Whether you are buying or renting a car in the UK, you need a valid driving licence. If you do not qualify to exchange your driving licence for a British licence, you can drive in the UK for 12 months only after obtaining your UK residence. Following that period, you must take a theoretical and practical driving test to obtain a British driving licence.
Requirements to drive in the UK
To drive in the UK, you must:
- Have a driving licence;
- Register, insure, and tax your vehicle;
- Get an MOT for your car if it's over three years old. The MOT test is an annual vehicle safety test also checking the car's roadworthiness and exhaust emissions conducted by the Ministry of Transport (MOT). If you drive a car that has failed the MOT, the police can prosecute you;
- Meet the vision standards for driving. In other words, to be able to read a car number plate from at least 20 metres (with glasses, contact lenses or unaided eyes). This is actually tested at the start of practical driving tests in the UK. If candidates fail to read the number plate of a parked car, they automatically fail the test.
Provisional driving licence in the UK
To get a provisional driving licence, you must apply online to a Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). To be considered for a provisional driving licence, you must be at least 15 years and nine months old (but you can start driving with a full driving licence when you are 17) and have legally lived in the UK for at least 185 days in the past 365 days. The cost of the provisional driving licence is £34 if you apply online and £43 by Post Office. You will need to show an identity document (e.g., your passport) and a residential address for the last three years for the application. Your provisional driving licence should arrive within one week. Once you have it, you can start taking driving lessons with an instructor or practice driving with family and friends who are over 21 and have had a full UK or EU driving licence for at least three years. As soon as you pass your practical driving test, you can apply for a full driving licence.
Attention:
You cannot start taking driving lessons without a provisional driving licence.
Attention:
If you practise driving with a supervisor who doesn't meet the requirements, you can be fined up to £1,000 and get up to six penalty points on your provisional licence.
Important:
If you are using someone else's car to practise driving, you must ensure that their insurance policy covers you as a learner driver.
Attention:
You cannot drive on motorways on a provisional driving licence without an instructor and in a vehicle that is not equipped with dual controls.
Important:
If you drive on a provisional driving licence, you must visibly display the 'L' driving plate at the front and back of your vehicle. In Wales, the letter for learners is ‘D'.
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Exchanging a foreign driving licence in the UK
Citizens of designated countries or territories (i.e., Andorra, Australia, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cayman Islands, Faroe Islands, Falkland Islands, Hong Kong, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, South Africa, Republic of Korea, Switzerland, Zimbabwe, Gibraltar, Republic of North Macedonia, Singapore, Taiwan, Ukraine, and the United Arab Emirates) can drive in the UK without exchanging their foreign driving licence for 12 months after becoming UK residents. The is available on the government portal. You will then have to produce all requested documents and the applicable fee to the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority) in Swansea.
If you come from a non-EU or a country that is not among the designated countries, you can drive on your foreign driving licence for 12 months from when you became a resident. After this period, you must apply for a provisional driving licence, pass the theory and practical driving tests, and obtain the full UK driving licence.
Important:
If you hold an EU driving licence, you can drive in Great Britain without taking further action. However, if your work requires a Great Britain driving licence, you can exchange your EU licence without retaking any tests.
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Obtaining a UK driving licence
If you don't have a driving licence yet, or have a driving licence from a non-EU or a non-designated country, and wish to drive in the UK, you need to obtain a valid UK driving licence. To be eligible for this licence, you must be more than 17 years old. The first step is to apply for a provisional driving licence online or at the nearest post office. Documents to be produced are your ID card (or passport), proof of address, and your national insurance number. You are expected to pass both the practical and theory tests to get a full driving licence.
Good to know:
The driving licence, which is valid for ten years, is also recognised as proof of identity in the UK. After ten years, you need to renew it online or at the post office.
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The driving test in the UK
Before taking the practical test, you should pass the theory test first. If you fail at the first attempt, you can retake the test after ten days. Note that each attempt costs £23.
The theory test consists of two parts which can be booked as a single test. The first part is a test and the second part is a , a video test about spotting hazards on the road. Both parts must be passed for the test. Regardless of your driving abilities, taking practical driving lessons with a qualified instructor is highly recommended. Thus, your driving level will be assessed, and you can reach the national standard level quickly to pass the test safely. Once you feel confident enough, you can book your test at the cost of £62 for weekdays and £75 for weekends. Once you have passed the practical test, you can then apply for a permanent driving licence at the post office for £17.
Types of vehicles in the UK
When you obtain your driving licence, it will be either for a manual or an automatic car. You cannot drive a manual car with a driving licence that is only for automatic cars unless you upgrade your licence by passing a driving test in a manual car. To drive a motorhome or a camper van, you need a category C1 or C licence, if it's over 7.5 tonnes.
Important:
When you start learning to drive a manual car, you must follow the rules that apply to learners.
Buying a car in the UK
If you are buying a used vehicle, it's essential to ensure it's not stolen or unsafe to drive. You should obtain some crucial information from the seller before you make any transactions. For example, you should ask for the vehicle's registration number, make, model and MOT test number. Also, you should check that the information provided by the seller matches the DVLA information. Last, but not least, check if the manufacturer has recalled the car or parts of it due to safety issues.
Important:
To use your vehicle, you must insure it first.
Attention:
When buying a used car, ask for the V5C (vehicle log book), which must have a DVLA watermark. If the serial number is between BG8229501 to BG9999030 or BI2305501 to BI2800000, the V5C might be stolen. In such a case, call the police as soon as you can, always keeping your personal safety in mind.
The highway code in the United Kingdom
You will drive on the left side of the road in the UK. Access to most motorways is free, but you may need to pay if you pass through toll roads, bridges, and tunnels. Pedestrians, emergency vehicles like fire and police engines, and ambulances have priority. The speed limit is as follows: 30 miles/h or 48 km/h for all single and dual carriages with street lights and 70 miles/h or 97km/h on motorways.
If police stop you, you must be able to show your driving licence, an insurance certificate, and an MOT certificate for vehicles that are older than three years. If you are missing some of the documents, you may be allowed to present them at a police station within a week or less.
Important:
You must pass the practical test within two years of passing the theory test. Otherwise, the theory test becomes invalid, and you will have to take it once again.
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