Are you a visitor or a resident?
This is the first thing to settle, because it changes everything. A visitor is here temporarily and keeps their normal home abroad. A resident has made Great Britain their normal home — broadly, living here for 185 days or more in a year. People who move here to work, study or settle usually become resident on arrival, which starts the clock on how long they can use a foreign licence.
How long can you drive on a foreign licence?
The headline rule is 12 months: visitors can drive on a full, valid licence for up to 12 months from when they last entered Great Britain, and new residents for 12 months from becoming resident. What happens after that depends entirely on which country issued your licence — there are three groups:
| Licence issued in… | Drive on it for | Then |
|---|---|---|
| EU or EEA | Until age 70 (or 3 years if 67+ on arrival) | Exchange anytime, no test |
| A designated country | 12 months from residency | Exchange within 5 years, no test |
| Any other country | 12 months from residency | Must pass a UK test — can't exchange |
What are the rules for EU and EEA licences?
If your licence is from an EU or EEA country (the 27 EU states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), you can keep driving on it as a UK resident until you turn 70 — or for three years from becoming resident if you were 67 or older when you arrived. You can exchange it for a UK licence at any time without taking a test. One catch: if your EU/EEA licence was itself obtained by swapping a non-EU licence, it only counts for 12 months.
What about designated countries?
The UK currently has exchange agreements with 23 "designated" countries and territories — including Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, Singapore, Switzerland, the UAE and, most recently, Moldova. The list grows as new agreements are signed, and several more countries are in talks with the DVLA. Our guide to exchanging a foreign licence covers how the swap works. If your licence is from one of these, you can drive for 12 months from becoming resident, then exchange it without a test, as long as you apply within 5 years of becoming resident. Ukraine has a longer three-year window. The list changes, so always check the current one on GOV.UK.
What if your country isn't on either list?
If your licence is from anywhere else — the USA, China, India, most of Africa, Latin America and the Middle East — you can still drive on it for 12 months from becoming resident. But you cannot exchange it. To carry on driving after the 12 months, you must get a UK provisional licence and pass the UK theory and practical tests before the year is up. There are no exemptions for years of experience, so apply for the provisional in good time to book a test.
Do you still need UK insurance?
Always. Any car kept or driven on UK roads must have a UK insurance policy, whatever licence you hold. Your foreign licence affects who will cover you and the price — not whether cover is required. Driving without it is an offence and your car can be seized on the spot. The practical question is finding an insurer comfortable with your licence: see our guide to car insurance for foreign licence holders.