Exchange a Foreign Driving Licence for a UK Licence

The 12-Month Rule

Once you become a resident of Great Britain, you can use a full, valid driving licence from a designated country, or from a country with no exchange agreement, to drive here for 12 months. After that you need a Great Britain licence to keep driving. A European Union licence is treated differently: you can drive on it until you are 70, or for 3 years from the date you became resident if you were 67 or over at that point.

The 12-month period starts from the date you became normally resident in Great Britain, not from the date you first drove here. DVLA treats you as normally resident if you live in Great Britain for 185 days in each calendar year. See our driving licence for visa holders guide for more detail.

If your foreign licence expires during the 12-month period, you can no longer drive on it. You would need to exchange it or take the UK test before the expiry date.

Designated Countries: Direct Exchange

Great Britain has agreements with certain countries and territories that allow a direct licence exchange without taking any driving tests here. The full list of designated countries is on GOV.UK. It includes:

• European Union and European Economic Area countries: including France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland, Romania, and all other member states.
• Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.
• The 23 designated countries and territories: Andorra, Australia, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Republic of North Macedonia, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates and Zimbabwe.

If your licence is from one of these, you apply directly to DVLA to exchange it without testing. With a designated-country licence you have 5 years from becoming resident to exchange it, and it must not have expired. If you miss that window, you would need a provisional licence and both driving tests instead.

One European Union case works differently: a European Union licence that you obtained by exchanging a non-European Union licence only lets you drive in Great Britain for 12 months.

How to Exchange Your Licence

The application is made to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA):

1. Get form D1. You collect it from a Post Office that offers DVLA services. DVLA's online form-ordering service does not supply D1, and it cannot be downloaded. You can check what applies to your own licence on GOV.UK.
2. Send your driving licence with the form. It goes to DVLA as part of the application.
3. Add an official translation if you need one. If a designated-country licence is not in English, DVLA asks for an official translation, which you get from your embassy.
4. Include the other documents the form lists and pay the £43 fee.
5. Post it to the address on the form.

Your new licence usually arrives within 3 weeks. It can take longer if you have told DVLA about a medical condition and your details need checking. Note that you cannot use a biometric residence permit card as identity evidence: those cards stopped being issued at the end of 2024 and your immigration status is now held online as an eVisa.

Countries Without an Exchange Agreement: Taking the Test

If your licence was issued by a country that is not on the designated list and is not in the European Union or European Economic Area (for example, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, or the Philippines), you cannot exchange it. Instead, you would:

1. Apply for a UK provisional driving licence: Costs £34 online or £43 by post.
2. Pass the theory test: £23. It is 50 multiple-choice questions in 57 minutes plus a hazard perception test of 14 video clips, and the pass marks are 43 out of 50 and 44 out of 75.
3. Pass the practical driving test: Costs £62 on weekdays (£75 on evenings, weekends, and bank holidays).

The theory pass certificate lasts 2 years, so the practical test has to be passed within that time or the theory test has to be taken again.

European Union Licences

European Union licences can still be exchanged without retaking a test. This applies whether you have European Union settled status or arrived on a visa. See our EU nationals after Brexit guide for broader context.

There is no 12-month deadline on a European Union licence. GOV.UK says you can drive on it until you are 70, or for 3 years from the date you became resident if you were 67 or over at that point, and you must exchange it after that. Some people exchange earlier anyway — for example where a job asks for a Great Britain licence — and that is allowed without a retest. A Great Britain licence you already hold runs on the standard 10-year photocard renewal.

Insurance Considerations

Getting car insurance as a new UK resident can be expensive, even if you have years of driving experience abroad. Most UK insurers do not recognise foreign no-claims bonuses, though some specialist insurers do. For more on this, see our car insurance for visa holders guide.

You may find that obtaining a UK licence before applying for insurance can reduce your premiums, as some insurers charge more for policies linked to foreign licences.

Automatic vs Manual Licences

If your licence covers automatic vehicles only, the Great Britain licence you exchange it for is also limited to automatic vehicles. For some countries DVLA asks for proof that you passed your test in a manual vehicle before it will give you manual entitlement. For a Canadian licence that proof is always needed, and for an Australian licence it is needed if the licence came from the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, the Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania or Victoria.

To move from automatic to manual entitlement, the route is the Great Britain practical test taken in a manual car. For more on settling in the UK, see our first week checklist, bank account guide, GP registration guide, renting guide, National Insurance number guide, Skilled Worker visa guide, and eVisa guide.

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