# Driving in England



## KayKay (Oct 2, 2010)

Hello.

Im here on my fiance visa, and then after my wedding in May I will extend the visa to the spouse FLR one..

I was just wondering am I able to drive here at the moment? I have a valid US Driver's License on me..Its not bound to expire like anytime soon and Im real happy because my fiance is about to get a automatic car..Thing is I dont know if I can drive it as he cant insure me until I have a license?

But im just curious how can I drive here? Or do I have to wait until I have FLR to drive here?

Ill get lessons if I have to.I read something about my provisional but when can I get this all

I also read my US license is good for a year but is that from right now or from the time my FLR is approved??

if anyone could help me thatd be great thank you everyone


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

If your driving licence was issued in the USA, you can only use your foreign licence for twelve months after arriving in the UK you must apply for a provisional driving licence and pass practical and theory tests to get a UK driving licence to continue driving and this must be done in the 12 months. If you do not do it in the twelve months then you will be classed as a new driver and you have to start all over again. You can get information and the application forms at a mains post office. If you have a licence for driving an automatic car then this is the only type of car you can drive.


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## KayKay (Oct 2, 2010)

So it doesn't matter that I am just his fiance at the moment? I will be marrying him in May, and extending the visa here in the Uk...

So now I understand what you said..Um only thing is if I can drive on this license up to a year, would I have to have the provisional license first though to drive my fiance's car obviously you said my Us license here is good for the year but how soon can I get this provisional ?

And for him to insure me on his car, would I have to have the provisional first? 
And to get the provisional I just fill out a form or something and then pass those theory and practical tests when I am ready to take them before March 2012 cuz I moved here just this week so a year is March 2012 then


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

I would imagine you could only apply for a UK licence once you are a resident or at least a visa to stay. 
As long as you have not been in the UK for a year you can drive with that licence just the same as if you came on holiday and hired a car using your USA licence.
Your boyfriend should tell his insurer that you will be driving and give details of your USA licence.. his insurance company will know what is and what is not legal.


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## izzysmum04 (Nov 26, 2007)

*Hi, KayKay! Yes, you are able to drive here at the moment as a fiance visa is a type of resident visa, but your fiance will have to get you insured. Your 12 months of driving on your US driving licence began the day you entered the UK on your fiance visa. I recommend applying for your provisional licence as soon as possible. I see you can now do that online, so should be really easy. Once you get your provisional, your fiance should be able to find it easier to get you insured. Definitely recommend getting driving lessons. You most likely won't pass the test without them, as the test here is a lot more intricate and detailed than it is in the states. Hope I helped! Good luck with everything! x*


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## KayKay (Oct 2, 2010)

Oh thank you all so much now I understand more, I had an idea before I began this thread but that was before I planned to move here..Now Im here, Im gonna drive around with my US license and apply for the provisional asap..Then Ill practice...Get some practice books as well so I can pass both tests before March 2012..I got it..Yeah heard the tests here are hard, Ive seen samples and some of the questions are simple but then there are some hard ones and the road signs are different here, but I have confidence in myself!

Well thanks again and Ill report back on what's been happening then so future expats will know.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

KayKay said:


> Oh thank you all so much now I understand more, I had an idea before I began this thread but that was before I planned to move here..Now Im here, Im gonna drive around with my US license and apply for the provisional asap..Then Ill practice...Get some practice books as well so I can pass both tests before March 2012..I got it..Yeah heard the tests here are hard, Ive seen samples and some of the questions are simple but then there are some hard ones and the road signs are different here, but I have confidence in myself!
> 
> Well thanks again and Ill report back on what's been happening then so future expats will know.


You can't apply for your provisonal licence until you have been in UK for 6 months, so it will be probably when you get your FLR as spouse. As US license doesn't distinguish between automatic and manual car, you can drive either. As soon as you get your provisonal licence, get some lessons from a driving instructor and become thoroughly familiar with UK drving techniques and Highway Code required to pass your tests. Try to pass them before your 12 months is up, so that you won't be subject to learner driver restrictions like having to be accompanied by full UK licence holder, displaying L signs and being banned from motorways etc.


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## KayKay (Oct 2, 2010)

Thanks Joppa, yeah after going on direct gov website Ive decided Ill apply for my provisional after I get my FLR in a couple of months only because Id like it to be in my new surname, etc etc.


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## Arsalan786 (Mar 24, 2011)

You need to bring IDP. (international driving permit) from USA and u can drive here like full UK driving license owner for 1 year . In between after 6 month you can straight away change your US driving license to UK full driving license without any test or exam. Just go to DVLA website for further info


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Tesqo said:


> You need to bring IDP. (international driving permit) from USA and u can drive here like full UK driving license owner for 1 year . In between after 6 month you can straight away change your US driving license to UK full driving license without any test or exam. Just go to DVLA website for further info


List of Designated Countries: Australia, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Hong Kong, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland and Zimbabwe.

Only licences from above countries, plus EEA, can be exchanged for UK licence without taking any tests. US licence holders therefore have to pass UK driving tests in order to get a British licence.


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

Tesqo said:


> You need to bring IDP. (international driving permit) from USA and u can drive here like full UK driving license owner for 1 year . In between after 6 month you can straight away change your US driving license to UK full driving license without any test or exam. Just go to DVLA website for further info




Sorry don't think that is correct..


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Tesqo said:


> You need to bring IDP. (international driving permit) from USA and u can drive here like full UK driving license owner for 1 year . In between after 6 month you can straight away change your US driving license to UK full driving license without any test or exam. Just go to DVLA website for further info


You can only get a full drivers licence in the UK when you have taken and passed a driving test! Before that you can have a provisional, but you are not allowed to drive without an experienced driver (over 25 and been a driver for over a year) next to you, "L" plates on the front and back of the vehicle and the correct insurance for learner drivers

Jo xxx


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

jojo said:


> You can only get a full drivers licence in the UK when you have taken and passed a driving test! Before that you can have a provisional, but you are not allowed to drive without an experienced driver (over 25 and been a driver for over a year) next to you, "L" plates on the front and back of the vehicle and the correct insurance for learner drivers.


Yes but those who have a foreign full licence can drive for up to 12 months. After 6 months in UK, they can get a provisional licence and, unless they are from one of the designated countries, they can continue to drive without being subject to L-driver restrictions for further 6 months. If they take and pass the tests in that time, they will get full UK licence.
Only those who fail to pass the tests within 12 months of arrival will then be subject to L-driver restrictions.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Joppa said:


> Yes but those who have a foreign full licence can drive for up to 12 months.


For which they would have had to have taken and passed a test??

Jo xxx


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

It's all in this link:-

Driving on licences from all other countries, and students on a foreign licence : Directgov - Motoring


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

jojo said:


> For which they would have had to have taken and passed a test??


Foreign motorists can drive on their native licence (from just about any country) for up to 12 months in UK. So a Mongolian driver with their Mongolian licence (best to get an international driving permit if it's all in Mongolian!), who has taken tests to get their licence, can drive in UK for 12 months. But as Mongolia isn't a designated country, they will have to pass UK driving tests to continue driving beyond 12 months, and if they manage to do so before the time is up, they aren't subject to L-driver restrictions. As you need to be living in UK for 6 months before you can apply for provisional licence, they need to pass within a window of 6 months.


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## Arsalan786 (Mar 24, 2011)

Yup but license holder from US, EEA, Australia,Japan etc not need to give driving test in UK if they got there country full driving license they can straight away change to UK DL


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Tesqo said:


> Yup but license holder from US, EEA, Australia,Japan etc not need to give driving test in UK if they got there country full driving license they can straight away change to UK DL


Please tell us where you've found that US licence holders (actually a State licence) can just exchange their licence for UK one.
US isn't on the list of designated countries whose licence can be so exchanged without taking driving tests.


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

Crawford said:


> It's all in this link:-
> 
> Driving on licences from all other countries, and students on a foreign licence : Directgov - Motoring




Perhaps you should take the time to read the link.. USA is not a designated country and the information Joppa has given is correct.


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## izzysmum04 (Nov 26, 2007)

*I'm an American in the UK, and can concur with what everyone has said....someone from the US cannot just exchange their US licence for a UK one. Believe me, if it were possible I would have saved myself all the hassle of the test, and exchanged my WV driver's licence for a UK one 7 years ago, when I first got here. *


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