons it was in the news that people are doing this and getting away without paying increased insurance due to some loophole regards this. he reckons that apparently polish people living here are getting away with driving offences all the time because the cops can't add the points to their license

Anyone know if this is true or not?

skintmostofthetime

I think this is an new urban legend which has started due to several people getting points and saying their name was `********' ( - don't know the name ) and never getting traced.
It was only when someone with some sense decided to do a bit more research and found the `name' was polish for the words `Driving Licence' !!!.......... make sense?

bingo_bango

This links to the legend. As an Irishman, I can well believe this!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7899171.stm

Atermis

JonBoy_SCFC wrote: »

mate of mine down the pub reckons

Probably answers the question.

Wutang_2

it is definitely true and you should do it asap.

Although, are you then planning to intentionally break the law?

Crazy_Jamie

I love these rumours that start 'my mate down the pub reckons...'

As has already been stated, this has clearly evolved from the story linked to above, and doesn't tell the whole truth. You cannot get points on a foreign licence in this country, but you can still be fined and banned.

bandraoi

They can't give you points on a foreign license and by EU law you don't have to change your license over. However, if you're not resident in a foreign country then I suspect it's not straightforward to get a licence there.

I'm also not sure what the situation is if you have a UK license already, there is probably a caveat surrounding that.

dzug1

Well even if it's true - do you know enough Polish to pass their theory test so you can get that licence?

And whilst they might get away with no points they certainly don't get away with no fines.

redux

JonBoy_SCFC wrote: »

... he reckons that apparently polish people living here are getting away with driving offences all the time because the cops can't add the points to their license

Anyone know if this is true or not?

it's garbage, perhaps xenophobic nonsense

well, maybe for a short visit, but ...

foreign people resident in the UK for a certain time have to apply for a UK driving licence, so they aren't exempt

- I chatted about this with a German and a Lithuanian a couple of weeks ago, after I read the news story about an Argentinian footballer

Varin

I'm Polish, and the whole thing is an urban legend. I have full UK licence, i've passed the test in England, but many of my mates had to change their polish licences in order to drive in the UK legally (it is only the case if you are planning to stay longer than 3 or 6 months. I can't remember what exactly this period is).

Besides, there was a funny situation in Ireland. Police over there thought that "Prawo Jazdy" which means "Driving Licence" on the licence is actually a forename and a surname They've had a person named "Prawo Jazdy" in their system, having more than 50 driving offences, and they obviously couldn't track that person down. They corrected their mistake after one policeman finally realized what "Prawo Jazdy" realy means

worried_jim

my mistake. typo!