Author Topic: Driving Licence validity - advice from the DVLA  (Read 8297 times)

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Offline Carolyn1957

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Driving Licence validity - advice from the DVLA
« on: January 15, 2013, 17:22:57 PM »
As the driving licence debate rumbles on and on and on as to whether UK driving licences are valid in Turkey I emailed the DVLA yesterday to ask whether a GB licence is valid / renewable for someone living outside the EU. Here is the response I got today.

Dear Mrs Young
 
Thank you for your email received on 14/1/13. Your email reference number is 11xxxxx.
 
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency would be unable to issue a further British Licence to anyone who resides overseas for the greater part of the time.
 
Changes to British legislation resulting in the implementation of the Second EC Directive on Driving Licences (91/439/EEC) since 1 January 1997, have required that driving licences are granted only to drivers who are resident in this country.
 
I hope this clarifies matters for you.

Regards
 
S Keeley
Customer Enquiries Group
DVLA



Offline Rindaloo

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Re: Driving Licence validity - advice from the DVLA
« Reply #1 on: January 15, 2013, 17:39:15 PM »
THAT should be sent to the consulate, to be put on their website.

Offline Carolyn1957

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Re: Driving Licence validity - advice from the DVLA
« Reply #2 on: January 15, 2013, 17:40:42 PM »
Good idea Batman! I'll do it now - there's nothing on their site needless to say!

Offline GordonA

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Re: Driving Licence validity - advice from the DVLA
« Reply #3 on: January 15, 2013, 19:09:30 PM »
That is not an answer to your original question though, is it ??

Offline Carolyn1957

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Re: Driving Licence validity - advice from the DVLA
« Reply #4 on: January 15, 2013, 19:16:52 PM »
It has answered the part about renewing of licences Gordon which is something. I did start wading through the relevant EU directives to see if I can find an answer to the other bit but forgot how bloody boring and hard going they are! I now know that to be deemed a resident of an EU member country you have to live there for 185 days a year. The directive she referred to remains silence on the other part so either there is another directive or they have yet to make that bit up!

Offline loz

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Re: Driving Licence validity - advice from the DVLA
« Reply #5 on: January 15, 2013, 20:29:59 PM »
I found the below link the other day for a friend coming to UK from Turkey, they will be resident and can only use their licence for 1 year, then they will have to take a theory and practical driving test (and pass) to be able to continue to drive in the UK. 


It does actually say somewhere on the question sheet that if you move abroad to countries outside EU (in this case Turkey) and no longer registered as a UK Resident then your driving licence is not valid in the chosen country of residence.
Most ex-pats have a UK address where there are registered and thus think it OK to retain their licence and drive.   


https://www.gov.uk/driving-in-great-britain-on-non-gb-licence


http://ec.europa.eu/transport/road_safety/behavior/driving_licence_en.htm




Offline Carolyn1957

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Re: Driving Licence validity - advice from the DVLA
« Reply #6 on: January 15, 2013, 20:50:20 PM »
The residency requirement is a minimum of 185 days a year. In the normal course of things this would probably never be checked up on - until there was a problem. An astute insurance company wishing to avoid a payout after an accident might ask for a check on a third party's movements. It is easy and probably take only moments to check a person's movements in and out of a country if a court directs that a check be made.

Offline loz

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Re: Driving Licence validity - advice from the DVLA
« Reply #7 on: January 15, 2013, 21:02:36 PM »
Exactly, but I think it is a chance a majority of expats moving outside the EU take, only to suffer the consequences at a later date should they arrive. 
Another tick on my list on why I feel good to move back to the UK.   ;)

Offline Eric

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Re: Driving Licence validity - advice from the DVLA
« Reply #8 on: January 15, 2013, 22:07:13 PM »
"It does actually say somewhere on the question sheet that if you move abroad to countries outside EU (in this case Turkey) and no longer registered as a UK Resident then your driving licence is not valid in the chosen country of residence."

Can you point out where this is Loz?  I have looked and can't find it.

Offline loz

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Re: Driving Licence validity - advice from the DVLA
« Reply #9 on: January 15, 2013, 22:40:10 PM »
Eric the task is set! I know I completed online in a dummy run and it came back, note to self, always use bookmarks.  I will find it again.





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