Getting Your Driving License For the UK As a Migrant

One of the first tasks of moving to a new country is acquiring your driving license. Although this process may be daunting for migrants due to all of its changes, there are some effective strategies that can ease it and make you feel more at home in your new environment.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) states that foreign licenses can be driven in the UK for up to one year before needing to be exchanged; provided you hail from one of their ‘designated countries’ listed here. Once this period expires, no exchange of your licence will be necessary.

However, if you don’t come from one of the designated countries or have lived outside the UK for five years or more, an exchange process is necessary and more information about this can be found here.

Before applying to exchange your licence, both theory and practical exams must be passed successfully. You will require access to both a car for practice purposes as well as an approved driving instructor to provide lessons. After passing both exams successfully, your driving examiner will submit the results to DVLA who will contact you to arrange your full UK licence.

The DVLA website contains all of the forms and information necessary to apply for a provisional licence, such as a D1 form and passport-style photo. Once your identity has been verified, driving can begin! Check out The Highway Code for further insight into driving laws in the UK.