Driving in the UK on a foreign licence

The critical question is whether your licence was issued by a 'designated country' for exchange purposes. DVLA publishes the list, and it includes the EU and EEA states, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Africa, the Falkland Islands and several others. It changes as agreements are made, so check the current list rather than relying on any secondary source.

From a designated country you can exchange your licence for a UK one without taking a test, generally within five years of becoming resident. You apply to DVLA with the D1 form, your foreign licence, identity documents and a fee.

From a non-designated country you cannot exchange. You must apply for a UK provisional licence and pass both the theory test and the practical driving test. You can carry on driving on your foreign licence for the first 12 months while you do this, but not beyond.

EU and EEA licence holders are in a distinct position: after becoming resident, an EU or EEA car licence can generally be used until the holder turns 70 or for three years after becoming resident, whichever is later, before exchange becomes necessary. Rules for lorries and buses are stricter.

Complete form D1, available from Post Offices and DVLA. There is a fee, and the application must be made by post because your original foreign licence has to be sent with it.

You will need proof of identity — a valid passport is the standard document — and details of your addresses for the past three years. If your name differs across documents, include the marriage or deed poll certificate that links them.

DVLA keeps the foreign licence. If you need it for driving in your home country, say so in the application; some licences are returned to the issuing authority rather than to you, and this is worth checking before you post it.

Processing typically takes a few weeks. You can normally continue to drive while the application is being processed, provided you were entitled to drive when you sent it and DVLA has your licence.

Northern Ireland is administered separately by the Driver and Vehicle Agency, with its own forms and process.

Apply for a UK provisional licence first. You can do this online with a valid passport, and you must be resident in Great Britain.

The theory test has two parts taken in one sitting: multiple-choice questions and a hazard perception test using video clips. You must pass both parts in the same attempt, and the pass certificate is valid for two years — the practical test must be taken within that window or the theory must be retaken.

The practical test lasts around 40 minutes and includes an eyesight check, vehicle safety questions, general driving, one reversing manoeuvre and around 20 minutes of independent driving following a satnav or signs.

Waiting times for practical tests have been extended for a considerable period, and booking early matters more than most people expect. Book the practical as soon as you have the theory pass, not when you feel ready.

While on a provisional licence you must display L plates, be supervised by someone aged 21 or over who has held a full licence for three years, and you cannot drive on motorways except with an approved driving instructor in a dual-controlled car.

Britain drives on the left, and enforcement is heavily automated. Fixed cameras, average-speed cameras over long stretches, and bus lane and box junction cameras all issue penalties by post to the registered keeper.

The drink drive limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. Scotland's limit is lower, at 50 — a genuine difference within the same country that catches drivers crossing the border.

Using a hand-held mobile phone while driving is an offence, including when stopped at lights or in traffic. The rules were tightened so that almost any use of a hand-held device is caught, and the penalty is six points and a fine — which means a new driver within two years of passing loses their licence for a single offence.

Insurance is compulsory and enforced by automatic number plate recognition against the Motor Insurance Database. Driving an uninsured vehicle is detected without a stop.

Clean air and low emission zones operate in a growing number of cities, including London's ULEZ and Congestion Charge and schemes in Birmingham, Bristol, Bath, Sheffield, Glasgow and elsewhere. Charges are payable online and enforcement is by camera; hire cars are not automatically covered.