Foreign drivers will have to prove they have passed the appropriate driving test before getting a UK licence under tough new rules announced today (15 January 2013) by Road Safety Minister Stephen Hammond.
A discrepancy in the law means that previously some non-EU drivers were able to exchange their licences without proving they met the criteria to drive in this country.
The change in the law means that applications to exchange driving licences from outside the EU will only be accepted if the licence holder can prove they passed their driving test in a country where the test standards are comparable to those in the UK.
Stephen Hammond said:
The UK’s roads are among the safest in the world, partly due to the rigorous standards set by our driving test. By closing this loophole, we will not only make Britain’s roads safer, but also help tackle fraud and provide a level playing field for British drivers who spend the time and money learning to drive to UK standards.
It is clear to everyone that drivers who have not undergone rigorous driving tests are not as safe as those who have. This change in the law means that we can be sure that any foreign driver who exchanges their licence here has already passed a test of a similar standard to ours.
All driving licences issued by an EU member state allow the driver to drive in any part of the EU and there is no need to exchange their licence.
This does not apply to drivers outside Europe, but there are arrangements in place with 15 countries that allow drivers to exchange their licence for a UK licence. They do not need to take any additional driving tests as the DVLA recognises that the licence they hold proves they have already met the appropriate standards to drive in that country.
However, due to a discrepancy in the law, some foreign drivers were able to exchange their licence for a licence in another foreign country with which the DVLA had an exchange agreement, and then exchange it for a UK licence. This meant that the DVLA could not check that the driver had met the appropriate standards to drive in that country before exchanging their licence.
The law will now make it clear that a replacement licence will only be issued on the basis that the driver has met the appropriate standards for driving in this country.
Notes to Editors
The change in law came into effect on January 11, 2013.
Driving licences issued by EU countries and three other EEA countries are treated equally. Drivers from the following countries can exchange their driving licence for a UK licence:
Andorra Austria Belgium Bulgaria Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Republic of Cyprus Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden United Kingdom
DVLA also has reciprocal arrangements with the following countries:
Australia, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Hong Kong, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Zimbabwe
Driving licences from these countries will be replaced with a full UK licence provided the driver has taken and passed their test in one of these countries or an EU/EEA member state.
