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Living overseas

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Original poster

renewing drivers license

20 replies

wiziliz · 07/07/2016 04:49

hello everyone
can i renew my drivers license if i am living outside the UK but visiting the uk very often. if so how do i do it???
thanks.

OP posts:

AppleMagic · 07/07/2016 04:58

You have to declare that you are a UK resident to renew.

isthistoonosy · 07/07/2016 05:39

Where are you classed as resident? For me as I'm resident in Sweden I have to renew it here and change to a Swedish licence when my uk one expires. Even though I work in the UK and visit regularly it is my place of residence.

karmapolice97 · 07/07/2016 06:39

No I don't think you can. If in the EU it's like isthistoonosy says and should be a formality of swapping it at the town hall or equivalent for a local license.

Wonder how this will work after Brexit...

Do you still have a regular UK address though? It's probably more of a grey area if that's the case although I'm sure you probably need to be 'normally resident'.

SweetChickadee · 08/07/2016 16:48

I would think it depends where you are.

I had to hand mine in when I got a local one. Not allowed more than one where I live. When we return we drive on our forrin licences.

mumhum · 10/07/2016 21:28

In Switzerland you have to hand in your UK licence if you are resident here and want a Swiss licence. You can drive on an UK licence here for 12 months but after that you have to take a local test if you have not exchanged. I can of course drive in the UK on my Swiss licence when visiting.

CherryLip · 10/07/2016 21:34

You need to have a U.K address.

zikreetdreaming · 11/07/2016 10:25

You cant legally renew your licence unless you are UK resident (although plenty of people do if they have a UK address to give). Your UK license is actually no longer valid if you are not resident even if it's in date. You shouldnt be driving on a UK license in UK if non-resident, you'll probably not be insured.

I stryggle to find an easy definition from the dvla of what 'resident' means but I think you need to have bedn living in the UK for the last 18(?) weeks to be eligible to take a driving test in the UK in the first place.

I just had to do a UAE driving test because my UK licence had expired and I wasnt willing to lie to renew it. Technically the licence itself lasts a lot longer than the photocard but the UAE wouldnt accept that one!

Gfplux · 12/07/2016 19:27

I live in Luxembourg. As a resident I had to hand in my UK licence and was issued with a Luxembourg driving licence. I can drive in the UK with this licence. In fact I believe I would be able to drive anywhere just exactly the same as a UK licence.
I suspect you are risking a big problem in your country of residence if you are driving with a UK licence. If you have an accident you will NOT be insured.

Strokethefurrywall · 12/07/2016 19:37

I live overseas and no longer have a valid UK license.
Your current license (where you live now) should be valid for you to drive on as a visitor for a period of time.

I'm able to drive in the UK for up to a year on my current license.

tb · 25/07/2016 20:57

The UK licence doesn't have a "country" field. When I rang them to query this, I was told you can only have a UK driving licence if you are resident in the UK.

I swapped mine for a French one.

Flippertygib · 30/07/2016 15:09

I have an old fashioned DL (fold up one without picture). I have lived overseas for 12 years (and driven on it in 2 countries) and now returned. I have tried to get a new DL with my new address on it however when I applied it said I had to send my passport in!

I cannot do that as I need to travel overseas on business a lot.

Seems mad but all I can do is keep using my very old licence (with a very old address)

scaryteacher · 30/07/2016 17:29

I was told you can only have a UK driving licence if you are resident in the UK. Not quite true, as you can have a UK licence with a BFPO address on it, as we did when we were abroad.

Belgium allows you to keep your country licence and not change it, as they have so many different nationalities here.

scaryteacher · 30/07/2016 17:30

Meant to add, these are EU licences, so they shouldn't need to be exchanged!

Flippertygib · 30/07/2016 17:54

You can drive for a year in several countries on a foreign licence. Can't quite remember what it is in Australia but I was there for 2 years driving on a UK licence. Sounds like a myth about being a resident. How would a foreign country prove where you were a resident of...and why?

OccamsRaiser · 02/08/2016 01:44

You can drive for a year in several countries on a foreign licence. ahem Certainly not if you're a resident of Australia.
Not in QLD
Or NSW
Or Victoria etc etc

Flippertygib · 03/08/2016 00:44

OccamsRaiser We were temporary residents (although we were there for a few years) therefore quite entitled to drive on UK licenses.

The info you linked to is for citizens/returning citizens (anything to do with citizens!) only.

Gfplux · 03/08/2016 08:16

It is all very easy. You take your British licence along to your local Administration Centre and ask "a what if" question.
In the western world having the "wrong" driving licence will give an insurance company an excuse NOT to pay out. It could also jeopardise employment if you are driving on business.
Why anyone would take these huge risks I don't understand.

EBearhug · 03/08/2016 08:24

I have an old fashioned DL (fold up one without picture).

Paper licences aren't valid any more.

Flippertygib · 03/08/2016 09:12

EBearhug "Paper licences aren't valid any more."

They certainly are still valid.

EBearhug · 03/08/2016 11:14

Paper licenses are valid if they were issued before 1998 and you haven't changed address.

You are obliged to tell the DVLA of a change of address, and that's how most of us older drivers got changed to photo licenses - that's how it happened with me. So if you have a paper only licence which doesn't have your current address on (and you said you wanted to get it changed to your new address,) then your paper licence is not valid.

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