Foreign Driving Licence Information

If you drive your vehicle in a public place, a minimum of third party only motor insurance cover is compulsory in Great Britain (GB). In order to obtain insurance for a vehicle you must also comply with the minimum requirements for driving in Great Britain, such as age limits and have a valid driving licence.

How do I find out whether my driving licence is valid in Great Britain?

If you are a national from the EC/EEA (any one of the countries listed in the table below), you may hold a valid European Community driving licence, which will be valid for use in Great Britain. Subject to GB age limits and having the relevant entitlement on your licence for the type of vehicle you want to drive, you may drive in Great Britain. Your eyesight must also meet the minimum legal standard.

Austria	Estonia	Iceland	Luxembourg	Portugal
Belgium	Finland	Ireland	Malta	Slovakia
Bulgaria	France	Italy	Netherlands	Slovenia
Czech Republic	Germany	Latvia	Norway	Spain
Cyprus	Greece	Liechtenstein	Poland	Sweden
Denmark	Hungary	Lithuania	Romania

If you have any health conditions, although you may have notified the authorities in your own country, you will still have to notify the DVLA about them (the DVLA is the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency in Great Britain). For driving passenger vehicles, you will also need to pass an eye test, as the standard for this is higher than for the majority of other EC/EEA countries.

What if I am not an EC/EEA national?

Drivers from Northern Ireland are allowed to continue driving on their existing licence until it expires, or may exchange it for a GB licence. Drivers from the Channel Islands and British overseas territories/Crown dependencies may drive any category of vehicle shown on their existing licence for up to 12 months, following which their licence must be exchanged for a GB licence.

In respect of all other countries, if you have a valid driving licence issued in the country you originated from, you are allowed to drive for up to 12 months in Great Britain. If you wish to continue driving beyond the 12 month period, it is necessary to apply for a provisional licence and pass the appropriate driving test(s) prior to the expiration of this period.

To ascertain whether you can use your existing licence, and for how long, use the DirectGov interactive tool. Further information about driving in Great Britain is available on the DVLA site or at DirectGov.

Once you have determined that you have a licence that is currently valid for driving in Great Britain, it is possible to get insurance for your vehicle. Please either fill in our callback form and we will contact you, or call us on 0800 977 4200 and one of our friendly staff will be happy to help you.