Can you drive in the UK on a foreign licence?

If you’re new to the UK, you might be keen to get behind the wheel to explore on the open road. You can usually drive in the UK if you have a valid licence from another country, but there are specific rules depending on how long you’re staying, and where your licence was originally issued.

Can you drive in the UK on a foreign licence?

If you’re visiting the UK for a short time, you can drive for up to 12 months on your foreign licence, regardless of what country it was issued in. If you become a UK resident, then the rules depend on where your licence was issued.

EU/EEA and Switzerland

You can drive in the UK until your licence expires. If you’re aged 70 or older, you must exchange your licence for a UK one.

Designated countries

Citizens from some countries, known as ‘designated countries’, can exchange their licence for a UK one without taking a driving test, as long as it's within five years of becoming a UK resident. Designated countries include Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa. You can check if your driving licence can be exchanged for a UK licence on the UK Government website.

All other countries

You can use your licence to drive in the UK for up to 12 months from the date you become a UK resident. After that, you must pass a UK driving test (theory and practical) to continue driving.

How long can you drive in the UK with a foreign licence?

If your licence was issued in the EU or EEA, you can keep using it to drive in the UK for as long as you like, until it expires.
If you got your driving licence in a country that’s not part of the EU or EEA, the rules on how long you can use it to drive in the UK depend on how long you plan to stay.

For temporary residents - like visitors, tourists, and anyone staying in the country for less than a year - you can drive in the UK for up to 12 months from the date of your arrival, without needing to exchange your licence. After this, you must stop driving unless you get a UK licence. If you plan to stay longer than 12 months and you want to keep driving, you’ll need to apply for a UK provisional licence and pass both the theory and practical driving tests. This will give you a UK driving licence.

The situation is a little different for long-term residents - that is, anyone living in the UK for longer than 12 months. You can use your foreign licence to drive for the first 12 months, but after that it won’t be valid anymore. If you want to continue driving, you’ll need to get a UK licence. This means you must apply for a UK provisional licence, then pass the theory test and the practical driving test.

You can’t exchange your licence for a UK one, unless you’re from a ‘designated country’ that has a licence exchange agreement with the UK.

Exchanging a foreign licence for a UK licence

Some countries have a licence exchange agreement with the UK. If you become a UK resident, and your driving licence was issued in one of these countries, you can exchange it for a UK one without having to take a driving test.

The designated countries that have licence exchange agreements with the UK are:

• Andorra
• Australia
• Barbados
• British Virgin Islands
• The Provinces and Territories of Canada
• The Cayman Islands
• Falkland Islands
• The Faroe Islands
• Hong Kong
• Japan
• New Zealand
• Principality of Monaco
• The Republic of Korea
• The Republic of North Macedonia
• Singapore
• South Africa
• Switzerland
• Taiwan
• Ukraine
• The United Arab Emirates
• Zimbabwe

You can check if your driving licence can be exchanged for a UK licence on the UK Government website.

If your driving licence was issued in one of these countries, and you want to exchange it for a UK licence, you must be a UK resident, and have lived in the UK for at least 185 days in the past 12 months. You must apply for the exchange within five years of becoming a UK resident, and your foreign licence must be valid (not expired) when you apply.

Here’s what you need to do to exchange your foreign licence for a UK licence:

• Check if you’re eligible: you can check if your licence is eligible for an exchange on the UK Government website
• Get a D1 application form: if your licence is eligible, you’ll need to get a D1 application form from the DVLA website, or from a Post Office
• Gather your documents: you’ll need to provide your original foreign driving licence (not a copy), a passport style photo of yourself, proof of your identity (a valid passport, biometric residence permit, or UK residence card)
• Pay the fee: it costs £43 to exchange your foreign licence for a UK one - you can pay by cheque or postal order if you’re applying by post

Send your completed D1 form, your documents and your payment to the DVLA - the address will be on the form. You should receive your UK driving licence within three weeks, but it could take longer if extra checks are needed. Once you’ve got your UK licence, you won’t get your original foreign licence back.

Can you drive in the UK on a US, Australian, or other non-EU licence?

The rules on driving in the UK with an international licence depend on the country your licence is from.

Australia

You can legally drive in the UK for up to 12 months - after that, you’ll need to exchange it or apply for a UK licence. As Australia is on the designated countries list, you can exchange without taking a test, as long as you’ve lived in the UK for at least 185 days, and you apply within five years of becoming a UK resident.

China

You can drive in the UK for up to 12 months from the date you arrive, but your Chinese licence won’t be valid after the 12 months is up. If you plan to stay longer, you’ll need to apply for a UK driving licence - this means applying for a provisional licence, then passing the theory and practical driving tests.

Switzerland

You can use your Swiss driving licence in the UK for up to 12 months. Switzerland is outside the EU and EEA, but it has a licence exchange agreement with the UK, so you can exchange your licence without taking a driving test. But you can only do this if you’ve lived in the UK for at least 185 days, and if you apply within five years of becoming a UK resident.

United States of America

You can drive in the UK with a US licence for up to 12 months from the day you arrive, but after this, your licence won’t be valid. Since the US doesn’t have a licence exchange agreement with the UK, you’ll need to apply for a UK licence if you want to continue driving here. You’ll have to apply for a provisional licence, then pass the theory and practical driving tests to get a full UK licence.

Generally speaking, you can drive in the UK with a licence from another country for up to 12 months from the date you arrive. If you want to keep driving longer than that, the rules depend on where your licence was issued.

Do you need to take a driving test?

If you want to get a UK driving licence, you’ll only need to take a test if the licence you already have is from a country outside the EU and EEA, and is not on the designated countries list.

The UK driving test is made up of two parts - theory, and practical. The theory test is made up of 50 multiple-choice questions (you need to get at least 43 correct to pass), as well as a hazard perception test (with a pass mark of 44/75). You can prepare by studying the Highway Code, using the DVSA app, and taking practice tests. It costs £23 to take the theory test, and you can book online.

After you’ve passed your theory test, you can take your practical test. This includes an eyesight check - to make sure you can read a number plate from 20 metres away - followed by a few questions about vehicle safety, and then a 40-minute driving assessment. This will include some independent driving, and you’ll have to perform some specific driving manoeuvres. You can book your practical driving test online - it costs £62 to take the test on a weekday, or £75 for evenings, weekends or bank holidays.