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Now that you have finally settled down in the UK it’s time to exchange your license to a UK drivers license. It’s a pretty easy process to exchange your
Why Should You Change Your Foreign Driving License To The UK One?
The reason I changed my
- Proof of Address – One of the benefits of having a UK
licence is that it is the most convenient Proof of Address you can have. Before having mylicence I needed to carry my passport around when I needed to something at the bank and requiring me to remember in advance with having my UKlicence I didn’t need to worry. - Cheaper Car Insurance – Most companies offer cheaper car insurance for
full UK driving license holders. I recently tested this on confused.com to see whether it was true using VOLVO V60 SE T3 as the car model of choice. The first quote with my Australianlicence came to £2924.32 and the second quote using my UKlicence came to £937.56. It’s worth making the switch if you are planning to buy a car to save those £££’s. Continue driving in the UK – If you wish to continue driving in the UK you must change yourlicence after 12 months of staying in the UK on a foreignlicence . I waited 3 years before exchanging mine however I don’t really drive in the UK. You can exchange it up to 5 years after becoming resident if it hasn’t expired.
Can You Get A UK Driving Licence On A Visa?
As long as your visa allows you to hold a permanent address in the UK and have lived in the country for at least 185 days of the last year you will be able to get a UK drivers
- Tier 5 Youth Mobility
- UK Ancestry
- Right to Abode
- Spousal Visa
- Student Visa
- And others…
How to Exchange a Foreign Licence for a UK Drivers Licence
The process for exchanging your
Check If Your Country Has A Reciprocal Exchange Agreements
To exchange your licence your home country must be a ‘designated country’ (countries with exchange agreements with Great Britain), the countries in this agreement are; Andorra, Australia, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland and Zimbabwe.
The application does ask which country your licence was issued in and where you passed your test. If you didn’t pass in one of the above countries you will have to complete a driving test. You will be able to drive on your licence for 12 months before requiring to exchange.
Complete driving test (if required)
Countries that don’t have a reciprocal agreement you will need to apply for a UK provisional licence and pass the UK practical test. It’s not required that you take any driving lessons before taking the test but it could be helpful to familiarise yourself with the UK rules.
Check out this handy little tool to see if you can drive in the UK on your non-UK
A Copy of Your Licence or Proof of Entitlement Letter From The Issuing Authority
You need a copy of your drivers’ license or proof of entitlement letter from the issuing authority confirming your
When I was in Australia I said my
If you passed your driving test in Canada or New Zealand you will need to provide proof that you can drive a manual gearbox if you want a manual license.
Manual or Automatic Licence
Your
Order Form D1 From The Driver And Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)
The easiest way to get a D1 form is by ordering it online,
Get A Passport Sized Photo
You will one standard UK Passport size photo to send with
Where to get photos? I always end up going to Snappy Snaps for my passport photos as there are so many around. They will ask you what type of photo you require and provide the correct type.
Complete the D1 Form
Simply complete the two page form. If you need any help there is also a guide to support the application.
Send the Application with Your Documentation
You will need to include:
- Completed D1 form
- Passport Photo
- Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) (if you’re on a visa)
- Your
licence or proof of entitlement letter from the issuing authority - £43 fee – As I don’t have cheque book I decided to get a postal order to pay the £43
- Self-addressed registered post envelops (optional)
If you arrived in the UK on a British passport then you just need to add your passport in the application and you will not need to send your passport off with the application.
Please note: If you don’t provide a self-addressed registered post envelope then your documents will be posted back to you in second class post. DVLA will not compensate for any loss or delay in the return of your documents. I highly recommend paying extra for the registered post envelope for a piece of mind.
How to Pay Via Postal Orders and Checks
For some reason the DVLA only accepts cheques! The easiest way to get one is a postal order from the post office. The cheque will cost 12.5% of the value order which will be £5.37 on top of the £43. Simply go up to the counter, ask for a postal order to the DVLA Swansea and one will be produced with the correct amount.
Alternatively, you can visit your bank or credit union’s branch to request a counter cheque. Make sure you check with your bank branch before you make a trip there and see if counter cheques are available. If you use an online bank like Monzo this option won’t be open to you.
Make sure you add your name and date of birth or licence number on the back of the cheque.
Where should I send the application?
The application should be sent to:
DVLA
Swansea
SA99 1BT
I sent mine by registered post and included an addressed registered post envelope so it could be tracked when my documents were returned. Your new UK licence and identity documents will be sent separately.
How long does it take to get a driving license UK?
Allow about 3 weeks for your driving
Understanding Your UK Driving Licence and the Codes
On the back of your UK
If you have a standard
- AM which is a 2-wheeled or 3-wheeled vehicle with a maximum design speed of over 25km/h (15.5mph) but not more than 45km/h (28mph) if I comply with code 122 (see below).
- A with restriction of 79 (3) which is motor tricycles with a power output more than 15kW.
- B1 which is basically a quad bike.
- B the one we are most likely to drive, a car. It’s exchanged to a full
licence , if you had an automaticlicence it would say 70, 78 which is restricted to vehicles with automatic transmission. - BE I can drive a car with a trailer.
The codes determine what conditions are on your licence. Here is a quick highlight of the codes I think are most common:
- 01 – eyesight correction, for
example, glasses or contact lenses - 70 – exchange of
licence - 71 – a duplicate of the
licence - 78 – restricted to vehicles with automatic transmission
- 79 – restricted to vehicles in conformity with the specifications stated in brackets on your
licence - 79 (2) – restricted to category AM vehicles of the 3-wheel or light quadricycle type
- 79 (3) – restricted to tricycles
- 122 – valid on successful completion: Basic Moped Training Course 125 – tricycles only (for licences issued before 29 June 2014).
For more information on the code here.
Hi – just to clarify, do they give you your Australian drivers license back or do they keep that? Thanks!
Hi Tom,
No, you don’t get your drivers license back. When I went home last I just reported my licence lost so I had two copies and sent one off.
Kat
can you get a new australian licence once i exchanged it
Hi Abe,
Each state has its own rules so you would need to check with your state. When you arrive back in Aus as a permanent residence in Australia you must exchange no later than three months after arrival. As a general guide, you need to prove the following information to swap:
Proof of an Australian address
Proof of identity
Completed eyesight test
Completed knowledge test (unless exempt)
Completed driving test (unless exempt)
Required licencing fee
Information about any medical conditions that affect the ability to drive
Kat
Hi Kat!
I’m going to the UK in August and plan to get my driver’s license here in Australia before leaving. Can I exchange it within 12 months or maybe not because it will be so recent?
Extra information: my australian driver license will not be provisional because I already have a full one from my country (Brazil).
Thank you!
Hi Alisson,
I have never dealt with a multi-country transfer so I’m not sure if it would be ok. It would state on your license (as far as I am aware) that it was swapped from Brazil.
You can exchange your license 185 days after you arrive so 6 months time.
Kat
Just for info
The place where you passed your driving test counts.
If you got your Australian driving licence on the basis of a Brasilian driving licence then unfortunately you would not be able to exchange (unless the UK has an agreement with Brasil at the time of exchange).
In this case the fact that you passed in Brasil counts over the fact that your licence is Australian.
Regards,
Larson
Thanks Larson, that is super helpful.
Hi Kat,
Do they provide a provisional license, so that one can drive while they wait for the full license to arrive. I still need to drive for work in England and 3 weeks without being able to arrive at work,l would be a problem.
Kind Regards
Mary
Hi Mary,
I didn’t get a provisional license when I exchanged my license. Just waited for the hard copy to arrive in the post.
Kat
Can I change my Ukrainian driving license in uk
Hi Umar – I would call and check with the DVLA. Kat
Hi Kat, do you know if there is a fast track service over the counter? I’m concerned seeing my passport as I often need it for work… cheers, N
Hi Noni,
I am not aware of any DLVA centres you can go to exchange your license.
Kat
Hi Kat,
Thanks so much for such a helpful post. On the list of documents you need to submit you’d mentioned the BRP, but not the passport. I’m Canadian here on a visa so do I need to include my BRP and Canadian passport? Thank you!
Hi Audrey, Unless your visa is in your passport than just your BRP card is needed. Kat
Thanks 4 this I followed your guidelines for ILR did it on my own using super priority . Did my biometrics yesterday and got my approval today .Thanks so much u made it all very easy
hi can i change my full indian driving license to uk full driving license .i living in uk since 2016.i got my theory test to pass and have provisonal to..
Hi Kunal, You would need to re-take your driving test as there is no reciprocal agreement. Kat
Hi
I have eu license, i want to exchange to uk license, my license is issued in 2011 so if i convert to uk license Iam gonna get same issued year or from the date it’s issued in uk ?
Hi Kat,
Do you know if one can drive while the driver licence is being exchanged?
Any guides from DVLA? I couldn’t find any reference.
Thanks,
Adrian
Hi Atiq,
Mine was dated when my UK licence was exchanged, not when I first got my licence.
Kat
Hi Adrian,
I haven’t found any official articles to support whether you can or not. This is the closest document I found: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/695575/inf188x6-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-with-dvla.pdf.
Kat
Hiya, does someone still need to counter sign the photo you send in? Thanks for your help!
Hi Kim, I didn’t get someone to countersign my photo/ fill in part 6 of the form as I completed part 5 of the form, along with my Passport/Visa (mine was old school). Kat
Hi Kat! How long did it take for your new UK licence to arrive since you sent off your one?
I want to say like 2-3 weeks.
Hi
I may have left this too late (but hoping not).
Applying for ILR this Dec (visa expires 27.12.19) and wanting to exchange my Australian licence for a uk one.
I’ve never driven here, but do think it would be good moving forward to have one but am slightly worried
If I send it off early this week (say by Wednesday) should I allow 3 weeks to get my licence and documents back? Or is it licence first…then documents back?
I can apply for ILR as of today (have completed all online, just not paid/ processed it yet)
What do you think is best?
Ignore the licence and focus on ILR? Or will I have enough time.to do both?
Once you’ve gone over your current visa to get a license you would need to sit the tests etc and no longer allowed to exchange.
I will leave whether you do it or not up to you but if you were going to do it then get it done ASAP. I would make sure you include a first-class register post bag.
As long as you submit in the 28 days then that’s the important step, you don’t need to get a biometric appointment in the same window, it can be afterwards.
Kat
I have a spousal visa in the UK and passed my test in Singapore 3 years ago. I have a Filipino passport. Having a Singapore driving licence I researched that this could be exchanged for a UK licence. However on applying the DVLA requested a copy of the test certificate from Singapore which we do not have or can get hold of as we now live in the UK. Can you advise please
If the DVLA is requesting a copy then you would need to get one to swap unless you want to repass your test in the UK. Have you emailed or called the Singapore DVLA to request a copy?
Hi Kat
Do you need to send/include any proof of address document with the application?
Hi .I am belgian citizen. But I have Spanish driving licence. This licince I exchanged in Belgium. But now I am in uk I want exchange it. Can I exchange it second time in eu countries.
Hi Tim, I didn’t include proof of address, just the documents I mentioned in the article. Kat
What is the date stamp on the D1 form, did you guys fill it?
Hi Kat, thank you so much for writing this very informative blog. I just received my UK driving licence today hooray! 🙂
I just want to share one thing about the requirement of being a resident. When I checked with DVLA via their live chat online, they said “In order to apply for a GB driving licence you must be resident in GB. As long as you have the appropriate leave to remain in GB for 185 days or more, you can apply straight away for a driving licence.” For my case, I have moved here for only a couple of months on a spouse visa and just got my BRP in Nov. So I went ahead to apply while I haven’t lived here for 185 days yet, and they approved it without any issue. Hope this info will help the others. Thanks!
Hi Kat,
Thanks for your super helpful post!
I’ve been trying to find out if I’m eligible for a UK License but I don’t seem to be getting anywhere?
I moved here from Australia in September 2014. I haven’t ever needed to drive however I now do So I’m wanting to get it sorted but I read you have up to 5 years to get this sorted (which would mean it’s too late) however I also read this is from becoming a ‘resident’ – so would this mean that the 5 years starts after the 185 days of being in the country?
Hi Laura,
By the sounds of it you will be on ILR or Citizenship now? Unless you moved here on a passport. My understanding is it will be too late to apply. They do have an online chat service so you could check with them.
Kat
Thanks for getting back to me Kat, I came here on an Italian passport. Does the form specifically ask when you came to the country? I’ve ordered the form so just waiting for it to come in the hopes that I can get it all sorted.
You mentioned you had your Australia license and the uk one, is that possible? As I’ve also read once you’ve sent the Australian one you then can’t use the Australian license in Oz. Or (if the dates ended up being ok and I could get it sorted in time could as I read somewhere else that the 5 years starts after the 185 days), could I say I’ve lost my license and get a new one (like you mentioned) then send the spare one for the transfer and then when I’m back in Oz on holiday use my Oz license as usual?
Sorry if that’s very confusing!
The form doesn’t ask when you entered the UK.
They don’t send your Aus licence back, I just asked for a new copy when I was in Aus so had two copies. If I log onto WA transport and add the details of my license it still shows active. I don’t think the UK ever let Australia know you have switched your license.
Re the 185 days I don’t think the 5 years start from then. It’s normally when you arrive in the country and the reason I ask if you had ILR is that would tell them straight away that you have been here for over 5 years.
Kat
Hi Kat
Ive been living in the UK for about 5 months now. I have a south africa driving license and a German passport. What kind of documentation do I need to show to prove ive been living here..?Thanks
Nico
Hi, I’ve been in the UK for over 5 years, I came over on a UK passport as i
I have duel citizenship , I know that is over the time frame to exchange my a
Aus license, how thorough are the dvla’s checks on when I would have arrived in the uk though? Do I need to supply proof of when I arrived here or would they have that on record somewhere ?
Hi Nick, I think you will find that they will reject it as they will have a look at your UK passport number. Kat
Hi Kat,
I moved to the UK on a 2-year tier 5 youth mobility visa in May 2019 so I am due to exchange my Australian licence to drive for the remainder of my visa. I have a Full and current Victorian drivers licence and have lived here as a resident for the required 185 days.
I currently have all the documentation required, however, I am not keen on losing my Australian licence (as they say they don’t return it), so I was happy to read on your blog that you can provide a “proof of entitlement letter from the issuing authority” instead? however, I cant seem to find anything on the D1 form that says I can use this instead of sending my licence?
Any clarification would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks
Hi Kat,
I want to ask if is possible to transfer your experience from non eu driving license, to uk driving license I have from 2003 driving license from Macedonia . I took now uk driving license in January I pass theory and driving test but on this license shows like I’m new driver with 6 months experience and is difficult to found some job like delivery driver or something similar without experience from at least 24 months. Thanks
Hi Marjan,
They don’t take into account your pass date from your home country and just apply the exchange date. Lots of expats have this issue, unfortunately.
Kat
Hi Kat,
Here’s a real riddle for you! 🙂
I applied for a foreign driving license exchange: Irish license to UK license.
However, with COVID-19, the DVLA are not processing any postal applications. Therefore, I don’t have my Irish license and as of yet, don’t have my UK license.
I’m about to buy a new car:
Can I test drive it?
Can I insure it?
Thank you,
Marc
Hi Marc,
I would check with the company you plan on test driving a car with, it would depend on their policies.
Re insuring it, I don’t think you will be able to without a licence so either you would need to get a new Irish licence or wait for DVLA to open.
Kat
Hi Kat,
Such a useful article! My Australian license has recently expired, do you know if I will still be able to exchange it?
Thanks 🙂
Hi there!
I’ve just noticed my nz license has expired and now I’m over here with no valid license. Do you have suggestions on how I can fix this? Feel like such an idiot!
I don’t think they do exchange expired licences but maybe with everything happened lately. They are generally pretty helpful and looks like they are taking calls again for non-key workers: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/dvla-coronavirus-covid-19-update#contact-centre. Can you get your Aussie one renewed?
Aww no! Can you renew your NZ license and get someone to send it over? I don’t think DVLA UK do exchange expired licences but maybe with everything happened lately. They are generally pretty helpful and looks like they are taking calls again for non-key workers: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/dvla-coronavirus-covid-19-update#contact-centre
has anyone tried to exchange an expired licence while in lockdown, i checked the link above but it all says it has to not be expired. Mine expired while in lockdown 🙁
Hi Kat, I’m a Singaporean driver – can I just submit my passport but not my BRP – will that work?
Thanks,
Joanna
Hi Jonna, I would submit your BRP card over your passport. Your passport doesn’t show that you have the right to reside here. Kat
Can you renew your home country license? Might be the easiest option.
Hi Kat,
Thanks so much for your really useful article.
I am from NZ and have been in the UK for just over 1 year (arrived 13th June), and have just under 1 year left on my Tier-5 Youth Mobility Visa. I have recently got a car on 5th June (Automatic), but I have been scouring through DVLA’s website to find out whether I have to exchange my NZ Driver’s Licence for a GB one, now that I have been here 12 months, or whether I can continue to use my NZ Licence until I leave. I have called DVLA about 5 times, tried emailing, tried the chat and there is just no way to contact them at the moment.
I am also really confused by the paragraph in DVLA’s website that says you must change your licence after 12 months of staying in the UK on a foreign licence, but you can exchange it up to 5 years after becoming resident if it hasn’t expired.
– Does the 12 months thing start after I arrived in June, or after my 185 days in the UK have passed?
Really sorry about all the questions I have fired in, but I am really looking for some kind of insight on this. I would really appreciate any of your thoughts on these questions.
Hi Kat,
Thank you so much for this blog! Curious if you knew the answer – I want to exchange my NZ licence, but I am here on my EU passport – my assumption is that I would send this passport to prove residency?
Many thanks,
Ronja
Hello,
I have EU car driving license, and now I get a provisional (learner) motorcycle license.
Before I get the provisional motorcycle license Compulsory basic training (CBT), I has got the D91 form.
So can I use D91 form to change my EU driver license to UK driver license?
Or I still have to send my driving license with D1 form?
I hope you understand my question 🙂
Thank you!
I would send the EU passport as proof of residency.
You have 12 months that you are allowed to drive in the UK on an NZ license then up to 5 years to exchange. It’s very weird but I would exchange your license as insurance will be a killer on your NZ license. Also you just need to have residency for 185 days – it’s a bit confusing and I need to update the article.
I live in the uk and drive on an qld licence, love your idea of reporting the licence as stolen, getting a second one and sending it off to exchange for a uk one. I really don’t want to give up my Aussie licence. Do you know if the second qld licence you have is still valid to drive on when I’m in Australia or will the see I have exchanged it for a uk one?
Hi everyone.
Specifically Marc regarding your comment about the application you sent in in June- have you received your identity documents back yet?
I sent my EU passport off to prove identity (in order to exchange my South African drivers license) but it has taken several weeks and I am desperately hoping somebody knows what the turn-around time is like at the moment. I spoke to somebody at the DVLA who says the backlog of applications is significant, and there is no way of identifying mine/anybody’s specific parcel in the piles of unattended to packages (there is no intake tracking system- i.e. until yours is opened and processed, you will not be on the system). I have tried but cant get an emergency passport right now either and have to travel for work. So if you need your passport in the near future, bet on a serious backlog time wise and I would wait a few months before doing this. Wish I had!
Has anybody tried to apply for a license exchange during lockdown, and if so, how long did it take to receive your passport back?
There are heaps of threads on Kiwis in London and Aussies in London about timings. Might be worth searching through there to see what people’s experiences are :).
Hi KAT,
I am moving to UK On a tier2 visa in September this year and hold an Austrian driving license.
Do I need to exchange my license to a UK license ?
And what documents will I need exchanging it?
Thanks
Deepa
Hi. I live in London and i have a Greek driving license. I want to exchange it with a British one but I’ve lost my Greek license. In which section of the form do i have to write that??
Thank you.
Hai kat
I am holding a newzealand license.I got stuck in overseas because of covid so my BRP card is with me.Do i need to send the orginal brp or the copy is fine?
Thanks in advance
Hiya, I would check on Kiwi’s in London or something like that to see if anyone was successful but in all cases I am aware of it’s the original BRP card.
Hi, I am not sure you can switch without a copy of your license and there is no section on the form to state that you have a lost license. Kat
As I understand EU members don’t need to exchange and can keep driving. Although not sure what the rules will be after Brexit.
I have Canadian truck driver license, I am in UK for 1 year and recently insurance companies has stopped giving temporary insurance. I can exchange my Canadian license to UK (Car license), But when i return i want to keep my truckers license in Canada.
What is the best option for me here. Please advise
You would need to check with the Canadian DVLA what their process is for exchanging back.
Hi
I sent my Hungarian driving lessons and my passport for exchange for uk . It is over 4weeks now and I did not receive yet any of them not my passport or any uk driving lessons. Any idea why it taking so long please?
Thank You Ewelina
There have been longer response times due to COVID.
Hi Kat hope you well
I sent my French driving license and my identity card for exchange it to GB driver license from 12 August 2020 so is more than 3 weeks and I didn’t get back anything no my identity or driving license
Do you why
Thank you:)
There are delays due to the backlog, most people are experiencing a long turn around times.
Hi kat
I am Australian I came into the uk on my uk passport. Why do we have to surrender I license I am not sure how long I will be here for as we pay for ours yearly as I will need mine for work as one day I will return cause my lorry license on it, as it is no good over here apparently
Thanks
Hi Kat,
I sent off my SA licence and visa documents to exchange for UK drivers licence nearly a month ago. Is there anyway you can find out how far your application is progressing , as it’s nearly a month ago the application was posted
Hi Kat
I sent my application to exchange my EU driving license I received back my identity withe letter saying your drivering license should follow shortly follow
Do you know how long does take to receive my driver license and how can I follow it
Thank you
Hi Kat,
Thank you for all the useful posts. I too am a holder of a non-GB license (USA) and my year is up. Due to Covid I wasn’t able to get the GB license in time as I needed to leave England for six weeks for medical reasons and could not send in my passport. I was hoping that non-GB license holders may be granted an extension as the holders of GB licenses are getting. I believe they have 11 months to renew now. In any event, I came across this petition to the parliament “Extend the 12-month period drivers can use non-GB driving licenses”, not sure it will help but am mentioning it because if it passed we could all be less stressed.
BW
Hi again Kat,
Just FYI, link to the petition : https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/329081
Thank you
Hi Kat,
From Singapore, and was wondering if I submit my BRP and my Drivers License do I get both back in the mail with my UK license?
Thank you, very useful information!
Arnold
Hi Kat,
thank you for such an informative article!
I am from Singapore, and will be exchanging for my UK license soon. Question is — What if i lost my home driving license? Also, when you receive your UK license, do they disregard your driving experience? Will the car insurance categorize you as a new driver in the UK?
Thanks!
Ashely