Driving license renewal

[redexpat]

Hello
Inspired by another thread - my driving license is up for renewal next summer. I've looked at the DVLA website and couldn't find anything for British citizens living overseas - it takes you to another directgov site. If I try and apply online the website says you have to be a UK resident, which I'm not. I looked at the british embassy page for my host country and there is lots of stuff about passport renewal, but nothing about driving licenses. ANyone got ANY idea about this?

TIA

I don't think you can do it unless you live in the UK. I have lost my photo card part somewhere and looked into it then.

Ohhhhh yes, I've looked into this extensively. You cannot renew a UK licence if you are not primarily resident in the UK. Basically, since I moved to Canada and my UK licence had my old (incorrect) address on it, I've not had a valid licence (even though I used it to hire cars on visits "home" until the photocard part expired. Apparently that was wrong )

Now that it's expired there's nothing I can do other than apply for a replacement if/when I ever choose to return to the UK to live. We'll not (unless regulations change) have to take another test, as our entitlement to the licence (when we're living in the UK) is valid until the date on the paper part, but we can't get a new UK driving licence while we continue to choose to live overseas...

"not had a valid licence" should obviously read "not had a valid UK licence"... I've not been driving round BC with no licence at all!!

I think you need to take out a licence in the country you are living in. I've had four different licences.
When I moved back to England, I sent my Belgian one to the DVLA. Because I'd had a photo licence in the past, there was no charge. Although, I did have to send a new photograph in because mine was more than ten years old.

Where are you? I'm in the Netherlands and was told by my council here that my UK licence was only valid for 90 days of being a resident in NL, so I had to do a straight swap, handing in my UK photo licence for a Dutch one. Apparently you're only allowed to hold one EU driving licence. I use my Dutch licence if renting a car in the UK.

Your license is valid until you are 70. It's the photo card that has expired. Just wait and renew it when you return to the UK.

Thanks everyone! I'm in Denmark, so EU, hopefully minimal fuss involved.

ripstheirthroatout 4 licenses is impressive!

Impressive but useless, the Thai one is particularly hopeless.