If you’re an overseas healthcare professional who is looking to relocate to the UK for a new role, one question you might have is: will my driving licence be accepted in the UK?
This blog will hopefully answer this question for you and make the prospect of driving in the UK a little less daunting.
To start with, you must be at least 17 years old to drive a car in the UK. If you’re the holder of a foreign driving licence and need to change it to a UK one, there are certain conditions in place that’ll need to be considered when you apply. You may need to re-take your driving test too. Find out more here on the GOV.UK website.
You can drive in the UK for up to 12 months on a licence issued in a ‘designated country’. These countries include:
· Andorra
· Australia
· Barbados
· British Virgin Islands
· Canada
· Cayman Islands
· Falkland Islands
· Faroe Islands
· Hong Kong
· Japan
· Monaco
· New Zealand
· Republic of Korea
· Republic of North Macedonia
· Singapore
· South Africa
· Switzerland
· Taiwan
· Ukraine
· UEA
· Zimbabwe
After the 12 months, you must then exchange your licence for a UK one to keep on driving here. You can exchange your licence up to five years after becoming a UK resident (if it hasn’t already expired) without having to retake your driving test – this same rule applies if you have a driving licence issued in the Isle of Man, Gibraltar, Guernsey, and Jersey.
Do you need car insurance if you have a non-UK licence?
Even if you’re only planning on driving occasionally, having car insurance is a legal requirement in the UK. The minimum legal requirement is third party insurance – this is when you’re covered if you have an accident and cause damage to another person, animal, vehicle or property. To find out more, visit: www.admiral.com.
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